Duran Duran, "Rio"

Mitch dances into the fire

, and

May 21, 2021

Mitch’s Pitch:

I love hats. The crazier, the better. I love how hats can instantly change your appearance and transform your persona. Wear a backwards baseball cap and suddenly you’re a bro. Put on a porkpie hat and instantly you’re a hipster douchebag. Wear a flat cap to the golf course and clearly you’re a monster. Eyes may be the window to the soul, but hats are the window to your ego: they tell the world who you want to be.

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In middle school I briefly dabbled with punk rock, but fate conspired against me actually becoming a punk. I loved The Clash, but could never convince myself that The Sex Pistols were any good. I tried to mousse up a mohawk, but my fro was unmoved by hair product. I attempted to dress cool, but we weren’t allowed out of the house with ripped clothes. My life as a punk was not meant to be, my destiny more “oy” than “oi”.

And then I saw those amazing fedoras and those beautiful men and I was instantly smitten. Simon, John, Roger, Andy, and Nick burst on the scene and picked up where Bowie left off: they were both super cool and a little androgynous. They were way too stylish but the girls still loved them. Best of all, they wore those fedoras!

My “New Romantics” phase lasted about as long as my punk phase. As it turns out, the girls were more interested in the cool British guys than the fedoras, and would rather be on a yacht in Rio than in a typing class in New Jersey. With that realization, another hat - and another potential persona - went into storage.

But my love for Duran Duran - and their amazing second album Rio - remained strong.

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We tend to think of Duran Duran as being a lightweight pop band that had a bunch of synth-heavy hits, made a few risqué videos, and delivered one of the better James Bond songs. While mostly true, it’s also true that Duran Duran was a kick-ass rock band that wrote some of the best songs of the era, and the reason they sound so ‘80s is because they pretty much invented the ‘80s sound.

Three unrelated Taylors formed the musical core of the band: bassist John brings the funk, drummer Roger keeps the disco beat flowing, and Andy’s jagged guitar lines give the songs a harder edge. Nick Rhodes’ waves of atmospheric keys defines the signature sound of Duran Duran, evocative of Rick Wright’s impact on Pink Floyd.

[Yes, I just likened Duran Duran to Pink Floyd. And Nick was my fave growing up. We even share a birthday!]

And of course, Simon Le Bon is just a fantastic singer and front man, as equally talented singing tender ballads as he is at singing ridiculously sexy songs about sexy people doing sexy things.

In other words, Duran Duran was a kick-ass rock band. They were just for a different generation. A younger generation. The Pepsi generation!

You already know the three hits on Rio and all these years later they’re still awesome: “Rio”, “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Save a Prayer” all have great hooks, silly lyrics and lots of interesting textures and filigrees that make them impossible to skip.

The lesser-known tracks are nearly as strong. “My Own Way” is a funky showcase for the rhythm section; “Lonely in Your Nightmare” has wonderful transitions between the choruses and the verses; “Hold Back the Rain” is an upbeat party song about the dangers of partying too much; “New Religion” is the ‘dark’ tune with really interesting vocal interplay; “Last Chance on the Stairway” is a solid new wave banger; and “The Chauffeur” is the best ocarina song ever written and the clear inspiration behind Zelda.

Duran Duran’s Rio is among the most enjoyable records of its time. It’s innovative, full of great songs and excellent performances, with accessible hooks and hits, and cool sound experiments.

No hats required.

CJ’s Response:

I get a bad rap here at EONS HQ. The guys think that just because I’m a hard rock and heavy metal fan I’ll automatically dismiss anything that falls below the decibel level of jet engines.

Not so.

I don’t despise soft rock or pop. I despise boring music. Believe me, there’s plenty of boring heavy metal (as anyone who’s ever tried to sit through an Yngwie J. Malmsteen record will attest). I need to feel something, anything, when I’m listening to music. In my opinion, the worst thing you can say about a song is that it makes good background music. I want music that refuses to be ignored regardless of volume.

So, when Mitch texted the group that Rio would be this week’s pick and then Ken followed that with “I can feel CJ’s eye roll deep in my soul”, I was mildly offended. Why should I dislike Duran Duran? If there’s one thing you can say about this band it’s that they were never boring.

Certainly, Duran Duran was tailor-made (Taylor-made?) for the MTV era. Five photogenic Brits who dressed well and seemed to enjoy all the attention that was lavished upon them. But, what separated them from your Kajagoogoos and your Flocks of Seagulls was that these guys could really play. And, more importantly, they could turn the trick more than once.

Rio is the album that most children of the ‘80’s associate with the band. (Although I prefer Seven and the Ragged Tiger. Because tigers!) It’s definitely a plus album with three certified megahits and a couple of surprises—“Lonely” and “New Religion”. And while I’ll stop short of calling them a great rock band, I will stipulate to outstanding power pop.

Have a little faith in me, guys. Heavy metal may have diminished my hearing, but I’m not tone deaf.

Pitch Successful

Ken’s Response:

“If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” - Sheryl Crow

I hate the phrase “guilty pleasure”. Why would you feel guilty about something that gives you pleasure? (I’m taking a leap here and assuming the thing that gives you pleasure isn’t dismembering your neighbors or building explosive devices in your parent’s basement.) But if it’s a song, or a band, or a movie, or a particular snack cake…just love it and love it with all your heart. You aren’t brave because you slyly tell us out of the side of your mouth in a whispered voice that you like a particular band. You’re actually quite the coward.

I’m as big an offender of this as anyone, or at least I used to be. I had a ton of lines that started with “don’t tell anyone but I like McCartney’s Flowers in the Dirt more than Ram” and “don’t hold it against me but I’ve seen Jimmy Buffett over 20 times” or the many times I simply stayed quiet when I should have been defending the J. Geils Band’s of the world or the Stand By Me soundtrack.

I love Duran Duran’s Rio. It’s not a guilty pleasure, it’s just a pleasure! From the swift-moving title track to the end of the album, you’ve got a tight band that can really groove. It’s loaded with funky bass lines, innovative guitar licks, a post-disco drum beat that makes you want to get up and move, and the synthesizer, which is by far the unsung hero of this album. And of course, you’ve got Simon and his unmistakable lead vocals. With three legitimate hit singles, and deep cuts that include gems like “Hold Back the Rain” and “Lonely in Your Nightmare” I’ve loved this album ever since my sister bought it in 1982 and I used to borrow the cassette to play on my little Sanyo boombox while shooting hoops in the driveway.

Pitch Successful

Don’s Response:

The main problem with Duran Duran is they’re inherently redundant.

“Duran Duran.” Stop.

They have three band members named Taylor, none of whom are related.

Too many Taylors. Redundant.

They were the “leaders” of the second “British Invasion.”

The original one was just fine, thank you. