For a confessed not-to-serious-Duranie like me, to have all five original members back in the studio for the first time in 20 years was a cause for celebration. Unfortunately, instead of giving their old fans what they want, they decided to 'update' their sound to try to reach a younger audience. Being from England, they're probably unfamiliar with the Western saying: "Dance with whut brung ya." I should have waited until I read a few reviews before I purchased the CD (metacritic rated it at 52 out of a possible 100), but I was eager to hear this release. After this CD, guitarist Andy Taylor left the band (again) and they've released albums of new music since Astronaut; I haven't purchased any.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #17 (Oct 30, 2004)
Tracks: The first single, (Reach Up For The) Sunrise, sounds like classic '80s Duran Duran. There's a few more decent songs (Taste The Summer, Finest Hour, and Chains), but there's really some disappointing songwriting here. It's not necessarily bad, it's just forgettable. I'm talking about the music writing, not the lyrics. LeBon's lyrics were always nonsense babble and he continues that tradition on this release with lyrics such as: "I been around the world/I seen a lot a things 'd make your chicken curl." That's from the particularly bad Bedroom Toys.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: After purchasing this CD, I remember sticking it in the car stereo, rolling down the windows, and speeding down the Southwest Freeway in Houston with the music blaring from my speakers, calling old friends that were also DD fans. That may be as close as I've ever gotten to having a mid-life crisis.
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