Product Description

The artistic progression from the band's self-titled debut to the following year's RIO was the greatest aesthetic leap of Duran Duran's career. The group moved from catchy but somewhat rudimentary New Romantic synth-funk to elegantly arranged, sophisticated pop-rock, concentrating more on song structure than dance beats. For their efforts, they were rewarded with superstar status, due chiefly to "Hungry Like the Wolf", a lascivious tune that injects a welcome dose of rock & roll guitar. The most impressive tracks on RIO, though, are the more contemplative, balladic offerings, like "Lonely in Your Nightmare", "Save a Prayer", and especially "The Chauffer", with its stream-of-consciousness lyrics and unconventional structure, arty without seeming pretentious. If you onlyhave one Duran Duran album, it should be RIO.

Track Listing

1. Rio
2. My Own Way
3. Lonely In Your Nightmare
4. Hungry Like The Wolf
5. Hold Back The Rain
6. New Religion
7. Last Chance On The Stairway
8. Save A Prayer
9. Chauffeur
10. Rio
11. Hungry Like The Wolf
12. Save A Prayer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2344 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-11
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Original recording remastered

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 pull heavily on your heartstrings. With the dance-oriented singles "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf", you lighten up 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-coloured synthpop.--Beth Bessmer

Customer Reviews

And when she shines, she really shows you all she can...
I can but echo many of the comments above -- this is one of THE albums of the 80s. From the moment your CD drawer shuts to the moment it opens again 45 minutes later, there is simply not a single duff moment. Personal favourites are the exhuberant title track, the dark and positively spooky Chauffeur (I am listening to this track on headphones as I write this, and the hairs are all standing up on my arms!), the glorious 6th-form-disco-slow-dance classic Save A Prayer, and -- possibly my favourite Duran track of all time -- the truly brilliant Last Chance On The Stairway.
Oh, and whoever said that the bass is over-prominent obviously needs new ears -- the bass makes this album. Just listen to the bassline on Rio and tell me it ain't so. This album is John Taylor's tour de force.

BEST POP ALBUM EVER
Ain't Nothing like Rio if You love Pop Music. Every song in this album is a classic... Duran Duran at its top. The Title track is the highlight, but songs like Hungry Like The Wolf and Save A Prayer reached the classic status the day after their release, back in summer 1982. And don't forget gems like The Chauffeur and New Religion.

Giancarlo - Turin, Italy

Classic 80s album
Rio is Duran Duran's best known album and is a highlight of the early 1980s. Its popularity has been shown in its appearances in several all time greatest album polls, including several conducted by Q magazine and Colin Larkins 1000 All Time Albums. As well as the title track, which its famous video, the album also contains Hungry like the wolf and the band's best song, Save a Prayer. As well as the more catchy pop songs, there is the cold atmospheric track Chauffeur. As a snapshot of the early 1980s, this is worth investing in.