Medazzaland

Hearing the voice of Simon Le Bon may trigger flashbacks in some listeners. One hopes that these victims can make it through the hazy memories of early MTV and John Hughes movies because Duran Duran, the longtime vehicle for Le Bon's crooning has come up with some surprisingly engaging new music. Medazzaland holds up well to the work done in their early 80's prime and at the same time breaks new stylistic ground... (At least for these guys.)

Medazzaland is sonically interesting, awash in samples, sequences, and assorted noise. Anthony J. Resta and Bob St. John, DD's mixing team have done a fantastic job, making every track a stunningly detailed aural adventure. But not all the sounds are as high tech as they seem. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes, the last remaining survivor (along with Le Bon) from the bands "classic period", relied heavily on his stable of analog synthesizers, many of whick he used back in Durans early days, to the point where there's hardly a trace of digital synthesis on this album. The arsenal included a Roland System 100, a Sequential Prophet V, and and old EMS AKS Synth.

Many synthlike sounds aren't even synths. The haywire pitch shifting central riff on "Big Bang Generation" and the huge chordal bursts on "Electric Barbarella" are the work of guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, and an effects chain the size of a small factory, including three Lexicon Jam Mans. Cuccurullo is also responsible for most of the albums distinctively fluid bass lines; DD bass vet John Taylor played on four tracks, recorded over a year ago, then bowed out to pursue an ill-advised solo career. Engineer Resta doubled on drums and percussion, and in a rather unorthodox way; according to Rhodes the colossal drum sound on " So Long Suicide" was a Radio Shack PZM mic taped to Resta's chest.

All told, the more adventurous numbers, like the gurgling inner travelog of the the title track (born from a live to DAT techno jam and featuring Rhodes' vocal debut) or the moody "Buried in the Sand" (which sports a sampled violin solo from an Ustad Sultan Khan record), that work the best. This being a Duran Duran album, there's a certain amount of silliness to deal with; the egocentric lyrics of "Who Do You Think You Are" are particularly moronic. But Le Bon's performance helps overcome the worst moments. No longer belting or whining, he makes a genuine effort to sing with some subtlety, and that gentler approach suits him and the music.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm reassured by this music. It's comforting to know that at least some of the musicians who helped define a decade's sound are still stretching, and succeeding in the next one.

© MUSICIAN, November 1997