SECC GLASGOW - 20 dicembre 2005 - recensione

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Duran Duran, SECC, Glasgow
By David Pollock

Published: 20 December 2005

It's interesting to note how the announcement of Take That's reunion has been met with softened opinions from those who derided them as the acme of soulless formula at the time of their first incarnation. Now a decade of Boyzone, Westlife and so forth has seemingly led people to grudgingly re-evaluate that they weren't all that bad in the first place.

Following a similar path of reasoning, the two decades or so since Duran Duran enjoyed their first flush of success has seen them actively embraced as crucial contributors to the lineage of British pop music, having once been derided for their fashionably manufactured image and unashamedly chart-tailored music.

Yet the quintet was crucially formed by its members - rather than a record company - in their native Birmingham, taking inspiration from the then-popular post-punk and New Romantic scenes. Moreover, the fact that they were responsible for a large number of fine pop singles, which proved to be particularly enduring, mean that this live experience is so much more than a nostalgia roadshow.

That 40-something mothers and their 20-something daughters can remember the key lyrics with such a degree of accuracy and swoon over Simon Le Bon as he promises to "add a little sex to the mixture" before "Come Undone" tells its own story as to the band's lasting pan-generational appeal. In fact, Duran Duran - despite their continuing tendency towards mullets - mostly still make acceptable sex symbols.

Much of the weaker material from their recent comeback album, Astronaut, is decidedly less futuristic than the classic vintage. Yet a willingness to leave no key song from their lengthy career unplayed during the two-and-a-half-hour set is at least an assurance that everyone's favourite will be played. And each version is energetic and loyal to the original.

Such versatility lends itself to off-kilter ballads - such as "Ordinary World", "Save a Prayer" and the sexually charged "Skin Trade" - and a version of "Notorious" that jacks up the tempo for the last hour. Then there is "Rio", the perfect soundtrack to however many work Christmas parties were happening here.

While certainly laboured in its less universally known moments, this was still an entertaining gig, which proved that - while good pop music might be a zeitgeist-riding accident - great pop manages to endure.

Earls Court, London, SW5 (0870 903 9033); tomorrow and Thursday

It's interesting to note how the announcement of Take That's reunion has been met with softened opinions from those who derided them as the acme of soulless formula at the time of their first incarnation. Now a decade of Boyzone, Westlife and so forth has seemingly led people to grudgingly re-evaluate that they weren't all that bad in the first place.

Following a similar path of reasoning, the two decades or so since Duran Duran enjoyed their first flush of success has seen them actively embraced as crucial contributors to the lineage of British pop music, having once been derided for their fashionably manufactured image and unashamedly chart-tailored music.

Yet the quintet was crucially formed by its members - rather than a record company - in their native Birmingham, taking inspiration from the then-popular post-punk and New Romantic scenes. Moreover, the fact that they were responsible for a large number of fine pop singles, which proved to be particularly enduring, mean that this live experience is so much more than a nostalgia roadshow.

That 40-something mothers and their 20-something daughters can remember the key lyrics with such a degree of accuracy and swoon over Simon Le Bon as he promises to "add a little sex to the mixture" before "Come Undone" tells its own story as to the band's lasting pan-generational appeal. In fact, Duran Duran - despite their continuing tendency towards mullets - mostly still make acceptable sex symbols.
Much of the weaker material from their recent comeback album, Astronaut, is decidedly less futuristic than the classic vintage. Yet a willingness to leave no key song from their lengthy career unplayed during the two-and-a-half-hour set is at least an assurance that everyone's favourite will be played. And each version is energetic and loyal to the original.

Such versatility lends itself to off-kilter ballads - such as "Ordinary World", "Save a Prayer" and the sexually charged "Skin Trade" - and a version of "Notorious" that jacks up the tempo for the last hour. Then there is "Rio", the perfect soundtrack to however many work Christmas parties were happening here.

While certainly laboured in its less universally known moments, this was still an entertaining gig, which proved that - while good pop music might be a zeitgeist-riding accident - great pop manages to endure.

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TRADUZIONE (fra parentesi i miei commenti):

E' interessante notare come l'annuncio della reunion dei Take That riunione è stato accolta da opinioni ammorbidite da quelle stesse persone che li avevno derisi come il culmine della formula inespressiva ai tempi della loro prima incarnazione. Adesso una decade di Boyzone, Westlife è così via apparentemente ha condotto la gente a rivalutare malvolentieri che forse non erano così male allora.

Seguendo un ragionamento simile, le due decadi circa da quando i Duran Duran goderono della prima ondata di successo hanno fatto si che loro siano ora riconosiuti attivamente quale contributori cruciali della credibilità della musica pop inglese, essendo pur stati anche loro una volta derisi per la loro immagine preconfezionata alla moda e la loro musica spudoratamente adattata per le classifiche.

Allora il quintetto fu fondato fondamentalmente dai suoi membri - piuttosto che da una casa discografica (come i Thake that, aggiungo io...) - nel loro nativa Birmingham, prendendo l'ispirazione dalle allora popolari scene Pop Punk e New Romantic. Inoltre, il fatto che siano stati responsabili di un grande numero di piacevoli pop singles, che hanno dimostrato di essere particolarmente duraturi nel tempo, significa che quest'esperienza live è qualcosa di più di un semplice nostalgico roadshow.

Che la band abbia conservato un appeal pan-generazionale ce lo conferma il fatto che tanto le madri 40-e-qualcosa che le loro figlie 20-e-qualcosa conoscano i testi delle canzoni con un notevole grado di precisione, ma anche lo scioglimento collettivo quando Simon Le Bon promette "di aggiungere un po di sensualità" prima di "Come Undone". In effetti i Duran Duran - malgrado la loro perseverante tendenza al gigioneggiamento - per lo più si confermano ancora sex symbol accettabili.

Molto del materiale più debole dal loro album del recente ritorno, Astronaut, è nettamente meno futuristico del loro vintage classico. Ma la compiacenza di non lasciare nessuna canzone principale dalla loro lunga carriera ineseguita durante il concerto di due ore e mezzo è per lo meno la garanzia che la canzone preferita di ciascuno verrà eseguita. Ed ogni versione è energetica e fedele all'originale.

Questa loro veratilità si presta bene anche alle ballate memorabili - come "Ordinary World", "Save a Prayer" o la sensualissima "Skin Trade" - oppure ad una versione di "Notorious" aggiornata alle attuali tendenze beat. E poi c'è "Rio", la colonna sonora perfetta per tutti i party d'ufficio di Natale svoltisi da queste parti.

Anche se un po' macchinoso nei suoi momenti meno universalmente conosciuti, tuttavia questo è stato uno show piacevole, che ha provato come - mentre la buona pop music potrebbe anche essere un incidente di percorso - le grandi canzoni pop sanno come perseverare.


DAVVERO UNA BELLA RECENSIONE!!!