Customer Reviews

Red Carpet Massacre (Deluxe Edition)

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I can understand why this album is so divisive. Rather than make grand pronouncements or add to the din, I will attempt to break down, as objectively as possible, what you'll get here.

This is not a return to the classic Duran sound. Think about the old hits we all love so much, and there's a lot of guitar on there. Not so much here. This one is very beat driven.

If you like classic new wave (like Missing Persons), there are a lot of synth sounds here that I think you'll enjoy.

The modern beats -- there's no denying they're here, and in abundance. To my ear, though, when paired with the new wavy synths it sounds retro instead of like a grab for current chart cred.

Simon's voice is mixed loud and clear, which goes a long way to making this still sound like Duran. He's got a really unique voice and it sounds great here.

I'd go so far as the compare this to an update or sequel to Big Thing, though that may not be completely accurate. Just say this, you can draw a straighter line from Big Thing to this album than you could from Rio.

I loaded in three stars because I don't want to shove an opinion down your throats -- but I really like this. Even more than Astronaut (and I really like Astronaut). Somehow, as strange as it seems on paper, I think it works.

But I totally get why it's not for everyone.

Duran Duran has been around since the early 80's and was one of the most popular and trend setting band of that decade and part of the "New Romantic Movemnet" with the likes of Adam Ant, Spandau Ballet and Talk Talk and with countless of great pop songs like "Girls On Film", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "A View To a Kill" an "Wild Boys". It was one of my favorite bands of the 80's, no matter what critics said about them they made undeniably good pop music and controlled the charts from 1981-86 and even made a side project called Arcadia while Andy Taylor who left the band after Seven and the Ragged Tiger formed the supergroup Power Station with Robert Palmer, John Taylor and Tony Thompson. Simply put, Duran Duran and it's members had a huge influnce of music in the 80's. But in the late 80's/early 90's things changed considerably and the sound that Duran Duran called their own was no longer popular and they made several hit & miss projects like the terrible "Big Thing" & "Liberty" before trying something new with "The Wedding Album" from 1993 with new hits like "Ordinary World" and a new rock/ballad sound that certainly was something unexpected. After some rather bad albums they made a new comeback in 2004 with Astronaut that was their best album in a decade, once again with a new sound more suitable for it's time. "Astronaut" was the first studio album since 1983 where all of the 5 orifinal members were present after Andy Taylor decided to back a return. 2 years later a new album called "Reportage" was supposed to be released, but it never saw daylight when the record executives found it too political. So, Andy left again and they called Timbaland, the most in-demand producer at the moment to record a dance album instead.



So, what can we expect from their new album "Red Carpet Massacre", well in reality it's Timbaland's protégé Danja who produces most of the album and it shows cause his sound is more varied then Timbaland's. Justin Timberlake also produce one of the songs and appears on two. But all of the songs were produced by the collective with no outsiders involved. Either way, this is a modern dance album with amazing sound and effects and in all honestly I prefer this over Ballads or Rock ("Ordinary World" being an exception). But for those of you that thought this would sound like Nelly Furtado or Justin Timberlake's recent album will be dissapointed, alot of it sounds like Rock/Pop meets modern production tecnique, more simular to Katharine McPhee's album Katharine McPhee that Danja had a big hand in. Nothing is bad here but there is nothing too good either, so don't expect any new hits. It's one of those albums where I find myself listening more to the sound then the lyrics or hooks. Timbaland's songs "Nite Runner", and "Skin Divers" are more club oriented and his third one "Zoomed In" sounds like the rock songs he made for his last album. Best songs are however, the title track, the retroish "Last Man Standing" and the Timberlake priducerd ballad "Falling Down". I also enjoyed the instrumental "Tricked Down" with an amazing sound. There's some growers but I don't think this is quite the comeback most fans had hoped for.



Overall, Is a decent album atleast by sound and for the first time in ages it tries to create a suitable contemporary sound to their early dance-pop days that still feels fresh and entertaining today. It works in parts, cause dance/pop is better then Adult Contemporary Ballads/Rock for Duran Duran but it still doesn't always feel right. The sound is often better then the songs and it lack obvious hit singles. Timbaland's rap in "Skin Divers" just feel corny and out of place. Maybe the expectations were too big or we just wanted something else. Timbaland and co makes a great job but I don't think their help is always right for Duran Duran. It feels like they're just trying to hard to sound fresh and hip again. Red Carpet Massacre got it's moments but it could have been much better.

