Duran Duran -Rio

There are just some things about the eighties that just stick with you; Nintendo, big hair, bad fashion, Star Wars, just to name a few.  One of my guilty eighties pleasures that I haven’t let go of is Duran Duran.  Catchy British pop music that you just can’t get out of your head at times.  None of their albums epitomize this more than ’82’s Rio.  Some will argue Seven And The Ragged Tiger is their best and you would have a valid argument.  However, there are some fillers, perhaps because it was rushed out on the heels of the success of Rio.  It has the feel of the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers in that it seems like it was piecemealed together over a three year period or so, aged to perfection. Opening with the title track, Simon LeBon and company kick things off with intense guitars and catchy repetitive synths that take the listener along for a ride on the Rio.  Even the horn section toward the end of the song, remember it was the eighties, works to make the song even catchier.  This song was one of the album’s big hits and also very instrumental in the evolution of the music video and MTV.  “My Own Way” has a very drum machine beat carried by the amazing work of keyboardist Nick Rhodes.  The chorus is danceable without being cheesy, even by today’s standards.  In fact this was the lead single that got heavy rotation in the club scene.  The lyrics are pretty straight forward, but somehow LeBon deliveries them in a way that doesn’t feel repetitious.  While not exactly a ballad, “Lonely In Your Nightmare” certainly tones things down a bit and probably drove the ladies crazy live.  Again, catchy lyrics, guitars get to shine, keyboards, and the drums keeping time with the bass, this is the quintessential Duran Duran sound.  I’m a little surprised no one thought to make this a single at some point and time.  However, the biggest hit “Hungry Like The Wolf” follows.  Big crazy video, a bit of mystery to the lyrics, and lots of fun to listen to, it is no mystery why it was the highest charting hit off of Rio. It’s use in the Shrek movies a few years back brought this song to a whole new generation.  Next is the closest thing in my opinion as a filler, yet not a bad song.  “Hold Back The Rain” just feels too similar to “My Own Way,” with the way the keyboards carry the song with the drum machine vibe behind it.  Especially compared to the next track, “New Religion,” “Hold Back The Rain” becomes kind of forgettable in the albums entirety.  With it’s toned down grove being carried by the bass and the way LeBon’s voice is multi-track layered, “New Religion” is one of the best tracks on an album full of goods tracks.  Toward the end of the song the guitar work of Andy Taylor gets just as funky as the bass is throughout, making one of those musical moments that you could just listen to repeatedly.  Following that up is another song offering a bit of the funkier side of Duran Duran, “Last Chance On The Stairway.”  LeBon sings this number with the desperation that goes along with the song title.  And is that some xylophone getting funky midway?  The way Rhodes paints a wonderful landscape for the other musicians play on is a thing of beauty to hear.  “Save A Prayer” falls into the ballad category in a very longing synth sort of way.  Again, Rhodes and LeBon own this song with the way the words entwine with the oriental sounding keyboards during the verses.  “Don’t say a prayer for me now, save it ’til the morning after” sings LeBon as the keys change into a fade out leading to my favorite song on the album.  Closing things out is “The Chauffeur,” a somewhat haunting number.  It feels both hypnotic and sexy in a way that sticks with you as you hear “sing blue silver,” an unusual lyric that you just can’t shake.  It has a sense of voyeur-esque chauffeur watching seduction to it. As the song gets deeper the more the rhythm starts to pick up, adding to the hypnotic sound.  The perfect climax to the album!  I would also recommend listening to the Deftones cover, it is haunting in an entirely different way.  As most albums released in the early eighties were, you only get about forty two minutes of music.  But almost every note is worth the price of admission.  Rio is the perfect way to remember the second British Invasion!