The first time I heard about the Devils project was probably in mid 2001, amidst all the other Duran type news I was always looking for. As a Duranie and the co-founder of a in-my-mind successful young Duranie club, I made it a point to always keep my eyes peeled for anything related to Duran that might come through the media. It wasn't until spring 2002 when news of this supposed reunion between Duran Duran's synth man Nick Rhodes and Stephen Duffy, Duran Duran Mark I's original lead singer in the late 1970s opened the floodgates to what would become the Devils' mystique.

The story goes something like this. Stephen Duffy, after leaving Duran Duran before they became the biggest thing out of England since the Beatles, had puttered around in near obscurity after the '80s smash hit "Kiss Me," releasing several solo albums and albums with his band The Lilac Time. He apparently found an old tape alongside geography slides of John Taylor's which were used at an early Duran Duran in Birmingham. The tape had been stuck in a old desk drawer and had been in storage for years until 1999 when the tape and slides resurfaced. Stephen ran into Nick at a Vivienne Westwood show - Duran Duran had always been interested in fashion - and both agreed it was time to put the tape to good use. Using at first the only technology available to them in the '70s, then switching over to adding backup singers and newer recording technology, they produced the Devils' album "Dark Circles" on 15 July 2002. The album was released only in the UK on the TapeModern/Universal label.

I preordered my copy from Amazon UK and was not disappointed in the least! Tho I have to admit I was biting my lips every time I heard something from my UK friends who already had the album in their hands. It showed up 6 days after the UK release and I ripped the package open with vigor and immediately popped it into my AIWA portable player as if my life depended on it.

"Dark Circles" has been, in my opinion, probably the best thing musically to come out of 2002. I am sick of this rap-metal-hiphop stuff that seems to permeate everything - the only act I like from "my" generation is Linkin Park. Never been big on rap and hiphop in general except for the Beasties and Will Smith. I think this album from Stephen and Nick really should give music listeners a swift kick to the rear as everyone is starting to sound like Creed and Weezer all of a sudden. We need dance music back. I go clubbing every once in a while and can only stand to be on the '80s floor of Polly Esther's because I just don't like most '90s and today's dance music. I want to go back to a time when "Notorious" was funky and oh my gosh, there was actually a danceable backbeat! Erm, how do you dance to today's music? For the most part you can't.

They have an official site - http://www.thedevils.tv where one can hear snippets from "Dark Circles," see the two videos for "Dark Circles" and "Hawks Don't Share," download wallpapers and a screensaver, view pictures in the gallery, and more.

Considering my relative impatience for the new Duran album, the Devils came along to fill a void which I had assumed would be filled by Duran Duran surely by now! But good things come to those who wait. I'm just thinking that DD has its work cut out for them. They've got to really outdo themselves this time to equal the artistic simplicity and imagination of "Dark Circles."

as the Rock says..."bring it on!"

littlewillow/fieldsofeden
first posted 25.08.02
background colour changed 17.09.02 guestbook link fixed 13.08.03

to the stars, I'm not disgraced...

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