Duran Duran & Grandmaster Flash ~ "White Lines"

[Jeff]

[glow=blue,2,300]I love it![/glow]

I first heard the song in '95 (via WSTZ), and immediately fell in love with it.

[SyrupBoy]

LOL!

Duran Duran are the only decent band I've ever seen to have two 1-star albums as rated by All Music Guide. This was the lead single off of one of them.

It's not bad I guess, but I'll take their cover of 'Perfect Day' instead.

[stevie nice]

I'm guessing Liberty was the other one star album, although I know Big Thing got panned, and was considered the beginning of the end for them, even tho I thought songs like Skin Trade or All She Wants Is were really good.

As for White Lines, I've heard worse cover songs, starting right with this Thank You album and their cover of 911 is a joke, but this is also pretty bad. I also like their cover of Perfect Day, and Crystal Ship wasnt awful either.

I am a very big D2 fan BTW, their first album got lots of play at clubs like the Ritz b4 their pop breakthru. Songs like Careless Memories, Planet Earth, Girls On Film, Anyone Out There, and especially Friend Of Mine, were groundbreakers for the New Wave scene which would hit about a year later. Definitely a classic New Wave album.

[Radical347]

This song is on serious crack. I didn't like it the first time I heard it because I had a humongous headache and it only made it worse, but now I like it.

Was the other 1-star album "Pop Trash"? That one was pretty bad... the only decent song off of it ("Someone Else Not Me") was even a rip-off of "Ordinary World."

[mst3k]

Blech, I never cared for Duran Duran's remake.

The original version, however, is a hip-hop classic...

"Higher baby... get higher baby... get higher baby... and don't ever come down! Freebase..."

[Slinky]

I always liked this song.  I actually heard the Duran Duran remake before the original. 

I didn't know Duran Duran did a cover of "Perfect Day", I'll have to check that out.  I've always liked the original of that song as well as the 1997 cover featuring Bono, David Bowie, and a lot of other stars.

[SyrupBoy]

HowieDayFan said:

Was the other 1-star album "Pop Trash"? That one was pretty bad... the only decent song off of it ("Someone Else Not Me") was even a rip-off of "Ordinary World."

Nope, it was Liberty. Pop Trash got 2 stars and Big Thing got 1.5. Word has it that the original lineup has a new album coming out later this year. I wonder if it'll be crap?

[stevie nice]

SyrupBoy said:

Word has it that the original lineup has a new album coming out later this year.  I wonder if it'll be crap?

Not sure if it will be crap, although from what I've heard, there's huge anticipation for the upcoming tour, based on the success of their limited dates in the US last fall.

[reception]

Here's a clip.

[Nick]

I liked their version, it was one of the better cover tracks on "Thank You".

[ClassicCase]

I have no idea that this hip-hop 80s classic would be remade by another 80s band that also emerged into the 90s. Classic mess in a sense, but Grandmaster Flash himself is a whole lot better.

[Nick]

Sure, the original is better, but this remains a favorite at Duran Duran concerts.

[Deleted]

I actually thought Duran Duran's version of this was catchy. The original is better though.