It's not because they want to, it's because they have to.
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes has been ill for a little over a week now :(First they thought he was suffering from exhaustion, but then he went and got checked again, and was told he had symptoms of a viral infection. So if I had to guess, I would probably say Nick is suffering from a mixture of both :( D2 has already had to cancel a few shows over the past week, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, and Kettering... and they announced earlier that they would have to cancel tomorrow's show in Chicago as well, before ultimately deciding to cancel the rest of the few remaining shows of the tour.
DURAN DURAN FORCED TO CANCEL REMAINING DATES OF THEIR TWO YEAR WORLD TOUR
With just one week to go before the final dates of their two year
‘All You Need Is Now’ world tour, British rock band, Duran Duran, have
been forced to cancel the remaining shows on the concluding North
American leg, because keyboardist Nick Rhodes is too unwell to perform.
Following the loss of four shows already this week (in Pittsburgh,
Atlantic City, Kettering and Chicago), the band members announced
tonight that they would sadly have to cancel the remaining two Canadian
dates as well – which were scheduled to take place on Friday 31st August
and Saturday 1st September in Rama, Ontario.
Rhodes, who has been unwell now for over a week, was advised by
doctors today that he is not yet ready to perform, as he is still
experiencing the same symptoms that have kept him from the stage for the
last few nights.
The band are devastated that what has been a triumphant tour for
them, with many highlights, has ended this way – and know that the fans
will be as disappointed as they are. Nick held out all week, hoping
that he would be well enough to perform again for these final few shows,
but unfortunately the medical advice he has been given today requires
him to continue to rest.
All ticket holders for any of the shows that have been cancelled
should now apply for refunds at the point of purchase, as rescheduling
these dates has not been possible given the venues’ upcoming season
schedules and availability. Members of the band’s VIP Fan Community
should contact Customer Service on the dedicated Community website.
- ends –
I, along with the rest of the Duranies out there, wish Nick a speedy recovery! We'll continue to give our love and support!
Also, I know the band has been getting some negative, selfish comments from "fans" via Twitter and Facebook... yeah, that crap needs to stop. Now.
The band does not owe anything to anyone. A band member is terribly ill and cannot perform... it happens. The health and well-being of the members of Duran Duran is far more important than a two hour concert. That's what's important here. Yes, it's extremely disappointing, but have a little respect and compassion towards the members of the band in which you are a so-called "fan" of.
Get well, Nick!! We love you!!
Peace, Love, & Music,
~Lizzy Lepp
-P.S. This is one of the most epic pictures I have ever seen!!! Nick Rhodes and David Bowie... two of my favorites!!!
*I got this photo from the Duran Duran - Fan Community on facebook*
Wow. For some reason, that makes me feel old... and I was only 5 years old when it came out. haha!But I still remember the first time I heard/saw Pearl Jam. Good ol' MTV. It was their video for "Alive". I knew, even at age 5, that the music world was about to change. No teazed hair/hairspray, no makeup, it wasn't happy/fluffy pop/rock music... hell, the video for "Alive" wasn't even in color, it was in black and white. They weren't pretty boys with pouty looks (although Eddie and Stone were absolutely gorgeous), doing synchronized guitar twirls or engaging in synchronized 'rock out' moments... this was something entirely new. I saw flannel. I saw jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and combat boots. I saw guys with shoulder-length hair, who could care less about their appearance. They were doing their own thing on stage, feeling the music in a way that didn't look forced or scripted. I was hearing alternative rock... I was hearing grunge. It was dark, gloomy... and somewhat powerful. Eddie Vedder's voice was unlike anything I had ever heard at that time... but then again, so was Pearl Jam. And when "Even Flow" came out... oh, it was ON!! It was SO ON!! We knew right then and there, that our beloved hair bands probably weren't going to be around for much longer...
So that brings us to Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten... which was released on August 27, 1991. It's finally legal, let's buy it a drink!Or two... or three, because gawd knows this album needs a few beers. The lyrical content on this album deals with subjects like depression, suicide, loneliness, and murder. The album also takes on social concerns: homelessness can be heard in the lyrics to "Even Flow", the use of mental hospitals in "Why Go", and "Jeremy" was based on a true story. Now, I'm pretty sure my Mother went out and bought Ten on cassette right around the time it came out, but I could be wrong? I, however, didn't purchase it on my own, until I was 14 years old. (Hey, I wasn't even allowed to watch the "Jeremy" video until I was like 12. haha!) I pretty much wore that CD out, and became massively obsessed with them. Okay, maybe not massively obsessed, but I did become an even bigger fan of them. They will forever be a top 10 band for me. I appreciated it a little more than I did when I was 5... but that would be pretty much a given. At 14, I felt (and related to) the angst of Eddie Vedder's voice... the lyrics and the music just spoke to me. Ten was my go-to album whenever I needed to let out a little frustration, however, listening to it changed my mood to a much happier one. Yes, their dark, angsty, melancholy tunes made me happy... go figure. The 3 previous sentences still hold up to this day. And now, at age 26, I think I can safely say that I appreciate this album to the absolute fullest. Ten will always be one of my favorite albums of all-time. Always.
I could do a track-by-track analysis like I did when Def Leppard's 'Hysteria' turned 25... but I won't. I won't do another novel... haha! So instead, I'll leave you with some random facts about the album!
*Tenfeatures a two-part track titled "Master/Slave" that serves as both the opener and the closer for the album; part one starts before "Once", and part two starts 10 seconds after "Release" (the album's closer). Even though it has two parts, it's counted as one track on the CD... listed as a 'hidden track'. The song is instrumental, but features random, mumbling of words from Eddie Vedder. A dominant fretless bass line makes up the core of the song (I'm a big fan of that!), along with a bit of guitar, and tribal sounding drums. * They named the album Ten after Mookie Blaylock's jersey number. Pearl Jam's original name was Mookie Blaylock, as they are avid basketball fans. * "Alive" and "Once" formed part of a song cycle, and Eddie refers to it as a "mini-opera" entitled Momma-Son. The third song, "Footsteps" appeared as a B-Side on the "Jeremy" single. The lyrics tell a story of a young man whose father died ("Alive"),
which caused him to go on a killing spree ("Once") which then leads to his capture
and execution ("Footsteps"). * The band hates the way this album sounds. Not lyrically or musically... but the mixing. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard weren't too happy with all of the reverb, they'd like to eliminate some of it.
I appreciate D2 every day, but for years, August 10thhas officially been recognized as "Duran Duran Appreciation Day"... so here we go, let's appreciate!!
Duran Duran is one of my favorite bands from the New Romantic/New Wave era... I've pretty much been a fan for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories involve watching their videos for "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio" on MTV... I liked what I heard and liked what I saw.Of course, as I got older, my love for D2 grew stronger: I can definitely say they are in my top 10, as far as favorite bands go. I appreciate the fact that Duran Duran makes me happy. No matter what's going on in the world around me, whenever I put on some Duran Duran, I always feel like dancing and singing along. Always. Even their slowest/saddest songs always find a way to make me feel better, and manage to put a smile on my face. I just absolutely love this band. Simon Le Bon is one of my all-time favorite vocalists. His voice is almost perfect, if not perfect. It's so soothing... and sensual... and just absolutely fabulous. John Taylor... Mr. yummy pants!! I would say John Taylor ranks #3 on my list of all-time favorite bass players. His bass lines are luscious. (Yes, I said 'luscious' haha!)His bass lines are sexy and JT brings the funk. I like it funky! Andy Taylor (who is no longer with the band), in my opinion, is a very underrated guitar player. He helped bring the rock 'n' roll factor into the band. Nick Rhodes... oh my gawd, don't even get me started on Mr. Nick Rhodes. He's my keyboard/synth God. Seriously. He's my favorite keyboardist/synth player EVER!! And he used to be sooooo pretty!!But back to the music. He creates beautiful music, and beautiful sounds. Some of the sounds he creates blows my mind, sometimes. And he also discovered KAJAGOOGOO (another favorite new wave band of mine)!!! Nick Rhodes just wins at life. And Roger Taylor... Roger is so adorable!! Always has been and always will be. Along with Andy, I've always found Roger to be a very underrated musician, in the music world as a whole... but a total drum god in the new wave world. Highly influential. And Dom Brown... let me just say... he's been a great addition to this band, I don't care what anyone says. Yes, I miss Andy, a lot of people miss Andy... but don't disrespect Dom and take away his greatness, and all of his amazing contributions he has given to this band. Oh, and if you're still not sure, none of the 3 Taylor boys are related.
Everyone has a favorite member of Duran Duran. It happens... with every band. I know people feel guilty and swear up and down that they "love every member just the same"... hog wash. There's always a favorite. There's no harm in that. Who's my favorite?
John friggin' Taylor
From a very early age, I've thought this man was a total dreamboat. As the years have gone by, the John Taylor obsession has only gotten worse. This man will forever be dreamy. Forever. I appreciate that I FINALLY got to meet him (and Roger) last year, even if it was for like 2 minutes. It was seriously one of the greatest days of my life. 1) John Taylor looked into my eyes. 2) John Taylor smiled at me. 3) John Taylor spoke to me. 4) John Taylor knew what my name was for that short time. Aaaaaand he tweeted me about 30 minutes after I met him. Epic times, man. Epic times. I just pretty much love JT. That is all. And as I stated before, he's one of my all-time favorite bass players. Also, he has fabulous taste in music!
Music appreciation: some of my fave Duran Duran tunes:
Okay, so I was nice and only bombarded you with 15 of my favorite songs... I wanted to add more, but I didn't want to scare you! I will end this blog with my final appreciation: I appreciate that they are still making music and still touring. Their most recent release, "All You Need Is Now", is absolutely amazing. If you don't own it, I highly suggest that you go buy it... they are truly better than ever. I can only hope that their next album (which will hopefully be out in 2014) sounds similar to "AYNIN", if not better.
It's time to bring out those t-shirts, albums, DVDs (VHS/beta tapes, if you're old school!) etc, and have yourselves a total Duran Duran fest! I know I will! Represent, celebrate, and appreciate the Fab Five. :)
Peace, Love, Music, & A Duranie for life,
~ Lizzy Lepp
P.S. - I've gotta add one more picture of John Taylor :)
On August 3rd, 1987, Def Leppard released their fourth studio album, and their best-selling album to date, Hysteria.
The album has sold well over 20 million copies worldwide, seven singles
were released, and charted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the UK
Albums Chart. Hysteria is one of the definitive albums of the
80's, and one of the greatest albums of all-time. But all of this
statistical stuff isn't why I'm writing this blog...
Hysteria was the first album I ever owned. My parents bought it for me when I was two years old... yes, two years old.
1988. I was raised right. My Mother was glued to MTV (back when they
played, wait for it... MUSIC VIDEOS!!), so of course, I was subjected to
MTV and all of it's awesomeness... from the moment I was brought home
from the hospital. True story!
Def
Leppard was my first favorite band... and they still hold that title. NKOTB was a close 2nd at that
time, but we won't get into that. Ha. Def Leppard owned my little rock
'n' roll heart :) "Animal", the 3rd track off of Hysteria,
was my absolute favorite song (and still is)... I don't really remember
what the first Leppard song I heard was or the first video I saw... but
I have a feeling it was either that one or "Photograph", because to
this day, those 2 seem to have the most profound effect on me. They were
my heroes and my studs. Yes, studs. I thought Joe Elliott and Rick
Savage were absolutely dreamy... all at age 2. It was because of Rick
Allen, that I wanted to become a drummer... I'd take two spoons from the
kitchen drawer and pound away on the sides of our couch. It was because
of Steve Clark (and Joan Jett), that I asked my parents for a plastic
guitar (it also came with a working, plastic, red amp, and a mic with a
stand)... I used to stand in the middle of our living room, singing and
"playing guitar" to Def Leppard songs. "Animal", was played frequently
in the sets... haha! "An-ee-mool". Oh, and their "Live: In the Round, In Your Face" VHS
tape completely rocked my little world, as well (and still does, but now it's DVD). I
could go on, and on, about my 24 year history with Def Leppard, but I
won't, at least not in this blog... let's focus on what this blog is
really about, Hysteria.
Okay, so I always find myself saying that this is my favorite Leppard album... and it is. But so is Pyromania and High 'n' Dry. But Hysteria
is the album that is the most meaningful to me. Maybe it has something
to do with it coming out so close to my birth year... or because I
constantly saw the videos for the Hysteria singles on my TV
screen more so than the other videos they had for singles from their
prior albums?? Or maybe it's because Steve Clark absolutely shines on
this album... or the fact that this was Steve Clark's last Def Leppard
album?? The triumphant return of the THUNDER GOD after his horrific
accident?? Those could all be the reasons for me loving the crap out of
this album. I don't know? What I do know, is that this album gives me
goosebumps (every time I listen to it), it makes me weep (in a good
way), and it makes me incredibly happy... and it feels like home
(whatever that means?). It brings the biggest smile to my face. Hysteria
is an absolute GEM. Many fans love it, calling it their "best album
ever"... and many fans hate it calling it "Leppard's worst album ever",
"overproduced, too poppy and fluffy"... you can't please everyone. I
however, love this damn album to death. Can I call it the "greatest
album ever" ? I probably could, because it's my favorite album EVER, but
it doesn't mean it is. But I hate labeling anything the "greatest such
and such ever", because that just irritates me. So, I'll just continue
to say it's "one of the greatest albums ever" ;)
Track by track
The first track on the album, is "Women", which was the first single they released here in America. Their first single for this album, everywhere else, was "Animal". I read somewhere that their manager (at that time) chose to go with "Women" because he felt that the band needed to reconnect with their hard rock audience before putting out more Top 40-friendly singles. Um, "Women" is hard rock? I, personally, would have fired that guy right then and there. I don't know jack dookie stain about the music industry, but even I know that song shouldn't have been released as the first single. It isn't a bad song, it isn't... but knowing how importantly massive this album was, and everything that happened while making it... and the beyond ridiculous hole of debt they were in over this album, they shouldn't have went with "Women" for their "Hey, America, Def Leppard is BACK!!!" proclamation.
The second track, "Rocket"... is just badass. HUGE drums on this song, that were based on an African tribal vibe. Massive guitars... big melodies, and a chant-like chorus. Producer Mutt Lange, added in some extra effects for this tune. He used backmasking effects to feature the line "We're fighting with the gods of war" (from their song "Gods of War" sung backwards throughout the track. The word "Bites" (from "Love Bites") is also used as a sonic effect halfway through the song, in order to replicate the sounds of a rocket
launch through musical samples. This song pays homage to the bands/songs that helped make Def Leppard what they are. They reference Bowie, T. Rex, Queen, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles (with an extra nod to Thin Lizzy) "Dizzy Lizzy"... Chuck Berry, Elton John, Lou Reed, and a few others. This would've been a better first single than "Women", but here in America, it was released as the 7th single (6th everywhere else!)
The third track, "Animal", is my favorite song off the album. I absolutely adore this song. It was released as the album's 2nd single, here in America, the 1st single everywhere else... I think they should've chose this song as their first American single, but that's just my opinion. I know it's 'poppy and fluffy', but this is just a really good song. It's catchy. America likes catchy. According to the band, "Animal" was the most difficult track to record for Hysteria... it was one of the first songs they wrote back in 1984, but it almost 3 years to finally produce and record its perfection. I think it was well worth the struggle and the wait. Aside from it being my favorite song, it's also my favorite Leppard video... which is a bit ironic, because I hate the circus. I absolutely hate it. I hate everything about it, but this is the 26 year old me talking... the kid in me seems to be blinded by this fact.
The fourth track, is "Love Bites"... or what I used to call, "Beans and Rice". Yeah, I was a weird kid. Ha! This song is a power ballad, that was originally written as a country song. (Hint all the whine and sexy twang in Joe's voice) It was released as the 5th single. This is Def Leppard's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 to date. And I do agree: Love Bites.
The fifth song... you might not know this song... it's a little ditty called "Pour Some Sugar on Me". Heh! THIS is the song that whipped America into shape. THIS is the single that revived Hysteria's heartbeat and record sales, and put it rightfully on the charts. THIS song literally went GOLD in one day. ONE day. It was released as their 4th single, and it reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It's Def Leppard's most recognized and most overplayed song. If their "then" manager had even half a brain, he would've chosen THIS song as their 1st single... this is more 'hard rock' than "Women", but again, that's just my opinion. But yes, this song is MASSIVE... MASSIVE. Buuuuut... it shouldn't be the ONLY song that defines Def Leppard. I know to many, it doesn't define them, but to the masses, it does. :/ I have a love/hate relationship with this song, because this is the song that everybody wants to hear, all the time... there's other, far better Leppard songs, than "Pour Some Sugar on Me". However, I am thankful for this song, because it revived my fave band. Without the release of this single, this album would've flopped... and no, just no. Hysteria and flop should not be in the same sentence. Ever.
