Gabilandia

Happy Birthday!!!

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:42:33 GMT

I hope you are having a lovely HAPPY BIRTHDAY, alannahjoy!!!

I wish you a good day and with no Creepy Neighbour! :P

*pets kitties*
*hugs*

Happy Birthday, Stellar!!!

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:51:36 GMT

Dear stellarmeadow, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

I hope you had a wonderful day!!! You know how much I enjoy your stories and how happy I am that I was able to meet you when I was in Washington!
*BIG HUGS*
And I tell you, you have the most charming, infectious laugh! You rock!

"Today is Stellar's Birthday..."
"What if we gave her a private party?"
:P

Thanks for being always so kind to me! :D
And give my regards to your cuties *scratches Swanee and Lilly's heads*

I had a wedding party yesterday after work (the broom is Martín, a good friend of mine who was a co-worker at a time, such a great guy!) and it rocked! It's been a while since I had so much fun in a party!
I've danced a lot (music from the 70's, 80's, 90's, salsa, merengue, rock in Spanish, carnaval "carioca", etc) and there was even a salsa dancer giving us dancing lessons and it was fabulous!
My friend was radiant, the bride was beautiful and everything was great.
The only thing is that I spilled some red wine on a friend's white t-shirt *embarrassed* but he was very gracious and said he didn't mind at all and loved me any way and hugged me! Phewww!

I came home at 7.00 a.m., exhausted because of the party and because it was after work but happy. I was so over-excited that I couldn't sleep so I went to the supermarket, to the laundry etc etc. At 11.30 I collapsed and slept til 18.30 lol!

It was really good because I (or we, 'cause my family is involved) was having a very unhappy week but this put some light on it!!!

ETA: I forgot to mention how relieved and overjoyed I was when Martín told me that there wasn't gonna be any garter ritual in the wedding!!! Yay! It's enough with the "bouquet" (I escaped from that) and "pulling the ribbons" stuff but I HATE the garter ritual.

Duran Duran Stuff (more or less)

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:25:59 GMT

First I wanna say: I just can't wait for my holidays!
I'm tired all the time and I hate that. The worst thing is that I cannot sleep well so I rest just a few hours, and then I'm like ten or more hours working hard in front of the computer and I feel like I'm far away from everything or everyone.
Holidays, come to me...please...

Big thing

I was walking around Cabildo (a big avenue, which is close to where I live) and I entered this music shop just to browse a little, no more than that. And oh my, I found the Big Thing CD!
I'd been looking for it for months and months without any luck and there it was, just saying "Hi" to me. Of course I bought it at that very moment, even if it was imported (meaning "more expensive than the usual stuff").
You don't know how hard it is to get some DD stuff here and that was like finding gold in the mud! I knew some songs because I'd downloaded some live or demo versions or because of the videos ("All she wants is" and "I don't want your love"), but not all of them.
I'm enjoying this a lot, and by now, the song that's stuck in my head is "Big Thing", I think it's a very sexy, hot song. But I love the other ones as well ("Too late Marlene" is so much better than the demo I have, and "Land" is really beautiful, for instance), though "Do you believe in shame" sounds too much like "Suzy Q" for my taste.
Anyway, I love it!

Arcadia-The Flame

After many many years, I could watch again the video of "The Flame".
I had forgotten how much fun it is doing so! I absolutely love this video!
Simon is adorable as the clumsy young man, so far away from his glamourous self.
And Nick, he's perfectly cool and beautiful, I adored that part when he covers his face with his hand as if he were ashamed of Si, just before "sending him to the train".
And John's appearance is a treat (that mischievous smile on his lovely face), once again Nick looks wonderful in that scene.
Great video indeed!

Duran Duran Music - Personal Fest part 2

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:31:52 GMT

Now, on the final part of this stunning show!

The songs:

09-Chains
Simon introduced the song saying it was about someone who's waiting for a terrible end to come (that's what I understood), then he sat down on the edge of the stage (John's side) and began to sing, he stayed there for a long time. I don't like much this song but he seemed to enjoy it a lot, blowing kisses to the audience and all, and that's enough for me :)
What I like about this one, is that in the final part, he went to Andy's side of the stage and sang there on his knees, looking at Andy T's direction.

10-Ordinary World
Not much to comment, the DVD freezes almost at the beginning of the song and then comes to life near the end, funny! *grrr*
He dedicates the song to "everybody in this world trying to find a little peace" and then, freeze time! From what I saw, people loved it and sang along.

11-Notorious
Just terrific. The band sounded absolutely FAN-TAS-TIC! It was a hot, hot performance! Probably one of the best songs of the show. Simon excelled in this one, dancing, spinning, making people sing ("c'mon, chicos -boys-" he yelled) and oh, playing the harmonica! In the middle, the band played some parts of "I wanna take you higher" and it simple rocked!!!

12-Girls on Film
Pure fun and another kick-ass performance. All the band did a great job, Andy H. included. But the best part for me was the introduction of the band, which I've never seen before.
As a gentleman, as Si said himself, he introduced Anna Ross first (the backup singer) and then Andy H. (the man with the shiny horn!).

I loved how he introduced Roger, singing (more or less, I couldn't understand everything) "we got the beats, we got the sticks, we got the hands, we got the drummer, Roger Taylor" (big screams), then it was Nick's turn (Andy was particularly amused by this, he began to smile a lot!) with that long story of Nick coming from outer space ("the perfectly formed, 18 year old, keyboardist, Nick Rhodes" hehe!).

Afterwards it was time for Andy ("I've got two words for you, Electric Guitar, Andy Taylor!") and people screamed his name while he was playing. Next, John Taylor, with that long intro in which Si tells, more or less, that DD has the task of teaching English to the rest of the world. The famous "play the fucking bass, John" was sang by everybody while John complied, looking more beautiful than ever (if that's possible). I adored how Si sang (almost roaring) to him the line "Bass guitar, John Taylooooor!".

Then Simon picked up a girl for his own intro, and she messed it all (she introduced him as "David Lebon", a singer from Argentina!) but probably she was too nervous (or was not a DD fan). Simon didn't seem to care (or maybe he didn't understand what she said!).

The final part of the song was quite funny, Si was trying to count with his fingers and was about to sing, but then stepped back, John cut his playing and Simon looked at him with his mouth wide open, hands on hips. John opened up his arms (like saying "What can I do?") and Anna Ross appeared, and she and Si sang a bit of "Groove is in the house". The whole band seem to be very amused at that moment, I could spot Nick and the two Andys smiling a lot, even Anna Ross cracked up and laughed during that part.

Finally, after she left the stage, Simon tried again to count and this time, they launched into the final part of "Girls on Film".
Great stuff!

13-Save a prayer
Simon asked the crowd: "Do you wanna sing something? Try this one!". The intro began but just the synth part, and time was passing by and the other instruments didn't sound at all. So after a while, Si said:"Waiit for it. It's cooming!" which made me laugh. The song then began properly. Lovely indeed and people adored it.
Another funny thing: Near the end of the song, while singing the "Save it 'til the morning after" lines, John simply missed it. It was brief but enough for Simon, who was playing the guitar, to turn his head to John with an amused smile on his face. That look and smile were priceless!

14-Nice
I love this song and Andy's guitar sounded GREAT! And he looked GREAT, moving his head wildly, smoking like a chimney and bouncing enthusiastically. Simon's singing was not perfect but it was full of strength and he gave himself to the song til the powerful end.

15-Rio
This emblematic song was another highlight! The band played it with lots of energy. I was thrilled to see Andy H's playing his famous solo and I think that Andy T's guitar, heavier in the live versions, is awesome and adds a lot to the song.
Simon counting "Uno, dois -instead of 'dos'-, tres, cuatro" was nice! And the faces he was making to John were hilarious! The final part was incredible, all of them playing as if it were the last time they were going to play on Earth!

16-View to a Kill
People were chanting "Wild Boys, Wild Boys" (in fact, they did that in almost each of the last songs) but Simon said: "Nah, nah, nah, not yet!"
And "View to a kill" started, and it was nicely done.

Now, the curious thing here was that after Simon's "feel the chill" line (which in fact sounded like "feel the thrill"), he went near John, opened up his arms and said something to him. John got close to Simon, and then Simon touched John's arm and went to his place to go on with the "nightfall covers me".
Did he forget his lyrics again? I've heard he has lots of problems with this song. Anyway, I liked how they played it!

17-Instant Karma
Simon said that it was the 25th Anniversary of John Lennon's death, talked about the songs compilation and announced that it was the first time they were going to play "Instant Karm" in front of a crowd. "Excuse us if we make some mistakes", he added.
Simon looked at John, waiting for some gesture of him, and when John nodded, he began to sing.
I think they did a great job with this song, it sounded very DD indeed!

18-Wild Boys
"Ok" said John, and with this word, the most required song by the crowd began.
The band was pure energy and besides, there were lots of JoSi moments!
One, at the beginning, with the "Wild boys, wild boys" chant (John had a fit of coughs that fortunately ended soon), they shouted together, nose-to-nose.

Then, during the "because there's murder by the roadside", Simon put an arm around John and let him sing the "murder murder" echo.

One of my favourite parts was during the "you got sirens for your welcome" because it showed lots of interaction among them. Simon began to dance and jump at the same time that Andy, while John went straight to them to play beside the guitarist.
After that, John, smiling like a boy, moved his hips and touched Simon's, who immediately put his arm once again around him to sing "wild boys wonder where is glory".

I just loved how John and Andy played together near the edge of the stage, frantically, while the audience got totally mad. Simon, who was drinking some water, ran faster than light to John to shout together those "wild boys, wild boys" lines again (which I ADORED).
Then it was time for the "Wild girls" and "Wild boys" thing (John was completely into the game) and afterwards the song seemed to end.

But...suddenly Andy and John jumped from nowhere and the music started again. Simon began to sing as well, but he messed it at some point and there was one line he kept saying "na na na" (I couldn't help but laugh!). Anyway the crowd was oblivious to this, and the end was superb! Andy was jumping and spinning with his guitar, Simon was making his classic "wild boys" movements with his arms and Andy H's "saxing"... I don't have words for it. The drums sounded GREAT!
And then, they got together to say goodbye. John said "Muchas gracias" and Simon's last words were "We'll be back here, I'll see you soon, thank you, buenas noches, adiós!"

I really hope to see them again soon but LIVE!

Duran Duran Music - Personal Fest Part 1

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 03:22:09 GMT

I could finally get this fan-filmed show and, though the image and sound was not great in this DVD, I swear, it's absolutely AWESOME! A kick-ass show, indeed!

I also happened to see the Live from London DVD last week (great show too!), and though this LFL was technically superior (with those stage and screen and lights), I believe the Personal Fest concert was better if I have to talk about their performance, even with a few mistakes (that make this even more endearing to me).

They played in a very powerful, energetic, sometimes almost raw way, and their interaction with the audience was constant and fluid (newspapers said that DD had a great rapport with the crowd, something that many local bands could not achieve, even with Simon mostly speaking in English).

I feel that LFL was a much more restrained show, and I'm specially talking about Simon.

But here, he was talkative, restless, lively, he danced and moved all the time, going from one side to the other of the stage, clapping, making funny faces and keeping a constant dialogue with the crowd. And he loved shaking his head A LOT (maybe because of his now longer hair). He even dared to talk a few words in Spanish, which I find it nice.
Simon was a delight to watch and he absolutely shined in the fast-paced songs, showing all his charisma.

John was another highlight, always smiling, clapping hands, jumping, singing and encouraging people to sing too. I don't know how he does it, but he gets more beautiful every day :)
I absolutely adored how his bass lines sounded and the enthusiasm he poured into his playing.

Andy was a showman, he was plugged in from the very beginning. He bounced, moved his head, smoked a lot, showed his guitar to everyone and did a good job with his background vocals.
He was packed with energy, that guy!Many people (mostly men) screamed his name like madmen (ANDY! ANDYYYY!)

Roger sounded great, but I couldn't see him at all. This was filmed from an angle where Rog was nowhere to be seen. I was quite disappointed cause I love Rog, but I could spot him in the beginning and the end of the show :(

Nick was incredible too, always the Controller! I love what he does, it's a pity that "New Religion" was not played cause the intro is a blast. Though he was not filmed as much as Simon, John and Andy, I could see him smiling and being amused by some of Simon's "thingies". And he looked good in his red silk coat.

I was glad to see Andy Hamilton playing here. He's an excellent musician and listening to his solo Rio live, for instance, was wonderful! After so many years, he's almost part of the band. I just enjoyed a lot his performance.

And what can I say about Anna Ross, the backup singer? I think she's fantastic. She has a strong, beautiful voice, and not only that, she's also a pretty woman, and she has nice legs, I wish I have them!!!

The songs:

01-(Reach Up for the) Sunrise
The first punch and it was brilliant! It was sang from everyone, John got near the edge of the stage lots of times and Simon did that thing with the microphone, like in the video (see my sketch, it will save a loong description, I feel like Leonardo Da Vinci, hehe!).

From the angle I was seeing this (John's side), I could even watch a roadie (near Andy) shaking a fist at the end of the song, completely hooked by it.

02-Hungry like the wolf
They rocked with this one! A classic DD song, and warmly received, with screams and all! Before singing it, Simon asked to the audience: "Cómo están? Están bien?" (How are you? Fine?). Nice of him!

03-Planet Earth
One of my favourites songs EVER. The crowd began chanting spontaneously "olé, olé, olé, olé, Duraan, Duraan" and Simon, when hearing this, encouraged people to sing it louder and they did it, of course. Simon seemed to be very pleased :)
Some funny things: before the song properly started, Simon, with a goofy grin, pointed his finger at John, then turned and did the same but at Nick, who smiled broadly.
While he was at the back near Nick, John took the center of the stage and got near the edge of it to play his bass part, and when the crowd began to hum the guitar lines of the intro, he looked up, surprised and delighted, and cast the most flashing smile.
Maybe that's why he thanked in Spanish when the song finished.
Sang by everybody, this was accompanied by some JoSi moments (nose-to-nose singing!)
Terrific performance!

04-Union of the Snake
Before this song, there was a delay, I dunno if there was a problem with the set list or whatever. John took his mike and said "Ok, ok", maybe a way to assure the audience that there was no problem. Later, Simon looked at Rog's direction, then at Nick, who finally nodded, and John announced: "The Union of the Snake" and they launched into the song.
Though it's not among my favourite DD songs, they did a great great job with this one.

05-I don't want your love
I love it! Great version and very, very powerful! There were lots of clapping, interaction with the crowd and many "Buenos Airesss! Argentina!" thrown here and there.
Simon's vocals where really potent, Andy T. was amazing, showcasing his talent as the Electric Guitar and Anna Ross shined too, well the whole band was fantastic :D
And I laughed a lot at Simon's funny faces (he pretended not to hear enough noises "in the house" )

06-Come undone
Si made quite a long speech and dedicate this to the lovers in the audience (to cut it short).
Beautifully played though Si didn't do his best rendition (I think the LFL version was better this time). Even so, it was a nice one however. And he did his "licking finger" act, which elicit some screams from the women :)

07-Taste the Summer
Si talked about the heat (indeed! it's killing me!), the rain (it had rained a lot those days) and then he shouted "Can you smell it, can you feel it, can you taste the summer?"
I winced a bit. It sounded ok, but I must admit that this one is not among my favourites (in fact, it's victim of my FF button).

08-The Reflex
Simon tried to speak, asking the audience if they liked singing. People were too concentrated singing "Duraan, Duraan" but with the help of Andy H., the crowd began to sing "na na na na" (though some preferred to shout "RE-FLEX, RE-FLEX, RE-FLEX") and the band broke into this classic song (Simon did it with a big kick!).
I just loved it! John once again was jumping cheerfully, and Simon danced and moved all along. Andy H. rocked!
There was one brief JoSi moment I enjoyed, and that was when Simon sang to John with his body semi-arched (mmm!).
And Simon threw himself into the song and I loved:
-how his foot tapped on the floor, accompanying his "whyyyyyyy -don't you use it-", he looked really sexy (see another sketch)
-his spinning after the "round-about" line
-seeing him pointing at his bum during the "when this gets out" part
-seeing him looking goofilly at the audience with a hand on his hip (you just have to watch it!)
-heard him saying "you are beautiful" when the song ended

Well, this one was stunning!!!

To be continued...

Duran Duran Music - Misheard Lyrics

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 02:20:50 GMT

What, have you heard that?!?!?!

Misheard lyrics? Oh yessssss! Well, for me, when I was a very young lady :), every song was a misheard lyric!

I found this site Misheard Lyrics on Internet some weeks ago, and I couldn't believe it: it has a page devoted to some Duran Duran's misheard lyrics!

Some are too ridiculous to be true (though funny!), they are plainly unbelievable, so I guess they were submitted just for laughs:

For instance:

"The Chauffeur"
Misheard Lyrics:
And watching lovers fart, I feel you smiling.
Original Lyrics:
And watching lovers part, I feel you smiling.

"Careless Memories"
Misheard Lyrics:
With a ghost and a ring
Original Lyrics:
With a careless memory

"Rio"
Misheard Lyrics:
Her name is Rio and she dances on the stand
Just like that river twisting through Krustyland.
Original Lyrics:
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land.

And this one, I couldn't even make it rhyme!!!

"A View To a Kill"
Misheard Lyrics:
With that crepe suzette you thrill
Original Lyrics:
Face to face, in secret places, feel the chill.

I mean, what the heck?!?!?!?!?!

But there are others that are believable and here are some of my favourites ones:

"A View To A Kill"
Misheard Lyrics:
A chance to find the fuel mix for the plane.
Original Lyrics:
A chance to find a phoenix on the flame.

Misheard Lyrics:
But you know, the plants I'm making
Still overseed.
Original Lyrics:
But you know, the plans I'm making
Still over see.

"All She Wants Is"
Misheard Lyrics:
What does your whore say now?
Original Lyrics:
What does your heart say now?

"Girls on Film"
Misheard Lyrics:
See them walking hand in hand towards the fridge at midnite
Original Lyrics:
See them walking hand in hand across the bridge at midnite

"Hungry Like The Wolf"
Misheard Lyrics:
Straddle the line,
it's disco and wine
Original Lyrics:
Straddle the line
it's discord and rhyme

"Is There Something I Should Know?"
Misheard Lyrics:
I made a great guy run out yesterday
Original Lyrics:
I made a break, I run out yesterday

"New Moon On Monday"
Misheard Lyrics:
I like my torture way before the
New Moon on Monday.
Original Lyrics:
I light my torch and wave it for the
New Moon on Monday.

"None Of The Above"
Misheard Lyrics:
I admire myself alone.
Original Lyrics:
I am I myself alone.

Note: I think I'd have understood the same if I hadn't read the lyrics.

"Rio"
Misheard Lyrics:
Do all the villians know
Original Lyrics:
Two of a billion stars

Misheard Lyrics:
I've seen you on the beach,
and I've seen you on tv
Tune of a billion swords,
it means so much to me
like a bird of prey on a pretty view
Original Lyrics:
I've seen you on the beach,
and I've seen you on tv.
Two, of a billion stars,
it means so much to me
like birthday or a pretty view

"The Reflex"
Misheard Lyrics:
I tell you some boy is fooling around
With my chances on the danger line
I'll punch that b**** when I find him.
Original Lyrics:
I tell you somebody's fooling around
With my chances on the danger line
I'll cross that bridge when I find it.

Duran Duran Music - Notorious

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:11:11 GMT

Notorious, the first DD album released without Andy and Roger Taylor, received at that moment mixed reviews. A way to summarize it all (if this can be achieved!) is saying that it was considered, in general, nice to listen but a) uninspired or b) unremarkable or c) having lost DD identity or d) lacking the innovation edge of previous albums (mostly their two firsts works).

However, I've read in some forums that the album is appreciated by lots of fans, including myself (and that era is also much beloved because of the wonderful pics of the guys taken at that time! I'm digressing, I know).

I really like this one, and even if it lacks some of the bubbling pop that made them famous, I believe it's a solid work, with a good work by the brass section, and the best thing is that I can listen to almost all of the songs without using too much the Fast Forward Button :)

Now to the songs! I'll be actually brief when talking about the songs (hehe, I'll try to!).

01-Notorious: Well, what can be said about this one? A true classic! It's sexy and funky! I love it! I was not very enthusiastic about this one at that moment, but now it's one of my favourites. It's strange how perception of things changes through the years...Anyway, "Notorious" is the first one of a remarkable bunch of six songs (for me) that opens the album.
I've heard the Personal Fest 2005 version and it's a blast! They merge the song with "I wanna take you higher" and terrific is not enough a word!
02-American Science: A very good and subtle song, and Simon's voice sounds great. The brass section adds a lot to this one. I don't know why but I like the "she can two step and sway".
Someone says that there is a little resemblance between the chorus of this song and the chorus of "Beautiful colours" (just the beginning). I think there is some similarity indeed.
03-Skin Trade: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It took me a time to like this song (maybe because of Simon's way of singing, not his usual one) but then I fell in love with it. It's a pity that the video is so crappy. I'll demolish it one day (the video, of course!).
04-A matter of feeling: Another lovely track! And the lyrics say accurately what I feel sometimes, specially the first part of the song.
05-Hold me: Shall we walk shall we run through my head you understand
I adore this line, it has nothing special but it was the first line that I remembered about "Hold me" after listening to it the first times (besides the chorus). I love this song!
When I listen to the instrumental part near the end, I remember a live version, because in this part is when Simon introduces the rest of the band (unfortunately, no Taylors here, though Simon says something about Andy when he introduces Warren -I don't like that bit, frankly-).
06-Vertigo: One of my favourites of "Notorious". I find it strong and sexy, and I simply love the chorus! And the "maybe maybe maybe" too. Great background vocals. I've got the 88 live version and it's excellent!
07-So misled: This is the only one that I don't like much. I don't hate it and I can certainly listen to it sometimes without skip it, but it does nothing for me.
08-Meet El Presidente: Not the best IMO but it's funny, it has rhythm and the melody is there. It's enjoyable and I like it. Uuuh, uuuh, meet El Presidente!
09-Winter marches on: This is a song with a somewhat majestic, elegant melody and Le Bon's usual intriguing lyrics. I think his vocal performance suits the song perfectly and I like how "Winter..." is finally delivered.
10-Proposition: Not among my favourites but I like it and it closes the album nicely. I love how this song begins with the drums (in fact, the drums sound great here) and it has strength, but the "Proposition" part sung by Simon sounds a bit near the edge.

Greatest Videos - 05 - Save a prayer

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 05:04:45 GMT

Video:
Once again, Simon is the main Duran of this video. This one tells us about a little love affair he has with a woman in an exotic land (there's a pattern here!) while shots of the band-mates and Sri Lanka accompany the unfolding of this story.

I like this video, and I think it's more for those little details and other things it has than for the video as a whole (I'll write about those "things" later).
First I just wanted to say that, wow!, the landscapes are truly AMAZING. IMPRESSIVE. MAJESTIC.
And as I also love ancient ruins, the view of those ones on that hill leaves me always with my mouth wide open (no, no, it's not because of those Simon's close-ups appearing from time to time!).

And then we have the Durans, walking on the beach, having fun with water (hehe! ohhh that scene!), while we see Simon playing with a boy and dancing with a woman in red who finally leaves him alone (?!?). When I was 15, I (and all Simon's fans, I know *sigh*) simply couldn't understand why she left him, I was in my room, raising my hand and saying "Me, me, me! Look at me!".

I've once read a review about this video, and it said that the boy Simon's playing with is none other than his son (the mom would be the woman in red). It had never crossed my mind before, I've always thought (and I still think that, maybe I'm an alien) that he's doing so because he likes kids (and cause he's a kid himself!). Oh, well, maybe all those kids seen at the final part of the video are also Simon's!!! :)

Those things and details I love about this video:

The book on the floor, besides Simon's couch (I love reading, so there you have! Yes, I know, he's also been drinking something!)
The Durans on the beach: I like seeing all of them walking, John playing the guitar (he looks wonderful!), Simon playing with that boy (son or not). And those boats are nice!
The brief shot of John appearing in a moment while Simon sings and walks on the sand
Those kids sitting/fishing on those poles or whatever (I don't know, I like it)
The ruins and those huge statues (specially that smiling one, what is she thinking about?)
The Durans (well, four of them) in the river: Roger showing his chest (mmmm!), John playing the guitar, and Nick and Andy sitting on that branch, while one of the elephant around is about to do naughty things :)
The scene that surely started many slash fanfics, I guess! That one with John and Nick laughing madly, sitting on that elephant that showers them shamelessly. Oh, that elephant!!!
Note: I must admit, when I was a teen, I didn't find any sexual innuendo in this scene but now...
The Durans "on the rocks" (like John or Andy)
Simon singing in the bedroom, by the window
Andy, John and Nick singing while we see a gigantic statue of a woman, lying lazily on her side, a hand on her enormous thigh. And how Andy accompanies his singing with the snap of his fingers
The man with the fan over his head
The faces of those kids going to a kind of ceremony (or something like that)
Andy playing against one of many columns. Sometimes I think that the column is going to fall down and cause a domino effect :O
The Durans at the end, in that temple. I also like seeing them giving us their backs (well, not because of their bums, hehe, we cannot see much of that, but because I like it!)

Song:

Beautiful, with an almost hypnotic sound. I remember myself thinking at those times that it was a strange love song, not the usual kind! But I can't count how many nights I listened to it in my walkman, alone in my room!
My favorite part: the one that begins with "Pretty looking road" and ends with "we can call it Paradise". I find it sweet and powerful at the same time.

The Boys:

Andy:I like him and I like all his little scenes! Specially the one where he's singing to the statue (kinda) and where he's against the column.
John:Oh, John! He has the perfect face! The brief shot of him that I mentioned before is one of my favorites, along with the one with the elephant. What a beautiful laugh!!!
Nick:He doesn't seem to be very enthusiastic in many of his appearances, but that one with John and the elephant is priceless, I just love seeing him laugh so genuinely, so openly, so lightly!!! And he looks really good in the temple, nice makeup.
Roger:Rog doesn't appear too much, but he looks sweet as ever! And showing his chest (mmmmmm)! (I had to say it once again)
Simon:Lots of Simon here! He looks great! (Though this is not "my" Simon video). I must admit that I love him when he sings on the couch, with his bare feet. And the book on the floor.

Buenos Aires is killing me!

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 03:15:46 GMT

Ok, I have to vent this, today was incredibly hot and humid here in Buenos Aires, and I hate that! I hate it, hate it, hate it!

And I don't have any air conditioning uh! And this city has no beach at all! (sighs)

And the thing I hate more is not the heat but the humidity factor, so it feels like 37, 38 degrees instead of the 35 announced, and this means that you walk a few steps and it seems you had been running up a hill for hours.

And today I had to clean up my apartment (well, it was today or never! I know, I'm a complete idiot!) so after a few minutes I was panting like the Durans in one of those slash fics.

I just wanna lay down somewhere and do nothing, not even move a finger. When I walk in the streets, under this cloudless, merciless sky, I feel like melting, and I think that every inch of my body is going to be dissolved or absorbed by the pavement.

Somehow being in Alaska or Iceland sounds really attractive! Or running naked in the middle of a rainstorm, hehe!

Duran Duran Music - Astronaut

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 01:27:02 GMT

Astronaut is the last one, so it will be the first one to be under my claws. I've had these thoughts inside my head for a long time so it's good to let them out at last!

I like it overall (and maybe I like it even more because the original line-up is involved here, so I can't be very objective about this one), but I think this could have been much, much better if they had put "Virus" (a killer song!), "Beautiful colours" or "Tv vs Radio" in it.
I know it's a general complain, but I can't help it (I'll go back to the these songs probably in another post).

The album had some good songs and some that I can live without easily. It's a good start for their comeback but it's not enough for DD's standard, it lacks some "punch" and some innovative air (and more guitars from Andy, yeah!). And some songs are too much overproduced for my taste.

I really think though that their next album will be a blast! (I know, the fan is talking here!)

Anyway, I like "Astronaut" :)

I'll try to be brief (as if I could! *rolling eyes*) and describe more or less the songs and what I find about them.

01-Reach Up for The) Sunrise: I like it, the lyrics are neither great nor imaginative, but it's catchy, luminous, the chorus is engaging and strong, and Simon does a good job here.
02-Want You More!: I love this song, it has power indeed and the drums are great, but I feel this could be a real killer without those computer-like sounds and using a more rock-oriented line.
As it is, the song is a bit buried under layers of sounds, but it manages to keep its energy.
03-What Happens Tomorrow: Lovely song. I've heard many people complaining about this having an "Oasis" touch, and it's true, but I don't care about it. I love it, I like the poignancy of the lyrics and Simon does again a good rendition of this song. My favorite part is towards the end: the instrumental part is beautiful, and then, Simon's "nobody knows" sounds raw and great.

The background vocals are nice, too, the "nobody knows" and "don't let go" are a perfect touch for this song.
I was afraid of those high-pitched parts, wondering how Simon would do it live, but I saw a couple of versions and he did them well :)
04-Astronaut: I like it. Once again, the lyrics are not great (they go near Silliness Land, some would say they cross the borderline!) but maybe it's because of it that I like it (and that I like scifi stuff), it's funny and it has a contagious melody.

I've heard an acoustic version of this one, and it was wonderful! Andy played the guitar and he was fantastic, and Simon did an almost perfect job, his voice sounded specially sweet in that part that begins with the "quantum leap" thing. I said "almost" cause his voice faltered noticeably in the "anybody knows" line, but I guess it was too high for him (I'll talk about this in "Chains")
05-Bedroom Toys: What can I say? I adore this one. This is a song where Simon's voice is relaxed and sounds as if he were having lots of fun. A naughty song which reminds me of a naughty fanfic I've read! :)
06-Nice: When I heard this one for the first time, I thought it was not a big thing and dismissed it. But the melody and the chorus remained stuck in my head for a long time and after listening to it several times, I like it more and more! It's infectious! "Take the beautiful sting of a scorpio"...
07-Taste the Summer: I can't get into this one, I just can't. For "doo doo doo", I think "Hungry like the wolf" is ten thousands better that this one. I tried and I tried, but in vain. Now Fast Forward Button at full speed, skipping to the next one!
08-Finest Hour: I think this is one of the best songs of the album, if not the best. The lyrics are somewhat bitter ("You speak to the crowd but nobody hears") but it doesn't lack hope ("We're gonna make this stand, the finest hour that we see").

It starts softly, and we expect a simple ballad, but then the chorus adds an intensity that transforms this into a remarkable song. Simon does a terrific job here. All along, the background vocals and the guitar do nicely too, and the final chorus is particularly strong, with Simon's last and reassuring "yeah's" as a powerful end.
09-Chains: Another one for the Fast Forward Button and a good one to start a rant. It begins nicely and it has a good melody, but then it goes down and down. I don't like the chorus and I don't like how Simon's voice sounds in some parts, too forced, too pushed to the edge.

I listen to the song and I suffer for him, wondering how he would manage this live if he sounds like this in studio. I love him, I love his voice, I love his singing style, I think that in some ways he sings much better than before, but the man has his limits regarding to high-pitched parts.

Why can't they write all the songs according to his vocal range? Well, maybe it's his fault, maybe he wants to do this, but for me, this is not good.
10-One of Those Days: Not among my favorites (other frequent victim of the Fast Forward Button but not as much as before) but it has something. I don't like how it starts and how it ends, frankly, but in the middle it goes up thanks to the guitar, Simon's vocals (still forced in some parts but better than in "Chains"; besides I like how he sings the "not running away") and the background vocals with their "uuuhs".
11-Point of No Return: Fast Forward Button at full speed. I find this boring. Period. I've read that it's good live, but until I get to see it ("if" I ever get to see it), I skip to the next one.
12-Still Breathing: This is a beautiful way to end the album indeed. I love the sound of the bass in this song. It's a bittersweet melody that suits well the melancholic lyrics, and Simon sings it wonderfully. When I listen to it, I remember the DVD (the Astronaut DVD of course!) and how the song plays in the background while they're heading to Birmingham. Nice, nice, nice!

Note: The DVD that comes with the cd is AWESOME! But as it has parts from the LIL video, I'll wait till I get this one to write some comments (maybe in 10 years?!?!?!?!)

Duran Duran Music - Introduction

Sun, 22 Jan 2006 06:33:14 GMT

It surely sounds unbelievable, but first I was hooked by DD's music and THEN by their looks.

As I said in my "Planet Earth" review (weeeell, sort of review!), my aunt was the one who introduced me to the band, lending me the "Arena" cassette. Let me tell you this, she was the same age as my mom's, but she knew about music much more than I did.

I was not much into music by then, I got to know some song here or there by some bands, but nothing from them, so I hadn't got the faintest idea what Duran Duran was, and even less the way they look. I didn't know anything about the "Rio" or "Duran Duran" albums, so I was like "what the heck is this?".
Though I remember I thought that Duran Duran was a strange name for a band!

When I first listened to the cassette, I didn't like it much. The singer's voice was not the kind of voice I used to like, and it sounded too "whiny" for me. And the music was different too, rather exotic compared to other groups.

But after several listenings, the music grew up on me, and little by little, I began to appreciate songs like "Planet Earth", "Is there something I should know" and "Careless memories" among others. And one day, I realised that I loved their music, that I loved the singer's voice (though in some songs, I would like him to tone down the "whine" effect), that I couldn't get the songs out of my head, and that I had to know MORE about them.

So one day, when I was completely hooked by their songs, I happened to see the "Is there something..." video on TV. And I adored it (I still do!). And I fell in love with Simon as well. And I finally knew, after a long time, how they look.

Being a DD fan in Argentina was not an easy task, as I said before in one of my early posts. Magazines with articles about them were hard to find, so you had to look for the magazines that came from abroad, and those were not very cheap.
My mom bought some of them, though (what an understanding, sweet woman!), and I was always looking for the lyrics to appear in some rock Argentinian magazines, and I succeeded to get some of them (just some).

Of course, it was impossible to watch any live show from them on TV, they were never broadcasted here (so when I got to see the "Reflex" video, I remember I was very excited about it! It was the closer I could be to a live show, even if it was not taken from a real one).

And the videos. I managed to see them in a horrible, cheesy, cheap tv program called the "Johnny Allon Show", presented by a man who was so kitsch (you can have the "kitsch" good thing, and the "kitsch" bad thing, and he was downright baaaaaaaad!) that you could almost see droplets of fat dropping from his long, untidy hair!
We (my sister and I) joked about him being standing in a middle of a puddle made of his own fat (I don't know if I explain myself, he was not fat, he was just kitsch and "oily"! But here in Argentina we used to say in my teen times that someone was "grasa" -fat- when that someone was completely "kitsch").
The worst thing was when he presented the video and after that, he pretended to be frozen, pointing at somewhere with a finger and saying "Freeze me!" (presumably to the camera operator). What a moron!!!!
But I made the sacrifice to endure the whole program just to see a video of the Durans.

The videos came and went, but the music still is here, at least for me.
I think they are able to do, among the well-known hits, fantastic songs that sadly many people don't know they exist.

So I'm planning to do very short comments of some of their music I'm listening now. I say "some" cause I couldn't get here all their cds, it's frustrating!
(I'm still mad about not being able to get the "Live in London" dvd, excuse me if I'm blunt, but I hate that fucking zones thing! And why are we neglected? Hey, there are DD fans down here too!!!)

