On December 21, 2010, Duran Duran dropped their thirteenth studio album, All You Need is Now, as a 9-song iTunes exclusive, and it dazzled Duranies (and critics for a change). Produced by Mr. Uptown Funk and Duran superfan Mark Ronson, the album was a creative reset that brought the boys back to their funky pop roots. There were no shortcuts, no computers, just analog keyboards and creative authenticity that continues to make Duran Duran the pioneer of Then and the master of Now.

“The Best Duran Duran Album Since Rio”

In March 2011, the full physical 14-song album hit the shelves—March 21 in Europe and March 22 in North America, and – STOP THE PRESSES – the critics were impressed. The album climbed to #11 on the UK charts, marking their 13th Top 20 album on that side of the pond. In the U.S., it peaked at #29. Clearly, it was time to hit the road.

Dubbed “the best album Duran Duran has released since Rio,” it was given a 4 out of 5 rating and hailed as “brilliant” and “engaging”.

Hey critics, good job finally catching up.

The Original Duran Duran Ethos

Being the ultimate Duranie, Ronson was all about nostalgia and pined for the magic that made the band’s early albums timeless classics. What amp did John use on Rio? He needed answers. “Mark wanted us to reconnect with the original Duran Duran ethos,” John admitted. “He brought back an authenticity we hadn’t had in a while.”

Who knows—maybe he even made Simon dust off the tiger-baby necklace, just for old-time’s sake.

“It reminded me of the early days, writing songs in this tiny room behind the Rum Runner club in Birmingham,” said Roger, and that’s exactly what Mark had in mind — to take Duran Duran’s sound full circle. After all, why shouldn’t the original architects of funky bass lines and synthy synths reclaim what everyone else (i.e. The Killers and Fall Out Boy) had been raiding from their tip jar?

“Own it,” Mark said—and that became the All You Need Is Now battle cry that reminded us why Duran Duran still reigns supreme.

Duran Duran and the Fans Fans

On the official Duran Duran site, Simon said that the first single, the title track “All You Need is Now” (released December 8, 2010) was about the connection between the band and the fans. “The history of our relationship with them, and all that history leads to NOW – so all you really do need is…now!” he said.

Ahhh, thanks fellas!

Take a listen to the album, and you’ll discover Duranie easter eggs sprinkled throughout. Man Who Stole a Leopard channels To The Shore, Girl Panic! echoes Rio, and Before The Rain captures all the Chauffeur vibes.

Speaking of Before The Rain, wow—this track is truly extraordinary. How was this not a massive hit? If you haven’t seen the official music video, watch it here. It’s a stunning departure from Duran Duran’s usual upper-crust aesthetic, and it was chosen by the band as the winner of a video competition for good reason.

Other stand-outs on the album – Being Followed, Girl Panic! and Man Who Stole A Leopard.

The Videos

The music video for the first single, All You Need Is Now, was directed by Nick Egan, who is certainly no stranger in Duranie world. He directed Ordinary World, Perfect Day, White Lines, Pressure Off, and Last Night in the City. And because he’s a multi-talented guy, he also designed the album cover for “The Wedding Album” and did the t-shirts and posters.

Fun Fact: Nick Egan also directed Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” video and designed album covers for Faster Pussycat (Wake Me When It’s Over), Iggy Pop (Blah-Blah-Blah), INXS (Kick), and the Sex Pistols (Filthy Lucre Live) among others.

The second single, “Girl Panic!”, was released as a limited-edition seven-inch single for Record Store Day 2011 (April 16, 2011).

Here’s a sentence that will make you laugh… Duran Duran’s ‘Girl Panic’ video – featuring some of the world’s most famous supermodels – was banned by MTV and VH1 because it is too raunchy.

Too raunchy? Surely, you jest.

The nine-minute video featured Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova, Helena Christensen, and Yasmin Le Bon as the band, while the band played waiters, bellhops, chauffeurs, and paparazzi. It was deemed too risqué and filled with “blatant product placement” for networks MTV and VH1. This came three decades after Duran Duran’s infamous ‘Girls On Film’ music video—featuring topless girls mud wrestling—was similarly banned by MTV. (Okay, that one we get…)

The Return of the Le Beard

No article about the AYNIN days (as the Duranies call it) would be complete without mentioning that this era saw a return of Simon’s Le Beard in all its Le Glory. Dear Lord, nobody does it better – except for maybe Paul McCartney in the Let It Be days.

Tracks

Digital Release

• “All You Need Is Now”
• “Blame the Machines”
• “Being Followed”
• “Leave a Light On”
• “Safe (In the Heat of the Moment)” (featuring Ana Matronic)
• “Girl Panic!”
• “The Man Who Stole a Leopard” (featuring Kelis)
• “Runway Runaway”
• “Before the Rain”
  

Physical Release

• “All You Need Is Now”
• “Blame the Machines”
• “Being Followed”
• “Leave a Light On”
• “Safe (In the Heat of the Moment)” (featuring Ana Matronic)
• “Girl Panic!”
• “A Diamond in the Mind”
• “The Man Who Stole a Leopard” (featuring Kelis)
• “Other People’s Lives”
• “Mediterranea”
• “Too Bad You’re So Beautiful”
• “Runway Runaway”
• “Return to Now”
• “Before the Rain”

UK deluxe edition bonus track

• “Networker Nation”
• “All You Need Is Now” (Youth Kills Mix)

US deluxe edition bonus track

• “Networker Nation”

• Best Buy exclusive deluxe edition bonus tracks
  “Too Close to the Sun”
• “Early Summer Nerves”
• “Networker Nation”
  

US deluxe edition bonus DVD

• “The Making of All You Need Is Now”
• “All You Need Is… Mark Ronson”
• “The Art of Clunie Reid”
• “On Set of the Photoshoot”
• “All You Need Is Now – Official Music Video”
• “Behind the Scenes at the Videoshoot”
• “Track by Track”
  

Japanese edition bonus disc

• “Networker Nation”
• “Too Close to the Sun”
• “Early Summer Nerves”
• “This Lost Weekend”
• “All You Need Is Now” (Youth Kills Mix)
  
  Deluxe collector’s edition bonus tracks

• “Networker Nation”
• “This Lost Weekend”
• “Too Close to the Sun”
• “Early Summer Nerves”

Deluxe collector’s edition bonus tracks

• “All You Need Is Now” (Youth Kills Mix)
• “All You Need Is Now” (Youth Kills Alt Doom Mix)
• “Girl Panic!” (David Lynch Remix)
• “Girl Panic!” (Johnson Somerset & John Monkman Remix)