Day 13 – A Song That Is A Guilty Pleasure
“Wild Boys” – Duran Duran
I used to be a closet Duran Duran fan. In the mid-80s as the band broke huge, I enjoyed listening to the songs on the radio and watching their videos on MTV (and “Friday Night Videos”). My high school friends were mostly into heavy metal, as was I, so I didn’t really express myself as honestly as I should have then.
In the second half of the decade I was in the military, and I began to have some money to purchase music, explore things, and truly develop my own taste. I picked up some Duran Duran, but again, I was in an environment that wasn’t conducive to appreciating the band. By this time, I had become a closet Duran Duran fan.
As the 90s came and I was no longer in the military, I attempted to become a musician, the musical circles I was inhabiting simply wouldn’t have looked on me favorably for having such an unadultarated “pop” band as something I enjoyed. A lot. Not only was there the popularity of the music coming out of Seattle (even before Nirvana and the flood of local bands to the charts) but Duran Duran had fallen out of favor with its own fans it seemed.
In 1993 Duran Duran released its second self titled CD, the group’s popularity exploded, and I decided to come out of the closet. Now I am unashamed to admit to liking Duran Duran. Yes, I know it’s not the most substantive of music, but that’s not the point. Sometimes music is simply meant to be light and fluffy and for enjoyment only. Duran Duran may be a silly pop band, but I enjoy listening to them. “Wild Boys” has an anthemic feel to it, and whenever it comes on in the car, I turn up the volume and sing along.