You should do a video about The Cure.

The Cure is yet another Great!

He plays traditional piano on Come Up and See Me the B side to the Reflex. You can also see him doing the fancy run on View to a Kill which at least shows he can run up and down scales on a piano. Also., when he is pushing buttons, it is often the movie on screen behind them that he is controlling

Nick playing the piano kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rNCSlNacltTFd4U.html

i think in this case, the tape has a backing tune, don t think he would play it that way, that s the only video that shows nick close to a classic piano , but give him de doubt benefit jaj

I totally agree Nick is the master in the keyboards,I don't care if people criticize or comment smack,Nick is the best in the keyboards & for the music for DD.👍👍👍

Raina Ream you ate absolutely correct !! VG 😎🎹👍

Thanks you I really appreciate for the lovely comment and kind words,I just want to say thank you for the supporting of my music I hope you won't stop listening to my songs?I want you to send me a direct message via Hangouts using my personal email.Also endeavor to add your name to the text so I can know you are the one texting because I don't reply unnecessary massage Hangouts mail' duranduran144600@gmail.con🌹

Realy True Greetings From Super Extremes- Sri Lanka 💚 💛 ❤ 💙 💜 Thusitha Thanthirige

He’s a Synthesist, not a pianist.

@@dwaynecarroll6098 He never progressed.

That's a great comment, because some idiot in the comment section was trying to describe Nick as a "poser" because of his makeup (stone-age logic, go figure). At the same time, I've read fans saying how Nick is a very friendly and inviting person, and not even once have I read of a fan being disappointed after an encounter.

Love this💜

Thank you !! I believe this to be true and many have said that Nick is a true gentleman ! VG:-)

I have had amazing meetings with him as well! Nick is usually the only one that interacts with fans after shows, from my experience. In New Orleans this past February, he did something he honestly disliked for me for my birthday which was that day: he gave me what what become my next tattoo! He is so engaged with everyone.

Nick is a music and melody creator, just like Vince Clarke. He IS Duran Duran.

The controller.

The Controller 🙂

I agree, a masterpiece.

I adore this album

My favorite non-Duran Duran Duran record. It truly is a masterpiece, and one of my all-time favorites.

@ Mist Réme - Thank you for saying that. It’s interesting listen to people criticize Nick when he’s the creative genius and founder of the band! What have any of the critics created?

King Trance like their omission again from the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame nominations this year, there has always been some kind of conspiracy against Duran Duran over the years. ‘Posh Tossers’ seemed to be the British critical acclaim for them. I honestly think it had a lot to do with jealousy.

I'm happy Nick got the recognition he very well deserved from Roland Award this year :)))

Ten layers more than Dom. :-)

Critics don't need to have any musical ability or training, that isnt their job.

He is indeed and he is my favourite member of DD!! VG 🎹👍😎

Wishful thinking he's a poor player.

@@tonyh8965 Please tell me more Tony. I am trying to understand your comment. Their albums have some pretty amazing synth arrangements on them since Rio. Thanks, DS

This.

Kym O'Driscoll yes exactly , it’s all about layering and the end result .

I actually auditioned a friend who was a Grade 8 level pianist for one of my early bands. We knew he could really play so we were all buzzing with expectation. Everything was setup, keyboard ready. When my friend walked in the room he just froze and stared blankly. Then he said “Where’s the music guys”... He was a great reader and that was it but literally useless creatively in a band situation.

You mean he's a keyboardist not a pianist.

Hiya, well said. However, re: backing tracks, my take is different. Sometimes backing trax are needed for extra sounds due to studio overdubs etc in order to create the same sound. In my own case, I play, kbds and guitar in pub gigs etc and need backing trax for 2 reasons: 1) becoz I'm a solo artist and 2) where I am in Spain, pub owners generally will not pay for more than a 'duo.' So having a band isn't an option.

I’m not against backing tracks at all (and there are other ways of doing some things, like playing sampled lines with your feet, etc). I’m not gonna be the one saying anything bad about Duran Duran or Nick Rhodes. But those recordings made back in the day had loads of money, producers and often composers and session players doing the magic, and Nick may (or may not) have some credit for those elements. Many keyboard players never left this doubt on the table, because you could watch them create and play those beautiful synth lines/chord progressions. Maybe Nick is the real thing, but I have yet to see him do its magic with synths (if someone can point me to a video with that, I would deeply appreciate it).