Ok, I'm writing this review for more for my own catharsis than anything. After years of never saying anything bad about Duran, I feel that I now have to write this down, with the arrival of Red Carpet Massacre.

First..a brief history of Duran releases...Duran Duran, Rio, Seven.., Wild Boys single (forget Arena), and Astronaut...GREAT albums with the perfect balance of synth, bass, and GUITARS that made Duran famous and spawned a new generation of young "new-wavers" who have pulled out the synths once again...all these featured Andy Taylor, who added the "oomph" to their sound, both in the studio and on the live stage.

Later albums saw Andy go, and that's when Nick took over with way too much synth stuff and turned the guitars down on Warren Cucurullo and anyone else who filled the spot...I personally love Big Thing and the Wedding Album, but guitars were nowhere near as prominent on these....I won't even get into the Thank You album of odd cover selections, and Medazzaland might as well be called "the Nick got some sweet new Mac synth software" album...I like it, but the balance is wayyy to electronic..And anyone who saw the stage shows during these periods could plainly see that the guitars had been pushed back....Warren was cool, but didn't have the stylistic impact that Andy had/has...

Then came the comeback album, Astronaut....and it was GOOD. The elements were back in their place, and the music was again balanced so that it had the right energy, not to mention good songs, and Duran sounded like a rock band again. The live dvd/cd of Live From London shows the return of that energy...it's just great.

So here we are with RCM, which was the straw that Andy left over...and I can't say I blame him...I can't say what his exact reason was, but I imagine it could've been, "We just had a great comeback album, a super-successful tour, we've got the next album done....and we're calling in the In-Sync guy for WHAT????" Nick's Answer: To make a record with no real drumming, guitar-playing, awkward sounding raps (skin-divers?ugg) music that everyone's doing these days...on my Mac" And those are the songs on RCM...they're not terrible, but they are missing something....and that something is GUITARS...As I listen to this album, I can even imagine where a couple good guitar chords could really punch up these songs.

So my review is ...RCM is okay, but after Astronaut, I looked forward to more. My suggestions..call up Andy, get him to come back because he needs to be there to balance Nick (and mess with him a bit, I think). I've heard John Taylor say in interviews recently that door may be open..so do it already. Next, recognize that Duran has SET TRENDS, and stop trying to follow them...be the God-Fathers of new wave that you're famous for being, and don't worry if teen-ages don't dig you...they'll come around (or not) and there's enough people over 25 who WILL.

And last...the band keeps saying they had an album done with Andy before they started the Timbaland/Justin thing....so dig it out...finish it up and get it out before 4 years from now...I'll be waiting.

...that I love this album, because I love Duran Duran and have since I was twelve. I was so thrilled with their true comeback album "Astronaut" that I was expecting them to move forward with more innovative and inspired music. But this album falls just a bit short of the DD greatness that we've heard in the past.

The opening track "The Valley" is pretty decent and does have some shades of classic Duran Duran. I was reminded of "Notorious" with this song. The second, title track has a great "spacey" opening then drifts into a raw drum beat - it's very 80s so I like it. The third track, "Nite-Runner" is the first track on the album that sounds blatantly Timbaland inspired and he provides some of the chorus vocals. I don't dislike Timbaland - he's done some great work - but there's something about his and Timberlake's presence in some of the songs that I feel rips away from the soul of Duran Duran.

I know some reviewers have voiced their dislike for "Falling Down," but it's my favorite track on the album. The melody is beautiful and the lyrics are quite appropriate for this age of rising/crashing starlets and pop singers and our consumption of them. For me, it's right up there with "Come Undone" and "Ordinary World" from the Wedding Album. Bits of the melody remind me of "Save a Prayer," as well.

Track five, "Box Full O' Honey," is another lovely melody with great lyrics and acoustic guitar. John Taylor's melodic bass really comes through on this track as well. "Skin Divers" is a ready made dance floor hit/Timbaland beat machine with a catchy rap hook; it gets you moving, but Simon's voice sounds a little flat and lifeless on this track. "Tempted" is my least favorite track; it's sounds like they simply recycled Timberlake's "Sexy Back" and just changed a few chords. "Tricked Out" - All Hail Nick Rhodes! - is a fun instrumental track with shades of Berlin/Siouxsie/Bauhaus, etc. Very 80s, so of course I love it.

"Zoom In" isn't a bad song, but it isn't great, either. It's got a nice beat, but feels a bit shallow. "She's Too Much" has a nice opening and a melancholy melody, which I always gravitate to, but it would be nice if John Taylor's bass was more present on this track. I think it would have added a much needed layer and you can actually hear the empty space left vacant by his lack of presence, which is a shame because he is one of the great bass players of our time. "Dirty Great Monster" has a great bluesy beat and Simon's voice really shines on this track - think "The Reflex" and "Union of the Snake." The final track is a bit lackluster. Again, it sounds like a stolen track from one of Timberlake's albums - his first solo, I think - same beat.

Overall, if you're a true Duran Duran fan, this is not an album to pass up. If your a casual Duran Duran listener, you'd do better with the Wedding Album or Astronaut or even their EARLY stuff. But I love these guys, so they really can't do anything wrong in my eyes; however, they need to dump the Timberlakes and Timbalands of this world and follow their own vision as they have in the past. You can definitely tell there are too many fingers in the pie on this album.

Well, like everyone else that has posted a review on this album, I was hesitant to embrace this release, especially since I found out that Timbaland and Justin Timberlake had direct involvement in the production of the album. For the record, I am not a fan of either Timbaland and Justin. And yes, I'm one of those "old-time" Duran Duran fans that caught on to Duran Duran in the New Wave heydays of this band.

After listening to the album several times (at the advice of some of the other reviewers), I discovered that some of the songs appeal to a much younger element that enjoy today's sound. My teenagers thought "Skin Divers", "The Valley", and "Nite Runner" were fantastic songs; but, I hated these songs, as I thought it was a desperate plea by "near fifty year old" musicians to get in tune with the kids from today. However, there were a couple of tracks that did sound like the Duran Duran that I knew and grew up with, these songs being, "Dirty Great Monster", "Fallin' Down", and "Red Carpet Massacre". With the exception of "Box Full O' Honey", the rest of the album is very forgettable and unimpressive.

This is an an album that I feel like will rate with "Liberty", which bombed in 1990 and "Thank You", which bombed in 1997. If you are interested in true Duran Duran classics, I would strongly recommend the 1981 Duran Duran, Rio, Seven And The Ragged Tiger, Notorious, and Astronaut. The 1981-1985 CD with the Night Versions and B-Sides is also very powerful in the DD catalogue. I know that one of the reviewers stated that it's not 1987 anymore, but this reviewer needs to bear in mind that the 80s completely DEFINED this band, no matter how many times DD attempts to "redefine" themselves in 2007 and beyond.

I gave this album 2 stars even though it deserves 1 star for quality of output. The other star is for the admiration of DD attempting to connect with today's generation. I just wonder if when this album "bombs" on the charts, will DD wonder if it was worth it to alienate its huge, established 80s fan base. Maybe the power of the dollar will encourage this band to get back to the sound that they are best known for.

I've been a fan since 1982. I'm 40 now, and I wanted this CD to be.. groundbreaking, if nothing else. No, in honesty, I wanted it to be a return to form from 5 guys who knew how to CRAFT a song. It seems that Andy (the 5th guy) saw that this was going to be a sellout to their label and a compromise; a denial of their innate abilities to write outstanding material; to write trendy soulless drivel and call it evolution, so he left. At the time I was floored, and I just *knew* we'd get a sub-par record.
Yes, I wanted an amalgamation of Rio,etc,etc, right through the Wedding Album, because I knew that's what these musicians are capable of, and I had faith in them to have confidence in their abilities. Looks like the record company did not have that faith.
I WISH above anything else that I could be holding the CD of the scrapped project in my hands instead of this.
I've loved these guys for 25 years, and will buy whatever they put out. But let's be HONEST, and listen with an honest ear and heart. The only good songs on here are:
*Last Man Standing - unbelievably, the last song! Finally, a melody, a hook!.. perhaps even underproduced, sounds like it was rushed to completion. By far the best song on this.. thing.
*Dirty Monster - a song, at least. Saxophone!~for gosh sakes, and not those disgusting tinny "tip-tip-tip" drums that Timbaland pushed the buttons for the rest of the project.. good to see they let Roger get behind a kit for a tune or two.
*Falling Down - not the worst tune I've suffered through this year. That's all the compliment I'll be giving. I suppose it *is* the only single they could consider! In the history of great DD songs, I give this a two out of ten.
*Box full of Honey - decent if DD was releasing a folk cd.
---If any other band had put this out, I would not have bought it. Any other band would get one of five Amazon stars.
Gone are atmospheric DD soundscapes. Gone is Andy's edgy guitar. Gone are Roger's driving drums. Gone are Simon's cryptic, poetic lyrics. John's energetic bassline returns for 30 seconds in the first song, and then he disappears. Call this evolution, call this catching up with 'the times', but I call this far from what they are capable of. Sometimes you don't want to sound like the modern peers because those peers aren't in your league, so you'd be better off writing what you know, which surpasses and exceeds trends..
Please, Duran Duran, find yourselves again, and please fans, be honest when they don't live up to what we know they can deliver.

