Customer Reviews

Rio

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Duran Duran's "Rio" is unequivocally the perfect pop album, perhaps the band's best effort ever. It's largely defined by its atmospheric keyboard sound, which provides an aura of mysteriousness and sometimes foreboding. As was typical with pop music from its era, "Rio" contains pristine '80s production and mixing by producer Colin Thurston, but it's important to note that every song here is a potential hit, radio-friendly to the max, with lyrics that go from lightweight to soul searching. Often, Simon LeBon portrays himself in an almost sympathetically light, despite his outward vanity. He has a way of getting down about himself, acting tired and pleading, while his voice ranges from low and droning to piercingly high-pitched. LeBon is a good singer, but when his voice is double-tracked on some tunes the results are positively awesome. Lyrically, "Rio" is more astute and mature than one might expect from five English pretty boys plastered all over MTV and in their 20s. There's defiance ("My Own Way," "Hold Back the Rain"), romance ("Lonely in Your Nightmare"), a questioning of personal faith ("New Religion") and elegance and gloomy mysteriousness ("The Chauffer").

Oh, and we can't forget about the mega hits like "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf," both of which still get played on modern-rock radio stations across the country today. Overall, this album is splattered with big, arena-ready choruses, ambient and mysterious synth sounds by Nick Rhodes, chunky bass lines by rocker-at-heart John Taylor, and precision percussion throughout.

The one-night-stand love song is surprisingly tender ("Save a Prayer"), while other songs are filled with bravado and gusto, sounding distressed in the the grand choruses. Most interesting is the dark and foreboding "The Chauffer," which demonstrates Duran Duran's tendancy to go from heroic to tragic from song to song, always remaing ready for big-time radio airplay. No one should miss this early-'80s classic.

I wasn't born yet when this record was released, so I missed out on the Duran Duran heyday. But the other day, I heard this incredible song on the radio called Rio. No doubt in my mind, the best song I've ever heard. Its just utterly perfect in every way! The musicianship is phenominal. John Taylor's killer bassline, combined with Nick Rhodes arpegiated synthesiser riffs created one of the best songs ever. Listening to Duran Duran is like watching a really awesome movie. The songs take you on a musical adventure, you never know what's going to happen next.

A record like this could only come from the 80s. I understand that Rio was a monster hit in the 80s, but if it were released today, it would have flopped big time! Top 40 radio wouldn't touch these guys today. Something this complex would never be a hit in the new millenium. In the 21st century, nobody wants to hear accomplished musicianship, they want cr@p instead! So us poor unfortunate people who were born in the 80s and don't remember them have to suffer through a bunch of bratty, suburban, juvenile delinquent tunes by Green Day or Avril Lavigne every time we turn on a radio! Its just not fair!

Oh c'mon, don't tell me there aren't thousands of closet Duran Duran fans out there just waiting for a chance to praise them online! If you were breathing and/or watching MTV during the 80's there is no way you could have missed Duran Duran. Love 'em or hate 'em they have earned a place in history as the first band to capitalize on the power inherent in the music video. Videos from this album--most notably "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf"--revolutionized the music industry and kept us glued to the tube to see how other artists would respond to the challenge posed by these lavishly produced mini-movies. But Duran Duran--no matter how cute Simon, Nick, John, Roger, and Andy were--could not have made it without their music. Even besides the two hits mentioned above, Rio is packed with winners: "New Religion," "Save a Prayer," "The Chauffeur," and "Lonely in Your Nightmare" are all well known and loved. But the truly wonderful thing about Rio is the pleasure of rediscovery. Who would have guessed that "My Own Way" and "Last Chance on the Stairway" could be so charming? (Who couldn't love Simon's naive bravado in the former and his <gasp> touching sentimentality in the latter?) No self-respecting Duran Duran fan can omit this album from his/her collection!

This is one album that each song is amazing- a "Perfect" Album.

It contains the dance greats of "Rio", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Hold Back the Rain", to the darkly romantic "The Chauffeur", and "Save A Prayer"

Yes, I know it is considered an "80's" album with lots of flashy "James Bond" videos to back it up, but those videos could not exsist without the excellent writing and performing that went into these songs enabling this great piece of work to endure into the new millennium. It is still all that and a bag of chips.

**Side note: When this album was released it contained a longer version of "Hungry Like the Wolf" and a different mix of "Hold Back the Rain". If you want the true "Rio" you can find these original mixes on the "Essential Duran Duran Night Versions" album.

What are you waiting for? Buy it!

Duran Duran was perhaps the quintessential 80s pop band, and 1982's "Rio" was the quintessential Duran Duran album. Birmingham, England's "Fab Five" were primarily known for their hit singles and the lavishly produced videos that accompanied them. "Rio" includes some of their very best hits: "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio," and "Save a Prayer." But this is more than just a singles album. With "Rio," Duran maintained their New Romantic pop excellence over the course of an entire album. They would produce many more hits throughout the 1980s, but they wouldn't release another full album as strong as "Rio" until 1993's "The Wedding Album."

On "Rio," Duran perfected a formula that they devised on their first album, 1981's "Duran Duran," and would repeat throughout the 1980s: a "side one" of catchy, up-tempo songs and a "side two" of moodier, atmospheric numbers. For those who remember the days of vinyl, "Rio" is truly an album of two perfect sides.

"Side One:" The opening chords of "Rio" explode like crashing ocean waves, with Nick Rhodes' ingenious use of synthesizer arpeggios setting the stylistic tone for the record. The title track's euphoric, eternally memorable chorus is equaled a few songs later by that of "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio's" other smash single. "My Own Way," a bigger hit in the UK than in the US, doesn't quite match the catchiness of those two songs, but nowhere else is Simon LeBon's braggadocio so gloriously evident ("I'm on 45!"). "Lonely in your Nightmare" is a lovely, piano-driven midtempo song, while "Hold Back the Rain" is an aggressive, pulsating dance track that spawned endless 12" mixes.

"Side Two:" The ominous intro of "New Religion" segues to a bass-driven groove that exemplifies Duran's moodier side. "Last Chance on the Stairway" is a giddy paean to youthful romance, a teenybopper's guilty pleasure. "Save a Prayer," a lush, calypso-flavored ballad, evokes romantic nights in tropical paradises, while the final track, "The Chauffeur," builds dramatically from a sparse keyboard ostinato to a dense instrumental coda that became the highlight of many a Duran Duran concert.

There's no doubt that Duran Duran relied on visuals as much as music to achieve their fame. Indeed, "Rio's" exotic, exuberant Nagel cover girl succeeds as well as the music itself in establishing Duran's jet-setting zeitgeist. But with "Rio," Duran Duran proved they're more than just well-coiffed video stars. As emblematic of the 1980s as they are, these songs have nevertheless stood the test of time. Like a glittering, multifaceted diamond, "Rio" endures as a shining example of 80s pop music at its best.

I was fortunate to interview Simon LeBon while DD was on the road in America for a tour of club dates after the surprise success of "Girls On Film" in US dance emporiums. He mentioned that he was thrilled to be in New York city and had been writing songs non-stop since the band had arrived. Those inspirations must have been the seeds for the songs that evolved into their second album, "Rio." There is an amazing amount of youthful exuberance to be found throughout this disc's nine songs, and the band plays with confidence that belied "Rio's" sophomore album status.

On this album, Duran Duran hit their stated ambition of mixing the do-it-yourself energy of punk with the dance grooves of Chic. DD's concept of punk may have been rooted more in Bowie and Roxy Music than the MC5, but they were the earliest to transcend the New Wave/New Romantic label and have massive pop hits. "Hungry Like The Wolf" beat like nobody's business, undoubtedly helped by the orgasmic moans of an uncredited female. The video for that song was embraced by MTV and "Rio" became a smash.

Take away that hit, and the rest of "Rio" still comes away as imaginative, melodic and brash. The musicianship was greater than the sum of its parts, as each member locked in flawlessly with the others (and Nick Rhodes keyboards a standout), while Simon LeBon shoots for earnest passion and hits his mark, even when the lyrics are fluffy ("Hold Back The Rain"). The manic dual vocals of "New Religion" were also a highlight, something most bands wouldn't have the maturity to pull off on a second record.

More than 20 years later, "Rio" maintains its vitality, better than many of the "important" bands of the period have. Rio maybe have been dancing across the sand, but for Duran Duran, this solid album was sugar sweet and remains their best work.

I wonder how differently I would feel about Rio if I had not been a child of the 80s. This is my favorite pop album, although I may not admit that to some people... Rio was a producer's album that was so 80s it could have made Miami Vice feel understyled, a record that not only overachieved on the charts, but somehow managed to outlive its contemporaries.

I was just starting to switch to cassettes when this album came out, and I made sure that my player's Auto-Reverse was put to work when this was popped in. I would find myself rapt in the song sequence, moving seemlessly from one musical world to another. Even the move from The Chauffer to Rio was an easy one, as side 2 would flip over. It's almost as if the songs were all written for one another per se--there are very few albums I can say that about.

I have found myself resisting learning the lyrics, so that its replayability would remain high, and it indeed has, as I can't forsee ever growing tired of it. Even the songs that I didn't like so much in the beginning (My Own Way, Lonely/Nightmare) have grown on me to the point where I wouldn't dream of skipping a track.

As has been discussed, I feel that John's bass playing is an inspired bridge between the 70s and 80s, and helped set the stage for the rest of 80s pop bass--and yes, he was truly one of the influencial players of his time, along with Marc King and others.

An interesting note, is that when I finally replaced my worn-out cassette with a CD, I noticed that the album had been remastered, although it didn't say so anywhere. I much prefer the old mix of Hold Back The Rain to the current one, it was maybe the one song that I knew could put me out like a light at bedtime =)

Length:: 4:25 Mins

If the song RIO doesn't make you feel good, nothing will. This album is my all-time favorite. The sounds and flair this album possesses is incredible. Hearing "Hungry Like the Wolf" for the first time in my used-1975 Firebird is something I will not forget.

The album is electric with varying feels from "RIO", to "Hold Back the Rain", to "New Religion". This album is solid... I highly recommend this album.

All of the songs are great. Simon LeBon's voice is irresistible, well, hold on...I'll go through all the songs... "Rio" is as great as the video is, with a sexy tinge. "My Own Way" is fast and upbeat, leading to "Lonely in Your Nightmare", which sounds, at first, mind you, like the Cure, but as the whole song begins, reminds me of the Beatles. Next, comes the classic "Hungry Like the Wolf", and who can forget the teasing laugh in the beginning, and then to have the great guitar intro? "Hold Back the Rain" sounds like HLTW, but with a different beat and tone. "New Religion" is an interesting song, with a subtitle above in the booklet of "A dialogue between the ego and alter-ego", which means that while Simon's lead singing in going on, he's also singing other stuff during the time and between. My other personal favorite on this album is "Last Chance on the Stairway", which is romantic, with Simon's vocals, and the words give me a dreamy sigh, with such lyrics as "'Cause when all the curtains are pulled back, we'll turn and see the circles we traced," or "...baby dance with me." Also, "Save a Prayer", which is another romantic song, despite the insinuations of one-night stands. Last but not least, is "The Chauffeur", about a quick romance, which sounds more classical, but gradually gets a more traditional beat. All together, an excellent and must-get CD!