The sounds on the first record are incredible. He managed to build sounds nobody had ever heard with half-assed equipment. That is mighty impressive.

@@darcyperkins7041 You've seen him pushing a few buttons live, you've not seen him play the meat of the Duran songs live.

@@darcyperkins7041 No. He doesn't play riffs, or solos. He stands pouting as we hear those parts, and occasionally presses a button so we hear something pre-recorded. At a push he will play a chord. It's absurd. Supposed to be a live gig. If he can't hack it get a proper musician to go on stage and he can stick to the studio.

Hey Gary !! Thank you for the great posting !! I hope you will subscribe because a lot more Duran Duran is coming soon!! VG :-)

Hmmmm... I've just watched that and what you describe is not exactly what we are seeing. Watch it again. In my view, Nick is a brilliant technician and creator. He understands sounds and synthesizers as well as anyone and has an incredibly creative mind. His importance to DD cannot be overstated. In many ways he is DD. But he is not a keyboard player.

Thank you for sharing that my friend !! VG :-)

That’s awesome

2 times?

Well said man!! VG :-)

Dean!! Hi and thank you for this posting!! Brilliant and it shows that you really understand Nick role perfectly!! VG:-)

Does Nick Rhodes own the Duran Duran band name? Coz when JT quit the band, Simon, Nick and Warren still functioned as Duran Duran.

Like one critict said: So Red The Rose is the best album Duran Duran never made.

what difference does it make as long as the group released good music

Es uno de mis álbumes favorito! Simplemente fabuloso! It is one of my favorite albums! Simply Amazing!

It's correct but the keyboard lines were recorded and performed by more than four keyboard players who were invited to the project. Also guitars, drums & bass guitars, even you can read it in the back of the LP

Criminally underrated album

Just no. He's rubbish. He can't play.

He actually hit a wrong key during that scene, and also points out that forgetting where sounds were on his Emax sometimes happened (since up to 8 different sounds at once were assigned to different zones of the keyboard).

Thank you April !! More on the way!! VG:-)

Can you share these April? :D

@@dbrouwer2007 I've shared them to my page...

@@CraigScottFrost Yep, thats true. Although many of his parts were prerecorded and came from tape.

You've hit the nail on the head mate!! Cheers !! VG:-)

Yes exactly , most keyboard players in electronic bands are not trained pianist . There are a few like Alan Wilder or Ernst Horn but most are not .

Couldn't have said it better.. I agree 100%

@@Shadowman820 Alan Wilder Ernst Horn Martin Gore

@@simonamercuryjackson1874 Mmmm Martin Gore is a great composer but technically speaking he's not in the same league as Alan Wilder or Ernst Horn , he himself said has said so on many occasions .

That would be the case if he played - he doesn't, he's a glorified trigger pedal

Dominic Crimmings I’ve seen him live with DD. He plays the lead lines.

Ringo was an awesome drummer - Neil Peart would have destroyed the Beatles 🤪

@@dominiccrimmings6925 daaaaaamn.

I remember overhearing my sister playing “7 and the Ragged Tiger” when J was about 4. I was instantly hooked, and Duran Duran became the point on which I turned leading my Young American mind into a huge fan of Brit (formerly the country whose ass we kicked) music. I’m still an oddball in the States, as I couldn’t name nor care less about anything on our radios to the point I removed the antenna from my car in 2006. I’m a fan of a lot of the “assumed” (often correctly) bands associated with new wave, post-punk, goth, shoegazer and 4AD/BeggarsBanquet weirdness :) but it saved me from so much utter garbage like Aerosmith (Steve Tyler, you pimped your own underage daughter out as a total SLUT for your own music videos? You’re sick).

OH YES!! VG:-)

I saw them live several years back. My wife, who was never a big DD fan, was really impressed. “They’re not just a novelty, they really do play!”

Good to hear from you again David!! I hope all is well. VG:-)

Maybe the video about the making of RCM? It shows him playing a piano.

@Jimmy Jenkinson Where's the link?

I really believe that this video will not appear or simply does not exist. A true musician would not have to pretend to play live. That just makes no sense, in any live DD video you can see Nick hitting the keys erratically because he is not performing. What are we talking about by saying that he can be seen currently playing proficiency an instrument that he does not dominate?

