A band in transition??

The 1985-86 period was a tough time for Duran fans, most were disillusioned by the Power Station/Arcadia side projects, Simon's yachting adventures and the Live-Aid "performance". All this was enough to have had many a loyal Duranie wondering is it all over? Added to that was the departure of founder members Roger and Andy Taylor? So could Duran, against all odds, confound everyone and come back with their best album?



Unfortunatly no, not quite! Notorious does have it's moments though..... Notorious starts off brightly enough with it's title track and American Science which stand alongside some of their best work, Skin Trade as well is well worth a listen although the more compact Radio Cut does this song better justice! Vertigo and Winter Marches On and even So Misled also offer glimpses of what the album could have been.



But it just seems that Duran lack the courage of their convictions and are struggling to come to terms with the loss of Roger and Andy! Tellingly the band recorded most of this album whilst waiting for Andy to show up ....and it shows! A Matter of Feeling is a very unoriginal Save a Prayer, Hold me is souless and Proposition is the sound of a band struggling to get some energy into the the album and falling short...something that was effortless previously.



That said though Notorious is a more complete album than Seven and the Ragged Tiger which is their biggest seller (????) and certainly there was promise of better things to come.......time would tell!

DD's Best Album to date

I have always liked Duran Duran, and Notorious is definitely a MUST HAVE for all the fans. With the departure of Andy & Roger Taylor, this album definite sounds different from their previous albums. Listen to A MATTER OF FEELING, it gives me a chill. With horns added into their songs - its a definite MUST HAVE!!!

Duran get Funky with Nile Rogers

This album was released in the fall of 1986. People were wondering if the band would ever record again after there hiatus and Arcadia/Power Station projects in 1985. They lost two members and went from teen idols to semi-adult contemporary music makers with Notorious. Notorious is jazzy, funky, and soulfull. They got a horn section. Nile Rogers produced. And Warren was pulled in to replace Andy Taylor on some tracks like "Vertigo". The songs are largely about romance (like Arcadia's) and less corny (like Seven and the Ragged Tiger's). Yes, here is where the boys become men. Arcadia's influence trickles into Notorious on tracks like "Winter Marches On" and "So Misled." "Skin Trade" and "American Science" and "Meet El Presidente" show that the band can still be a bit absurd, but forgiveably so. Duran Duran wouldn't be right if they weren't a little ridiculous.

Matter of feeling:what a song!

No doubt that Duran Duran is the best music group of the 80's. I adore them.

Notoriously uneven, but noteworthy

Having gotten their side projects out of their systems, the five members of Duran Duran went through a rather violent metamorphosis. Simon, Nick and Andy were in, Andy Taylor dropped by, but was essentially out, and Roger Taylor walked away. The remaining trio soldiered on, and realized a career irony by brining formative influence Nile Rogers of Chic on board as producer.



Losing Andy and Roger obviously sapped some of their spark, because "Notorious" sounds smoother and silkier than any previous DD album, There is also the surprising funk of the title track, the album's biggest hit. But instead of the high energy teen-pop of the first three albums, the album concentrates on invigorated art music. It made for some interesting songs ("American Science" and "Meet El Presidente") and the fantastic "Skin Trade." Unfortunately, the world was not ready for the mature Duran Duran, so all the neat horn charts and slick soul backing vocals couldn't lure in old Durannies, who likely had begun to grow into non-pinup music.



Which is too bad. "Notorious" may have been uneven, but it was by no means a disaster (like "Pop Trash" or "Liberty"). It was just a little odd that, after claiming for so many years that they aspired to make music that combined Chic and the Sex Pistols, the album they created with Nile Rogers had more hints of Roxy Music the "Le Freak." This album really needed more of the Power Station and less of Arcadia, but you can be forgiven if you get guilty pleasure from the titular track, the funky "Proportion" and the atmospheric "Winter Marches On."