Customer Reviews

Duran Duran: Unseen . . .: Photographs 1979 - 82

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I already knew that this book included pictures other than Duran Duran when I bought it from Amazon. (A little birdy told me). So I was prepared for the fact that approximately 50% of the images were of the band. But, oh, how interesting it is to see the people they hung out with: Other musicians, fashion icons of the area/era, etc. The wild, the weird, the strange, the sublime. Boy George, Annie Lennox, Bow Wow Wow and Spandau Ballet are all included. If you are a long-time fan you will know some of the others by name. Some will be new to most people who lived outside the UK at the time.

There are captions by the photographer, members of the band, and others who were part of their world. These help fill in the blanks and provide additional glimpses into the scene that Duran Duran was born into.

The photographs are quite beautiful, and there are some very interesting and stunning shots of the band I've never even seen circulating on the Internet. Quite a few, actually.

If you go into this with your eyes wide open, knowing that this is not just about Duran but about the swirl that was happening around them at the time, this is worth your money. If you are thinking you only want something that is strictly about the band, then skip it.

Duran Duran appear on fewer than half of the pages. The rest show photographs of other personalities from the same era in the Birmingham music and club scene. The highlights are the caption comments by the band (and others) that accompany the photos and the few photos of the band that are different than those published elsewhere, such as those outside the studio in which they recorded their first album. I enjoyed it but was a little put off by the bait and switch/cashing in on Duran factor.

it's great to see a book that captures the images of the late '70 and early '80 of the night clubes in Birmingham and also see that along Duran Duran were another artists and singers that later became famous and some of them infamous. yeah, Duran isn't in all the photos but if you're a die hard fan you can't miss this one.

What makes this book so special, and one of my favorite books about my favorite band, is that it takes a snapshot of one particular music scene, surrounding one band and the places and people they spent time with. It also shows what one man, Malcom Garrett, saw through his camera lens. You see the birth of Duran Duran, who they were hanging out with, and who was seeing them perform during their first year on the Birmingham music scene. What a fantastic glimpse into the world of five guys that would become one of the biggest bands in the world a short five years later. The photographs are very well done, some candid, but all very well composed with a keen photographer's eye. Recommended to any fan of Duran Duran or the early new wave music scene in England. Just don't expect to see Duran Duran on every page... you get so much more with this book. The comments from the band are a great insight into the band's early days as well. As an added surprise, this book including a great photo of Annie Lennox performing at the Rum Runner, circa 1978. Highly recommended!

I lived through the second British invasion and shared in Duranmania with my best friend, Olivia. Her birthday swung around again this October and what better gift to give her but a book full of amazing photos of our favorite band. These pics were like gems to us because many we had never seen before! A great book for fellow Duranies out there!

I'm a professional photographer & a long time fan of Duran Duran and this books shares what I absolutely love about this era of style, fashion & art. I'm so glad that the publisher was able to present the book in a way that captivates and transports you to a time where it was ok to be living out on the edge without fear of criticism - cheers!

David Esquire
Esquire Photography
[...]

Duran Duran: Unseen . . .: Photographs 1979 - 82 I was initially very excited to see this book on the market. I was in my preteen years when Duran Duran first started out. I was not really exposed to the band until the "Rio" album became popular in the USA. I have been an avid fan since then, so I was glad to have access to a book of photos from their early days. The book to my surprise included many photos of people other than the band. Although these people may be very relevant to the "New Romantic" history, and what was going on in Britain's culture when Duran started out, I was surprised that not more photos of the band were included. Any avid fan, I believe, would rather have had the majority of the book be devoted to photos of Duran Duran themselves. I am still glad I purchased the book, but there was "Too Much Information" not pertaining to the band. Happy Shopping, Durannies out there!

After adoring this band for almost 30 years, I still can't seem to get enough of Simon, John, Nick, Andy, and Roger. This book brought back all of the early memories I have of them. Although I was a little disappointed that a lot of the pictures have "behind the scenes" staff, the book contains images of the band's world from their point of view. All in all I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to remember Duran Duran in their glory days.

This book was a good collection of images from the early 80's Romantic beginnings but not as much new Duran Duran as it looks like it should be. It is a good testament to those who ventured into an individualic world with make-up and wardrobe. There is some dedication to the early development of Duran Duran with behind the scenes photos.

Is not only about Duran Duran is the reflex of an era, of a time and space where New Romantic this optimistic, hedonistic movement born in Birmingham. Full of little stories, big stories and good laughs, this book is a portrait of people and places that no matter what, no matter how things were, they wanted to have a good time and not to think if there was a future...