Next time, then, there'll be one of this sort of reviews for you to suffer or enjoy!

Greatest Videos - 04 - Hungry Like The Wolf

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 02:12:18 GMT

Video:

It's funny and I still quite like it. The video tell us about Simon (who else?) chasing a woman in an exotic country while the other Durans try to find out where the heck Simon has gone.

The landscapes are really beautiful and the woman, though is not a classic beauty, is attractive in her own, determined way (though I hate her when she kisses Roger, and, oh my, she even uses her tongue!)

It's fun seeing Nick, Rog and John at the beginning, running and looking for the elusive Simon, though I wonder if Nick got lost or what, cause then we only see Roger and John on the hunt later. Probably he got tired and sat down and whined a bit (Oh, I'm bad! I love him but sometimes he's like that!).

And Andy??? Why the heck does he appear so little in this video when he looks so nice?!?!?
They compensate this by giving Roger lots of scenes and close-ups, not that I complain about it hehe!

The cheesy scene, at least for me: when Simon and the woman meet and stay frozen for a moment with their mouths wide open.

The scary scene: Simon drinking water from that filthy cloth, hey, have you gone CRAZY?!?! And he's singing as well, he should be choking or something (apart from getting a disease!)

The nice scenes: The few where the five boys are together (for instance, in that party, where they are all laughing, or at the end, when they finally find Simon). I would've love seeing much more of them.

Song:

I liked it a lot in the 80's, not that I don't anymore, but it fell down in my personal ranking. Though I love the live version a lot!

The Boys:

Andy: Cute, cute, cute!!! In the few scenes where I could spot him, he looks very nice, I love his suit and his hair. It's a shame that he's almost nowhere to be seen.
John: He's a beautiful man, and here he's no exception. Though he's so skinny and pale here, that I don't feel very excited about him showing his chest (yes, I'm a crazy woman!)
I like him when he asks that boy about Simon, he looks charming! And he runs a lot in this video, looking for that naughty Simon!
Nick: Same as Andy, he's like a ghost, now you see it and then you don't. It's strange, really, that he appears so little in a video.
Roger: Roger is devastatingly awesome!!! And there are lots of little scenes where he shows us his sweet, lovely face. Damned that woman! Why could she kiss him and not I?!?!?!
Simon: Not my piece of cake in this video. In the market scene, he looks strange, too blond maybe, I don't know why, but he doesn't seem Simon to me. He manages to crack me up at the end of the video, where he's singing and making funny faces as if he were getting crazy!
And I'd love to knock over a table as he does! (I think everybody will love to do so!)

DD Caption Story

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 17:44:15 GMT

STORY TITLE: WRITING A ROGER FANFIC (caption story)
AUTHOR:Gaby
RATING: PG
STARRING DURAN: All of them
SUMMARY: John decides to write some fan fic to cheer Rog up but it's not an easy task.
DISCLAIMER: If you think this really happened, I want some of what you're having.

COMMENTS: All the pics belong to the great site "Trust the process", except for number 14, which I borrowed from the "Duran Duran" site, and number 18, which I found in the old LK's DD Forums.
This story, in my opinion, is not really as humorous as others seen here, but I think it still qualifies as an AE story. Well, you'll tell me later about it!
The Roger/Andy/Yoda story, created by Daisy, is slightly mentioned here as well as the superheros story written by Dramady!

During a rehearsal...

Roger: "Ohhh, all the fans want me to show my stick in our shows but almost nobody writes a slashy fic about me, even ANDY has more stories, whyyyyyyy, Andy, whyyyyyyyy???"

Andy: "I have the feeling that someone is piercing me with the eyes. Maybe it's Simon, hehe, he must've realised that I stole his fucking superhero cape!!!"

John: "I'm worried about Rog, I think I'll follow Charlie's path and write a sexy, hot, lusty story about Rog myself to post it...How can I start? HOW CAN I START???" [panics]
Sax player:"Mmmm...oh...the way he caresses the bass neck puts some bad thoughts into my head..."

Next day...

John:"I have an idea! Let's write it down...Mmmmmm..."
"Simo...er...Roger's sensual lips were an open invitation to the most torrid, wet fantasies."

John:"Hey, that's a start!!! Yipiii!"

And there's a show too...

John:"It's been three days and my muse has gone down the toilet as well as my cellphone...and it's been three songs and Simon hasn't put a finger on me, that bloody diva!"

Simon:Hey, missed me, Johnny dear? I'm here to sing you a hot song, nananana nananana!
John:Oh, just in time!!! I'm writing a slashy fic about Roger and I need your advice!

Simon:NOWWW???
John:Hehe, weeeell, I can wait a little bit.
Simon:I'm always ready for you, you know that, ask me in the instrumental part, nobody will notice, they'll think I'm just being flirty with you!
John:Sounds good to me!

John:Si, I need help with my fic, I'm stuck!
Simon:Sure, Johnny, I can help you with the steamy scenes, what about a demo tonight in my room?
John:Charlieeeeeeeeeeee, this is about our Roger!!!
Simon:Ok, I'll tell you this: write about two blokes you'd like to see having fun and then change their names to Roger and whoever!
John:Nice!!! Great idea!!!
Simon: Mmmmm...though I can still help you with the hot scenes...
John:...

John:"Fucking brilliant!!! Charlie always surprises me!"

Andy:Hey, Si told me that you're writing something about Rog! I wanna help you!
John: Fuck, he can't have his mouth shut not even for a second! Oh, well, any idea, Ands?

Andy: Yap, a fucking, amazing idea! Write a story about me and Roger, I say "Bite me!" cause fans seem to like me saying that, and then you make Rog bite my crotch, and then Yoda appears in the middle of our sex scene and then...
John: Stop it! That's...absurd!!!
Simon:[sings] Please please tell me noooow [where is my superhero cape?!?!?!]

Andy: Hey, it's good stuff!!! Write that and be nice with my crotch, remember what it's said about short men, HAHAHAHA!
John: Yeah, sure! Bah!

Later, during an event...

Nick:John, Andy told me about this fanfic of yours about Roger, I want to help too. As a lurker in the duran_fic_meta community, I think you should have a Beta reader, that's to say, me!
John:Sure! Read some stuff, then you tell me. It's not much but...

And then, at the casino...

John:So what?
Nick:I've read the few paragraphs you managed to scrabble, and they are quite promising and really hot, and well written, I must admit...But I do have a doubt, if it's a fic about Rog, why is it that his name is nowhere to be seen but Simon's and yours are everywhere?
John:Er...hehe...well...would you believe me if I tell you I'm just applying Simon's fanfic writing method???
Nick:Simon's.fanfic.writing.method. Ehem. Oh. My. Let's pretend you never uttered those words.

Some days later, during a rehearsal...

John:"I give up, I have a damn writer's block and it seems I have no talent for this. The boys have been supportive but... Oh, how can those Duranies write so many good stories??? And I wanted so much to make Rog happy!"[big sigh!]

Roger:"What's the matter with Johnny? He sighs and looks at me in unexpected ways...Would it be that...? Nahhhh, and Simon would kill me! Well, I'll see later if any story happens to appear..."

