Duran Duran Album: “Big Thing”

Big Thing is one of my favorite Duran Duran albums. The entire B side with "Lake Shore Driving" and the Interlude - it's 1980's syntheizer magic. No band on earth has ever come close to this incredible sound. Listen to it in the dark for a sensual treat.

I was a die-hard Duranie in the 80s, but felt like I got ripped off when I plunked down money for Pop Trash and Medazzaland. I picked up Big Thing in a used CD store and felt like I had stumbled across undiscovered treasure. Very mellow, more like Arcadia's So Red the Rose than Astronaut (or even the wedding album). Like the other reviewers mentioned, Edge of America, Palomino, and Too Late Marlene are haunting, beautiful tracks. It's one of my favorite CDs to listen to at work---quiet enough to not be distracting, yet interesting and anything but bland.

Look- i assume that because you are looking at Big Thing on the site that you have some interest in the product so lets start there. This release is a great remaster and collected edition of this under appreciated LP. I was a huge fan of the original release and own all the singles and product available for Duran and this album that being said, i still was looking forward to this release because everything from this whole era of the band is included single versions, remixes, promos, and of course the videos, a unreleased show from the era is additionally available on itunes for the hard-core Durannies out there. There are even a couple of never released things here to sweeten the purchase a little. I buy alot of these remastered releases and the quality of the Duran series is outstanding. I only hope EMI continues the series into Liberty and through Thank You if only for the archival like quality of the packages. If you are looking then this one is a must have!!!!

I have to admit I was put off by the album Notorious when it initially came out. My favorite group of the time had broken up and taken a new musical direction. This, even though I LOVED Arcadia's So Red The Rose. Then Big Thing came out, and Duran Duran were no longer in vogue. They started to be relegated to bargain bin memorabilia of teeny-bopper days-gone-by. And that was despite the fact that their music was growing up.

In retrospect and upon recent return listening, Notorious is a fabulous album. But I could never understand for the life of me why Big Thing was not greeted with open arms by fans and media-outlets everywhere. It seems evident to me that in the late '80s, Duran Duran were the victims of backlash for the frenzy they created in the first half of the decade. It was suddenly cool and fun to hate them and it was quite easy to be laughed at for still being a fan. They had no obvious political agenda and were not Underground or Indie, and so by virtue of the times Duran Duran were out. They were has-beens.

Big Thing to me is like two incredible albums. There's a great club EP in here on the first half, with Big Thing, I Don't Want Your Love, All She Wants Is and Drug. Then there's a thoughtful, deeply layered, well-conceived and fascinating second half featuring experimental work and really wonderful song writing both lyrically and musically that takes you to a different place altogether.

Palomino, Land, The Edge of America and Lake Shore Driving are some of the best work Duran Duran has and will ever do. The biggest difference between this and most of what Duran Duran is known for is that none of these are radio-friendly, single-type songs. It's to LeBon and Rhode's credit that on an album with such strong singles as All She Wants Is and I Don't Want Your Love, the album they were from really shines in the non-single cuts. Big Thing shouldn't be ignored, it should be embraced.

I guess if you have the CD there's no technical side 2. I had this release on cassette originally. "Do You Believe in Shame" is - in my opinion - the best track on the album. "Palomino" is a close second. This is quite an eclectic album for D2. If you're a fan and have never heard the entirety of "Big Thing", you won't be disappointed.