The members of Duran Duran were likely feeling their oates by 1983. Chorus heavy with Simon LeBon's voice double-tracked during the most urgent moments, these perky tracks are the summit of prolific creativity within a three-year period by Duran Duran. "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" could be viewed as the third record in a trilogy of Duran Duran's first three nine-song albums. Although "Ragged" might not match "Rio's" classic tunes, it boasts some premium pop songs with real earnestness in the vocals and lyrics. Even the non-hits on this album come off as completely radio-ready. As for the songs that did make it to the masses via radio, "The Reflex," "New Moon on Monday" and "Union of the Snake" are all well-known and were some of the last string of mega-hits by Duran Duran during this great era for the band.

Perhaps the biggest surprise about Duran Duran is how their lively songs often contain morose lyrics despite the band's outwardly gregarious image; within the songs are weighty personal issues. Take, for instance, "Shadows on Your Side," where LeBon sings, "Scandal in white on a tangled vine/With everybody to say you're having the/Time of your life, when your life is on the slide." LeBon shows his vocal range, too, on such great tunes as "New Moon on Monday" and "Of Crime and Passion," from a classy-sounding baritone to high-pitched but nicely controlled levels.

The last two tracks on this record break up the lively vibe of the previous seven ones. "Tiger Tiger" is a leisurely, exotic-sounding instrumental, while "The Seventh Stranger," with its morose, longing lyrics and beautiful sound, comes of as a genuine tearjerker. Overall, there's just lots of tangents and bridges within these songs that make them very memorable, even after the first listen.

If "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" has any faults, it might be that the songs come off as too tightly formulated and aiming to please. Still, this was a great release by Duran Duran before the classic five-member lineup disintegrated and everyone went their own way.

This album rocks. Plain and simple. From the catchy "New Moon on Monday" to the mysterious "Seventh Stranger" to the original version of "The Reflex", this album shows Duran Duran's style slightly more matured than the first two albums. By the time this album was released they were riding a wave of global popularity. I wish "Seventh Stranger" had been released as a single, but they chose to go with the more radio-friendly, upbeat songs. I also would have liked to hear "Cracks in the Pavement" as a single, just for the line "Now I'm saying this in private/If I had a car I'd drive it (insane)"!

This album also gets bonus points with me for the eye-candy cover photo, they were certainly looking their finest (and hottest) on this one! :)

This is another must-have for any fan of 80's music!

Back in the days when Duran Duran's music and videos told stories -- how I miss those days. This is an amazing album because the stories are all creepy and intense, examining the struggle to fame, fortune, and connectiveness. Once more, I think the non-singles on the album are better than those you could hear on the radio in the 1980s.

I remember buying the cassette of this years ago around the time that it was released in 1983. I admit that it's not one of my favorite albums, but I still respect and listen to it here and there. I don't have a favorite album from Duran Duran--I like a few songs off each release (mostly the earlier material). Seven and the Ragged Tiger has an interesting overall sound to it though. It's a different listening journey than the first and second albums. I like the way Nick Rhodes utilizes the keyboards on this album. The songs that stand apart from the others are "Tiger Tiger," "The Seventh Stranger," and "The Reflex." The instrumental "Tiger Tiger" is very good indeed and well put together. I think that Duran Duran did a pretty good job putting Seven and the Ragged Tiger together. Give this album a listen.

I saw Duran Duran live at the Roxy this week, and though they didn't play any songs off this album, they still ROCKED!! "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" is everything you want in a pop album: great vocals, smart lyrics, awesome guitars. This album is even better than the overrated "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen, who isn't anywhere near as talented as Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes. Duran Duran are awesome and I really love this album!!