DURAN DURAN WITH PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Friday, January 20, 1989

By Jim Gladstone, Special to The Inquirer

Contrary to the suggestion of their jokey current single "I'm An Adult Now," promising Canadian quintet The Pursuit of Happiness, who opened Duran Duran's dazzlingly lit glitz-o-rama at the Sprectrum last night, haven't quite attained musical maturity.

And Duran - as indicated by a one-third empty house and a polished but pointless performance - is over the hill. This was a double bill of the underformed and the over-formulated.

Despite the hype about a newly sophisticated sound on its current LP, Big Thing, Duran proved itself essentially up to the same old thing - the slick, extended dance jam - short on melodic lines but always dangling sharp, shiny hooks.

Chicly cadaverous keyboardist Nick Rhodes introduced a percolating house- style rhythm to the recent single "I Don't Want Your Love." But such new- fangled flourishes didn't keep that song and other recent tunes from blending perfectly well with five-year-old numbers, including "Hungry Like the Wolf." "Wolf" and a flurry of crowd-pleasing hits, from "Wild Boys" to "Is There Something I Should Know," came across with enjoyable verve thanks to John Taylor's minimal bass bristles and a tight backup band featuring guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and a two-piece horn section.

It was all pleasant, harmless and heading toward the tail end of a two-hour show - and a 10-year career. Pretty darn boring.

The Pursuit of Happiness is pursuing its own success a bit overzealously. A month ago, singer Moe Berg & Co. were opening at the Chestnut Cabaret. This leap to a stadium tour is a big mistake. Berg's songwriting is sharp and witty, but last night the band's instrumental approach veered from a sweet, folky guitar sound to a primal punk thump.

The members of TPOH should get back to the club circuit and hone themselves into the terrific little band they have the potential to be.

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