So Red the Rose - Arcadia (Pop) (CD 1996)

Simon LeBon himself has called So Red The Rose "the most pretentious album of the eighties, and this may not be an exaggeration. The whole album is far artier, and less accessible, then most anything Duran Duran ever attempted. It walks a fine line between 'masterpiece' and 'trash', and I suppose it lies somewhere in between - to paraphrase Nick Rhodes. When John Taylor and Andy Taylor took a break from Duran Duran in late 1984, it left the three remaining members of the band wondering what to do. As a response to the success of The Power Station, they formed Arcadia. While The Power Station expanded upon Duran Duran's rock side to form a sort of danceable power pop, Arcadia expanded upon Duran Duran's more experimental and - yes - pretentious sides, forsaking traditional pop song form for soundscapes and tone poems. So Red The Rose, like The Power Station, is little more than a footnote in history now. But this album is entirely more interesting, and definitely worthwhile for fans of Duran Duran.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Election Day". The chorus is something of a hook, and this song more than any other on the album bridges the gap between Seven And The Ragged Tiger and Notorious. Some of the musical ideas here, in fact, were also used for "View To A Kill", their single from the James Bond film of the same name.

"Goodbye Is Forever". Instead of bridging the gap between the two Duran Duran albums, this song actually sounds like it could have been put on Notorious. This is also a bit more traditional material - the chorus is the catchiest on the album.

"Missing". The most successful tone poem on the album. Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes combine to make a song that is quite engaging. Some of the motifs recall middle eastern-style music.

"The Promise". This song features David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock, and Sting. Dense, lush, and melodic, "The Promise" gels all of the concepts behind Arcadia into one simply amazing song.

If you are a lover of eighties music - maybe even if you don't think you like Duran Duran - you might want to give So Red The Rose a try. No album released in the '80s was quite like it. And if you do like Duran Duran, it would be worth your while to seek this album out. It's still in print.

FINAL SCORE: 3.5