Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger

Duran Duran were at the peak of their MTV-fuelled fame when Seven and the Ragged Tiger arrived in 1983, and this remastered pressing captures their glossiest, most ambitious moment.

Following the breakthrough of Rio, the band decamped to France, Montserrat and Australia to make their third album, working with producers Alex Sadkin and Ian Little. The result is a dense, high-gloss record built on layered synthesizers, John Taylor's funky basslines and chant-along hooks, made for the arena tours that followed.

Union of the Snake and New Moon on Monday were the lead singles, both moody, cinematic slices of new wave pop. The Reflex, later remixed into a transatlantic number one, is all stuttering vocals and nervous energy, while Tiger Tiger, an atmospheric instrumental, lets the band's more experimental side breathe.

It is the sound of five young musicians from Birmingham chasing something enormous and largely catching it. Simon Le Bon's restless vocals, Nick Rhodes' shimmering keyboards and Andy Taylor's sharp guitar lines all compete for space, and somehow the whole thing holds together with style.

This remastered vinyl edition gives that layered production room to sparkle, making it a fitting home for one of the defining new wave records of the decade and a centrepiece for any eighties pop collection.