Violence of Summer

It is a widely accepted fact among Duranies that Liberty was not a strong album. The band has admitted as much. It came from a place of collective self-consciousness and John was really struggling with his drug addiction during recording. (For the record, I didn't even know that hash oil was a thing in 1989/1990.) There were a lot of firsts on this album, and some of them didn't work out. This is the only album featuring Sterling Campbell as an official member making him the shortest lived band member in Duran Duran history. Liberty saw Warren Cuccurrullo become an official member as well. Thankfully, he lasted longer, leaving the band after the Pop Trash tour in 2000/2001. Cuccurrullo and Campbell were both given songwriting credits on the album - another Duran Duran first. Up to that point the distinction had only been given to the original five members. The band went into the studio thinking that they had a strong album, but then they overdubbed the keyboards and vocals for months and wound up with an overproduced and bland testament to mediocrity. Not the band's finest hour. Not by a long shot.

Opinions might have been different if they lost
the bimbo in the bad wig. Source.

However . . .

Liberty holds a special place in my heart. They were forging new territory as a band. They were taking risks and making mistakes, but they learned a lot in the process. It was a transitional album and I can appreciate that. It's not my favorite album (Wedding Album!!!), but the thing is not wholly without merit. More than the words and music though, I love the time and place that the album takes me to in my own history. It's not the happiest of times, though I do look back on it with fondness. It was the summer between 7th and 8th grade. At the time I was dis-attached from my long term boyfriend and I was spending a lot of time on self-improving ventures. I had begun to diet and exercise in earnest for the first time in my life. I was making new friends at Howe Memorial UMC (Steve!). I was reading A LOT. I had a new puppy (R.I.P Buddy Prince C.C. LeBon). I was spending a lot of time with my friend Patrick (Hardee's peach cobbler, gay sex, and milkshakes - how I miss you so!) and I was all about Rocky Horror and putting dreads in my hair. I got braces. I was very upset about my love life at the time, and there was a lot of domestic strife with regard to one of our rental properties (and death - lot's of death), but all in all it was a pretty good summer, and Liberty was both the soundtrack and the overriding theme.

Also, whimsical. Did I mention whimsical? Source.

That was 1999. It seems like a hundred years ago. Duran Duran are in the studio recording their 14th album even as I write this. There's so much good summery type music out there for my consumption - 2000 was a particularly good year in my opinion - and yet on this first day of June, I find myself gravitating once more to Duran Duran's 1990 critical and commercial failure. Call it nostalgia. Call it left over boycrazy. Call it suadade. Call it whatever you want - I'm here to defend my boys and their Liberty.

There is, however, no defending the hair in this picture.
Come on boys! Step up your game. You're Duran-Fucking-Duran. Source.

The album was not devoid of good material. It was just hit and miss. One of my favorite Duran Duran songs comes from Liberty - "My Anarctica". The nice thing about D^2's songs is that so many of them are timeless. "My Antarctica" still strikes me as very modern sounding. I don't know what it is, exactly, but it touches the same chord for me as "Ordinary World" and was, in fact, the B-side to the "Ordinary World" single in 1993. I think there's something very desolate and lonely about the lyrics. I can relate to that.

The most highly regarded song from Liberty  was "Serious". It's a fun, mellow, and pretty song. The perfect thing for summer evenings after going to the beach. I always liked the song well enough, but mostly within the context of the album as a whole. Today a good thing got a whole lot better. I discovered that there had been a video and in keeping with the "doesn't have to be serious" theme of the song the band is jamming with big smiles on their faces. And there's circus imagery! Yes, dear readers, Nick Rhodes smiles. A lot. It is glorious. Mr. Pouty McCheekbones has a beautiful smile, might I add. And circus! I love the circus! Very summery. Very classic.

Then there was "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)". This is the one that kind of made everyone go "Ugh". It's not a great song, I'll submit, but it's fun and it's summery. It even has the word in the title, and since I'm being all nostalgic and summery, it's kind of what I want to hear. I couldn't tell you what the song is about, mind you (Blowjobs?), but it's fun and fun is good. Also, there's something about it that puts me in an industrious sort of mood, and since I've eschewed lists and goals I need some sort of motivation if I'm going to come into the autumn with any achievments under my belt. I'm listening to it right now and I want to read a book, run a mile, and finish ALL OF MY TEACHER READY WORK. "Violence of Summer" might not be a piece of sonic poetry, but neither is "All The Single Ladies" and I don't hear anyone complaining about that.

Lastly, there's the song "Liberty". I don't know why this one didn't get lumped in with "Serious" and "My Antarctica" to tell you the truth. It's a good song - hell, they even named the album after it! It's kind of a breakup song, but it's catchy and upbeat. The bassline is pretty awesome and for this we must give John Taylor some sort of credit, as he was moonlighting as Candynose von Hashpipe at the time. Then there's the overall theme of liberation which is - well - liberating. I hope to find that this summer, like summer 99' to be a most liberating one. I hope that when the August moon surrenders to a dust cloud on the rise I find that I've broken up with some things in my life that have held me captive in one way or another. (See what I'm doing here? I'm not making a list! I'll list the scorned lovers after the fact.)

So, yes. I am entering summer 2013 full of Liberty which, while not a perfect album, was a good one, and definitely better than no album at all. Just think - without Liberty there may have never been a Wedding Album. That would have been a tragedy. Progress is progress. Voltaire said "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Or in my case:

Pithy, right? Source.