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    Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut
    Unavailable
    Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut
    Unavailable
    Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut
    Audiobook6 hours

    Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut

    Written by Rob Sheffield

    Narrated by Scott Sheppard

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The author of the national bestseller Love is a Mix Tape returns, with a different -- but equally personal and equally universal -- spin on music as memory.

    "No rock critic-living or dead, American or otherwise-has ever written about pop music with the evocative, hyperpoetic perfectitude of Rob Sheffield," So said Chuck Klosterman about Love is a Mix Tape, Sheffield's paean to a lost love via its soundtrack. Now, in Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, Sheffield shares the soundtrack to his eighties adolescence.

    When he turned 13 in 1980, Rob Sheffield had a lot to learn about women, love, music and himself, and in Talking to Girls About Duran Duran we get a glimpse into his transformation from pasty, geeky "hermit boy" into a young man with his first girlfriend, his first apartment, and a sense of the world. These were the years of MTV and John Hughes movies; the era of big dreams and bigger shoulder pads; and, like any all-American boy, this one was searching for true love and maybe a cooler haircut. It's all here: Inept flirtations. Dumb crushes. Deplorable fashion choices. Members Only jackets. Girls, every last one of whom seems to be madly in love with the bassist of Duran Duran.

    Sheffield's coming-of-age story is one that we all know, with a playlist that any child of the eighties or anyone who just loves music will sing along with. These songs -- and Sheffield's writing -- will remind readers of that first kiss, that first car, and the moments that shaped their lives.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 15, 2010
    ISBN9781101147610
    Unavailable
    Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut
    Author

    Rob Sheffield

    Rob Sheffield is a columnist for Rolling Stone, where he has been writing about music, TV, and pop culture since 1997. He is the author of the national bestsellers Love Is a Mix Tape: Love and Loss, One Song at a Time; Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man’s Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut; Turn Around Bright Eyes: A Karaoke Journey of Starting Over, Falling in Love, and Finding Your Voice, On Bowie and Dreaming the Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Whole World. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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    Reviews for Talking to Girls About Duran Duran

    3.5/5

    155 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Unfortunately I must be too young to enjoy this book. Though I was born in 1982, I did not get many of the 80's references, so I felt I could not fully relate to Rob's experiences and just found most of the references distracting. This is no criticism of his writing--I just could not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
    • 3/5
      2.75

      When I was in Junior High and High School my dream was to write for Rolling Stone magazine. Reading this was a nostalgia trip that made me recall my youth, and where those dreams were born. I enjoyed the trip down 80's lane that Sheffield provided, but I wish he would have driven us a bit farther. The book only scratches the surface of a memoir and is often disjointed on delivery. Its, at times, more of a photo blurb than a full article. Still, it was enjoyable enough to almost garner a full 3 stars.
    • 2/5
      A music writer ties snippets of his life to popular 80's music while trying to explain how each music style reflected the times. A cute premise that grew very tiresome very quickly!
    • 5/5
      A love letter to 80's music. Beautifully written and so entertaining. Rob Sheffield, a writer for Rolling Stone, recounts the his favorite (or most memorable) 80's songs and what they remind him of. Little snippets of song and life. This book is rad!
    • 2/5
      I liked several of the essays very much. Most of them were just okay, though, and I think the book went on too long. I loved reading about Sheffield's totally awesome sisters. I think he should write a straight memoir about growing up with them shepherding him through life, it would be such fun. I remembered nearly all the songs, but with considerably less fondness than the author did, so that perhaps contributed to my overall sense of malaise regarding the majority of this book. Sheffield also assigns way too many gender stereotypes to suit me.

      But if you grew up in the 80s, it's certainly worth leafing through. The intro is hilarious, though ridden with the aforementioned sterotyping.
    • 1/5
      I’m more than halfway through but I don’t think I’m going to finish this one. It isn’t awful, I don’t hate it, it’s just really…nothing.

      This is what you read if Chuck Klosterman is too deep or difficult for you. I can enjoy Klosterman in small doses. This is Chuck with less to say, and not as funny. He can put a sentence together and is not a bad writer in that way, it was only after reading a couple chapters that I thought "what the hell is this guy going on about?"

      Imagine you’re having a conversation;

      "Remember that 80’s song ___?"
      He sings a couple lines
      "I love 80’s music! When that song came out I worked at ___"
      He then spends half an hour telling you about his job when he was a teenager, or the arguments he had with his sister, or his car or something.

      If you were at a party you’d probably try to get away from this guy after a few minutes. That’s this whole book in a nutshell. The problem is the stories just aren’t very interesting. It’s not like he had any story worthy experiences, or like some authors, can pull some insight out of common, mundane experiences. These are not even really essays into what the music means, or growing in America in the 80’s, or anything else that I can get out of it. It’s just some guy rambling about his teenage years and a lot of not terribly exciting music.

      The other problem is the one lots of others have pointed out. He makes a lot of sweeping statements; girls like this, boys like that, everyone in ’84 was listening to ___, all teenage boys are like ___, etc. We’re close to the same age, yet I found I disagreed with almost everything he said, like we grew up on different planets. It was very distracting since he does this a lot.

      I didn’t like this or Nick Hornby’s similar book. I’ve probably had all the Klosterman I need. I guess I need to quit reading these things. Why is it that so many music obsessed writers seem to have such dull musical taste? Maybe I’ve just gotten lucky that way.

    • 5/5
      Sheffield, a music critic for Rolling Stone, writes an amusing and touching depiction of his life growing up in the 1980s with each chapter built around a song from that misunderstood decade. Sheffield stands out from the stereotypical music critic as he declares a true love for a lot of this music, even the songs and bands he knows aren’t very good. The book resonates with me because so much of his life story is similar to my own. We both grew up in the 80s fascinated with the music and culture of the decade, we lived in New England suburbs, we had Irish-American families, we were unusually active in the Catholic church at a young age, we had sisters who influenced us greatly (he has three younger sisters, I have one older sister) and we went to college in Virginia (I went to William & Mary for undergrad, while Sheffield went to University of Virginia for graduate studies). Perhaps the most eerie similarities are when he (like I) works at a Harvard University library and he shares a house with his grandfather in the same neighborhood, and possibly even the same street, where I now live. So, if I never write my own biography, this book will give you the gist. Even if you have nothing in common with Sheffield I recommend this book for Sheffield’s humor, cheerful optimism, and deep love for the 1980s.
    • 4/5
      A hilarious read! Anyone who was a child of the '80s like me will appreciate it very much, even if for some reason you don't agree that Duran Duran was the best band EVER. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      I was born in 1984. So for me, the ‘80s mainly consisted of a lot of My Little Pony, diapers and learning how to write my own name, but not a lot of concert going and head banging. I grew up on a steady diet of ‘90s, but was only in kindergarten when the infamous “hair” decade came to a close. This does not mean I can’t appreciate some good ‘80s references though, I was a huge fan of the original I Love the ‘80s show on VH1. I just didn’t experience the decade in the same way as others who were teens during that era.In Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, Sheffield explores his own experiences growing up with a bunch of sisters in the 1980s. As a writer for Rolling Stone, his love of music has only grown over the years, but it was just in its infancy when he was introduced to the music of Madonna and Prince. Sheffield’s candor throughout the book makes it feel like you’re chatting with a friend and reminiscing about your years spent discovering who you are. The chapters, each titled with a hit song, tell disconnected stories from his life. Some are sweet, others funny; there’s a great bit about his love of karaoke, another about the horrible things we do for the people we love (when he’s living with his grandpa). My favorite chapter was “Enola Gay” which covers Sheffield’s time in Spain. I couldn’t stop laughing at a section where he describes seeing the movie Airplane! with friends who had never seen it. A lot of the humor is lost in translation and he finds himself howling at the jokes he knows so well, while the other wonder why characters keep saying, “Me llamo es no Shirley!” The book’s main strength was also its main weakness. The stories are disconnected, which makes it easy to pick up and put down, but also makes it feel a bit too episodic. It veers from funny to sad, so the book doesn’t have a consistent mood. It feels like a collection of short stories or memories that have been strung together under the pretense of “’80s music.” It’s a fun summer read, but I liked it, I didn’t love it and wouldn’t re-read it.  
    • 4/5
      I will probably forever remember this memoir, not because it was so terribly memorable, but because it was the first book I read on my e-reader, which was kind of exciting for me. Other than that, I was kind of disappointed. It wasn't bad; it was just okay. I was a teen of the 80's, so I thought I would really relate to this well. I did relate somewhat, but maybe it was a little too new-wave for me. I thought the title was misleading -- not a whole lot about Duran Duran in there, sort of touch & go with the quest for true love, and I don't really remember reading anything about a cooler haircut. It was fun taking a trip down memory lane -- some things were spot-on, but other things I read & just kind of thought, "What is he talking about?!"
    • 4/5
      I read this because I liked the title, it made me chuckle (and think of 7th and 8th grade.) I can't say enough good things about this book. I felt like one of my friends was talking to me, because many of us couch our lives in terms of what music we were listening to or what movies we had recently seen when talking about a specific time in our lives. A lot of people my age? We make sense of how we grew up to a soundtrack that except for some obsessive thing he has with a one-hit-wonder band I've never heard of, track moments of my life with the songs he lists for his. We all identify with the awkwardness of talking to someone of the opposite sex, but can be unified in music--whether it is or isn't Duran Duran per se.I think, no, I know that I have a crush on Rob Sheffield even though I've never seen him before. He's a couple years older than me. I spent a year in Italy, he spend time in Spain. We were in Charlottesville around the same time from what I can tell from his stories-he meeting his wife, me a naive undergrad student. I saw Duran Duran a few years ago at the House of Blues in Chicago, I definitely would have talked to Rob Sheffield or his contemporaries after the glow of that show.
    • 4/5
      What a refreshing book. It was so nice to read a book about music and a crazy time (80's) without having to read about drugs and sexual conquests. It was fun reliving the 80's through this book that reminded me of Bananarama and other bands that I'd forgotten. The author was light and funny talking about his youth.
    • 4/5
      I own Sheffield's earlier memoir but haven't quite gotten around to reading it. This one, however, I went through pretty much as soon as I brought it home. I figured it would be much more upbeat and certainly relateable. Context/confession: I was a hardcore Durannie back in the day. I also later listened to a lot of the same new wave etc music that Sheffield did. Sheffield is five years older than I am, which is close enough. I'm not sure, however, how well this would resonate with a reader from a completely different generation. Being an 80s teen is enough; he does cover a range of genres, including hair metal and early rap. (Duran Duran actually only appear in the first and last chapters.) There is also a lot more to it than music. All the confused coming-of-age basics.The cheesy lyric-based humor can wear thin, but quite a lot of the writing is genuinely funny. He manages to be self-deprecating without wallowing in self-mockery, which not every light memoirist manages to carry off.I had particular thrills of recognition (if also some embarrassment) at mentions of The Wraith and a whole chapter on cassingles, crucially including Bust a Move. There is also an extended discussions of John Hughes films (of course) and why the movie Airplane didn't translate worth a darn into Spanish.I did have some quibbles with Sheffield's denial that I ever existed -- a fan whose favorite Duran Duran member was Andy and whose favorite track was Save a Prayer. Must have been an east coast thing. And thank goodness that he clarified in the acknowledgements that he got the clap-clap thing wrong. That was bugging me.
    • 4/5
      Rob Sheffield's new book reveals new insights into knowledge all men must learn about the elusive truths about women. As the youngest brother in a house full of opinionated Irish sisters, Rob was the recipient of many early lessons about social graces and communicating with girls. Like his first book, "Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss One Song at a Time", Rob searches for insights in the world of music. Rob's use of language and musical references make this book as funny as the first, though this novel lacks the emotional depth of his first book. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend both books to anyone who enjoyed rock music in the 80's and is still seeking insight into why, to this day, girls still love to talk about Duran Duran.
    • 5/5
      After reading Rob Sheffield's first book, Love is a Mix Tape, I was eager to read his new book, Talking to Girls About Duran Duran. This was my first choice for my vacation reads, and I ended up finishing it in a day!I found Talking to Girls About Duran Duran extremely funny and had great music suggestions! I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something light and funny! And I can't clap to Hall and Oates' "Private Eyes" either.
    • 4/5
      Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut by Rob SheffieldOkay, before we get too far into this, everyone should know that this book doesn't come out for a whole week. This is very exciting for me.Not only did I hold the book in my hands before the unwashed, unshaven, apparently wholly uneducated about hygiene masses, but the version I held was special. And not just because it was an uncorrected proof. Not just because Steve Perry was named Steve Terry at one point, something that confused the shit out of me for a second. This is all very new to me, so instead of thinking right away that there was a one-letter typo, my world started swirling with the possibilities of an entirely new band led by Steve Terry, a man who sounded by all description like Steve Perry, patron saint of sincerity in the face of ridiculousness, but was in fact an entirely different man.Let's leave it there because the details of how long this was in my brain and how badly I wanted it to be true are goddamn embarrassing.No, this was not just special because of the ghost of Steve Terry. It was special because this is the official launching of my career as a book critic.Here is my basic career outline:1. Get books before they come out.2. Review them. Post on helpfulsnowman.com.3. This is wildly popular somehow.4. Actually get paid to review books.5. Start career as sincere, earnest critic with insightful things to say.6. Almost immediately slide into the world of writing cover quotes that are about half a sentence. "The writer has defied science and written a book as electrifying as it is grounding." "More mesmerizing than a swinging pocket watch right in front of my goddamn face that time I was in Vegas and somehow ended up at a magic show." "Not since I got a lighter with a woman on it where you rub her bikini and it disappears have I been this invested in the resolution of a mystery."7. Get job at the New York Something.8. Attempt to discourage young, Bambi-eyed kid reviewer from getting in over his head, actually reading all these books he reviews.9. Bury corpse of Bambi-eyed kid reviewer somewhere near the waterfront.So without further ado, let's get this career a-launching!Most of you probably know Rob Sheffield as a contributing editor to Rolling Stone. Or you might have seen him on one of those shows where people ranging from cultural critics (such as Sheffield) to Vern Troyer (alcoholic Golem on a mobility scooter) talk about things of great consequence, such as whether Michael Jackson could actually destroy a car with all his might.Those of you who are very lucky might have read his previous book, Love is a Mix Tape. If you haven't, get off your ass.The important thing to know is that the guy does an awful lot of writing, so it's not a brand new game for him. This isn't some silly biography that starts off with the thrilling tale of who his great-grandfather is and why we should give a good goddamn. This is a silly biography that takes us through the songs that define the 1980's for Rob, which turns out to be a good storytelling tool. Everyone has a couple songs that don't really mean what they're supposed to mean. Maybe Ben Folds had a hell of a lot going through his brain, but "Rockin' the Suburbs" might as well be called "Summer, 1999" as far as I'm concerned.Sheffield takes you through his songs, his times, and the music is the driving force some of the time and takes the passenger seat at others. A great way to see if you'll like this book is to read the section named for Prince's "Purple Rain." It chronicles Rob's summer as the ice cream man, a summer filled with teenage freedom and forever solidifies the impossibility of selling Bomb Pops. This is one of the strongest sections. Good, clear writing, humor, and just enough relatibility to keep things fun.Something that makes Sheffield's writing about music really work is that he's not trying to convince you to like or dislike anything. This isn't like talking to your buddy who will spend an hour trying to convince you that Ride the Lightning is the best Metallica album when it creeps up to maybe fifth on your list. This isn't like talking to some goofball who tries to convince you that Beyonce is important somehow. This is a guy who likes what he likes, makes no apologies for it, and tells you what he likes about it. Much like the claim he makes about Duran Duran having mostly female fans and not really giving a damn, Sheffield will have people who disagree with him, but he'll go right along doing his thing.The weaker points come in when reading about songs you've never really hear of or don't give two shits about. As the wave of 80's nostalgia passes over us, you probably wouldn't be surprised to read a little something about Flock of Seagulls, David Bowie, and Hall & Oates. But Paul McCartney, L'Trimm, and the group Haysie Fantayzee (which I'm not entirely convinced wasn't a joke because the story was so perfectly 80's pop) round out a number of groups. It's really a nostalgic trip through the 80's, but moreso if you actually lived through them. Not a lot of time is spent catching you up, and folks born after 1985 will be left behind children. To be honest, it was a little bit like a driving through a foreign country. It went fast, I enjoyed it, but at times I was so busy trying to figure out where I was that I didn't really get to enjoy the sights. To help you out I've included a track list of the main songs mentioned in the book, so if you want to spend a couple bucks or know someone with a decent library of80's music you can really get a leg up on this one.Talking to Girls About Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield. Check it out July 15th. Or, you know, after that.The Go-Go's, "Our Lips Are Sealed"David Bowie, "Ashes to Ashes"Ray Parker Jr., "A Woman Needs Love"The Rolling Stones, "She's So Cold"The Human League, "Love Action"O.M.D., "Enola Gay"Culture Club, "I'll Tumble 4 Ya"Hall & Oates, "Maneater"Roxy Music, "More Than This"Bonnie Taylor, "Total Eclipse of the Heart"Haysi Fantayzee, "Shiny Shiny"A Flock of Seagulls, "Space Age Love Song"Chaka Khan, "I Feel For You"Prince, "Purple Rain"Paul McCartney, "No More Lonely Nights"Madonna, "Crazy For You"The Replacements, "Left Of The Dial"The Smiths, "Ask"The Psychedelic Furs, "Pretty In Pink"Lita Ford, "Kiss Me Deadly"Tone Loc, "Funky Cold Medina"New Kids On The Block, "Hangin' Tough"Big Daddy Kane, "Ain't No Half Steppin'"L'Trimm, "Cars With Boom"Duran Duran, "All She Wants Is"