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Saturday Deluxe / 15 August 2015

By Paul Sinclair

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52

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Duran Duran ‘drop’ title track of new album

If you were underwhelmed by Pressure Off, the first song Duran Duran put out from their forthcoming Paper Gods album, perhaps you’ll enjoy the title track which perhaps isn’t quite as eager to please. This is DD firmly in ‘album track’ territory, as the song – which features “Mr Hudson” (who?) –  goes on for seven minutes and is apparently structurally ‘free’ to do what it wants.

Paper Gods starts with some rather lovely harmony vocals before Simon Le Bon breaks in telling us to “Bow to the paper gods, in a world that is paper thin“. He holds an impressive high note when he sings “Fools leading, who needs it…” and just as you are wondering if this is some kind of acappella, the clicky, blimpy beats come in around the minute mark. Nice!

The track benefits from some great flowing and well-structured verses with SLB singing with real conviction (“don’t complain about it“). Everything slows down again for the chorus and at the four and a half minute mark the song ‘breaks down’ for the slow refrain of “Paper Gods falling down, paper house, paper town“. After that it’s BIG choruses to fade, with more talk of ‘money shots’ and some nice synth work.

I like it! Paper Gods is thoughtful and impressive. Although it perhaps doesn’t quite surpass the sum of its parts, those parts are all very good; great intro, strong verses (a weakness in recent years), semi-anthemic chorus, great beats and a lyric that appears to stick it to ‘the man’.

I’m now enthused again about the new album.You can listen to Paper Gods below. Leave a comment and let me know what you think…



Paper Gods is released on 18 September 2015.

CD Deluxe Edition

Vinyl 2LP

CD Standard Edition

Special Bundles

Track listing 

  • 1. Paper Gods (feat. Mr Hudson)
  • 2. Last Night In The City (feat. Kiesza)
  • 3. You Kill Me With Silence
  • 4. Pressure Off (feat. Janelle Monáe and Nile Rodgers)
  • 5. Face For Today
  • 6. Danceophobia
  • 7. What Are The Chances?
  • 8. Sunset Garage
  • 9. Change The Skyline (feat. Jonas Bjerre)
  • 10. Butterfly Girl
  • 11. Only In Dreams
  • 12. The Universe Alone
  • 13. Planet Roaring (Bonus Track)*
  • 14. Valentine Stones (Bonus Track)*
  • 15. Northern Lights (Bonus Track)*

*Deluxe only

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52 Comments

52 thoughts on “Saturday Deluxe / 15 August 2015”

  1. What are the chances is the latest to have been released by the band (or Warners). Really like it and ex-RHCP John Frusciante plays on this. Great song. Looking forward to the album. I’ve gone for the vinyl edition.

  3. Haven’t heard the other two tracks yet, but “Pressure Off” is on the radio again, and I couldn’t help singing along with the chorus. I think they really created a hit single there, and a very good one as well.

  4. Well on first listen I really liked Paper gods. Interestingly my 13 year old Son does too so they must be hitting some of the right buttons.

    And, shame on you :-) You don’t know who Mr Hudson is? He did a great album as Mr Hudson & The Library a few years back which is well worth a listen.

  5. So, my issue on this one is the packaging. I’m a designer and I hate the cover as presented. I do like the deluxe model on the Warners’ site as it seems to be a sticker affair and I’m altogether pleased to leave it naked. I even quite like the color combo used in the gradient on the ground of the sleeve. But now I’m starting to gather that this stickered model may be consistent across every price level. In fact, if it’s true, it’s the only way this sleeve makes any sense at all. It also explains the “artwork not final” disclaimer they still seem to be using here and there. Has there been clarity on this matter anywhere I might have missed?

  6. ‘Paper Gods’ (the track) shows some real promise. Impressed with Simon’s vocals and some of the ideas explored here. And the way is very much open for some imaginative remixes. Do think it runs on just a bit, though. And I wonder what will come if/when the band attempts this onstage – simply reproducing it would come off as too clinical/safe. If they can pull off a clever rearrangement that really turns it into a belter in live performance, I wouldn’t be able to praise them enough.

  7. I don’t think you can really rate a whole album based on just three tracks. Yeah, some people might not like the first three tracks released from the album, but wait until the full thing is released to see how it all flows together. Naturally this may or may not change everyone’s mind. To this day I still really can’t listen to Red Carpet Massacre or even Liberty (I shall say, however, that the demos out there for the Liberty album are much, much better, especially some of the unreleased tracks) – however, they still occupy slots on my collection for the band.

    It’s worth noting that the deluxe version of the album Paper Gods will have bonus tracks. For me, I’m still waiting to see what sort of financial ding is in store for me as they have said that they would be teaming up with Vinyl Factory again for this release. Oddly enough, not much more has been said about this – and given that the album is out in about a month (and there’s usually some hoopla about the manufacturing process of albums from the VF – see PSB, DD, etc), I’m surprised nothing has cropped up yet.

  8. I like this track! The breakdown didn’t seem to work for me though, it didn’t seem to transition very well – and sounded more like a reprise track in its own right. I would have liked more of the outro!

  9. It’s the music business anno 2015. Artists collaborate to broaden their potential fanbase. Young contemporary artists are doing it too.

    I like the new tracks, despite the lack of prominent live drums.
    I wonder what the other tracks will sound like.
    Paper Gods (the track) is a Duran masterpiece to me. They managed to surprise me in a very good way (been a hardcore-fan since Is there Something I Should Know). I will never forget where I was and what I was doing when I first played it last week. I specifically like it’s structure. This song goes to sleep and wakes up again. The chorus is sung in three different variations. Brilliant.

    You Kill Me With Silence is also a great song. It’s very electronic but this time the reason might be that it was meant to sound rather cold, to enhance the lyrics of the song.

    Come to think of it, right now, it’s hard to imagine that Pressure Off is on the same album. Of the three track released I like PO less. It sounds a bit too calculated and has far too many vocals going on. There is no single bar in the song that hasn’t got any. According to John Taylor, a Night Version will be released soon. I hope it will let the instruments shine a little bit more.

  11. Paul,
    I hope I’m not one of your “idiots” . My earlier post [deleted] just poked a bit of fun at Jonathan Ross’s salary (very old news) and the quality and bias of BBC News and it’s journalists. If you’d lived in Scotland for the past couple years you’d likely understand better. The BBC and most mainstream media outlets (TV and newspapers) are widely hated up here now because of the way they handled the debate so one-sidedly in favour of the Union. And this is still recent and “raw”.

    I would certainly never intentiinally post something here insulting another forum user.

    1. Understood. I only deleted your post and all the others related to the offensive posts by “Jonathan Ross” because it didn’t make sense to have ‘replies’ to a post that was no longer there, not because there was anything wrong with your post(s) if you see what I mean. Unfortunate, but otherwise it’s very confusing for people. Thanks, P

  12. Paper Gods and You Kill Me With Silence are verily more interesting than Pressure Off. Quite electronic feel to this album, think it will be the most experimental of the comeback era.

  14. Couldn’t agree more with you on this track compared to ‘Pressure Off’ (which, though not bad, sounded like a cross between Notorious and Reach Up For The Sunshine – slightly forced ‘we’re back!’ anthems). Paper Gods is a much more satisfying listen and You Kill Me With Silence even better. Roger Taylor has said in the recent blizzard of promo interviews that whereas AYNIN took Rio as its sonic start point, this album has taken Notorious for that. That is one of my less preferred DD albums/incarnations but these tracks are getting me enthused :)

    1. Ha! Well obviously is was meant slightly ironically, hence the quotation marks… but I guess now you mention it possibly confusing :)

  16. Utter garbage. I’ve listened to all 3 songs available from the upcoming album and all 3 are excruciatingly terrible. I cannot say how disappointed I am after the brilliant All You Need is Now album, this is the forgettable vomit they spew forth!? They should be ashamed. Pressure Off was so remarkably bland but this is painfully endless, and You Kill Me With Silence was boring. I don’t even know if Roger Taylor plays on this albums. It’s all terrible electronic beats.

  17. Paul, I’ve noticed that there has been a growing number of nasty and expletive-filled comments being posted on this site over the past month or so. I have no idea whether or not you have any editorial control over the comments that are being posted but I have to say that it is seriously taking away from what this site I thought was all about; an appreciation and love for music. Maybe the time has come where all comments are moderated before they are posted. I just find it sad that a website that had such a positive outlook on music is being undermined by people who have no respect for other people’s opinion and the good work that you do. Cheers.

    2. Fady I agree with you. Maybe if people have to register to join the site then it will not only stop the few trolls on here, but make people think before they write a comment. Sadly it has gotten a little unpleasant on here recently with some of the rude aggressive posts.

    3. Thanks. I do agree. Will give some thought in how to address this. I have perhaps been a bit too lenient with some people. There is no place for abusive posts directed at other people who just want to enjoy a friendly discussion about music. Let’s focus on fair criticism of the PRODUCTS not slagging off someone just because they like Nick Kamen and you don’t. Let’s be clear, no one has a ‘right’ to post a comment here and if I consider it to be abusive, unpleasant etc. then I will start simply deleting and if necessary blocking people. I very rarely have to do that but you always get a few idiots unfortunately. If necessary, I will have to do as Bob suggests and make everyone register if they wish to leave a comment. Thanks, Paul

  19. I really hate the Oh-Oh-Oh’s. It reminds me of the numerous poorly written crap songs of late, of artists who don’t know to many chords and lyrics. This title song, although not commercial, is a lot better.

  21. Double Duran thrilling me with these songs, will spend my paper “gods” again and as usual (except for RCM), go for vinyl and deluxe.
    Paul, good 2 have U,
    Keep it up!

  24. I really love Pressure Off (especially the controversial oh-oh-oh-ohs!). The title track is different, but as you say, it’s more an album track. I’m keen to hear other songs off the parent album as and when they become available. I wasn’t planning on getting this album, but after the stirling job of ALL YOU NEED IS NOW, I’m hoping DD continue in the same direction (and not as a tangent like the hard-to-liste-to RCM after the superior ASTRONAUT)! Thank you for posting, Paul!

  25. “Pressure Off” grew on me more than expected after a few listens… “Paper Gods” and “Kill Me With Silence” both grabbed me right out of the gate, especially “PG”. Unlike many D2 fans, I wasn’t crazy about the AYNIN album (it wasn’t bad though), and could never bring myself to listen to RCM more than a couple of times.

    3 songs out from Paper Gods — and thoroughly enjoying each track so far! We’re approaching ‘Astronaut’ territory now…

  26. I like it alot. I think I will preorder it after that track. Their last album and tour was awesome. I hope they add Canada to the schedule for this tour.

  27. like it. reminds me od medazzaland/big thing period.
    mr hudson!! was wondering what happened to him.
    … around a few years ago, he was discovered by kanye

  28. I’ll have to second that their last album (“All You Need Is Now”) is excellent. Mark Ronson produced. I remember in one of the promo clips about making the album Mark told the guys to not run away from their sound–be proud of it. Solid album and certainly their best since the heyday!

  30. It’s always interesting to hear other’s opinions on new material released by one of your favourite artists. They tend to be split between “it’s not as good as their early stuff” and “it’s great, I’m glad they are still exploring new musical avenues”. Judging from the comments I have seen on social media, both Paper Gods and Pressure Off have divided the opinions of Duran Duran’s audience. The problem with their audience is that it is made up of people of different ages with widely different musical tastes. Some want the band to keep to the classic fab five sound of the first three albums, other want Duran to pursue the more experimental avenues of the 1990’s whilst others want them to be simply a mature, guitar rock band. So the remaining four members of Duran Duran have a problem – do they attempt to please everyone and attempt to do what their audience wants or do they do what they want and hope that their existing followers like it too? It would appear from the three songs I have heard so far that they are doing the latter as the songs are all very different but held together by Simon Le Bon’s distinctive vocals and the playing of both Taylors and Rhodes.

    Social commentary is nothing new to Duran Duran, with Sin Of The City and Drowning Man from “The Wedding Album immediately springing to mind. It’s also interesting to note that the abandoned Reportage album apparently contains their most direct and political work. One day we may find out…

    Anyway back to the title track. I do prefer Paper Gods to Pressure Off, but I applaud Duran Duran for presenting a seven-minute piece that shifts gears into unexpected directions as well as an out-and-out catchy pop song. I anticipate that Paper Gods will work well as an album opener in the same way that Big Thing, Rio, Too Much Information and The Valley have in the past.

    I am also very impressed with You Kill Me With Silence, which is a cracking song. As a keyboard player myself, I am loving the squelchy synth sounds of this song in particular. It reminds me of recent Depeche Mode, who have again embraced analogue synths in recent years.

    One final thought. This record took two years to write and record. Anybody else thinking that that they took their time to produce the best album they possible could for it to be their epitaph and final studio album?

    1. Maybe I missed something…..but who said this would be their last?
      As far as the length of time it took to make, maybe my memory isn’t so good, but haven’t Duran always taken more than usual time on an album? (with mixed results).

      1. Nate, you’re right that Duran Duran take their time these days with their albums. Regarding my comment about Paper Gods being their swan song, there has been quite a lot of speculation about this on their message board about this. This speculation has focused on their age (mid to late fifties) and the fact that they are selling the album as their best since “The Wedding Album” which was their last big commercial success.

        Personally, I don’t buy it. I think they will now carry on until either illness or creative bankruptcy hits them. I can see them stepping back on the touring front (they have recently spoken about the appeal of residencies over touring) but will they stop writing and recording altogether? I someone doubt it.

  32. I thought Pressure Off was a pretty good track – though I wasn’t very keen on the title track of Paper Gods. Luckily this week a new track dropped in the form of You Kill Me With Silence. This is the better of the previous two that had been released. While there are some fans on a certain forum that are going back and forth about this song, I think people need to reserve their opinion until the album is released to see how the whole thing flows. That’s just my opinion though! Anyways, you can have a listen to You Kill Me With Silence here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq_164toLuE&feature=youtu.be

  35. Their last album “All You Need Is Now” was their best yet in my opinion, as good as Rio if not better. A real surprise. So far this album seems to be high quality again. I really liked Pressure Off and this song is excellent too. Thanks for posting Paul. I’m definitely going to order the album.

  38. I also heard “You Kill Me With Silence”. Not much impressed. For me best DD albums are: Notorious, Big Thing & Arcadia – So Red The Rose. After that, everything goes down.

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