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Reflecting on the album’s 20th anniversary in 2013, bassist John Taylor described “The Wedding Album” as “one of the most important Duran Duran albums.” Keyboardist Nick Rhodes called it “a turning point for us.”
“The Wedding Album,” with Duran’s first hits outside the 1980s, returned the band to the public consciousness following a time of diminishing returns. The band’s previous release, “Liberty,” had been poorly received, and the band had become a four-piece after the departure of drummer Sterling Campbell. “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone” both hit the Billboard top 10, becoming two of the biggest smash singles of the band's career.
The album also served as an introduction of the band to a new generation of Duranies. Music fans who were just starting school when Duran was at its first career peak were graduating when Duran made its “comeback” with a sound that appealed to modern listeners.
Despite that modernity and the divergent sounds of the album (pop/rock, dance, world music), it fits perfectly into the Duran catalog.
The hit-laden first half of the album, opening with third single “Too Much Information,” is followed in classic Duran fashion. The funky “UMF,” tribute to glam-rock idols “Femme Fatale” ( Lou Reed), and perfect pop song “None of the Above” are capped by an epic album closer. “Sin of the City” fits in the Duran pantheon right alongside “Proposition,” “The Seventh Stranger,” and “The Chauffeur.”
I would be remiss in not mentioning that “The Wedding Album” is my favorite Duran album. It captures the energy within the band at the time and how it was harnessed in the studio by producer John Jones. It was an exciting time to be a Duranie, a time when the band was no longer overlooked but getting its due.
“The Wedding Album” era also was rich with B-sides like “Fallen Angel” and memorable shows like “MTV Unplugged.” Though the album is more than deserving of the deluxe re-issue treatment given to most of Duran's previous releases, it looks like its 25th birthday will sadly pass without one.
The album’s other key players are guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, a relatively new “official” band member at the time, who provided his home studio for the album’s recording, and singer Simon Le Bon, his voice at its strongest in years. Perhaps Le Bon summed up the album and its popularity best:
“The music itself makes the most powerful statement of all,” Le Bon told DuranDuran.com.
“We were looking out at a world of ‘holy war and holy need’ and reflecting it.”
Adapted from a February 2013 post
