Customer Reviews

Power Station

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

By 1985, Duran Duran were kings of the pop world, and instead of releasing another album right away, they took a break and ventured into "splinter" groups. Nick, Simon, and Roger formed Arcadia, while John and Andy hooked up with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson for the Power Station. The result is this debut album that sounds nothing like Duran Duran. While much of the attention went to John and Andy Taylor, I have to agree that the real stars were underrated drummer Tony Thompson and vocalist Robert Palmer. "Some Like it Hot," "Communication," and "Murderess" are guitar-fueled pop numbers that work mainly due to Tony's excellent drumming and Andy Taylor's guitar work. The covers ain't bad, either. There's the already-familiar cover of T. Rex's "Get it On," but the real standout is "Harvest for the World." Isley fans needn't cringe; the cover is pretty decent and sounds pretty good. As with every Duran Duran release, this CD got a bad rap from critics back in the day. Pay them no mind and grab this solid disc.

If you are a fan of Duran Duran, you may already know this, but John & Andy Taylor are planning on celebrating the anniversary of this album with a deluxe package. The new version will include a number of bonus tracks, including all the 7" and 12" mixes of the singles Communication, Some Like It Hot and Bang A Gong (Get It On), and the very rare Michael Des Barres song from the film Commando. As if that weren't enough, it will also come with a DVD that will include the making of the album featurrette aired on MTV, as well as one of the two live performances they did with Robert Palmer for Saturday Night Live to promote the album. A great treatment for a sadly forgotten gem. This was the album that solidified Duran Duran as good players (as opposed to just 5 cute guys on a poster), and reignited Robert Palmer's carreer.

The Power Station was formed by I bunch of talented and on the top of their game artists looking for something new to do. The group almost never happened but with the combined talents of John Taylor and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, mix the legendary drums of Tony Thompson and percussions of Roger Taylor also of Duran Duran and you have the stage set. Robert Palmer (1949-2003) was only to provide vocals on one track but the mix was so good that he took over all the lead vocals on the album.

What made Duran Duran so good was the performances of John and Andy. Put them in a power band like The Power Station and they are like gods.

The music is loud, heavy, powerfuland sexy. It isn't heavy metal. It is a brassy, clean sound accentuated by the drums, guitar and clever pick bass of John Taylor. The instruments combine very effectively with Palmer's own brassy, blues origin voice. The drums are out of this world. The guitar play is classic and Andy used the same style on later songs as did Robert Palmer. The song, 'Bang a Gong' (originally T-Rex) is one of 3 singles released along with 'Some Like it Hot' and 'Communication'.

I regret the album didn't have any more tracks. I waited for a reunion which happened with a new release (Living in Fear-1996) but the second album just didn't have the chemistry. I don't think there will ever be an album like The Power Station. If you are lucky enough to see the videos, you will be further blown away.

Early in 1985, before Robert Palmer made Riptide, he became involved in a schism involving one of the 80's biggest pop bands. Duran Duran temporarily split into two side projects, Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor going into Arcadia, Andy and John Taylor going into the Power Station as lead guitarist and bassist respectively. Besides Palmer as lead singer, they recruited Tony Thompson, the drummer of Chic, to round out the quartet. And speaking of les personnes Chic, bassist Bernard Edwards produced the album. While Arcadia reflected the whimsical new wave of Duran Duran, the Power Station was an unleashed heavy guitar and tribal power drums.

The evidence can be seen in the opening song and first song, the tribal mating rocker "Some Like It Hot". The lyrics and subject matter are subtly racy: "We want to multiply, are you going to do it", and "some like it hot so let's turn up the right till we fry." The temperature really rises on some of the lyrics.

The heavy chords and drums on "Murderess" sounds like a preview of Palmer's solo singles "Addicted To Love" and "Discipline Of Love." The brass section acts as a supplemental rhythm section in the chorus.

The keyboards give "Lonely Tonight" a slight Latin tinge, which while maintaining a good beat, isn't the powerhouse of "Some Like It Hot".

"Communication", or rather the lack of it given the song topic, was the third single and more on the danceable funk side, later enhanced by an Andy Taylor solo. There's a distinct phone motif going on here, as Palmer beseeches the girl in question and the operator, "talk to me", "information please", "don't put me on hold."

Their cover of T Rex's "(Get It On) Bang A Gong". Andy Taylor's crunchy guitar riffs drew similarities to the ones off his solo single "Take It Easy" from the American Anthem movie.

"Go To Zero" has similar stylings to "Communication", save slower and with brass backing. This sounds like a reject candidate for the Riptide album.

"Harvest For The World" sounds like something Duran Duran might do during their "Hungry Like A Wolf" days, and is helped by Andy Taylor's guitar. This song questions why many nations can't afford to feed their peoples where few richer nations grow more than enough. When is there going to be a harvest for the world, in other words?

The slow "Still In Your Heart" closes the album and is a complete contrast from any of the other songs.

The songs veer from the intense rocking singles to songs that might be B-side singles of anything from Palmer's Riptide. Andy Taylor's guitars and Tony Thompson's drums form the fiery core of the Power Station. I don't know how well a substitute Michael des Barres was when Robert Palmer decided to concentrate on his resurrected solo career, but the two Top Ten singles I remember as the Duran side project I prefer. As a result of this, Duran Duran would reemerge as a trio with the Notorious album, having lost both Andy and Roger Taylor.

