Customer Reviews

Duran Duran the singles 81-85

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

To help celebrate the reunion of the five original members of Duran Duran, Capitol/EMI decided to box together Duran Duran's first 13 singles, recreating the artwork and exact track line-up's of each vinyl 12-inch single. They have done a remarkable job! Each single comes in a slim cardboard sleeve, and each cd's artwork (the actual art on the cd) recreates the original record labels that appeared on each vinyl record. Someone has painstankingly worked on finally giving Duran Duran their due: one of the most underrated groups of all time finally has a collection that they can be completely proud of.

Past Duran Duran greatest hits collections have been nice, but haven't been as thorough as they should have been. "Decade" left off the important hit "New Moon On Monday"; "Greatest" presented "Save A Prayer" in a horribly edited version. "Greatest" also had confusing and uninspired artwork which the band reportedly hates. Both cd's left off important singles "Meet El Presidente" and "Do You Believe In Shame?"- which don't appear in this box set because they were released after 1985.

Everything about this singles box set is perfect. The small box that the cd's are housed in easily fits on a cd shelf. The box isn't ill-fitting or cumbersome like a lot of cd box sets. The cd's have all been remastered. These songs have never sounded clearer. If you have the much coveted "Essentials: Night Versions" (which is now out of print) or the import-only "Strange Behavior" (both cd's are remix collections), you still need this box set. There are a lot of non-album b-sides that have never been released on cd before domestically (there was a 2 cd Japanese import that collected four Duran Duran e.p.'s that was released well over a decade ago that contained the b-sides here, but that set has long been out of print). If you are any sort of Duran Duran fan at all, you know that their b-sides are always brilliant.

The U.S. edition of the box set is the same exact edition that was released overseas. The artwork that is contained on the "Is There Something I Should Know?" and "The Reflex" cd's are the same as the import 12-inch singles (the American artwork was different.)

Also included inside the box is a fold-out poster/booklet. One side is a picture of Simon, Roger, Nick, John, and Andy; the other side is the track listing.

Here's hoping that Capitol/EMI plans on following up this release with a second box set, starting off with the "Notorious" singles.

Make sure you look out for the reissues of "Duran Duran" (the first album) and "Seven And The Ragged Tiger" (with restored album packaging just like the version of "Rio" that was released last year) coming this fall!

I was a metal kid in high school from Fall of '81 through graduation in Spring of '85 (roughly the timeframe covered with the song selection in this box set); I wore blue jeans, black "RUSH" T-shirts, and a leather jacket to class and wouldn't have been caught dead listening to Duran Duran.

At school.

At home it was a different story entirely.

At home I was utterly fascinated every time a Duran Duran video played on MTV...and as I started learning how to play music myself, I became increasingly aware that in addition to having an impeccable sense of style, Duran Duran were an incredibly sound band in terms of musical and lyrical competancy and innovation. And when Duran guitarist Andy and bassist John Taylor recorded their (really rockin') "Power Station" side project with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson, I felt it was safe to "come out of the closet" and admit that I'd really been a Duran fan the whole time.

The keyboardist in my first band (Erika, if you're out there somewhere reading this, I hope you're doing well) took notice of my interest in Duran Duran; she was definitely a frontline Durannie from the beginning and she made me an extensive mix tape from her collection of 7" and 12" singles; extended versions of hit songs, non-album "B"-side tracks, and live recordings that I'd never heard before. And I promptly lost the tape within a couple of weeks of getting it from her.

I could never bring myself to ask her for another copy (this was before file-swapping; recording a mix tape had to be done in real time)...and I could never find any of the songs even on cassette, let along vinyl (I hadn't owned a turntable since 1984), so I waited in vain for some sort of rarities compilation to be released, with the wait somewhat rewarded by the "Night Versions" and "Strange Behaviour" CD's released within the last few years.

As good as those respective compilations are, this box set is unequivocably better. The Powers-That-Be have lovingly reconstructed every single released by Duran Duran from 1981 through 1985, including all of the obscure "B"-side tracks and the extended "Night Versions" of the respective hit singles that were included on Erika's mix tape. There could be some issue taken with the format in which this collection is marketed; it is awkward and unwieldy to have to change CD's every 12 to 15 minutes, but the truth is that this IS a "singles" collection and there can be no denial that the collection has been reproduced as faithfully as possible.

