Warner Records are reissuing Duran Duran’s first five albums on CD and vinyl.
Duran Duran (1981), Rio (1982), Sevenand the Ragged Tiger (1983), Notorious (1986) and Big Thing (1988) have all been out-of-print for a while (at least, in theory), and it’s worth remembering that the last vinyl reissues (circa 2010) were all 2LP deluxe sets, with bonus tracks – there was no standalone versions.
These reissues are single vinyl LP and single CD releases, with no bonus tracks, and they use the 2010 remasters so far as audio is concerned (Rio was actually remastered in 2009). This is significant, since the 2010 CD remastering of the band’s debut album is widely regarded as being atrocious. The so-called ‘loudness wars’ at their worst. The label ignored fan criticism at the time and here we are 14 years later and they are choosing to use the same audio again. Okay…
All five albums are reissued on CDs in gatefold card sleeves (click image to enlarge)
One point to underline is that Big Thing features the un-remixed version of ‘Drug’ which superseded the original remixed version. John Taylor, in the sleeve notes for the 2010 reissue, admitted the decision, in 1988, to include the remix of ‘Drug’ – and not the original recording – was “made in haste” and the band quickly realised they “had made a big mistake”. Duran Duran had “compromised the integrity and sonic flow” of the album, he said. I agree, so it’s good that this change is now effectively permanent.
There’s not too much else to say, about these reissues, other than the CD packaging looks quite nice, since they are presented in mini-LP CD style gatefold sleeves. But if you already own vinyl or CD editions of these albums that you are happy with, then no action required, with the proviso that Big Thing is definitely worth picking up, if you have a pre-2010 version, for the reasons outlined above.
All five Duran Duran albums are issued on CD and vinyl on 19 July 2024, via Warner Records. Offer your thoughts on this campaign by leaving a comment and scrolling up for the SDE Reader Rating!
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By Paul Sinclair
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