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" UK video version
The sixth track, is one of my favorites... "Armageddon It". The album's 6th single. Catchy, catchy, catchy! This song is pure pop/rock at its finest. And the bassline is absolutely yummy. Yes, I said yummy. This song is 1st single material, mhm! This song just kicks ass. The guitar solo? Genius. "Come on, Steve, get it.."
The seventh track, is my 2nd favorite song on the album, "Gods of War". This song is a GEM!!! This is Hysteria's hidden gem. This is a goosebumps-worthy song, for sure. And it makes me cry. It's haunting, and the intro is sexy... the bassline is beyond yummy, and Steve Clark... STEVE CLARK!!! Steve came up with the riff to this song... the riff is absolutely brilliant. This song is all kinds of BADASS. The pounding of the drums, the roaring guitars, the riff, the vocals, the chorus... everything. It's just brilliant. This song starts off with sounds of explosions, gun's firing, and chants, and ends with sounds of planes bombing and explosions, chanting, and and other war-like sounds. At the end, you can also hear voice recordings from Ronald Reagan and (then) British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
GOOSEBUMPS!!! STEEEEEVE ♥
The eighth track, is another hidden gem, "Don't Shoot Shotgun". I absolutely adore this song, I really, really, do. The production on this song is absolutely brilliant. It's insane how perfect it is. Everything is just perfect. Again, pop/rock at its finest. Instead of completely geeking out on this, I'm just going to let you listen to it... so you can geek out on it. Perfection.
The ninth track, is "Run Riot"... a song that I love dearly. I didn't think anything was wrong with it, until a couple of days ago. I was watching an interview that Joe and Phil did for Music Choice On-Demand, and they asked them what's the one thing they would change about this album, and Joe said, "Run Riot". He said, he hates it, detests it, he can't stand it and that it's "an absolute disaster". Both agreed that it was a "great idea", but it sounds "unfinished". After hearing that, it does *kinda* sound unfinished... but not enough to 'hate it', 'detest it', and think it's 'an absolute disaster'... haha! Come on, Joe... wait until you get to track 11...
The tenth track, is the title track, "Hysteria". It was released as their 3rd single. It's a mellow ballad, with a great guitar melody, and heavy multi-tracked vocals in the chorus, which sound amazing. And the guitar solo is absolutely beautiful. It's just a beautiful song, and I love it to death. In my opinion, this is the best ballad on the album... not to mention, one of the best songs on the album... It's simply fantastic.
The eleventh track, is "Excitable"... which for me, isn't that excitable. If Joe hates "Run Riot", I can't possibly understand how he could dig this song. I love this band... to death... but this song annoys me. To me, it's their "filler song"... I think this album would've been fine as an 11 track album... keep "Excitable" as a B-side or something... haha! But even though it annoys me, I still don't fully hate it.
The twelfth, and final track, is "Love and Affection"... another mellow ballad. I think this is one of their often overlooked ballads... this tune is criminally overrated.
There ya have it, folks. This album is EPIC!!! It's absolutely flawless. This is one of the greatest albums of all-time... and I am so very glad, and so very thankful that they were able to complete this album. This album is a monster. It seemed as if the music gods did not want this album to come out... with Rick Allen's horrific car accident, Mutt Lange's accident (putting him out for a while with a leg injury), and Joe getting the mumps, most bands would've just given up, and settled for some mediocre garbage of an album. Not this band. No way. They are freaking troopers... TROOPERS!!!! This album says a lot about this band... strong album, an even stronger band. The album's goal, set out by Mutt Lange, was to be the hard rock version of Michael Jackson's Thriller, in which every track was to be a potential hit single... well, Mr. Lange and Def Leppard, mission accomplished!!! People are STILL jamming to it, buying it, and geeking out on it, 25 years later. TWENTY-FIVE years later!!! Also, before I end this, I must say... I am SO happy that Steve Clark was apart of this album... I think this captured him at his best. Every time someone asks me 'What was so great about Steve Clark?", I give them one word; Hysteria.
Peace, Love, & Music,
~Lizzy Lepp
P.S. - I mentioned the Phil/Joe interview they did for Comcast/XfinityOn-Demand, but didn't give much details. Go to the On-Demand section, scroll down to 'Music', find 'Music Choice', from there, go to 'All Artists', and then go to 'D' scroll down to Def Leppard... they have 3 videos, and 2 recent interviews! It's all available until 9-16 :)