I would almost recommend this box set over Duran's first three albums on CD to second (and third) generation Durannies; the spirit and creativity of the band is best captured here, and although some of the album tracks that never made it to release on singles do hold their own, the non-album tracks are a nice time capsule to an era when an artist would be expected to create songs that were actually worth flipping a single to hear.

For the generation of fans who likely haven't heard some of these songs in 20 years, welcome home...this is the collection we've all been waiting for. Enjoy with all due reverence.

This is a "Holy Grail" of sorts for diehard Duran Duran fans: a 13-CD collection of the band's singles from 1981-1985, including remixes and B-sides. I've been waiting for ages to have songs like "Khanada," "Like an Angel," and "Secret Oktober" on CD - and here they all are, in one glorious package!

The box set might have been presented a bit more economically: each CD corresponds to one single, and therefore features only 2 to 4 tracks. (It really helps to have a CD burner so you can compile your favorite songs onto one or two discs). But reproducing the original artwork on each CD sleeve is a really nice touch. This box set appeals as much to the eyes as to the ears; appropriate, given the importance of visuals to Duran's image.

And last but not least - the singles! Sure, they've been compiled before. But presented in this comprehensive package, songs like "Planet Earth," "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio," "New Moon on Monday," "The Wild Boys," and "A View to a Kill" remove all doubt that Duran Duran was the premier singles band of the 1980s.

You can come out of the closet now. With their recent reunion tour and pending new smash album in 2004, it's safe to admit what we've always known... you are a Durannie. You can once again worship the Fab Five openly and without remorse, and this singles box set shows why. Some great remastered single versions combined with those rare (Khanada; Like An Angel) and slightly kinky (Faith In This Colour; Tiger, Tiger) B-sides makes this a disc set worth owning for any true fan of the band. The A-sides contain all the familiar hits you've loved for 2 decades now, but it is the B-sides that really give this box it's value. The best of the rare tracks is "Secret Oktober" from the "Union of the Snake" single. Better than many tracks on the "Third Album" (as Nick Rhodes calls it, refusing to use the real title), S.O. was alledgedly written and recorded in 24 hours, yet it perfectly captures the sound of the band from that era. Other highlights include the aforementioned "Khanada", "Fame", "The Chauffer (Blue Silver)", "Like An Angel"(a great precursor track to "Rio"), the single (non-LP) version of "My Own Way" and the best remix they ever did, the "Monster Mix" of "Is There Something I Should Know?". Still, one could have wished for an additional CD of unreleased demos or unfinished tracks from the era ("Nuclear War", the Bob Clearmountain produced version of "ITSISK?") to round it out. But perhaps we'll get lucky, and Capitol will give us a treat next year to take advantage of the reunion album.

I love, love, love this collection!!! I have some of these on vinyl and have long wanted to get them on CD. When the "Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran" came out, I was pretty thrilled, but it still was missing a lot of the songs that you can find here. Among my faves: Late Bar, Fame, Like an Angel, and Come Up and See Me, Make Me Smile (still the best version of that song I've ever heard). Some of the other reviewers have complained about the packaging, and I have to admit to a love/hate relationship with it -- the idea is certainly darling, and I love having the little reproductions of the original 12"s. But it's a pain to switch out the CDs all the time. So I finally used my CD burner to make my own mini collection of my faves. It was a royal pain to do though (because of the way the tracks are named on the discs, my software kept overwriting some of the songs and/or renaming them until I edited the file names), but it sure was worth the time because now I can play my faves with no hassle. So if you've got a burner, go ahead and make your own mix!

It's really tiring, listening to the newly mastered CDs and noticing they don't sound as good as even the early mastered CDs.
I end up keeping *both* versions, and listen to the original normally. If I want to hear the 'special fatures' that the remasters have, then and only then do I put them on.

Looking at the wave forms on these CDs (as with most of the newly remastered CD), you see plenty of clipping. I really wish the record companies would quit this line of thinking that 'louder is better'. It ruins so many great additions to these CDs.

'The Singles' is a wonderful recreation of all the original singles that Duran Duran put out. I would recommend it highly for anyone who followed them early in their career as I had. Again, I just wish they hadn't compressed the music. Admittedly, it's not as bad as some others I've heard/seen, but there's still no reason for it.

