Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock ) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock music . Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll , early pop rock was influenced by the beat , arrangements, and original style of rock and roll (and sometimes doo-wop ). It may be viewed as a distinct genre field rather than music that overlaps with pop and rock. The detractors of pop rock often deride it as a slick, commercial product and less authentic than rock music.
34-508: Notorious is the fourth studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran , released on 24 November 1986 by EMI Records . Produced by the band with Nile Rodgers , its musical style differed from the band's previous albums with a funk rock sound. It is the first album to feature the band as a trio with singer Simon Le Bon , keyboardist Nick Rhodes and bassist John Taylor , as drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor both left by
68-623: A break for a year but all the band members ended up working on two side projects: the Power Station and Arcadia which were both moderate successes. The band would regroup in 1985 to record the song " A View to a Kill " for the James Bond film of the same name and performed at the Live Aid charity concert in July of the same year, which proved to be the last time all original members played together. By
102-422: A fuller and more enjoyable package. The provocative, nightclub brand of martini-sipping pop that does surface is meritorious to a certain extent, felt mostly in the album's two biggest tracks." PopMatters was also less enthusiastic; writer John Bergstrom wrote that the songwriting "isn't always as consistent as the production. It also showcases Duran Duran's, and Rhodes' in particular, underrated ability to summon
136-463: A great chord. We got to write that into a song." The evolving sound and mature direction of Duran Duran was seen as a major turning point in the band's commercial prospects. Several other factors regarding the lackluster performance of Notorious included the band members dismissing their managers, the Berrow brothers and acting as their own management. In June 1986, EMI fired its president and went through
170-649: A reconstruction with the label losing interest in the band in favor of new artists. This, combined with the hiatus the band took would alienate much of the band's core fanbase as the mature approach would leave behind the light synth-pop of their earlier releases. Notorious was released on 24 November 1986. The album would peak at number 16 in the UK Albums Chart and number 12 on the Billboard 200 . It would be certified platinum on January 20, 1987 and has since sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide. Despite this, Notorious
204-726: A satisfyingly ethereal atmosphere. Other tracks, though, suffer from lack of distinction. Duran Duran always struggled to supplement their singles with strong album material, and Notorious does at times reveal the stress and tension of the period in unflattering ways." All tracks are written by John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon Duran Duran Technical Artwork Additional musicians Shipments figures based on certification alone. Pop rock Much pop and rock music has been very similar in sound, instrumentation and even lyrical content. The terms "pop rock" and " power pop " have been used to describe more commercially successful music that uses elements from, or
238-568: Is a noun-adjective that music critics often use in reference to guitar pop with a bright mood. Critic Philip Auslander argues that the distinction between pop and rock is more pronounced in the US than in the UK. He claims that in the US, pop has roots in white crooners such as Perry Como , whereas rock is rooted in African-American music influenced by forms such as rock and roll . Auslander points out that
272-403: Is quite typical on some of the dance tracks on the album, but it's certainly nothing like any of the old stuff", while lead singer Simon Le Bon stated that the involvement of Nile Rodgers helped with the musical direction the band was looking for. Bassist John Taylor and the rest of the band were also influenced by disco band Chic, in which Rodgers was the guitarist. The band also commented that
306-539: Is the debut solo album by British guitarist and former Duran Duran and Power Station member Andy Taylor , released in 1987 on MCA Records . It features former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones on guitar. The album peaked at No. 61 on the UK Albums Chart , but fared better on the Billboard 200 , peaking at No. 46. "I Might Lie" and " Don't Let Me Die Young " were top 40 hits on Billboard' s Album Rock Tracks chart, peaking at No. 17 and No. 36 respectively. The album went out of print in 1990, but reemerged in
340-499: The 1960s, Frith termed it "folk rock", and the pop-infused styles of the 1970s were called "pop rock". Moore-Gilbert claims that this approach unfairly puts rock at the apex and makes every other influence become an add-on to the central core of rock. In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau discussed the term "pop-rock" in the context of popular music's fragmentation along stylistic lines in
