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Duran Duran / The Biggest and the Best / details and competition

By Paul Sinclair

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Duran Duran / The Biggest and the Best

We’ve already reviewed this new Duran Duran compilation from Demon Music based on the track selection, but having heard the actual CD(s) today, we thought you might appreciate some more details.

As a quick recap: this 2CD selection covers the 1980s and includes every single released by the band in that decade, plus choice album cuts and the odd B-side. The masters used for this compilation are largely the ones used for EMI’s deluxe editions (2009, 2010).

The Biggest and the Best includes some seven-inch edits but not everything is labelled as such. For example Skin Trade is the “radio cut” about a minute and a half shorter with a notably shorter trumpet middle eight, but there is no reference to this.

Anyone hoping that the track Big Thing included here might be the seven-inch mix first released on 2010’s Big Thing Deluxe Edition will be disappointed – it’s just the album version. Meet El Presidente is also exactly as per the Notorious album, avoiding the inferior single mix.

All She Wants Is from Big Thing appears in “45 Mix” guise and one really curious inclusion, not mentioned previously, is Lake Shore Driving. It’s very strange to select this guitar wailing finale to Big Thing without The Edge Of America – the track that precedes it on the original album. Something akin to not going straight into With A Little Help From My Friends straight after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

We think Demon have missed a trick here, because although the CD is full to the brim, a track called The Krush Brothers LSD Edit contained the yin of an edited Edge Of America to go with the yang of Lake Shore Driving. This special edit appeared on most formats of the 1989 single Do You Believe In Shame and runs for only 24 seconds longer than the standard Lake Shore Driving.

Nevertheless this compilation is a good one, and is due out on 10 September. If you would like to WIN a copy, simple re-tweet this post using the button below and follow us on twitter. We will randomly pick a winner on Monday 10 September and announce it via the @sedition twitter feed.

****This competition is now closed.  Tweeter @PimPamPat (iPat) has won “The Biggest and Best” compilation. Thanks to all who entered.****

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9 Comments

9 thoughts on “Duran Duran / The Biggest and the Best / details and competition”

  1. agree with most of above, the remix of MEP was a disaster though – i would have gone with A Matter of Feeling, the big ballad may have saved them saleswise at that point, though Vertigo, American,or Proposition were better ideas than MEP. I always think MEP was chosen as it was April 87 and it was the UK election, which of course was partially what the song was about, the UK/US alliance. EMI/DD chose the wrong singles in the late 80s, would have gone with Big Thing or Too Late Marlene from Big Thing, not ASWI (though love the song) – and lets not mention Burning the Ground!

  3. Vertigo and American Science were definitely being considered for singles as mixes were commissioned. But I think the poor performance of Meet el Presidente dashed those hopes.

  4. I won’t buy this, and I already own all of the content many times over, but if it featured all of the original 7″ versions (and nothing else) in chronological order, I would buy it (also assuming it had no mastering errors).

    I was wildly excited about the 7″ version of Meet El Presidente when it came out. I still like it, and perhaps prefer it, though the album version is more appropriate for the album.

    I might have seen the video for it on MTV once?? Part of why it faltered (was invisible) with radio. The neglected third single, Do You Believe in Shame followed a similar path with the following album.

  5. I always thought DD missed the boat on the ‘Notorious’ album by failing to issue “Vertigo” as the 3rd single. If anything screamed out for a tighter, re-worked single edit, it was “Vertigo”. But I think several tracks would have been better than “Meet El Presidente” as potential singles.

  6. You really prefer the album version of Presidente? I always the felt that the remix gave it some much needed kick. I like the latin-style percussion. Of course it didn’t help it chart at all. The one that got away…

    1. I do actually, although it was a poor choice of third single. Possibly Matter Of Feeling or Proposition might have done better. Or maybe not.

      1. I think if you have all the other remasters, then this one’s pretty pointless. As much as i love DD, I’ll probably buy this out of guilt…. (LOl) Also eagerly awaiting the next batch of remasters (i.e. Liberty,The Wedding Album … if it ever happens). As for Meet El Presidente i agree it was not a good choice for a single . American Science should’ve been picked !

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