Duran Duran - Rio

In the decade of decadence, Duran Duran knew how to live the life. It was reflected in their videos (sailboats, silly white hats, tropical surroundings, grease-painted feral women) and garishly displayed in their public lifestyles. But if you can remove these connotations from the album that started it all, you'll be left with music that is anything but gaudy. For the most part, Rio is an eerie and sumptuous record. With their raspy, arpeggio synth sounds and Simon Le Bon's uninflected vocals, the misty ballads "Lonely in Your Nightmare" and "Save a Prayer" can still tear your heart right out of your chest and abandon it bleeding on a rain-soaked cobblestone street. With the dance-oriented singles "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf," you dry out a bit, but the songs are far from airy or whimsical. One anomaly in this release, though, is the inappropriate prominence of John Taylor's bass lines. In every song, it sounds as if he is mixed more in expectation of a solo than as an integral part of the rhythm section. Ignore this technical distraction, however, and you'll enjoy rediscovering this gorgeous body of water-colored synthpop. --Beth Bessmer Amazon.com

The remastering is awful

Don't buy this remastered version because it will make you sick!
I have the original USA 82 release on CD. Yes, it's a 16bit recording, but it sounds 400x better than this remastered version.
The remastered offering is over filtered on the high band, so it sounds like AM radio "low to mid-range sound".
The sound engineer really dropped the ball on this CD.

I recommend buying the "unmastered" version. August 23, 2008

One of the most important albums of the 80's

I understand why people labeled Duran Duran pop, with all the screaming teenage girls and #1 hits.
But if you delve deeper into the album you find something more like prog. rock. Or is it prog. pop?
Either way, easily one of the best and most important albums of the 80's.
Yes Rio is a pop classic, but then you have what is my favorite DD song ever, The Chauffeur.
It showed DD in a more progressive, dark direction that I wish the group would go in nowadays.
Rio as a whole is DD's best album bar none right up there with The Wedding Album.
Every song is good and catchy. Simon is brilliant as always, John.....(and critics have slammed his bass work on this album) I don't understand why.
Why????
His bass lines are funky and add depth and maturity to the album. No wonder why pop critics didn't like it.
The keys are haunting and beautiful.
Too bad Andy is barely audiable.
And Roger still sounds like a drum machine.
Those minor gripes aside....
Rio is simply, a must have for music fans.
If you hated this disc back in the 80's you might want to check it out again.
There's just so much to explore and enjoy on this masterpiece.
Highly recommended!!!!!!!
July 17, 2008

Their Finest

There's no question about it, Rio is their finest work to date. For me, it's tied for first with Astronaut. This album has got all the right sounds and all the right moves. You can't mention Duran Duran without bringing up "Rio" or "Hungry like the Wolf" or those classic videos that we still can't seem to get over.

Of course, this album isn't complete without the memorable "Rio" and "Hungry like the Wolf," true songs that define an era, all new wave, all 80s. There's also the deep and harmonious "Save a Prayer" which also is fun listen and another classic. Let's not forget upbeat rockers "Hold back the rain" and "New Religion," some of their best, the smooth and seductive, "Chauffer" the funky "My own way" melodic "Lonely in your Nightmare" and "Last chance on the stairway," one of my personal favorites. There's not one song you can dislike.

I truly do enjoy this album, it's fantastic from beginning to end. As you can see: Pretty looking guys+cool music+memorable singles=1 Phenomenal band. Rio got them noticed here in the states and launched them into history. And now, they're among icons. Every Duran Duran fan must have this album, newcomer and life-long alike!

The "Mad Mind" has spoken. May 1, 2008

Save a Prayer: the starting of Duranie

back to early 1983, I notice a song pretty caught my ears, and I really like the melody, and the chorus
Save it till the Morning After (2+4 times), and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
and finally found it's "Save a Prayer", and started to hunt this album
the first one was cassette (1984), it's broken because I played too much (esp. Save a Prayer)
the second one was US version of LP, the Side A tracks are remixed, but I personally don't like these 5 tracks
their CD (UK version) was released 1994, I bought it even don't need to think twice, but I found #5 "Hold Back the Rain" has "clicks" (I mentioned once on their previous album) removed, it started from Bass guitar, just feel something missing
Rio deploys these "clicks", but I don't think it's sound of Rio in Brazil
"Lonely in Your Nightmare", the haunting sound also catches my ears
"New Religion" is like an allude of "certain" church (name kept)
"Last Chance of the Stairway" recalls me of "Planet Earth" somehow
"Save a Prayer" is still my very favorite, along with "To The Shore" and "Sound of Thunder" (both on previous album)
these 2 albums are produced by Colin Thurston, and I can say "Duran Duran" is first half, "Rio" is second half, and they should be sold as 2CDs
if you have previous one, buy this one
or if you have this one, but previous one, that makes it complete December 29, 2007

Her Name is Rio Damn It!

The first Duran Duran album was moody, danceable pop with some rock sensibility sprinkled around for good measure. It was a new sound. "New Romantic" was the coined phrase of the day. Then they followed up the first album with a smash hit called "Is There Something I Should Know?" which was a stand-alone single that had all the pieces in under four minutes. They were stars.

Rio ups the ante. More guitars, more melodic pop, more suggestive phrasing and some more rock added to the mix. You get the moody experiemental pieces like "The Chauffer" and "Save A Prayer" along side some burners like "Hold Back The Rain" and "Rio." "Hungry Like The Wolf" is a killer single and "New Religion" really gives them some street credibility as songwriters. "New Religion" became a concert staple they still play today and for good reason. It's a great rock track. Something no one had heard so clearly in any previous Duran Duran tune.

Even the "filler" here like "Last Chance on that Stairway" and "Lonely in your Nightmare" work very very well. This is Class A pop music for 1982 or any era. Great stuff! December 13, 2007

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