That night, during the show...

John:Hey, Rog, how are you, man?
Roger:Oh, I'm so happy! A hot, sexy story appeared, and ABOUT ME!!! It's great, I have sex scenes with all of you guys, but the best is with Andy, I bite his crotch and then Yoda...

John:"That bloody bastard!!! I'm glad for Rog...but I wonder what the fuck Andy wrote about me in his absurd, fucking decadent story!!! I'll kick his little arse until it falls down and turns into a ball, and I'll go on kicking it till the end of the centuries and beyond!"

John:"ANDDDYYYYYYYYYYYY! That fic of yours..."
Andy:"BITE ME, JOHN!!!! AND YODA RUUUUUUUUUUUUUULES!!!"

Greatest Videos - 03 - The Chauffeur

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 03:36:19 GMT

Video:

I really like it.
I've heard many people complaining about this one, but I find it interesting and it makes me think a lot, no matter what some women say about being a "total man's fantasy".

Of course, unlike "Planet Earth", it's not the kind of video I watch over and over again, it has another pace, another rhythm and there's no goofiness or cheesiness (does this word exist?!?), though there is a story, an erotic love story about two women who finally met in a garage.

The video, a nice mini-film, is wonderfully filmed in black and white, which adds a melancholic touch to the images we see, images that suit well this eerie song.

Lots of questions arise, and I admit that many are downright silly, for instance: "How far do they live from one another? And where?", cause when the video begins, it's plain day and when they meet, it's night.

I've heard that, as the Durans don't appear in this one, they're represented by the male chauffeur, and I've also read that he looks like Simon. I can accept or understand the first statement, but he, looking like Simon, NO WAY!!! C'mon! And if he were a "Simon", he wouldn't have lasted much in the driver's seat, hehehe!

I also like the three girls that appear in this video (the two lovers and the chauffeur-woman), they're not the usual beauties, but they seem to be determined and strong, and their faces show something more interesting to me that the ones from "Girls on film" (I believe that this video has the eroticism that the other one tried to elicit, for me in vain). But I have to say that seeing that chauffeur-woman with practically no breasts is quite disturbing for me, don't ask me why. I enjoy her dancing, though.

Talking about dancing, the only thing that I find a bit out of place is the "dance of love" (I like this phrase, hehe!) the two women perform when they finally met, it seems quite silly. I got used to it, but I think that other kind of movements, even without any body contact, would have been more effective. Maybe it's me, of course!

Song:

Beautiful and haunting. I love the lyrics, I find them poetic and with a particular sound, the words seem to match each other perfectly.
Funny, but I used to hate this song when I was younger, back in the 80's. Well, "hate" is too strong a word, but surely I skip it every time it was its turn in the cassette (ouch! by the way, I hated my DD's cassettes, they always seemed to break or twist or something awful happened to them, "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" was the worst, I think it broke three or four times!).

Now I like it a lot, I've learnt to love the melody and the obscure words.

(Another digression: I also disliked "The Seventh Stranger", as much as "The Chauffeur", for me they were the "Twin Songs" and I skipped them both! The Fast Forward button was much appreciated for these two songs, that come in a row in "Arena". Now, "The Seventh Stranger" ranks among my favorites, and though "The Chauffeur" doesn't, I now like it a lot!)

The Boys:

The boys don't appear in this video, but for me, seeing how the story unfolds, it seems just right. Though it's not something that I expect them to do often!!!

Greatest Videos - 02 - Girls On Film

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 01:35:39 GMT

Video:

I don't like it. It's not that I hate it, but I simply don't enjoy it, it does nothing for me and I also think that the girls are not very attractive. The guys (I'm not talking about the Durans, of course!) don't appeal to me; the last one has an athletic body and a nice ass, but he gives me the creeps!

It's supposed to be hot but for me, it isn't. Hey, I wanna see the Durans and they don't appear too much in this video!

I don't have much to say about this one, not even for a good rant, except that the one with the alternative end made me laugh indeed! Another good thing is that the Durans look terrific!

Song:

I like it but it doesn't rank among my favorites and it never did, but I admit the live version is very powerful and I enjoy a lot seeing Duran Duran perform it!

The Boys:

Andy: I said before that dark hair is better for him, but it's really nice seeing him blond and with short hair again!
He looks cute when he's combing it! I love the slight smile he has on his face during that scene. There are also some close-ups of him and he looks awesome! That "neckerchief" (I don't know if this word is used nowadays, though I found it in the dictionary!) suits him well.
John: Nice haircut and nice clothes. He's so cute (and serious!) when he's with Nick at the beginning of the video, during the make-up scene!
(Mmmm, that sentence could be misunderstood, hehe!).
Pity that John is not much seen during this video! :(
Nick: Beautiful, beautiful! Perfect make-up and I like his hair too. That "bandanna" or "headkerchief" or whatever is a good "touch", he looks sexy and intriguing at the same time.
Roger: What can I say of Roger? He's cuuuuuuute! I gotta love this man, and his hair too! And those movements he does with the drum sticks! Rogeeeeeeeeeeer!
Simon: Dashing! His hair and that thing in his head ("a la Nick") make him look more gorgeous! I love his dancing too, mercifully he seems to forget his "Planet Earth" ridiculous movements (I'm baaad!)

Greatest Videos – 01 – Planet Earth

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 02:11:22 GMT

VIDEO:

Cheesy, with some ridiculous FX....And what about Simon on fire? And those red lines appearing from nowhere? Maybe it’s because of these things and more that I LOOOOOOOOOOVE SO MUCH this one! I can see it many times and I never get bored!

It’s amusing, entertaining and endearing, and even those cheesy FX make it more charming to me.

I love a lot of things about “Planet Earth”:

the fact that each member has a lot of well-deserved screen time
that info about planet Earth and the word DOOMSDAY appearing on the screen
Simon and John singing together (I’m a JoSi fan!)
John and Andy singing together (just because it’s fun seeing them!)
the Ice Tower (well, it was and it will always have that name for me) where the Durans are performing at, and the bluish landscape that surrounds it
the clapping hands
the punk couple dancing, just alone or with John and Simon framing them (the first time, John turns round to look at the couple and the second time he simply looks at the camera with his arms folded, I dunno but I adore that!)
that “bliss” moving John and Simon’s hair in several scenes
the girl with the liquid-eyes (well, she seems to have!)
Simon jumping into the void at the end

Sure, it’s one of my favorites!

SONG:

“Planet Earth” is one of my favorites songs too. And even after so much time, it still remains in my top ten. Great song, great chorus, and I like the lyrics a lot.
It’s also a very special song for me.
My aunt introduced me to Duran Duran with this one. She lent me the “Arena” cassette while saying: “Listen to this band, they’re wonderful! You’ll love “Planet Earth”, it’s a jewel!”
And she was sooo right!