374-403: The 1970s; he regarded "pop-rock" as a "monolith" that "straddled" all burgeoning movements and subgenres in the popular and semipopular music marketplace at the time, including singer-songwriter music, art rock , heavy metal , boogie , country rock , jazz fusion , funk , disco , urban contemporary , and new wave , but not punk rock . Thunder (Andy Taylor album) Thunder
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#1732855475571408-452: The album a positive review. Reviewer Chris Williams said of the production, "Nile Rodgers, is no miracle worker—he doesn't leave a stamp on his production efforts with meager artists so much as the veneer of an airbrush—but his studio prowess is punchy enough to make the usual ponderous material a tad easier to swallow. Nick Rhodes' omnipresent layers of synthesizers have more character and variety this time around." Some critics were mixed with
442-466: The band agreed to let him go but Taylor would play on several tracks before his departure. Andy would write in his autobiography, Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran about his final studio session. "I plugged in my guitar, played a few tracks with the engineer in order to honour my contractual obligations and then left to phone my lawyer. It was over." In a 1986 interview, Andy Taylor stated, "When I got to
476-425: The band several times, being initially rebuffed. When the album reached the mixing stage, the band would invite Warren over and was hired as a replacement, in which he contributed on several tracks on the album. Cuccurullo would eventually become a full-time member of the band in 1989 after their tour supporting their follow-up album Big Thing . Given the experience the band members had on their side projects, there
510-469: The band since their early releases. The third single, " Meet El Presidente ", was remixed to capitalize on the growing " Miami dance " scene, but it only reached number 24 in the UK and number 70 in the US. The commercial underperformance of both the album and its subsequent singles would ultimately shadow Duran Duran for years to come until the success of 1992's " Ordinary World ". The reviews Notorious would receive were mostly positive, with some praising
544-401: The band wanted to focus more on their music and less on their image. "On the last tour, the audience was too loud in some places," Rhodes said. "The screaming little girls tend to make their way to the front of the stage and make a lot of noise. We like the young fans. But it would be nice if they were a little quieter." Rhodes further elaborated on the musical change saying, "I think Notorious
578-512: The band's determination to move to a more sophisticated style, the results were more mature such as the negative aspects of the press ("Notorious"), work exploitation ("Skin Trade"), band tensions ("Vertigo (Do the Demolition)", manipulation ("So Misled"), and political intrigue ("Meet El Presidente "). The band named several tracks after several Alfred Hitchcock films , such as Vertigo and Rope –
612-515: The band's newfound maturity and improved songwriting. Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote, "Duran Duran's newfound disillusionment may mark a step toward maturity...they managed to catch a trend on the upswing, perhaps Notorious suggests that for late 1980s grit and pessimism is coming into style." William Shaw of Smash Hits also praised the album calling it, "the best LP Duran Duran recorded. They've tended to fill in all that space between
646-456: The concept of pop rock, which blends pop and rock, is at odds with the typical conception of pop and rock as opposites. Auslander and several other scholars, such as Simon Frith and Grossberg, argue that pop music is often depicted as an inauthentic, cynical, "slickly commercial", and formulaic form of entertainment. In contrast, rock music is often heralded as an authentic, sincere, and anti-commercial form of music, which emphasizes songwriting by
680-509: The form of, rock music. Writer Johan Fornas views pop/rock as "one single, continuous genre field", rather than distinct categories. To the authors Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman, it is defined as an "upbeat variety of rock music" represented by artists and bands such as Andy Kim , the Bells , Paul McCartney , Lighthouse , and Peter Frampton . The term "pop" has been used since the early forties to refer to popular music in general, but in
714-491: The mid-1950s, it began to be used for a distinct genre, aimed at a youth market, often characterized as a softer alternative to rock and roll. In the aftermath of the British Invasion , from about 1967, it was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock, to describe a form that was more commercial, ephemeral and accessible. As of the 2010s, "guitar pop rock" and " indie rock " are roughly synonymous terms. " Jangle "
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#1732855475571748-429: The new album and try out new ideas. It was very uneasy. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I think the fact was we came to do the album the three of us really wanted to do and he didn't. He wanted to make a solo record . I just wish he told us a bit earlier. During the sessions, Taylor began hanging out with members of American rock band Missing Persons which had broken up. Guitarist Warren Cuccurullo would eventually contact
782-474: The original title for "Hold Me". Rhodes and Le Bon said that the writing for the album was easier in comparison to the tension and hysteria-filled sessions of Seven and the Ragged Tiger . Nile Rodgers said of composing the title track, "[...] 'Notorious' is basically James Brown soul-power. That's when I started to groove and started playing along with it. And Nick Rhodes went, 'Wow! A D-minor 6th. That's such
816-430: The singers and bands, instrumental virtuosity, and a "real connection with the audience". Frith's analysis of the history of popular music from the 1950s to the 1980s has been criticized by B. J. Moore-Gilbert, who argues that Frith and other scholars have overemphasized the role of rock in the history of popular music by naming every new genre using the "rock" suffix. Thus, when a folk-oriented style of music developed in
850-445: The singles with somewhat drivelly that never quite make up their mind where they're ging. But on Notorious , blimey! Duran Duran seem to have found themselves." Rolling Stone reviewer Mark Coleman wrote, " Notorious is by far the group's most consistently listenable work. But while it doesn't plunge to past depths, neither does it scale the giddy heights of irresistible hit singles like " The Reflex ." The Los Angeles Times gave
884-457: The songwriting. In a negative review, AllMusic criticized the songwriting. The reviewer Mike DeGagne would write, "Beneath Duran Duran's attempts at trying to sound musically devious, mysterious, and slightly seductive, the tracks fail to bear enough weight in order to be effective all the way through. It's easy to see why the band would choose such a route at this point in their career, but moderate doses of pop enthusiasm would have made Notorious
918-515: The studio, they had already started. It didn't matter. I just didn't want to be in the band anymore. They were playing this dance and R&B style of music and I wanted to play rock 'n' roll. I left on good terms with them. I don't feel any hostility." Keyboardist Nick Rhodes reflected on the circumstances saying, "When John went on the Power Station tour with him, he felt they were growing up. I went over to Los Angeles in January to see Andy to talk about
952-490: The time it came to record the new album at the beginning of 1986, drummer Roger Taylor had quit the group, citing exhaustion and overwhelmed with the band's success. The remaining three members would continue to work on the album, with producer Nile Rodgers of Chic also contributing to guitar and drummer Steve Ferrone who worked with the Average White Band , Chaka Khan and Scritti Politti . Guitarist Andy Taylor
986-511: The time the album was released. Andy Taylor would later be replaced by former Missing Persons guitarist Warren Cuccurullo , who completed recording parts of the album in addition to Rodgers and session drummer Steve Ferrone . Notorious peaked at number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and number 12 on the Billboard 200 . It has been certified platinum and sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide. The album yielded three singles: " Notorious ", " Skin Trade ", and " Meet El Presidente "; "Notorious"
1020-439: The writing process was easier, in comparison with the tense recording sessions of Seven and the Ragged Tiger . "John, particularly has had a very funky nerve," said Le Bon. "He was the one who really pushed to get Nile. Nick would probably declare that he did. I was just happy to get along with anybody just to get some music down." Similar to their previous works, the lyrical content on Notorious focused on certain topics. Due to
1054-479: Was a massive change in the musical style of Duran Duran. The sound of Notorious was an obvious direction, especially due to the fact that the band's last two hit singles " The Wild Boys " and the James Bond theme "A View to a Kill" were "edgier" but were worldwide successes nevertheless. The band wanted to distance themselves away from their synth-pop approach and explore a "funkier urban" sound. Rhodes mentioned that
Notorious (Duran Duran album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-564: Was a worldwide success, as it reached number seven and number two in the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 , respectively. Despite being a commercial failure selling fewer copies than their previous releases, it received positive reviews from critics, who praised the band's maturity and production. Following the success of their previous album Seven and the Ragged Tiger and its subsequent world tour, Duran Duran planned to take
1122-464: Was expected to record with the band in early stages of the album. He did not show up when the sessions began and tensions arose when the band realized the guitarist was in Los Angeles planning his own solo career and was not satisfied with the musical direction the band members were going for. The recording sessions would be interrupted by a legal battle between both parties. After several months however,
1156-463: Was seen as a commercial failure because it did not replicate the same success as their previous albums. The lead single, " Notorious ", was a commercial success, reaching number 7 in the UK Singles Chart and number 2 in the Billboard Hot 100 and saw heavy rotation on MTV . " Skin Trade ", the album's second single, stalled at number 22 in the UK and at number 39 on the American Top 40, a first for
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