Thanks you I really appreciate for the lovely comment and kind words,I just want to say thank you for the supporting of my music I hope you won't stop listening to my songs?I want you to send me a direct message via Hangouts using my personal email.Also endeavor to add your name to the text so I can know you are the one texting because I don't reply unnecessary massage Hangouts mail' duranduran144600@gmail.con

How is bringing on a bunch of session musicians to back-up where a song contains more guitars than there are actual guitar players within the band a better option than back-tracks? A rubbish arguement in my opinion. When I go to a concert, regardless of genre, I wanna hear the sound of that particular band. Not some re-arranged, stripped rendition.

@@D.Appeltofft You found quite a lot of things to argue about there that I didn't say in any way ...

@@amillionorangedolphins9663 Well, what did you mean, then?

Thank you Neil!! I appreciate you passion and insight !! VG:-)

well said, indeed!

Vaughn George my pleasure. There is even a bit in “When the lights go down,” where Nick botches his parts (a de-tuned patch) on a live televised show and the band are all laughing at him. I don’t think people understand the enormity of Grace under pressure NR has considering the amount of sound he generates in a performance. Synths are a different kind of lovely beast, Obviously I don’t have tell you that! Not a lot of people get the types of performances. Last recommendation, and I’ll leave off, Live in London, “Night boat,” you can watch how he raises the moody intro, the swelling he creates with the envelope filters is so bad ass. Very Eno. The man is good, and will not wait for haters to catch up.

Miroslav thank you for your kind words and I'm pleased to see you understand my points !! VG:-)

With John Taylor I believe, followed by Andy, and Simon was the final part of the jigsaw. And together they created one of the best pop bands on the planet! Creative and individual. :-)

Again wrong opinion. The truth is John is the creator of duran and the brain of dd as John's the one who started the band first with David Twist and then with Stephen Duffy at his art college, and it was John who created the whole concept of the band particularly their image and sounds and also plotted out in detail and make certain that it happens successfully.

@@kingofnebula199 I have always thought that Nick and Simon were the "brains" of DD. They did come up with A View To A Kill. I know that for a fact.

BarrySlisk you got it all wrong. The FACT is John was the one who came up with all ideas for the band's sound and image including the James Bond theme it was John's idea, he met Cubby Broccoli at the party and John asked Cubby, "when he's gonna make a decent James Bond theme again?." Cubby Broccoli agreed to work with John, so John worked with John Barry to make the James Bond theme. John barry composed most of the keyboard parts of a view to a kill and working the chords arrangement, not Nick. Simon wrote the lyrics not the music.

BarrySlisk The FACT is John Taylor's the real BRAIN and mastermind of dd. John was the one who created the band first with David Twist and then with Stephen Duffy at his art college. His band's name was Shock Treatment before he changed it to Duran Duran. John started off playing guitar before he switched to bass because he couldn't find a bass player. Nick only joined the band LATER. In fact nick couldn't play any instrument at the time, the reason he could joined the band was just because he's a childhood friend of John. Then, John met The Berrows the owner of the Rum Runner who later on became their manager. John decided to work with The Berrows and took his band playing at the Rum Runner. It was John who made the whole concepts of the band particularly their sounds and image, and made the greatest contribution to their musics overall. John's very particular about the band's sound which he aspires to be a Chic meet Sex Pistols. John doesn't want the bass just being a rhythmic backdrop he wants the bass to move the music. Duran's music is marked by John's prominent and melodic basslines. His innovative basslines are an amalgamation of disco and rock and roll's grooves which is the soul that carries duran's musics, his bass playing is steady and continually leading the melody through the entire songs. John's the one who plotted out in detail and directing the band, also make certain that it happens successfully. Nick doesn't write, arrange, and produce their music. All of duran's member write their music together and John is the one who first come up with the song writing and compose the music's structure. Their musics are composed from John’s bassline and the rhythm section between John and the drummer. John locking in the drum and set the rhythm and the chord for the melody. Then, the producers do the final touch: mixing, mastering and producing the album. It was Colin Thurston who arranged and produced their early albums NOT nick. It was Nile Rodgers who produced The Notorious album. It was John Jones their producer for Liberty and Wedding Album who composed the synth parts, arranged it, and produced those albums NOT nick.

Well, we cant judge someone's character solely based on one or two encounter but the fact is almost all his partners and everyone who work with Nick can't stand him.

A.C. B. ART Of course. I wasn’t interested in him either. I was just an observer. Consider me a fly on the wall in this situation.

I'm with you completely. He doesn't play a lot of original stuff, but he's a wizard with sequencing and brilliant synthesist. As a composer he's incredibly underappreciated. But as a Keyboardist....meh.

Yes, totally agree. I'd say the same about Gary Numan. I'm much more interested in people who come up with great sounds and melodies rather than someone who just plays well. Not that I can do either 😂

Carlos Nunez Reach up for the sunrise was a good song.

@@cellblocknine5385 Yes it was!

Carlos Nunez What is your favorite song

@@cellblocknine5385 My favorite Duran Duran song? It's difficult to name just one. I think I can narrow it down to two: Astronaut and Beautiful Colours. There are tons of others I love as well, though.

Short concentration span ?

Thats youtube, no?

@@JoeyLevenson Unfortunately it does seem to be all too common on KZfaq these days. I've gotten into the habit of skipping to the middle of videos like this, and still find myself skipping most of the way through. There's only so many hours in the day, if somebody can't make their point succinctly it's on to the next video.

Vaughn George - Rude and Patronising as well as condescending? To hear your growl through gritted teeth as you tell everybody to “Watch the fu*#ing video” 20 times does nothing to convince me to watch anything else you produce in the future. Not cool at all.

John Archbell you really don’t need to be here If you don’t want to 😎

Andrew Brown I guess you’ll just have to keep watching ....

I'm a pianist too and have watched Nick Rhodes stand behind his keyboard many many many times over the last forty years. His hands obviously are on the keys for the sustained or rhythmic parts and he does occasional melodic parts like in Save A Prayer while using the modulation wheel. Other than that, we don't always hear a lot of what he's 'playing' seemingly. It's always been a curious thing to me, the keyboard playing of Nick Rhodes!!

I agree.

And john is the only one that reckoned as a real talented musician by people outside of duran's fans

Words of truth there wouldnt be duran duran without john taylor! He's the real brain of dd

john is the brain and the architect of duran who creates the whole concept of the band, their albums and the one who's planning out. but ignorant people often disregard him just because he's a pretty boy. duran wouldnt have made it this big if it wasnt for john, his talent and his brilliant mind. he's the one who's directing the band and come up with the ideas that send the band to massive success. the james bond theme, the concept of their albums and the band's sound and look all of it are john's creation. he makes the album cover, posters and their music. all his bandmates including robert palmer and tony thompson said john is their ideas man who makes the concept of the band and their music. he's also the key to their sound. duran's songs are all bass driven and all of their hits like rio, girls on film, wild boys, planet earth and even their latest songs are marked by john's basslines and that's what draw people to duran

Actually John and Nick come up with the covers for the albums, Nick did the photos for RCM. Duran Duran isn’t about one person, it is a group that bounce ideas off each other, and work as a team.

Few 80's popstars had formal (or any!) musical training, there are numerous stories and examples. Phil Oakey of The Human League admitted in an interview in the 2000's that while making the album Dare, the producer started to talk about hi-hats and Phil asks "what's a hi-hat?". And Bernard Sumner of New Order to this day can't play guitar and sing at the same time. I also remember reading about DD's writing sessions where Warren Cuccurullo might say something like "Ok play Dm6 and Gm9" or whatever and Nick goes "er, er...". But hey, so what.

Jamaicafunk that is a fact! what you say is true. all his colleagues stated the same thing about nick not only steve ferrone

Kick Ass! Yea? Steve and Sterling are the only ones I actually know. But I never talked with Sterling about Nick.

@@Jamaicafunk andy taylor and john barry stated the same thing about nick. john barry faced difficulties working with nick on james bond theme because nick didnt know anything about basic music structure and always insisted on doing things nick's way. andy says that nick can hardly play and doesnt know anything about major and minor scale, chord progression or anything of the sort. he only interested on making sounds with synth. if you hear duran's music it's clear that their musics are driven by john's bass. nick's synth is only an ornament not the core of the melody

Kick Ass! John Taylor always impressed me as a bass player. I saw them live at MSG sometime around the early 90’s. Yea, he was driving the whole thing. Nick was busy looking at himself on the giant video screen. That Bond theme was one of the best things they did. I loved the keyboard pads, and the Barry-esqe changes... but I knew Nick had nothing to do with it.

