Next I'm going to take a look at the dvd that came with the "All You Need is Now" deluxe package. There are 6 different parts to the DVD, not including the extra songs (which I will review seperately at another time). Here we go...
The Making of All You Need is Now - They interviewed the four main members of the band, and asked them about the single and the recording process for it and the album in general. I love having this little peek inside of their minds. They talked about how a lot of this album was written just jamming as a band. Roger said they, "drew on themselves" and were able to be who they are. I think both of those things are key to the great sound of this album. They were able to be themselves and not worry about the outside influences. I think this allowed them to gel as a group and let their natural talent shine through. Roger also called the new songs, "new Duran classics." I like the sound of that and I totally agree. I think many of the songs on this album will become Duran classics that get played in concert over and over, even after the album has aged. John and Roger both talk about what it was like to work on the new album together, compared to years ago and one of John's comments stood out to me. He said, "We never stopped believing that around the corner was the solution." I really like the sound of that and think it's yet another reason the album sounds so great. Simon talks about how AYNIN is a message, "to us from us and to the fans. It's about the long road we've been on. It doesn't matter how far you've come; the only bit that matters is the one you're on at the moment." It's a great summary of the theme behind the single as well as a smart way to look at things. Don't fret over yesterday and don't worry about tomorrow; live in the now. I know that personally this is something I should definitely take to heart. And finally, to end this section of the dvd, Nick talks about the positives of this album. He wraps it up by calling the album, "poptastic" and I whole-heartedly agree, as it is both pop music and fantastic.
All You Need is...Mark Ronson - Simon talks about how Mark was their first natural choice since Mark is a fan of theirs. I truly believe that this was an excellent choice. I really do think it took Mark nudging them in the right direction for them to get back to the sound that made them popular in the first place. Nick talks about how Mark can play almost any instrument, has great ideas, and immaculate taste. He also mentions Mark's vision, energy, and remarkable work ethic. To me, this explains why Mark was able to get the band to do what they do so well. They needed his vision and energy and work ethic to inspire them. Roger talks about how Mark comes from a similar place musically and how his DJ background helps him out in overseeing the recording process. That makes complete sense to me. I can see how his knowledge of making a playlist for his DJ sets would carry over to picking song order on the CD. Because Roger is also a DJ on the side, it's possible that Mark earned some brownie points with Roger. John mentions how Mark brought an authenticity to the music that has been missing. I like that. I think John hits the nail on the head there. Nick talks about how Mark is able to sift through the music and find the diamonds. Again, I think that may go back to his DJ background and his ability to build a stellar playlist. My favorite quote from Mark Ronson himself in this section is when talking about the new album, "Where were these songs for the past 20 years?" To me it really shows how much of a fan he is himself and how he knew the band had it in them, but just needed that little push. Simon mentions that Mark told him he (Mark) wanted to make the record the fans want to hear and I personally think he succeeded with that goal. I think the album has been very well accepted and loved by the fans. Sure, some people will disagree, but I think on the whole, the majority of fans love it.
The Art of Clunie Reid - This section of the DVD basically explains how they came to know about Clunie Reid and asked her to do the artwork. It shows her working with some of the pictures and she explains some of her processes. I found it interesting to see how she got some of the effects. I also enjoyed finding out that Nick Rhodes provided the images she used from his own personal collection. Party scenes and lots of girls...yep, that's Nick all right! I really like that they did this though. I mean, all Duran Duran fans know of Nick's love of photography, so I think this brought the album full circle, truly making it their own, even with using the help and talents of others to add some extra spark.
On Set at the Photoshoot - This was images from a photoshoot for promo shots and such set to, "Blame the Machines". It was way, way too short! My favorite moments were the shot of the HUGE amount of shoes they had available to use for the shoot and Roger running in slow motion with camera flashes going off. There was just something cool about both of those shots.
"All You Need is Now" Video - The first thing that catches my eye is the fact that the majority of the video is shot in black and white. I like the use of words on the screen, flashing up every now and again (Now, VIP, Play, etc.). There's also a "secondary story"; the "primary" being the band themselves of course. The "secondary story" (in color) is a group of kids in 80's dress going out to the clubs, but you can tell it's set in present time as they have modern cellphones. I like this mixture of old and new, blurring the 80's with now. The majority of the shots of the band are of them performing the song (all in black and white) until towards the end where they show shots of band over the past few years, some in color and some in black and white. There's lots of smiling and laughter throughout the whole thing, giving you the feeling that everyone is happy and doing well and helps bring additional warmth to the video. There are also lots of "outtake" moments with the guys goofing around (Roger fake punching the camera, John getting cracked up, the boys chatting, hanging out in the recording studio) which I think adds to the warmth and overall positive feeling of the video. I like how the whole band (including Dom) is together at the end, smiling, side by side; a show of unity.
Behind the Scenes at the Video Shoot - Much like the behind the scenes at the photoshoot section, this was way too short! I happen to be a huge fan of behind the scenes stuff, so I would have loved to have had the chance to watch more of it on this DVD. Mostly it is just clips from the video plus a few other behind the scene shots.
Track by Track - The Band Discusses the Creative Process - I loved getting a little insight into what the guys themselves thought about the songs and how they each came about. They go through 12 of the songs (AYNIN, Blame the Machines, Being Followed, Leave a Light On, Safe, Girl Panic, Man Whole Stole a Leopard, Other People's Lives, Mediterranea, Too Bad You're So Beautiful, Runway Runaway, and Before the Rain). Even though the guys were all interviewed individually and all had different things to say about each song, their comments were completely on the same page with each other. I think that's a great sign that things are going well and hopefully will continue to go well for them for a long time to come.
Next up will be a review of the extra songs found on the Best Buy deluxe release, and then a review of Brian Wright's concert that I attended the other night.
