Intro
Hello, this is Jason D'Orazio welcoming you to New Wave Beat. We're gonna talk about Duran Duran's album dubbed Notorious.
1986 was a crossroads year for Duran Duran. With 40% of their band gone, Duran Duran soldiered on. They went a different direction personnel and music-wise with the album Notorious. As mentioned before, Roger and Andy Taylor decided not to return to the band. Andy's lead guitar role was filled by Warren Cuccurullo, who would be with the band for a while. Cuccurullo had some serious guitar chops, having been in Frank Zappa's band, along with the new wave group the Missing Persons. After the retooling, Duran Duran once again teamed up with Nile Rodgers from Chic, but this time for an entire album. The result, the album Notorious, has some R&B leanings and naturally had even stronger Chic influence. Horns permeate throughout the album, kind of similar to funk band Cameo's sound in the '80s, and also a little like Adam Ant's Mariachi-tinged album Friend or Foe in 1982.
One thing to note is their album cover. To signal the incarnation of the band, the album eschews bright colors and fashion in favor of a black and white shot of the band in suits, looking serious, almost stern. Notorious' album cover reminds me of Nik Kershaw's The Riddle, and perhaps these two albums inspired U2's Joshua Tree album cover. All three have black and white photos featuring serious-looking music artists in a barren landscape. Take a look at the album covers.
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Preview a deep dive
Notorious
Okay, now let's go into the singles of Notorious, starting with the title track.
“Lay your seedy judgements. Who says they're part of our lives?”
Duran Duran is known for their vocal hooks that are not words, and Notorious is no exception. The song begins with "N- N- Notorious", and then the listener is treated to a great opening baseline by John Taylor. It kind of sounds like the baseline in the song Heart Of Stone by R&B group The Silver Convention. The song definitely has some R&B leanings, courtesy of Nile Rodgers' production, and LeBon's vocals reflect this. I must also mention the prominent horn section that defined the sound of the song, and album for that matter.
My stab at Notorious' meaning is that it is about the way the media handled Duran Duran. This fits with other songs that the band wrote. The band hates the treatment, as evidenced by the line, "Can't read about it, burns the skin from your eyes". Duran Duran implores the media not to monkey with their business, and says that they use money to justify their reasons, I assume to smear the band. The video features shots of the album covers, and was shot mainly in black and white. It consists of the band performing live and a group of backup dancers doing choreography. The band's clothing style is kind of a continuation of their wardrobe when they were with the splinter group Arcadia in 1985.
Notorious was a pretty large hit, almost topping US charts at number two. Of course, it was natural that later rapper Notorious B.I.G. got his hands on Notorious for one of his songs.
Skin Trade
The song Skin Trade ups the funk game from the song Notorious.
“Would someone please explain the reason for this strange behavior? In exploitation's name we must be working for the skin trade.”
Skin Trade has LeBon singing in falsetto at parts, and this singing is even funkier than in Notorious. It reminds me of Prince or David Bowie in his Plastic Soul phase. The bass in Skin Trade, as in the song Notorious, is really good and complements the other R&B elements of the song. During the bridge, there is a really dirty horn part that showcases the new direction Duran Duran was taking with this album.
On the surface, Skin Trade sounds like it's about prostitution, judging by the song title and key words like "exploitation" and "money". However, it could also be a sonic sibling of the song Notorious, as it might talk about the band pimping themselves out for a buck. The video is kind of similar to Notorious, as it has the band performing and it has female choreography. The quick flashing of vibrant colors reminds me a bit of late '80s R&B and hip hop videos. While Skin Trade is a good song, the video seemed a little formulaic considering the inventive videos the band was known for.
Skin Trade was not a blockbuster hit, but managed to make the top 40 in the US.
Meet El Presidente
Meet El Presidente was the third single off of Notorious. I'll talk about the single version, which is a little bit more adventurous than the album version.
“You've never refused when she lies back. Put a stripe on the union and a star on the jack.”
The song begins with a rapid fire horn sample, which is a great hook in my opinion. The vocals are also full of hooks, including some "oohs", which is a bridge to Duran Duran's earlier work. There are also solid female backup vocals, which add more of an R&B flavor. Finally, the drums are vigorous at times, a little like Adam and the Ants.
Meet El Presidente reminded me of Arcadia's Election Day, with its faux political content and theme of lust. "Hell hath no fury like a young girl's secret" is a powerful line out of the song. There is also "Put a stripe on the union, a star on the jack," which is interesting in its own right.
The video is again almost a clone of the Notorious video, which disappointed me. The band is performing live, including newly recruited guitarist Cuccurullo. A horn section is shown, again to show the band's new direction. Unfortunately, Meet El Presidente failed to crack the top 40. It was a commercial disappointment for the band. While it was a very good song, it was generally harder for new wavers to score big hits after 1985.
Album Tracks
Now, let's talk about the album tracks.
American Science
This song’s a lot about the catchy drum loops and horn section, and is a good come-down from the energy of the song Notorious.