Ages ago I wrote that "The Power Station" was one of the most important records of the decade of the 1980's, and I still stand by that. It certainly was was the most important record for the late Robert Palmer as he spent the rest of the decade re-making it to considerable success as he reviatalized his solo career on an exponential basis.

But it also changed the way popular music was written and recorded and ushered in (for better or for worse) an era when drums were given massive boosts in recording mixes and when guitarists were given free reign to rock in what had been an ocean of synth-pop sterility for the years leading up to 1985; pop music once again rediscovered the sound of the wailing electri guitar solo.

Twenty years later we have this re-issued deluxe package which includes (as far as I can tell) every studio recording the Power Station's orignal line-up ever released from their 1985 recording sessions, including (FINALLY) a song which had been earmarked for release with live material on an EP that never materialized as Duran Duran (almost) reformed near the end of 1985; the song was originally called "We Fight For Love" and appeared during the end credits of one of AH-NOHLD Schwarzenegger's more forgettable early action films "Commando"; it is the only studio track ever recorded with guest touring vocalist Michael Des Barres and is arguably the most hard-edged song they ever produced. On this release it is retitled "Somewhere Somehow Someone's Going To Pay" (which originally appeared on the "Commando" movie posters) and it gives a hint as to what direction The Power Station would have gone had they remained together with Des Barres singing; it's extremely thought-provoking, actually (though not necessarily artistically brilliant).

Also included is a DVD transfer of the orignal "made-for-MTV" Sony mini-doc of the making of the album and "Some Like It Hot" video, as well as videos for "Some Like It Hot", "Bang A Gong", and the rarely seen (and obviously hastily pieced together "Communication". I still have this on VHS somewhere, actually...nice to see it on DVD; it was completely unexpected.

But the most interesting added nugget is the old "Saturday Night Live" performance of "Some Like It Hot". There is a flaw or two in the source tape, but the performance itself is exceelent and it is, as far as I know, the only time the band performed live with Robert Palmer singing...definitely a nice touch.

The only drawback (for this edition, anyway) is the lack of liner notes included with the release, particularly considering the addition of new materials and the extremely poignant fact that, save for John and Andy Taylor safely recording and touring with Duran Duran again, almost everyone else assoicated with this band is now deceased (Robert Palmer, drummer extraordinaire Tony Thompson, and producer/spot bass soloist Bernard Edwards). Even the lyrics provided with the CD's original release are gone. It's a small complaint, and it certainly doesn't affect th enjoyability of the listening/viewing experience, but it seems glaringly obvious that some sort of literature or documentation would be accompanying this otherwise outstanding re-issue of a truly fantastic seminal recording.

When Duran Duran started out, the band claimed that they wanted to be a cross between Chic and Sex Pistols, and this record could probably be described exactly like that. It has some pretty heavy guitar solos and funky rhythm guitars from Andy Taylor, and an incredibly fat sounding rhythm section (Tony Thompson on drums and John Taylor on bass). Add to this Robert Palmer's seductive vocals, a horn section, a host of soulful back-up singers and some guest keyboard players, and the result is this magnificent disc recorded in a few weeks in N.Y.'s legendary Power Station studios. Every song is packed with energy, the highlights being Some Like It Hot, Communication, Go To Zero and the reworked Get It On. Andy Taylor really got to show off his talents on this record (he even does vocal trade-offs with Palmer on Harvest For The World!), and deservedly it was a huge success. Thumbs up to Bernard Edwards and engineer Jason Corsaro for a top notch production effort. It still sounds extremely dynamic and fresh today.

This album combines not only the songwriting skills of John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran with Robert Palmer,but also the drumming of legendary funkmaster Tony Thompson of Chic (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH FORMER DURAN DURAN DRUMMER STIRLING CAMPBELL) with the solid hard-pounding grooves of John Taylor's bass playing. I reccomend this album to ALL fans of Chic, Robert Palmer, Duran Duran, and fans of excellent and skillfully-crafted heavy rock and roll.

This was one hell of an amazing collaboration, Robert palmer plus the guitarist and bassist from Duran Duran, as well as the extremely talented Tony Thompson. From beginning with Some Like it Hot to the end, the album just explodes with all kinds of power and just incredible guitar rock thanks to the very talented Andy Taylor who just holds nothing back in any of his solos. John Taylor also of Duran Duran had to himself get some learning to play his bass better than ever on this album, he does and Tony Thompson definitely makes this album come alive especially in the very strong and energy driven beats of "Some like it hot". Whether you're a rock or Duran Duran fan, you MUST get this album or you're doing yourself a huge disservice.

I agree w/ all of the positive reviews-The Power Station is sexy, and soulful, and very clean, yet tough sounding. How can anyone resist classics like "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" Both are super catchy and are GREAT driving songs!

Other GREAT songs on the album are "Communication" which is definitely one of my favorites, and "Lonely Tonight" . "Harvest for the World" is also a great song.

Both Arcadia (Simon/Nick &Roger until he split) and Power Station (John and Andy) were great "splinter" groups from Duran Duran. I also must agree w/the reviews that say that Tony Thompson brought an underrated ability on drums,and he will be missed, along with the sexy and great voiced Robert Palmer.

Power Station album is definitely a must have IMO!!!

Power Station was not what I expected. It went beyond my expectations... It's a rich combination of rock & soul for an ultra smooth fusion. There is no noise or junk. It's all about great style and sophistication between a few of the ex-Chic members, Duran Duran, and Robert Palmer.Don't expect Duran Duran's synthesized 80's trademark sound or Chic's R7B Disco sound of the 70's. This one still holds up quite strongly !...