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Comments
Mintycake said…
Yay! I absolutely love this song (and video) - it's the one that brought Duran Duran back into popularity after fading from sight a bit in the public eye. I also love this look on Simon....it's so very 90s but he pulls it off so well. The song also highlights how much of a contribution Warren made to the band.
John, well yes, John is looking moody and grumpy but if you read his bio and see what was happening in his life at the time you're bang on with your analysis - he was roughing it for sure and it shows. He's so much more happy and smiley these days (I saw them last week and they were fantastic but Nick was sadly missed). And after that concert I can tell you they'll never play weddings :)
Love the wedding dress also. Briefly considered this type of design (minus ridiculous bow) for my dress but then realized 1) it was a bit out of fashion for my 2007 wedding, 2) I am not the same body type as the model so it would look ridiculous and 3) long sleeves would be too hot at a summer wedding. Still I believe we played this song at my wedding (I can't exactly recall).
Thank you again for keeping this going! How about another Duran Film School? You could do Sugar Town with John in it. Hopefully it's better than Vegas City of Dreams (your review on that still cracks me up).
The thing I liked most about this video was the Huntington Gardens, which was a staple of my youth. My family used to go there so often. And to see Duran Duran walking those paths that I've walked a hundred times! Nick in the Japanese garden. John in the cactus garden. That was cool. I'm just always sad that the gardens decided not to keep the moon bridge bright red, as that was always so striking and beautiful. It's still pretty, but... not faded natural wood is just striking or memorable in the same way.
I'd forgotten about that bow. Yowza! That is a serious bow. And the hat.
I have to admit I'm not fond of Simon's look here. Like him much better with the hair off his forehead.
Fun write-up!
Nonny Maus said…
I had a big crush on the lady in the video for "All She Wants Is" and was so happy to finally get her full name. I love that you love the band but aren't afraid to poke at them a bit when they deserve it. Also, (The) Caddish Wastrels is my new favourite band name.
That song parody link is a treasure. Once we had an on-the-spot butchering-- I mean, rendition--of "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise)" in our kitchen: "reach up for the good spice/put your hands in-to the endives/you can cook some pot pies", etc. (Incidentally, you'd think Weird Al would have done a full-on Duran parody by now. I think he just does them in his polka medleys.)
I'm not sure where, but I read somewhere (maybe a snippet from John's book?) that the bare feet was a nod to the end of the "Save a Prayer" video.
Mintycakes -- John almost seems like an entirely different person these days, doesn't he? Sobriety agrees with him. I saw him a few years back at a discussion he was giving about his memoir, and he was positively chipper. It seems like he's pretty happy with how his life has been going these days. And this would be a wonderful song to play at a wedding.
DKoren -- Oh, the Huntington Gardens! So pretty! I really like Simon's hair here, but I have a weak spot for shaggy nineties hair on guys.
Nonny -- The "Save a Prayer" nod would make complete sense with the bare feet. I like that explanation a whole lot. I mean, part of the reason why I love Duran Duran is because they're a bunch of caddish wastrels, but at the same time, I wish they'd pay a little more attention to remembering the names of the women in their videos. Love your "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise" parody!
Sarah said…
I love this analysis, this song and this video! I remember watching the video over and over (taped on VHS during some video countdown), back when it first came out. Even then, I knew that the wedding dress, with it's 90210-Brenda/Kelly-at-Spring-Dance-bow, would be dated firmly in the 90s, but I loved the look all the same. And I also appreciated Simon's shaggy 90s hair and eyeliner. To me, this was a much better look for him than the Big Thing long hair and leggings.
And you're right, I will now think of those alternate lyrics next time I hear this song!
Sarah -- it's such a nineties dress, but at the same time, it's fabulous. And I will always love shaggy nineties hairstyles. Much better than his Big Thing look!
Lovely analysis. I've never seen such an in depth analysis for this video before. I learned much from you I didn't know. I remember the first time I heard this song. It was a beautiful sunny day out just like the video. I was looking up at the trees blowing in the wind. It was 1993 and I was 7. I had the song in my head and I thought it was the weirdest song I'd ever heard. I'd never heard anything like it before. But I grew to love it. And the video is so beautiful I always wondered where it was shot and now I know thanks to you. I'm 30 now and hope so much that I can get married some day. My vision is like the video. I'd like an outdoor wedding. And a similar dress minus the bow lol I see myself wandering around all alone in the garden by myself thinking about what I'm about to dive into. I'm a very reflective daydreamer so the scenario fits
Thank you so much, iloveTool! I hope you someday have your outdoor wedding, wandering about in a garden in a long white gown (minus the freakishly large bow). It's a beautiful song, and a beautiful video.
Comments
John, well yes, John is looking moody and grumpy but if you read his bio and see what was happening in his life at the time you're bang on with your analysis - he was roughing it for sure and it shows. He's so much more happy and smiley these days (I saw them last week and they were fantastic but Nick was sadly missed). And after that concert I can tell you they'll never play weddings :)
Love the wedding dress also. Briefly considered this type of design (minus ridiculous bow) for my dress but then realized 1) it was a bit out of fashion for my 2007 wedding, 2) I am not the same body type as the model so it would look ridiculous and 3) long sleeves would be too hot at a summer wedding. Still I believe we played this song at my wedding (I can't exactly recall).
Thank you again for keeping this going! How about another Duran Film School? You could do Sugar Town with John in it. Hopefully it's better than Vegas City of Dreams (your review on that still cracks me up).
I'd forgotten about that bow. Yowza! That is a serious bow. And the hat.
I have to admit I'm not fond of Simon's look here. Like him much better with the hair off his forehead.
Fun write-up!
That song parody link is a treasure. Once we had an on-the-spot butchering-- I mean, rendition--of "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise)" in our kitchen: "reach up for the good spice/put your hands in-to the endives/you can cook some pot pies", etc. (Incidentally, you'd think Weird Al would have done a full-on Duran parody by now. I think he just does them in his polka medleys.)
I'm not sure where, but I read somewhere (maybe a snippet from John's book?) that the bare feet was a nod to the end of the "Save a Prayer" video.
DKoren -- Oh, the Huntington Gardens! So pretty! I really like Simon's hair here, but I have a weak spot for shaggy nineties hair on guys.
Nonny -- The "Save a Prayer" nod would make complete sense with the bare feet. I like that explanation a whole lot. I mean, part of the reason why I love Duran Duran is because they're a bunch of caddish wastrels, but at the same time, I wish they'd pay a little more attention to remembering the names of the women in their videos. Love your "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise" parody!
And you're right, I will now think of those alternate lyrics next time I hear this song!