Written by: Alex Green
Andrew “Durandy” Golub’s 2013 book Beautiful Colors: The Posters Of Duran Duran remains one of the most essential volumes in rock and roll history.
Constructed with curatorial grace, the book is a chronological genealogy of the legendary Birmingham outfit as told through the posters that heralded every event of their career. Starting from 1978 and effortlessly coasting to the present day, the book features rare and vintage promo posters culled from Golub’s private collection, which also happens to be the largest Duran Duran archive in the world.
Beautiful Colors, which was declared “magnificent” by Duran Duran themselves, features never-before-seen artwork and photography, a forward by Nick Rhodes and notes from both designers and artists.
Golub’s latest effort is The Music Between Us: Concert Ads Of Duran Duran, a rousing collection of rare flyers, ads, handbills, and fan memories that tells the story of Duran Duran through the eyes of their devoted fans. The photos, memories and flyers all combine to form what is perhaps one of the most enduring narratives in musical history. Duran Duran are approaching their 40-year anniversary and Golub’s book is a reminder that in rock and roll, a reciprocal relationship is essential to a band’s survival.
Duran Duran’s fans love them and the band loves them right back.
The mutual respect and reverence between them is a moving testament to what makes this band so special.
Lovingly compiled with the care and finesse of a master class chronicler, Golub’s book is both a museum piece and a coffee table memento–it’s a time capsule, a love letter and a brilliantly constructed document.
The 107-page hardcover book also features an afterword by Dave Twist, the boyhood friend of bassist John Taylor.
The press release for the book reads: The Music Between Us examines the impact Duran Duran has made on audiences around the world, seen through the lens of fans’ concert memories. With rare handbills, flyers, and advertisements as context, four decades of Duran Duran’s live experience are quantified in the words of those who attended specific shows. Whether describing the first time ever seeing the band,or recounting frenzied efforts to catch John Taylor’s eye on stage, fans reveal themselves with remarkable humor, poignant candor, and absolute pride in their devotion to Duran Duran. A music icon’s history comes to life in the voices that speak the loudest: the loyal Duranies.
As for Golub himself, he is in many ways the band’s chief historian. His extensive Duran Duran archive has pieces that have been used in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Museum and A&E’s Biography. He’s also held two highly attended public exhibitions and has been featured everywhere from Paste Magazine to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Stereo Embers’ Leif Gaslow, who has seen 50 Duran Duran shows in his 33 years on the planet, has this to say about The Music Between Us: “Andrew Golub reminds us that the memories, the stories and the experiences we have with a band we love all form a compelling narrative about our own lives–it’s the narrative of our youth, our energy and our hearts. This is a book that’s as much about the music as it is about ourselves.”
To order the book click here:
To visit Andy’s website click here:
Leif Gaslow reviews Duran Duran at Outside Lands here: