Seven And The Ragged Tiger

Sound DNA

• Electronic
• Synth-Pop / New Wave

• polished
• euphoric
• club

About

After the success of their first two albums, the members of Duran Duran weren’t content to rest on their laurels—and by the 1983 holiday season, the quintet had a new full-length in stores: <i>Seven and the Ragged Tiger</i>. The Birmingham, England band chose to work with new collaborators (including producer Alex Sadkin, fresh off success with Grace Jones and the Thompson Twins) and decamped to studios in Australia, France, and the legendary AIR Studios outpost in Montserrat. <i>Seven and The Ragged Tiger</i> reflected Duran Duran’s worldly travels and sonic growth. Although the album ended up just as danceable as the band’s previous efforts, it featured glossier production values; songs boasted slicker keyboards (the sparkling “(I’m Looking For) Cracks in the Pavement”), arena-caliber guitars (the Andy Taylor riff showcase “Of Crime and Passion”), and moonshot drums from Roger Taylor (the glittering funk-R&B strut “Union of the Snake”). There was also a distinct cinematic edge throughout, led by the majestic highlight “New Moon on Monday,” which paired an explosive chorus hook with a buoyant John Taylor bassline and Nick Rhodes’ pulsating synthesizers, and the sinewy instrumental “Tiger Tiger,” distinguished by airy, jazzy saxophone from Andy Hamilton. And, fittingly for the bigger sound, vocalist Simon Le Bon’s lyrics were even more mysterious, led by memorable “The Reflex” lines such as “I sold the Renoir and the TV set” and “I’m dancing on the Valentine.” Still, Duran Duran was still always thinking ahead—and it turned out that the album-closing atmospheric mood-piece “The Seventh Stranger” foreshadowed the group’s more sophisticated future work. In the moment, however, the band supported <i>Seven and the Ragged Tiger</i> with the massive Sing Blue Silver Tour, which helped them land three Top 10 chart hits, including their first US No. 1 song, a Nile Rodgers remix of “The Reflex.” In the end, the LP achieved exactly what it set out to do: cement the Fab Five’s reputation as one of the world’s biggest bands.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits