Duran Duran - Seven And The Ragged Tiger

"Seven and the Ragged Tiger," released in 1983, is generally considered a strong, albeit slightly uneven, album by Duran Duran, marking a peak in their early success. While some critics felt it leaned too heavily on synthesized pop and lacked the raw energy of their earlier work, many praised its danceable, textured art-rock, infectious grooves, and strong songwriting. 

Review by Mike DeGagne

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 Seven and the Ragged Tiger'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 Duran Duran's handsome edginess for a shinier sound, heard mainly on "I Take the Dice" and "Cracks in the Pavement." It's here that Lebon and 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. Duran Duran's new direction eventually gave Seven and the Ragged Tiger double platinum status.

Ripped to MP3

1 - The Reflex

2 - New Moon on Monday

3 - (I'm Looking For) Cracks in the Pavement

4 - I Take the Dice

5 - Of Crime and Passion

6 - Union of the Snake

7 - Shadows on Your Side

8 - Tiger Tiger (Instrumental)

9 - The Seventh Stranger