For those that only recall "Hungry Like the Wolf" and all the countless songs Duran Duran had on the radio, one can easily forget how different, unique and innovative a band like Duran really was in the early 1980s. Duran Duran were no doubt the first "new romantic" or "new wave" outfit that bands today like the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, The Bravery, Interpol and the like are influenced by/imitating with a great degree of success. (Who said the '80s were never cool? The joke is on them now!)

This box set showcases that early dark, brooding and eerie "new romantic" sound combined with the masterful pop/rock music Duran was so famous for, the sound that the aforementioned bands are serving up on their albums some 25 years later. The relevance of the Duran sound has been vindicated by the current rush of today's top acts to say Duran Duran was an influence.

All of the hits are here and their "night versions" are as well. Duran were the masters of the remix in the early 1980s, and they would often re-record large portions of each song for their remixes, highlighted by the stellar "Planet Earth" and "Wild Boys" remixes, otherwise known as "night versions" which were played in the clubs.

The big prize on this album are the long lost Duran b-sides, songs that are just as good as the songs that were released on the original Duran albums. "Late Bar", "Fame", "Like An Angel", "Khanada", "Faster Than Light" and "Secret Oktober" are excellent tracks worthy of appreciation today. (All singles come in their own sleeves, complete with original artwork.)

Some often forget Duran Duran was indeed a talented and instrumentally gifted outfit. The rhythm section of Roger Taylor (drums) and John Taylor (bass) are at long last getting their dues for the true talent they possess. Andy Taylor is an underrated guitarist who shines with both his delicate, atmospheric tones and what quickly became more urgent and rocking sounds, and Nick Rhodes does just the same thing, only with keyboards. Finally, Simon LeBon is perhaps the most brash and over the top front man since Mick Jagger, and that fit perfectly into the Duran style that ruled the airwaves and MTV.

You like the Killers? You like the rush of "new wave" influenced music currently underway? This is a great place to start to see where it all began.

Highly recommended.

Also recommended by Duran Duran for modern day "new wave" fans: albums like "Rio", "Seven and the Ragged Tiger", "Astronaut" (their excellent 2004 comeback) and "Duran Duran" (their debut album).

It'd be difficult to do a survey of 1980s pop music without mentioning Duran Duran. Though hardly a critic's pet, the group benefited from MTV exposure more than any other band thanks to their flashy, high-concept music videos. And contrary to some naysayers, they did release some first-rate singles such as the disco boom of "Planet Earth," the catchy "The Reflex," and the 007 single "A View to a Kill." Getting "The Singles 81-85" was a no-brainer for this fan. For years, I've owned the original 12 inch vinyl singles which had otherwise rare and hard-to-find tracks, and I've been anticipating the release of this CD retrospective since the summer of 2002. Thankfully, these singles are now compiled on this box set, and they're individually packaged in the original artwork with the b-side and 12-inch extended version. I don't really need to comment any further on the singles themselves; what's really of note are the b-sides, many of which appear on CD for the first time. There are some interesting numbers such as the lovely "Like an Angel," my personal favorite "Secret Oktober," and the band's not-half-bad cover of David Bowie's "Fame." This box set also comes with a poster; on one side is a photo of the band (taken around 1981, I think), and on the other side are the songwriting/production credits. Though not a must-have for casual listeners (they should instead get the single-disc hits collection "Greatest" instead), "The Singles 81-85" is a no-questions-asked purchase for diehard Duran Duran fans who want to relive memories of the band in its original, five-member lineup.

I purchased this set because it has ALL of my old favorites from Duran Duran. I was in high school when some of these songs were released, and I was always a big fan of the 12 inch single format because of the "extras" that would be included on the B-sides. Unfortunately I never was able to collect all of the songs on the 12-inch vinyl format, but that problem is solved! This is a must-have for anyone who loved the Fab Five and wants to relive the 80's!

The stigma of being young, male and "cute" musicians in the early to mid Eighties aside, Duran Duran turned out some mighty fine singles. The first dozen or so are showcased here. And showcased I do mean. There are hard to find mixes galore, spread throughout a case of 12" singles shrunken into CD form, their original sleeves duplicated in miniature for the nostalgic fan in us all.