Bang on the buck there Neill!! Well said!! VG:-)

Maybe you play twinkle twinkle little star try playing some Genesis, Yes ect... tell me if thats easy lol!!!

Right on John!! VG:-)

@gerard henry j adore ....😉

Finest Hour is up there for me too.

Out of my mind extended version makes my hairs stand on end ....sone haunting shit rite there❤

HAhahahahha I guess I should address that I a video ? VG:-)

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/frSRqq921dmviqc.html watch this link - and you will find the answer quite definately to your question.

No, but he has a great voice. I mostly skip the live performances.

Simon can sing. They made millions by being Duran duran

Haha. You must've seen him botch A View to a Kill at Live Aid. Kidding aside, I think Simon's vocals have improved over the years.

If only you had spent it inside a plastic bag

I bet your dad thinks the same.

The truth is they always have extra keyboardist from the beginning both in studio and in live concert that not only play nick's part but also composing most of the synth parts. They had Andy Hamilton in their early albums. Then they had Jonathan Elias and Daniel Abraham in Big Thing who composed most of the synth parts. And they had John Jones in Liberty and Wedding Album as you have said it, and yet nick takes all the credits

M Shadow - Totally agree. I interviewed JJ for the 25th anniversary of TWA and it was a favourite part of his life. I know he is disappointed about the lack of credit for it. Sure he got credits on the album itself but that was about it. He did a lot more than just produce the album. Then you have Magus who did absolutely nothing in support of the milestone 25 years. I find it bizarre - just really bad management.

lakechaney - I’m a fan of DD as much anybody - but that doesn’t cloud my expectations or make me throw my toys out of the pram because DD haven’t had the esteemed honour of induction into the RARHOF. My musical taste is extensive and I have to share out my love to a lot of artists! Lol I’m merely saying that Duran Duran have abandoned their dna and chasing a dream that will never become real. They persist in these ridiculous collaborations in the hope of capitalising major success again. The fact of the matter is that they are no longer unique and sound very average with maybe three stand out songs from their last album Paper Gods (the dreadful artwork for that album is a discussion for another day). If you really must compare Tupac with Duran - then ok. You have to consider that Tupac was consistent. He was massive throughout his career. Hip Hop is hardly EDM and besides music does move in mysterious ways! I hope for better things with the new album - but i doubt an album of guitar and drums will materialise with Moroder at the helm.

What’s your point. David Bowie did exactly the same thing.

Musicianship includes song and sound arrangement not just technique. Unless the producer created Hungry like the wolf I would argue that Nick did not just stumble across creating that arpeggio with the phased synth arrangement. The keyboardist roll is coming up with sounds that work in the greater song with other instruments. Greg Hawkes of The Cars is another great example of this.

Absolutely right you are Ruth!! VG 😎👍👍

And to still carry Duran Duran even when his childhood friend and co-founder left him :((( It proves his love and dedication to music

I could have not explained that any better myself!! Thank you Maxim , you really get where I am coming from !! Cheers !! VG:-)

Just to let you know, I vaguely remember reading Roger saying as much (I was surprised), that he had to work hard 'to stay in sync' with [probably expecting him to say John's Bass playing] all Nick's Electronica-!). We may have read the same article, etc.

That was because he´s not a musician. I´m a DD fan but also a musician and I can´t find a live performance of him, just faking performing. It was very disappointing for me.

I envy you for being there, I have the concert in DVD, and Nick does a funny gesture to Simon after the solo, a down to earth expression as saying: well, lad, that is all, take it or leave it. Still like it.

Nick has an attachment that turns his keyboards into a theremin.

Thank you for this comment.

Paul Mckenzie absolutely true👌

That's not fair. Yes, John Taylor is one of the best bass players ever, but if you take out Rhodes' keyboards, you lose a lot of that unique sound. The beauty about them, Duran Duran, is how they work together.

@@Maxim89Il I agree, you couldn't have Duran Duran without Nick. He's fundamental to the band. But I don't think it's unfair to say that John is a far better player than Nick is. I consider Nick to be a conceptual artist who can also play keyboards. I've just never seen him display much musicianship, but that's not a knock on him. The songwriting on the Arcadia album is quite good and I assume he wrote those songs himself with SImon providing the lyrics?

That's what I mean when I say your comment is not fair. It doesn't mean you're not correct, I just don't think the comparison is fair. Yes, John Taylor is the best musician in the band, but he's a legendary bass player. There aren't many bassists in that class. See my point? In order to appreciate Nick Rhodes, don't compare him with John Taylor, but compare him with other keyboard players of new wave. Then you'll see that in terms of what he does and the musical tapestries he creates, Nick is one of the best.

Well said !! You get it !! VG :-)

AMEN!! Perfectly said!! VG:-)

Vaughn George you are the best, buddy. Love your insights for all the bands you’ve covered. Glad you are visiting Duran Duran and I know one day you’ll cover New Order quite extensively. Also I showed my wife your channel and the “warning! ⚠️! Alan Wilder fan-boy alert’ we both lost our minds with laughter. Thank you for that. 🙂

Yeah, sick of this debate being a keyboard virtuoso and being able to read music doesnt make you a brilliant musician, any 11yo can be a great technical player, with classical training, but being able to write songs and a good production/ sound designer is what defines real talent imho,, that what defines a music genius is, DAWS, sequencers can overcome technical deficiencies, thats how bands like DD, DM, HL, NO etc, could articulate the songs in their head, with, advent of DIY recording tech e.g. synths drum machines sequencers, otherwise where still be listening to prog rock!

@@waddy707 Amen to that man!! Spot on!! VG:)

Weather as in the conditions outside?

Why would you think it’s all in the name of perfection? I pay good money to be entertained. I couldn’t care less if some form of backing track or sequencers are used. I want it to sound as good as it can and if that means using technology to support the performance then so be it. Why would anyone want to see a band live that can’t reproduce the sound that has gotten you to buy a ticket to see them in the first place?! Howard Jones makes his fans aware if he’s doing an acoustic or electronic gig so they know what they’re paying money to see and hear. And I think the majority of people buy their tickets online that’s days. They don’t line up. I’m going to see OMD later this month. I hope to god it’s not live!

Sadly. these days most fans can't be bothered they are there to be seen while they dance and sing along. Most of the audience wouldn't know if a lead vocal is lip synced or not, let alone a keyboard part. So tracks and sequencers are used. Fans go home happy... if you want real players executing perfect music this is the wrong area of the music biz. Jez Brett's comment only solidifes my point (and I have no issue with what Jez said, it's the truth)

@@KidMrRemixes Lol.. so you want to pay full price for a reproduction of the Mona Lisa then..lol

Nah people go to live music for the experience overall, not that particular ass bullshit you went on a rant about. If you had some sense in the first place you’d realize that not only does a large portion of music sound better on wax than what could be replicated on a stadium scale, but you’d also realize backtracking is present in some shape or form in 9/10 of concerts on the scale of an Arena (excluding solely acoustic genres). But aye keep hating from the sideline

I only see bands who use sequencers. So evidently your narrow world view is incorrect :-) x

Correct!! VG:-)

Funny you should bring up the Edge in this topic as years ago('84!) I read a U2 fan after s gig saying he liked them as they didn't use tapes like other bands ( they weren't fake)..even on that tour highly visible was a reel to reel...now they have computers under the stage.

My statement was not meant in ANY WAY to disparage The Edge or U2....And certainly not saying anything bad about Duran Duran's musical prowess. If you've ever seen the documentary called "It Might Get Loud" with The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White you'll see the expertise with which ALL of these gentlemen play.

@@jaysterling26 Yep, i have it from a reliable source that there's also musicians as well as Techs under their stage.

Exactly on point! But there's some important thing that need to be clarified. Nick has nothing to do with the end result or the production such as mixing, mastering, producing, it's all done by the engineers and producers not by Nick!. You can look it up. If the video maker want to talk about the end result, every member of Duran including the programmers, the engineers, the producers and sessional players are very much defining the end result. The video maker is clearly very much in favor of Nick so he doesnt give a fair assessment and sort of misleading the viewers with false information and misconception about the end result.

Exactly on point! but there is some important thing that need to be clarified. Nick has nothing to do with the end result: the mixing, mastering and the production, all of it is done by the engineers and the producers not by Nick! you can look it up. If the video maker want to talk about the end result, every member of Duran including the programmer, engineers, producers, and sessional players very much contribute and define the end result. The video maker is clearly very much in favor of nick so he doesn't give a fair assessment and sort of misleading the viewers with false information and misconception about the end result.

The problem is that the 80's when synths became a thing. You had to learn how to program them. You had to program them to a get a particular sound, if you was lucky enough to have a keyboard with RAM, you could store that program. Most used a few different keyboards, set to a specific program, just to play a specific melody. You may see them play a few odd keys on the keyboard. What you don't see, or appreciate is the amount of time spent, fiddling with all those settings to play the correct sound for a particular section of a song.,

Right. And he didn't answer my Google search questions that lead me to this vid. Can Nick actually play whole compositions or just make noises? Does he know standards or just chords? Did he learn to read music or does he play by ear? I thought it was an interview, not an opinion.

Hmm.. Are you under the impression bands just walk on stage - and improvise?

Exactly! Thank you!

Such a dumb sentence. People question many things, and often non-musicians pick up a few misconceptions from the internet and repeat them to sound like they know what they're talking about. Before you say he can or can't play, you need to define what to play the keyboard means. The keyboard and the piano are not the same instrument. Does Nick Rhodes play the lead instrument in terms of melody, like McCartney did in "The Long and Winding Road" or Freddie Mercury in "Love of My Life"? No, but he creates the layers needed for the unique sound Duran Duran have there. He's not trying to be Freddie Mercury or Elton John, that's not his part.

really?? his colleagues says nick can barely play and they are top class musicians. and no one ever questioning whether david gilmour can play or not. no one ever questioning freddie mercury as a great pianist and vocalist and that's because they ACTUALLY CAN PLAY NOT JUST PRETEND

Maxim so your idea of playing keyboard is just press play and let the computer do all the works for you. Even my 6 y.o nephew could play better than Nick and could creates more sophisticated sounds than nick with synth. There's nothing genius or innovative about that. You're extremely exaggerating it and went overboard. You're too obsessed with nick to make a fair judgment and remain objective

First, Rick Wakeman's my favorite rock/pop keyboardist, so remember that as I continue. One thing that Rhodes did that Wakeman hadn't done (and, you could argue he's only recently come to grips with) was figure out how to get the new tech sounding great. Wakeman sounded amazing with the non-synth equipment, like Hammond organs and Mellotron, and he really spent the time to get to know the Minimoog synth, making it one of his signature instruments (to this day, in fact). However, look at the sound of Tormato, once he got his hands on the next generation synths of that era. That album should have been more of a Yes classic, tracks like "Future Times" and "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" being on par with undeniable classics like "Yours Is No Disgrace" or "Siberian Khatru." But, I can't help thinking that the sound (not the performance) of Wakeman's synths were so distracting that even class-era Yes freaks couldn't get past it. This is something Rhodes never had a problem with. For whatever problems any Duran Duran track might have had, it was rarely an issue of keyboard sound. Nick was getting the most out of newer synths like the Jupiter or Prophet, and he never stopped learning how to bridge each new generation of synth with the production/engineering end of things. There are some really crap Duran Duran tracks that nonetheless have an effective atmosphere laid down by Rhodes's keys. He was more of a composer/arranger, using the synths as a tool. And, arguably, you can say that's what the new synths of the early 80s were gearing towards, with their sequencers and arpeggiators. Rhodes's genius might not lie in his performing capabilities compared to someone like Rick Wakeman, but that doesn't mean he's not a genius at using the tools (synths) to create his own compositions and arrangements. Antonin Dvorak isn't not a genius because he couldn't play his Cello Concerto himself.

Thank you for your positive comments and I am glad you enjoyed the video and found value in it !! VG :-)

In many ways, Nick Rhodes reinvented the keyboard. The likes of Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Alan price have proven the piano to be an instrument capable of leading in rock; the likes of Richard Wright and Keith Emerson (and also Alan Price, actually), showed that the keyboard can be used as a leading instrument; Nick Rhodes showed the keyboard can be the backdrop and production mechanism of the song. Is Nick Rhodes likely to do a fast piano solo like Elton John or Keyboard solo like Keith Emerson? No, even though that doesn't mean he can't do it. What he is likely to do better than anyone is use multiple layers and create the perfect backdrop for the song, and if that's not a great keyboard player, I don't know what is. Before Rhodes, it was either the guitar or the keyboard taking the lead in the song. Rhodes showed that there's another way, and that's to free the guitar and bass to do funky riffs while the keyboard fills everything else and creates the atmosphere so needed.

Howard is an Absolute Performer

Howard Jones was classically trained, so I reckon he could play anything. I guess the complexity of some stuff means he has the fella behind him play a few chords from time to time

Andy Marshak I actually have done videos on Alan Wilder. VG😎🎹

@@VaughnGeorge yeah but he's an actual player

Andy Marshak oh yes he most certainly is !! Certainly one of the best in a generation 👍😎🎹

Susan thank you !! You absolutely get it!! VG :-)

The Taylors (especially John Taylor) are the main composer and song writer in DD, not nick or simon. Their producer tell the process of making their album in an interview. In DD they make the music first then the lyrics and vocal at the end. The process of their song writing started from jam session between John, andy, and roger. All the tracks on their albums were written by John, he would start by programming beats on a linn drum, he would then play various bass lines on top and constructing the music, chords and melody. Nick doesnt write, arrange, mixing, or even producing the music. All the mixing and the production are done by the producers. In fact nick has someone else programming his synth as told by many people here. nick had daniel abraham running the sequences for him, and jonathan elias programming the synth parts.

@@rorschach5883 well I don't know...but their best album of all (Arcadia) John was not even there. Just Nick , Simon and Roger. And it's a fucking masterpiece !

@@gonzchi we're not talking about arcadia we're talking about duran duran and John is the brain and the main composer in Duran. Millions of records that Duran sold is due to John's creative talent and his inventive basslines which is the trademark of Duran's sound. The whole melody of Duran's song is in the bassline. No wonder since John wrote all the track on the albums. Duran's song is built from John's bassline. I cant see Duran sounding like they do without John's expertise and inventive. Power Station didnt have Nick and Simon, and Power Station's so fu*king genius and more successful than arcadia in fact power station is regarded as a rock supergroup that consisted top notch musicians and their album is critically acclaimed as classic rock album. Arcadia is only known by duran's fans while the power station is known by the general public. Nick and Simon didnt make the arcadia's album by themselves. There's a whole lot of people worked behind the scene making the arcadia's album. Many top artist, musicians, sessional player, and keyboardist were invited and involved on the project. In fact the keyboard lines and synthesizer were played and composed by four keyboardist.

gonzchi I love the Arcadia album. So underrated. Great songs. Rose Arcana and El Diablo. And Missing! Simply brilliant. After some 30+ years I still listen to this record every week.

Jedi Master - Power Station is so f**cking awesome and John Taylor is Brillliant!. I got drawn into Duran after I heard John's playing and being amazed by him. Each personnel of Power Station is/was very talented, like for real. That band is F**cking LEGEND.

Well I guess you'll have to watch the video a little longer....

Totally agree!

Go watch a Pewdiepie video, you fucking idiot.

You must have an awful attention span chief

He has a tendency to ramble. I told him to stop in the March 6 livestream

Nick is Not a Pianist. As you mention Eno, he is in that school. I have, however, seen him PLAY Piano, and, while not being flashy, he can indeed play both-handed with adequate proficiency.

@@michaelhubbard5246 Thanks for this , Michael . If it's out there i will find it . But it had better be good . Adequate won't suffice , i'm afraid , not the way he's consistently been avoiding fingers on keys . Or maybe i just kid you . Another mystery ... cheers !

It's not about that,if you could check a Duran's song in the studio DAW you would surely see so many keyboard tracks,now you either rent two other keyboard players in a live set or if you are alone have to rely on backings,a bassline it's just that does not change much from studio to live,about guitars where on records there are many overlays,in live the whole thing is very barebone and it's just about "the emotional moment" but the result is way less interesting and full than on record.

@@gautamasakyamuni6688 I've seen Prince, Madonna, Robbie Williams and some more less famous people play. I can understand that a studio record is hard to play live (exactly). But isn't the Live performance more important? That doesn't happen every day, at least not for me. My man was recently at Rammstein. They do a lot of performing on stage, not necessarily music, but Fire and Fireworks. Still, they own their musical skills.

Andybaby okay then ....

Maybe because people go there to watch DD and not some random guys pretending to play