Medazzaland
| Medazzaland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by Duran Duran | ||||
| Released | 14 October 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996–1997 | |||
| Genre | New wave, electronica, electronic rock | |||
| Length | 53:12 | |||
| Label |
Capitol/EMI (North America) Virgin (Argentina/Japan) |
|||
| Producer | TV Mania, Syn Pro Tokyo | |||
| Duran Duran chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Singles from Medazzaland | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Entertainment Weekly | B |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Jam! Showbiz | |
Medazzaland is the ninth album by British pop rock group Duran Duran. It was released by Capitol Records on 14 October 1997 in the US, where it reached number 58 on the Billboard albums chart. It was never officially released physically in Europe.
The album is the follow-up to the poorly received covers album Thank You, and bassist John Taylor left the band in January 1997 before recording was complete. With only three members remaining – Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon and Warren Cuccurullo – Duran Duran wrote and recorded several new tracks for the album, and re-recorded songs previously done with Taylor. His work remains on only four songs. Cuccurullo later stated that most of the finished album was reworked TV Mania material originally written by himself and Rhodes.
The dismal performance of the album led in part to the dissolution of the band's contract with EMI after almost two decades. EMI gave the band ownership rights and the master tapes to the Medazzaland album, as well as several unreleased audio and videotapes of their 1995 and 1997 concerts. It was rumoured that the band would independently release the album in the UK, but they went on to sign with Hollywood Records and released Pop Trash instead. Medazzaland is only available in Europe as an import or digital download.
Prior to the album's release, the band shopped some of the tracks around Hollywood movie studios in an attempt to get some songs onto popular movie soundtrack albums. Paramount Pictures eventually put "Out of My Mind" on the soundtrack for the Val Kilmer film The Saint. The single featured future Medazzaland track "Silva Halo" as a b-side, along with a discarded album track, "Sinner or Saint", the title referencing the movie.
...
Wikipedia