DURAN DURAN RETOOLS THE HIT MACHINE

Published: Friday, December 5, 1997
BY YOSHI KATO, Special to the Mercury News

IT'S BEEN eight years, four albums and a handful of hits since Duran Duran released ''Decade,'' a greatest-hits disc. So with a popular new single (''Electric Barbarella'') and a solid album (''Medazzaland'') on its hands, isn't it time the band started thinking about a ''Decade II'' collection?

''We don't know if it's going to be the next release or will be the one after that,'' says guitarist Warren Cuccurullo by phone from a New Orleans hotel. ''But we've got to make the ones on this album (stand out). I mean, 'Medazzaland' could be a greatest hits, if people just have a good listen.''

On the road since the beginning of November, Duran Duran will be in town tonight for a show at the San Jose State Event Center. The band has moved back into the spotlight after the October release of ''Medazzaland.'' Once disparaged for its MTV connection and the excesses of the 1980s, it is touring lean and mean, with just a five-piece group.

''There's no additional backing vocalists or horns or anything,'' says Cuccurullo. ''We're using computers, so it's pretty electronic. We've also got a really tasty lighting presentation -- probably one of the best things that you can see in these-size venues.''


From 5 to 3 to 4 to 3

Hailing from Birmingham, England, the band released its self-titled debut album in 1981. Since then, it has gone from a quintet to a trio to a quartet and back to a trio. And while there were once three Taylors (not related) -- guitarist Andy, bassist John and drummer Roger -- Duran Duran now consists of Cuccurullo and founders Simon Le Bon (vocals) and Nick Rhodes (keyboards).

Before joining Duran Duran, Cuccurullo was a part of Missing Persons. But while in that group, he was familiar with Duran Duran, which recorded for the same label. Unlike Rhodes and Le Bon, who believed in the Bryan Ferry/Brian Eno do-it-yourself approach to music, he has a more traditional resume, including a stint in Frank Zappa's band from 1978 to '80.

''My background was different. I started listening to the Beatles, the Stones, the Monkees, Hendrix and Zeppelin, just playing by ear. I started studying music when I was about 18, really wanting to know why I was playing the way I was playing. And then I got into Frank's band,'' he says. ''But pop music was what made me want to play in the first place, and writing pop songs is what I get the most pleasure out of.

''I think that's one of the great things about what musically came out in the early '80s,'' he continues. ''There were kids coming out of art school who had ideas, and they picked up synthesizers and made music with them. They made good music because, to write pop songs, all you need is good ideas. You don't need to have a Berklee (College of Music) background.''

''Medazzaland'' is a collection of pop songs with attitude, artful ballads and power anthems -- Duran Duran for the '90s, says Cuccurullo. After founding member John Taylor left the group a year ago to pursue a solo career, the remaining members decided to reconsider the band's direction.

''We almost had this album done. We just about had a finished record, at that point, and it was a long time coming,'' says Cuccurullo. ''We are all doing side projects, like big boys do if you've been doing this for 20 years. But John was singing on his solo stuff, and I think he felt there was no place for him to do that in Duran Duran. He felt that was a big part of his artistic expression, and he wanted to make that his priority -- which is fine.

Shocking departure

''But it was a bit shocking to us, because no matter what we do outside of it, we always look at Duran as the main thing. And it was like, 'Wow, why doesn't he like this? Why doesn't he want to be part of this?' ''So we went ahead and wrote six new songs at that point, because we just thought we'd better update. It made us realize that maybe we need this record to be a bit more exciting, and we got rid of some of the dead weight.''

As for performing hits like ''Planet Earth,'' ''Hungry Like the Wolf'' and ''The Reflex'' -- all released before he started recording and touring with the band in 1986 (and became a full-fledged member a few of years later) -- Cuccurullo says he enjoys playing those songs as much as the ones he co-wrote.

''I'm out here selling Duran Duran as much as anyone else on stage. (The old catalog) is great, but I usually rearrange stuff. There's a whole lot of turkeys over the years. I was part of some and wasn't part of others. But the ones that are great, we can update and make even greater. I just like playing hit songs, man.''

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