I cannot stress enough how bad this album is. Two stars only because it's Duran duran and falling down song is catchy and good enough.

Well, just as I feared, Timbalad guy screwed it all. The moment the songs start, you already know who done it. And it's not a positive thing. Timbaland is overhyped and overused producer that always produces the same piece of crap, no matter what artist he works with. It's ALWAYS the same!
I can't believe Duran Duran wanted to be in the same wagon! He ruined the songs, made them bland, using very annoying buzzing (farting) sound and the same minimalistic rhythm.
Actually, the other Timba guy (Timberlake) did a pretty good job. Can't blame him though.
I really like when the group change its sound in every album, but that change has to be something really fresh and good (e.g. Depeche Mode). *This* is neither new (typical timba-like sound) nor good (the songs don't go anywhere).

Ever been to the Duran Duran concert? Know how _energetic_ those guys are on the stage? They can blow you away! Like that energy? Then do not buy this. NONE of the stuff they show on the stage is here.
Bland, annoying and dull.

DD cant face the fact that they are ageing, and just for the sake of entering the charts (which no one cares about anymore with all the junk pop out there anyway) bring in the musical genius called Justin to create this lame album. I mean who is he to tell DD what their album should sound like? They we out making music when he was in his crib. Its sad to see Roger playing fake drums over a programmed drum machine. What happened to the rockin/drummin DD that made beautiful music? They sold out, thats what happened.

Never ashamed to admit to being a huge fan of this band, I've gotten most everything they've released since they began. I've followed their many ups and downs, and their comebacks galore. Astronaut truly excited me, leading me to believe they had indeed grown another set of legs to run on. But this collaboration with Timbaland and his crew leaves me a little cold. It's as underwhelming as Tim's work with Bjork was on her last album. As many songs as he's turned out with other artists that were not only extremely sonically experimental, but also just hook FILLED, this Red Carpet Massacre seems lacking. Excepting the first cut on the CD, "the Valley", the gorgeous, should-have-been-a-huge-smash-hit "Falling Down" and the atypical -sounding, mostly acoustic "Box Full of Honey", nothing here begs for my attention or for repeated listens. RCM isn't HORRIBLE, don't get me wrong. It sounds great ( it certainly should ) but many of the songs sound rushed and incomplete, like a chorus could have been catchier, or the lyrics sharper. I for one would be interested to hear the ( practically complete ) album they scrapped when guitarist Andy Taylor bailed on them. I'm thinking between the two of them they could have come up with a winner. I'm not giving up hope on DD - I never could, I simply like them too much. But RCM won't be on my list of favourites.

I own most of DD albums and like most fans I prefer old stuff from their early era. After a deceiving decade in the 90s, they came back with the original line-up and the great album Astronaut a few years ago.

Now the guitarist Andy Taylor has left and the band is back with a totally new kind of creation, Red Carpet Massacre, featuring Timbaland and Justin Timberlake (something I would never have expected). Clearly, the band tried to adapt their mucical style to the 2000s tendency. I think the result has worth it. The album features very interesting tracks and sounds fresh, innovative and creative. But it is not for everyone. If you're looking for songs like Hungry Like The Wolf or Save a Prayer, you will be totally lost !!

The album sounds like a creation by a new band except for Lebon's voice and Nick Rhodes synths. If you're a fan you might recongnize the bass line style of John Taylor.

I would recommend people to listen to the album before buying it ! I think this is the kind of "love it or hate it".