THE BOYS:

Andy: I love him! He appears so much in this video, that’s a good reason to like it!
And we get to see his lovely blue eyes!!! Nice, nice, nice!
Blond is not the best colour for his hair, but here he looks really good.
I like him saying “Planet Earth” while the camera takes some close-ups of him
Funny shirt, maybe Nick chose it for him.
John: Beautiful and ethereal. Strange haircut but it suits him well. I like that piece of cloth (well, what the heck is it called?) that he wears on one side of his trousers. In fact, I like his clothes and how he wear them all! And he moves better than Simon, with bass and everything!
Nick: He looks rather well, appropriately cool and mysterious, but I don’t like his puffy haircut!!! I like the colour, though, and that “baroque” shirt.
Roger: Cute, cute, cute!!! How nice, that bluish image of him in the beginning and in the middle of the video! He is so sweet and adorable (specially in the drums, there’s a moment when he looks at the camera with an almost anguished look that makes me sigh!) that I want to run to thim and hug him and....oh well!
Simon: Horrible pants, horrible dancing! Anyway, he looks good. One of my favorite Simon’s part is when he’s lying on the floor (or whatever), then looks at the camera and sings: “You’re looking at Planet Earth”, he’s soooo gorgeous!

ADDED NOTE (22-01-2006):

I was lurking in one of the old LK Lizard's Duran forums when I came across this lovely pic of Andy in "Planet Earth" (posted by ReflexOz). It shows one of those great Andy's close-ups I was talking about and I couldn't help posting it here.

Sometimes it seems that I have the hots for Andy, but the reason why I try to talk about him a lot is that he's always been one of the neglected Durans (in favour of the more dashing Simon and John, and Nick as well) and it seems unfair to me.
Even in the 80's, I appreciated a lot what he was doing for Duran Duran and I cringed when his appearances in videos was kept to the minimum.

I missed him a lot during these years and I'm glad that he's back again!

Greatest Videos – Introduction

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 02:00:05 GMT

My reviews of these videos are not going to be technical, so don’t expect them to be full of those details. It’s just simply saying “I like it or not”, and why.

Each one will have three mini-sections:

Video: just comments about the video.
Song: what I think of the song that’s been represented by the video.
The Boys: what I think of the Durans taking part in the video (well, they’ll always be the Boys for me!)

I’ll begin with DVD 1, so my first one will be “Planet Earth”.

Enjoy it! (or suffer, whatever, hehe!)

Durans and I (Who's your favorite?)

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 01:32:31 GMT

This post is to talk about the usual question, Who was your favorite Duran?
When I was 15, I could say without a blink: SIMOOOOOOOOOOON!
I had a severe crush on him, I loved everything about him: his movements, his hair, his eyes, his lips... and so on.

My second one was Roger, I found him sweet and cute, and as I was a very shy girl, I loved him more for being so low profile.
My sister and I had a little sweet teddy bear, and we named him Roger, of course!

My schoolmates, however, drooled a lot over John Taylor, but as I was very taken by Simon, I didn't take part of that, hehe!
Though I've thought he was cute, he was not my type.
That doesn't mean that I didn't mind about the other Durans, I was interested about the five of them and I read everything about them all, in fact, I was very annoyed when I happened to watch a video with too many few shots of Andy, for instance. Just I was madly in love with Simon! And then Roger!

Now, so many years after, some things remains the same and other have changed.

Simon is still the One, and I dunno why, watching him move (not as madly as before and with a slower pace, but still showing energy and intensity and drama), listening to his voice (a tad thinner, but in many ways, singing better than before), I feel a certain tenderness.
Oh, and he's still sexy and hot! ;)

I still like Roger a lot and he has a special place in my heart. He changed a lot, but I find him all the same attractive and more talkative and smiling too!!!
At least from what I could see from the Astronaut Dvd (I laughed a lot when he imitated his mother's voice!)

I've always thought that Nick was very sophisticated and intriguing and mysterious, and he still is. He was an unusual person for me back in those days, cause I was not used to seeing a man with make-up (heavy make-up, I should say) and with that changing haircut and those clothes. But I loved him for that, and I was pleased to see him always trying a new thing.
I've certainly enjoyed a lot listening to his remarks in the Astronaut Dvd ("Ordinary? We don't use that word in here, do we?")

Andy. That man's grown a lot on me. When I bought the "Sing blue silver" dvd, a month ago, I rediscovered Andy through the interviews: Nice eyes indeed!!! It's a pity he now covers them all the time with those sunglasses. And nice accent too! I love it!
I also love his live performance (yeah, once again, the Astronaut dvd): he jumps, goes around, moves enthusiastically, and he certainly has rock in his fingers!

But the great rediscovered person is John Taylor. He's now near Simon in my preferences, and Simon wins just because he's Simon. I liked seeing John during this reunion tour (yeah, I watched the mentioned Astronaut dvd and the videos I downloaded from internet), jumping, singing, interacting with the crowd, smiling a lot like a child with a new toy, just enjoying every minute of it.

I liked when he says: "I love to play and I love to travel" cause it's clear that he feels it with his heart. He's grown a lot as a musician too, he's excellent playing the bass.
And he's really a beautiful man!

Seeing the Greatest videos (which I plan to review), I rediscovered him as this gorgeous man.

Don't misunderstood me, he was always good-looking. However, when watching the videos, I realized that I like him really really a lot, BUT in the latest videos, where he looks more mature.
In the older videos, he looked too childish and delicate for me (maybe that's why he was not my type back then) though I can appreciate what I couldn't when all my eyes were for Simon hehe!

P.S.: Ooooooooh, when they're going to release the Live from London DVD here!!!!!!!!!!

Duran Duran, the fire's on again!

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 01:12:47 GMT

I'm gonna start this journal at last!
In fact, I've created this LiveJournal account in order to belong to a Duran Duran slash community, hehehehe!
But now that I've got it, I have to do something with this.
So first, I'll try to explain why I decided to be member of a Duran Duran community.

Duran Duran was my first and only band (well, apart from The Beatles but that's another thing, when I began to adore The Fab Four, they had broken up lots and lots of years before!) I was mad about, really mad, and like a proper fan, I bought everything I could that has its name on it! And there was not much, because in Argentina there was not the amount of material that existed, for instance, in the U.S.A.

And live shows??? Down here, it was impossible! But I was happy seeing their videos on MTV, if I could catch them, of course! I could sit for hours, watching painfully a bad bad tv program, if it was announced that anything Duran was going to be on air.
Those were glorious day!!! I was only 15 or 16, more or less about 1984, 1985.

After Duran Duran, there was not any modern band that could stir that kind of violent emotions inside of me. And I thought those emotions belonged to the past, how wrong I was!
When I knew about their reunion, I felt like a teenager again! And of course, I began to search for info, pics, and even fanfic (something I could have never imagined!) thru Internet.

And though I couldn't see them in Argentina in December 2005 due to a friend's wedding, I downloaded some videos of their performance and saw them on tv, and I was thrilled! I think they were awesome and I loved seeing Simon, Nick, and the Taylors together again!!!

After buying a DVD player, I managed to get "Sing blue singer", "Greatest" and the "Astronaut" DVD. Unfortunately "Live from London" was not released here and I can't buy it thru Internet because of the dvd zones thing. :(
I WANTED TO WATCH IT!!! AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!
Well, I'm happy to see the dvd that comes with "Astronaut" until someone here decides it's time to release it.

I decided that I could use this journal to comment on the "Greatest" videos and other things I could catch on those dvds I bought, hehehe...

But first of all, I think I must talk a bit about the Durans and I...I'll do that in the next post...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!