It's Time To Take The Pressure Off
June 20, 2015 1:11 PM   Subscribe

Duran Duran presents Pressure Off, featuring Janelle Monáe and Nile Rodgers, their first single in four years.
posted by hippybear (18 comments total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
I like the music but not sure about these lyrics. They are pretty light SLB fare. They may grow on me, though.

And it's JT's birthday today! #Durannie4lyfe
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 2:26 PM on June 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


I am also willing to overlook the lyric issue for the time being since slb looks so tasty right now. Oh boys, thanks for making me love men in makeup.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 2:29 PM on June 20, 2015


Not so good.

Much better.
posted by markkraft at 2:31 PM on June 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


(That said, Duran Duran was perfectly adequate, even though they transparently lifted their sound and look from a more talented group.)
posted by markkraft at 2:43 PM on June 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


See also: Japan, performing live in Japan in early 1979 -- their first tour there, after years of performing in Britain -- where they are generally credited as inspiring the visual kei movement, or their hit single "Life in Tokyo", from that year, which shows a fully developed, polished look and sound, at a time when Duran Duran was just starting to has theirs out.

Between Japan and Gary Numan, it was pretty clear where things were going long before Duran Duran or Depeche Mode had their big hits.
posted by markkraft at 3:06 PM on June 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


Really, if you ask me, Janelle Monáe was entirely wasted on this track, except for maybe her energy and positivity. There's hardly a "featured" about her presence here. Nile Rodgers, his guitar playing is unmistakable and it lends much to the vibe.

I really love DD and I hope this new album is a success for them. But really, why is JM even listed as "featured" on this?
posted by hippybear at 3:30 PM on June 20, 2015


But really, why is JM even listed as "featured" on this?

She gets paid, they get some street cred by having some fresh on the track. Who knows, maybe she's a fan? Maybe they're fans of hers?
posted by GuyZero at 4:50 PM on June 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


Having seen JM live, it's pretty obvious she's a big fan of 80s music. It was a bit of a surprise to see her turn up here, but yeah, she's not a strong presence in the singing. I'd be interested in knowing what else she contributed to the song and the upcoming album, but we won't know that until we see the credits.

Duran Duran is a favorite of mine and they're generally on the age and treachery side of the equation in teamups these days, but Nile Rodgers' bass pretty much pwns this track.
posted by immlass at 4:56 PM on June 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


I won't be surprised if there are club versions and remixes that have more JM. Pretty sure it's mutual fanning from JM and the boys.

I'm most excited about the upcoming album to see what John Frusciante brought into it.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 8:11 PM on June 20, 2015


Yeah, idunno guys. Sometimes we can't go back. Sometimes our time has passed. We can't all be DEVO.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:02 PM on June 20, 2015


Duran Duran's last two singles (in 2011) failed to chart, and the third previous charted at the position of 196 in 2010 (source).

I'm not interested in putting the boot into a song that isn't to my taste, but surely there is some sort of vested interest at play here which makes it worthwhile for Duran Duran to continue to release songs. No 80s montage is complete without a burst of 'Reflex'; is it that the back-catalogue is worth more to keep around? Do the individual band members have some sort of leverage that allows them to make stuff like this? Are there really that many Duran Duran fans still in the habit of purchasing music?
posted by The River Ivel at 5:17 AM on June 21, 2015


Their last album was four years ago? Huh, time flies. They did a streamed show early in their tour for that album, and we'd had some technical issues with an event the night before, so the order went out not to touch a goddamned thing before the show if we could avoid it, so some scheduled maintenance work was cancelled. Which as far as I can remember made it the only time in my career that Lady Gaga kept me up all night, and Duran Duran then sent me to bed early.
posted by effbot at 7:33 AM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Are there really that many Duran Duran fans still in the habit of purchasing music?

Well, to be fair, their previous album, All You Need Is Now, did chart in the UK (their home country) peaking at the #11 spot, and broke the top 50 albums in several other countries including the US.

And the tour for AYNIN featured something like 9 tracks off the new album, so they weren't just doing a greatest hits jukebox tour, but were actually touring the new album.

I think plenty enough people are purchasing new DD music to warrant them making new music if they want to. And they seem to want to.
posted by hippybear at 7:57 AM on June 21, 2015


Sometimes we can't go back.

I thought Ronson did a good job of getting the boys to at least reference their classic stuff on the last album. Hell, half of those tracks were dopplegangers for classic Rio tracks. We wanted that sound back...and we got it for a little bit.

This new track? Sorry. It sounds more like Rogers trying to make "Get Lucky Part II" while John and Nick sit in the back of the room and drink tea.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:27 AM on June 21, 2015


Are there really that many Duran Duran fans still in the habit of purchasing music?

I'll probably buy this album and I'll see them when they swing through my part of the world. Based on the shows I've seen, they have a big and active fanbase, so yeah, I'm not surprised. Also, whether you like this song or not, it's definitely something a little different for them. They do a lot of hit and miss stuff but it's clear they're still engaged in the music and with the fans. They're not purely a nostalgia act, and as a Gen Xer who's gone to a fair number of classic hits kinds of concerts, I can tell the difference.
posted by immlass at 9:13 AM on June 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


All You Need Is Now did pretty well outside the US, I think. The last time I was in Brazil I couldn't escape the song. (Not that I wanted to!) I never hear it ambiently in the US but when I'm overseas I seem to hear it a lot in shops, in taxis, etc.
posted by rednikki at 9:42 AM on June 21, 2015


The Japan/David Sylvain influence is one they've always acknowledged and discussed openly.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:37 AM on June 21, 2015


(That said, Duran Duran was perfectly adequate, even though they transparently lifted their sound and look from a more talented group.)

David Bowie started in a group?
posted by Beholder at 9:09 PM on June 21, 2015


« Older SNUB-TV   |   “You can ruin my life when this show is over.” Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments