Duran Duran - All You Need is Now

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Tres Bon!

Twenty five years ago Duran Duran's heroic decadence and aerodynamic haircuts made them the biggest pop band on planet earth. Delusions of importance led them to attempt gravitas in their latter years but happily on this Mark Ronson produced 13th album they've re-embraced what made them so great the first time round - upholding the right to be utterly ridiculous and writing gleaming synthpop symphonies.

These still annoyingly elegant wild boys re-plug into that canny mix of Roxy Music and American funk on the title track which blasts along with industrial slabs of synth slamming up against bassline pops a la Chic while Blame The Machines hotwires Kraftwerk with Ballardian bleakness.

With the aid of Anna Matronic providing a robotic rap on Safe and Kelis purring all over Diamond, Duran Duran once again exude casual elegance and eloquence. Who woulda thunk it? All they need now is for Kate Middleton to declare them her favourite band to complete the eighties time warp.

Alan Corr

Tracklisting: All You Need is Now, Blame The Machines, Being Followed, Leave a Light On, Safe, Girl Panic! Diamond, The Man Who Stole a Leopard, Other People's Lives, Mediterranea, Too Bad You're Too Beautiful, Runaway Runaway, Return to Now, Before The Rain