Tapemodern (label)
21 March 2011 (released)
18 March 2011
I remember getting the 'Rio' album way back in 1982, good old vinyl in a quality card sleeve!! Having been a keen follower of Duran Duran through their many re-inventions (not all good) I was intrigued when I heard Mark Ronson (a big fan as well) had the production duties on their new album – 'All You Need in Now'. Ronson has somehow kicked started these 50 something’s to deliver a high quality album, which sort of meets Ronson’s desire to create the alternative follow up to 'Rio'!! Right from the opening title track there are huge hints of 'Rio', taking the best elements of tracks like 'Hungry Like The Wolf', 'My Own Way', 'Rio' and 'The Chauffeur'.
'Blame the Machines' and 'Safe' (featuring Ana Matronic) keep the high pace of 'Rio’'s big hitters whilst 'The Man Who Stole a Leopard' has a feel similar to the sultry 'Chauffeur'. ‘Girl Panic!’ opens like 'Girls on Film' but then morphs into a top notch pop track.
Slightly oddly is the inclusion of two 1 minute odd instrumental tracks – not sure why these have been included?
But overall you get a bizarre combination of mid 80’s new romantic pop combined with a modern day sound that works very well. If ‘Seven and the Ragged Tiger’ hadn’t been made, this could have been the alternative follow-up to Rio.
