Duran Duran - Liberty

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Music reviews of Liberty

Music Review: Vies with "Thank-You" as Duran's worst ever effort
Rating: 2 Stars

It seems to me that the boys tried too hard to bring out an album that announced to the world that they were back as a five-piece, the result being full of contrived and irritating songs. On "Can you Deal with it?" Simon asks if there is anyone who will make love to him. Of-course there is! You are a millionaire pop star. This meekness on the part of Simon no doubt means something else but it just comes across as ridiculous, destroying any flow the song ever builds up. In "Venice Drowning" we hear a mention of "beads of jism and the scarlet cataclysm". Quite frankly, I don't want to know about sex in such "poetically graphic" tones. It just comes across as clumsy, something a spotty 16-year-old would write in an English class, not a 30 year old man.

Along with these problems, I cannot get over the sheer awfulness of "Hothead" and that intensely irritating squeaking in "Read my Lips". The downright dullness of both "Venice Drowning" and "Downtown", as well as the failings of "Violence of Summer" as both a song and as a choice of first single. "All along the Water" completes the rogues gallery as this album's version of "Big Thing's" "Drug (It's Just a State of Mind)", although not quite as bad, it is simply fast paced, directionless drivel.

Now that the rant is over, a word about the goodies (yes, there are some). Title track, "Liberty" is lovely. The word liberty evokes a certain feeling when you hear it. I remember thinking the song sounding as it should, given its title. It is a mid paced ballad which has a pleasant use of backing vocals and a rather interesting chorus. It will not blow your mind, but it will allow you to fall into a pleasant sleep.

"Serious" is the album's best song and was the second single. It doesn't really categorise but is best described as a fast ballad. Although of a quick tempo, the singing and the music are too soft to be considered "dancey". This song is a bit of cult track among die hard fans. Rightly so. Simon's slightly quirked singing on this marries perfectly with the rest of the music to provide us with a wonderful, pretty song that is impossible not to like.

"First Impression" is the only true quick on the album that works. It does not contain any of the stupid little irritants that bring down all the other songs like it. The lyrics are (thankfully) normal and the music is polished. A decent effort that takes upon proportions of granduer when surrounded by the rest of the mediocrity on show.

And finally, we come to "My Antarctica". Again it sounds like the title suggests and seemingly takes you on a journey, on a boat through the icefields that you would associate with Antarctica. I always imagined the song to be one where Simon is dreaming about what he would like to do with his yacht. It is a song of beautiful escapism, to be listened to next to a crackling, open fire on a winter night. Another of those gems that only the durannie will know about.

So there it is, not so much peaks and troughs as one whole doldrummingly dire album that serves up the occassional breath of fresh air. In a career spanning 20 years and so many good albums and songs, I suppose it is fair enough that the boys get it wrong from time to time. I am just thankful that they get it wrong so rarely.

Description of Liberty

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock