Duran Duran - Rio (1982)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by a CD.

Released thirty years ago today, Rio is easily one of the seminal New Wave/New Romantic albums of the 1980s. Definitely the high point of the band - the Nagel album cover, the haircuts, the shiny suits, the music, and the videos just scream '80s. The music is consistent throughout: nonsensical lyrics, funk bass lines, atmospheric keyboards, and guitar work more suited to a rock band than a New Romantic group. This album was a big influence on me in regard to the music I would listen to for the next few years. A desert island CD. Curiously, this album didn't make Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980's. Hell, they didn't even bother reviewing the album upon release. Screw 'em. After more listenings than I could count, this album should be ingrained my DNA by now.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "catchy, melodic and accessible"
• Smash Hits (5½ out of 10): "not totally satisfying"
• Trouser Press: "a modern-sounding record with a lot of old-fashioned virtues"
• Stereo Review: "dance music with design values"
• Robert Christgau (C-): "Anglodisco at its most solemnly expedient"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #6
• Billboard Rock: #2
• CashBox: #6
• Rolling Stone: #3

Tracks: I love Rio, My Own Way, Hold Back the Rain, Last Chance On the Stairway, and The Chauffeur, but the whole of what was side 1 (now tracks 1-5) is highly enjoyable. I'm probably in the minority, but I've never much cared for the repetitive Save A Prayer, so I sometimes skip that one, but 8 good tracks out of 9 is a winning percentage for sure. 4 of the tracks were eventually released as singles:

• My Own Way (UK #14, didn't chart in the US)
• Hungry Like the Wolf (UK #5, US #3)
• Save a Prayer (UK #2, #16 in US in 1985)
• Rio (UK #9, US #14)

It's almost criminal that Last Chance On The Stairway wasn't released as a single.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Once I saw the video for Hungry Like The Wolf, I was hooked. This album was never far from my turntable and car stereo during my junior year in high school. The Markmobile didn't have a/c, so the windows were always rolled down, which means most residents of the small town I lived in were treated to me singing along to Rio at the top of my lungs as I drove around town. My friends and I would also go to the local Pizza Hut and play songs from this album on the jukebox while we waited for our pie.

I listened to this music so often and so intently that I started to hear all the different lines, even those way back in the mix. I would then point them out to my friends, who would say they hadn't heard those parts before. This helped me gain confidence in my ear, which improved my confidence as musician. If only my talent had matched my confidence. It's almost embarrassing to admit that my earliest ear-training came from a New Wave album, but that's what happened. At the same time, I was wearing this DD pinback on my shirts:

A few years ago, I bought the DVD from the Classic Albums series about the making of Rio (below). A lot of material from that DVD is available on YouTube if you're interested. I don't know if they were a good live band back then, but I would have enjoyed seeing them on tour supporting this album.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Astronaut (2004)
The Singles 81 - 85 (2003)
Decade (1989)