“A little megalomania becomes you, evidently. There ain't a thing you can acquire with your cling-wrap plaything.”
John Taylor's Chic-esque bass guitar is underrated in this one. LeBon's vocals are smoother and mellower than the three singles for Notorious. The chorus is a cool four-note horn riff, which is probably the best instrumental hook of the song. I should note the bridge has an interesting lead guitar from Cuccurullo, which foreshadowed his increased participation in many of Duran Duran's songs. I interpret the song as a critique of some of the aspects of American culture. For instance, lyrics like, "A little megalomania."
A Matter of Feeling
This song starts off with a calming flute, and I think the intro has a bit of an Asian motif to it. “Call up your numbers, never let the zeros bring you down.”
LeBon's vocals, like American Science, are restrained, but there are still rewarding vocal hooks. There are no horns in this song, which differentiates it from much of the album. Lyrically, the song is rich in content. I would say it's about someone who wants to form a meaningful romantic relationship. LeBon asks, "Do crowds make you feel lonely?" Suggesting a desire to go with quality rather than quantity in relationships. Interestingly, A Matter of Feeling was released as a single, but only in Brazil.
Hold Me
This one sounds kind of different from the other tracks, and could have found a comfortable home on the Seven and the Ragged Tiger album.
“Does the body you conceal need the touch of someone's hand?”
There is a good lead guitar section in this song, and it's more prominent than most of the other songs off of Notorious. LeBon's vocal is catchy, especially in the chorus, and recalls their early '80s sound. Although Roger Taylor is no longer the drummer by this album, the drum section still sounds pretty good. I think the song is about honesty, and opening up to a romantic partner. For example, "Does the body you conceal need the touch of someone's hand?" And the line, "When the passions you ignore you can never hide."
Vertigo
This song, whose title was inspired by an Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name, is an underrated track off Notorious.
“Where's the real life in your illusion? On the dark side your power's in confusion.”
There is an insistent synth that plays throughout most of the song, which adds to its danceability. The inflection at twisted in a vice by LeBon is killer, and you can expect more of the same throughout. The female vocal repeating "Maybe" sounds soulful. The lyrics were a little hard for me to interpret, but it might be about drug addiction. There are references like, "Just need a little hit tonight." Perhaps the line, "Do the demolition," refers to self-sabotage, which happens often with the overuse of drugs.
So Misled
Next up is the song So Misled.
In the summer of a London life "gold" she said. Was a month before I realised "sold" instead.
There's a great baseline that permeates throughout the song. LeBon's vocals are good, but there are better hooks on the other songs off Notorious. While the album is solid, So Misled did not really resonate with me. I feel the song has good elements to it, but the whole is less than the sum of its parts. The lyrics are a little slight, and perhaps could've been beefed up. In my opinion, So Misled is about a month-long romantic relationship that went sour, in part evidenced by the song title. LeBon laments that the relationship was "Such an awful choice."
Winter Marches On
This song is slower and more atmospheric. It could've been on the second side of Arcadia's So Red The Rose album, kind of like a shorter Lady Ice.
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Indeed, lyrics like, "She drains emotion," recall Lady Ice. There is a sleigh bell-like synth or drum that forms the basis of the song. And Rhodes synths are moody and top-notch. LeBon's vocals are emotive without being over the top, and match the mood of the song well. Winter Marches On could be literally about a long, gloomy winter, or it could be about a woman who acts aloof and cold. The line, "Dreams have frozen," suggests that the coldness is due to dashed dreams.
Proposition
Last but not least is Proposition, which is a good companion to the album's three singles.
“Who's deciding after the clouds have lain shame on your generation.”
The intro contains a slightly high-pitched synth that forms the backbone for the rest of the song. The vocals in Proposition have the usual hooks and inflections from LeBon that make it solid. There is a prominent tight horn section, and the bridge has some cool guitar flourishes from Cuccurullo. The lyrics are relatively dark for Duran Duran, with lines like, "Clouds have lain shame on your generation, and wasted for desolation." The song may be about bad decisions made by society, and the proposition it's a chance for redemption. I'd be curious to get your takes on the song's meaning.
We Need You
The singles off the album Notorious had just one B-side in We Need You. The beginning sounds a little dissonant, but segues into a soothing, melancholy ballad. There are not a lot of lyrics to it, but it might be about the band telling Andy Taylor, "We need you," referring to Andy's reluctance to rejoin the band in 1986.
Outro
While full-blown Duranmania subsided, the band still had a decent contingent on their tours, and they still got to play at amphitheaters and sports arenas. It gave the band a chance to breathe and not be constantly mobbed by fans, so perhaps there was a silver lining to their decrease in popularity.
Overall, Notorious is a very good album. It's a step down from Seven and the Ragged Tiger, but again, very solid.
Well, that's a wrap for Duran Duran's album Notorious, and also a wrap for today's episode. This is Jason D'Orazio from New Wave Beat. Hoping to see you next week. Take care.
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Coming Thursday: Notorious: A Duran Duran album deepdive
