Arcadia - The Remix Discs - 1985

As many have said before me, this is the best Duran Duran album that was ever released, and it's not even Duran Duran.  I still remember when this album came out and watching the videos when I could catch them.  The entire image was stunning and the music was only part of it.  The art, the makeup, the clothing, the videos, and the MUSIC, yes.  I remember finding the 45 picture sleeves at the Venture department store near my house and being infatuated with them....  I was in love.

But, it was about this time that my parents went through this "Rock & Roll is the Devil's music" phase, and I wasn't allowed to purchase any music without their approval.  So, after seeing their Election Day video, and seeing the album had a song called El Diablo, and wondering why they all dyed their hair black, I was told by my parents that I couldn't purchase the album.  Fuck.  What's a 14-year-old to do?  Of course, that didn't keep me from taping it from my friend, so, I did have the album, I just had to imagine the glorious picture sleeves.  Mind you, by the time I turned 16, that Devil music crap was out the window, and I eventually purchased the album.  Just tell me I can't purchase a little Duran Duran, and I'll go out and start buying Ozzy and Anthrax and Megadeth.  It changed their tune rather quickly...

The album itself, standing alone, is a masterpiece.  But, as always, the hunt for mixes soon became the key.  The few that were released as singles were good, but I wanted more.  I never knew about Say the Word until I got my bootleg Heaven's Eyes disc.  What a shocker.  mid-90s and I uncover an Arcadia song I had never heard before?!  Grey Lady of the Sea soon followed in the same fashion.  Yes, I know that Grey Lady isn't an Arcadia song, but it could be, it sounds like it.  And, it was released almost the same time.  So, I plug that one in with them.

When fans started mixing D2 and Arcadia tracks, there were a lot of really shitty ones done.  Not everyone is skilled at it.  Plus, there were a lot of fan mixers who would plug in these modern elements and beats that rendered the tracks worthless, as it was obvious that they were never meant to fit with the rest of the Arcadia songs.  I mean, why the fuck would someone try and manipulate Simon's vocals with a vocorder or Auto-tune?  That's just fucking stupid.  SO, I am very picky about which tracks I've selected to be on these remix discs.  All the tracks, IMO, HAVE to sound as if they were mixed and released in the same period as the original tracks, just to keep it authentic sounding.

The covers - meh.  Disc One's cover looks alright, but I feel that the cover I did for Disc Two is too busy and is obviously cut & paste.  Eventually, I may remake it.  Anyway, I hope you like them, and I hope you like the inclusion of the fan mixes, as I feel they've carried on a tradition and given us more to listen to.  I want to thank THEM for their hard work...

Arcadia - The Remix Discs - 1985 - Disc One

Arcadia - The Remix Discs - 1985 - Disc Two