Those who love Duran Duran will surely remember this album that actually hit it off for the English band. So this is somewhat of a beacon in 1980s music with a band even Lady Diana loved and spoke highly of. It was hugely successful and it just oozes with synths, 80s rock pop beats, guitars, and vocal style.

While their debut contained a trio of hit singles in Planet Earth, Girls on Film and Is There Something I Should Know, it was ‘Rio’ that made the boy band into superstars, teen idols and music video heroes. The album cover of Patrick Nagel painted cover not only encapsulated the slick new wave of the stylish band, but also the early ’80s in general.

This LP was infact given to me by a friend and so it holds a special place in my heart. It wasn’t the first album I ever owned of Duran Duran, I also had their other albums too which hopefully I will pull out sometime.

As for the songs on the album, Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf, is the album’s two biggest singles, that were like mini-films instead of music videos, the first being a paint-splashed boat ride in exotic waters, the latter homage to the Indiana Jones films.  The music nevertheless was mind-blowing.

The rest of the songs fit well and are pretty average with My Own Way and New Religion up-tempo new wave classics that highlight the driving rhythms of bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor. Both these band members have no relation to each other, though their surnames are the same, the same going for Andy Taylor who was part of the band. The other band members namely keyboardist Nick Rhodes and vocalist Simon Le Bon seal a band, that still rocks even today, coming from when it started in 1978.

For the rest of the songs….. consider the lush, semi-tropical sway of Save a Prayer, or the closing paranoid creep of The Chauffeur, The Bogus Man. Lesser known cuts like Lonely in Your Nightmare and Last Chance on the Stairway, still have pop thrills leaving you asking for more, while Hold Back the Rain is good.

‘Rio’ is a mix of rock, disco and heart beating pop music. Tune into Rio and Save a Prayer and you’ll be hooked to this band.

Label: Capitol

Year of Release: 1982

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira