When you’re a band who have had a storied career, but your newer releases aren’t grabbing the public’s attention and you’re feeling like you’re ending up on the wrong side of pop-culture history. You tend to take stock wanting to thank the fans who have kept you there while praising the music that inspired you on your journey. Duran Duran was in such a position, and in 1995 they produced such a tribute album called Thank You.

Thank You is a cover album consisting of some of the band’s most favourite songs, done in their unique style. While this is still a departure from the New Romantic synth-rock that made the band famous, but a mixture of that style with the popular 90s alt-rock from the time. It’s an interesting combination and demonstrates the novelty in this concept.

As a tribute album, a lot of good hits are present and accounted for. The anti-drug anthem White Lines makes a surprising entry to the list. Alongside 911 Is a Joke (originally by Public Enemy), the list is eclectic in styles and artists each one an astounding yet oddly fitting choice. It shows off a band willing to push experimentation and even to make cover songs their own.

Perfect Day, originally by Lou Reed, is a standout cover that swaps the simplistic serenity for a kind of mystical synth-driven quality, I’m not saying one version of the song is better than the other but it’s nice to have some form of variation in the interpretation of tracks. This sentiment is true throughout the entire album, and the selection of singles shows this off to the public in the bravado that Duran Duran is well celebrated for.

Thank You is a litteral thank you letter to everybody involved in the journey of Duran Duran. It remains a testament to where the band was at the time and it can be viewed as measuring stick of just far Duran Duran have evolved. More bands should be open about their roots, then again, more bands should be as daring as Duran Duran.

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