Duran Duran Box Set

By Chad Bowar

Duran Duran was one of the defining bands of the '80s, and the band that defined the MTV generation. Capitol/EMI has released a box set containing Duran Duran's first three albums, packaged in individual slip sleeves in a flip top box. There is also some bonus material.

Duran Duran was formed in 1978 by keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist John Taylor. After some lineup changes John Taylor switched to bass to make room for Andy Taylor on guitar. Drummer Roger Taylor also joined the group, and the final piece of the puzzle was vocalist Simon LeBon, who joined in 1980. Duran Duran quickly became the most popular "New Romantic" band in the U.K. They landed a record deal and released their first single, "Planet Earth," in the spring of 1981. In the fall of that year their self-titled debut was released. Here's an overview of the band's first three albums which are contained in the box set.

The aforementioned "Planet Earth" was the first single from the album, but "Girls On Film" was the biggest hit. It also drew a lot of attention for its controversial video, which was banned by the BBC for it's adult content. It hit the Top 10 singles chart in the U.K., but none of the singles on Duran Duran's debut album cracked the U.S. pop chart. Unfortunately, "Is There Something I Should Know," which was included on the U.S. re-release of the album, is NOT included here.

Track Listing:

Girls On Film
Planet Earth
Anyone Out There
To The Shore
Careless Memories
Night Boat
Sound Of Thunder
Friends Of Mine
Tel Aviv

1982 saw Duran Duran take the world by storm. Rio launched the band's popularity in the U.S. "Hungry Like The Wolf" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard chart and the video was on nonstop MTV rotation. It is one of the top 15 music videos of all time. "Rio" hit number 14 on the singles chart while "Save A Prayer" made it to number 16.

Track Listing:

Rio
My Own Way
Lonely In Your Nightmare
Hungry Like The Wolf
Hold Back The Rain
New Religion
Last Chance On The Stairway
Save A Prayer
The Chauffeur

Bonus Material On Re-Release CD

Rio music video
Hungry Like The Wolf music video
Save A Prayer music video
Complete discography, photo gallery, lyrics and notations by Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes

Seven And The Ragged Tiger, released in 1984 spawned three more hit singles in the United States. "The Reflex" made it all the way to number 1, making it the first U.S. chart-topper for Duran Duran. "Union Of The Snake" peaked at number 3, while "New Moon On Monday topped out at number 10 on the Billboard singles chart.

Track Listing:

The Reflex
New Moon On Monday
(I'm Looking For) Cracks In The Pavement
I Take The Dice
Of Crime And Passion
Union Of The Snake
Shadows On Your Side
Tiger Tiger
The Seventh Stranger

The Duran Duran box set is a must-own for serious fans of the band.

Article courtesy of http://www.suite101.com.