The way Duran Duran operates as a band is weird. In my eyes, they always provide cohesive album after cohesive album, picking a genre or a style and making sure it's the only one through-out the record. With records like their 1993's second self-titled album, their sophomore effort Rio, and 2004's comeback Astronaut, Duran Duran has proved that they can make solid synth-rock albums that have clearly inspired acts like The Killers, The Faint, Justice, Daft Punk, and Janet Jackson. They are known amongst the public as a band of pretty boys who were so "gay" that they were cooler than any other heartthrobs. Unlike myself, the public knows Duran Duran as a singles band; and technically they were. Though they can hit high with some very classic and underrated album cuts, they also have quite a few records in their back catalogue that are only good for picking out the hot single releases. Decade: Greatest Hits was released in 1989 after the moderate success of Big Thing, and before the musical trainwreck that was Liberty in 1990. So, score 1 for Decade is that none of those cruddy tracks are included! But seriously folks, when I look at the tracklist for this record, it's not half bad. Though I may have decided to have it run a little differently and tweek it a bit, anybody who is just looking to get into Duran Duran should consider this purchase, especially if you want to concentrate on their work from the 1980s.
You may have seen Greatest in stores now, which officially makes this release (according to their Wiki page) "obsolete," which is definitely true, though this is still a great representation of their music from 1981 to 1988. In those quick years, Duran Duran changed their line-up a few times, released five records, and became one of the biggest acts of their time. Now, when you try and fit all the best moments onto one CD, it can get a little tricky. As fantastic as Rio is, you have to be smart and only choose the biggest of the big-- thus, the glaring omission of the fan-favorite/radio-bomb My Own Way may be tragic and heartbreaking (to me, at least), it is completely justified. Beginning on a high-note, this 56-minute compilation starts off with their debut single Planet Earth, which is one of their biggest songs to date. This was a much crunchier version of Duran Duran that was only recorded for the first album-- it doesn't have that gloss that Rio had, and the synth licks and overproduction are heavy and downright fun. Running in chronological order from Duran Duran to Big Thing, it's followed by Girls on Film, a slightly more recognizable version of D^2 that features that catchy hook and some clever lyrics. Simon's vocals are already well-represented here, but wait under you get to the slower not-quite-a ballad Save a Prayer, featuring some very interesting warping effects and scratchy sound clips that give the track a hazy, drugged feel. The song sounds wet, sad, and cold, and it serves a precursor to some of the "decadent" material on Pop Trash about twenty years later.
As with any collection of "the hits," many songs may appear edited or remixed-- then again, if you're getting this for a new fan, why would that matter? Regardless, none of the editing is obtrusive or awkward, rather they are pleasantly shortened slightly in order to fit it all on one disc. Unlike Madonna's Immaculate Collection release from 1990, Decade does not slaughter anything to death. If you can honestly tell the slight BPM change on the dance classic Hungry Like the Wolf, then you either wrote the damn song, or you spent about ten minutes comparing it to the version on Rio, which runs about fifteen seconds longer than the one present here. I've never seen this technique used before, but it's very effective. Mayhaps one of the more questionable omissions from this release is New Moon on Monday, which was a rather successful pop tune for the boys; instead we get The Wild Boys-- I know it's technically one of their biggest tracks, but the faux-army theme with the rather embarrassing vocal chants are less than appealing to this fan. I would have rather had New Moon. The better cuts included on this album include the dramatic Union of the Snake, the US-breakout hit Rio, and the 7" dance remix of The Reflex-- aka, the version that everybody knew and loved. Unlike the slow and rather uninspired original version, the one included here has got tons of life and energy, as Simon sings his cryptic lyrics over one a supreme 80s beat: You've got too far this time; but I'm dancing on the valentine!" Yeah, you go, Simon. You keep on dancing...
The inclusions of the hit Is There Something I Should Know?is great, as it was initially a stand-alone single, only being released on certain pressing of their debut. This 80s classic should Duran Duran at their peak of musical creativity and unabashed naivety. It hits big in a big way, and it doesn't go home. The worst cut on this record is the beloved live-favorite Skin Trade, which I think is one of their more annoyingly generic pop tunes that does little to help their reputation as being a novelty band. This collection of Duran Duran's hits ends on two of their singles from the energetic and fun Big Thing album, which has been regarded as a moderate commercial success, but a musical mess. I, for one, am a big fan of the camp-fest that that record brought to the Duran Duran discography, even if it got a little too derivative of their contemporaries. The songs included are one slightly more remixed single version of I Don't Want Your Love, which was mixed by Madonna-collaborator Shep Pettibone, and the funky pre-house music track All She Wants Is, which features a great beat and some spoken vocal samples.
VERDICT For anybody wondering about the megamix Burning The Ground that was used to promote this record...it's not here. I have no insight as to why it was left off this collection, because it would definitely give hardcore fans a reason to actually make the effort in buying this collection. For anybody who's unsure of Duran Duran or only has one of their albums and is looking to try more, the "obselete" Decade still packs a big punch with some classic 80s pop tracks. Though it leaves out some underrated classics, I suppose I have to trust that this would make you want to check out their full LPs. Great for beginners.
01. Planet Earth [5 Stars] 02. Girls on Film [4 Stars] 03. Hungry Like the Wolf [5 Stars] 04. Rio [4.5 Stars] 05. Save a Prayer [5 Stars] 06. Is There Something I Should Know? [4.5 Stars] 07. Union of the Snake [4 Stars] 08. The Reflex (7" Dance Mix) [5 Stars] 09. The Wild Boys [3 Stars] 10. A View to Kill [4 Stars] 11. Notorious [4.5 Stars] 12. Skin Trade [1 Star] 13. I Don't Want Your Love (Shep Pettibone Mix) [4.5 Stars] 14. All She Wants Is [4 Stars]
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