Big Thing (Deluxe Edition)

By the late ‘80s, Duran Duran were no longer receiving the same intense airplay that had won them their huge, adoring audience at the beginning of the decade. They were still racking up hits, but it wasn’t with the same force. As a result, many of the band’s finest songs have been overlooked. This 2010 reissue sharpens the sound, expands the view, and helps fans complete their collections with mixes that may have eluded them the first time around. “I Don’t Want Your Love” romps with an immediacy that guarantees it as a dance-floor favorite. “All She Wants Is” keeps the excitement level at high peaks with plenty of electronic shocks to the sound. “Too Late Marlene” is a ballad lined with attractive harmonies. “Lake Shore Driving” floats out on gritty keyboard lines and intricate percussion. Various mixes of “I Don’t Want Your Love,” including a Shep Pettibone 7” Mix, provide new angles to the group. The mixes show how the band kept their popularity in the clubs even as MTV and radio were turning to other sounds.