Despite the fact that
Seven and the Ragged Tiger
couldn't match the unrestrained
pop/rock
ebullience of 1982's
Rio
,
Duran Duran
put three of the album's singles in the Top Ten, taking it to number one in the U.K. Even though
"The Reflex"
gave the band their first number one hit, there's an overabundance of fancy glitz and dancefloor flamboyancy running through it, unlike
"New Moon on Monday"
's straight-ahead appeal or
"Union of the Snake"
's mysterious, almost taboo flair. It's apparent that
's content has the band moving ever so slightly into a danceclub arena, with the songs leaning more toward their ability to produce a sexier sound through electronics and instrumentation than through a firm lyrical and musical partnership. Even the unreleased tracks trade
's handsome edginess for a shinier sound, heard mainly on
"I Take the Dice"
and
"Cracks in the Pavement."
It's here that
Lebon
Taylor
's personalities begins to get overshadowed by the demand to produce a more synth-snazzy and fashionable style of music. Although they may have turned their songwriting down a notch in order to succumb to the pabulum of
synthesized pop
, they didn't relinquish every aspect of their genius, and when they do deliver, it's bright, energetic, and effectual.
's new direction eventually gave
double platinum status. ~ Mike DeGagne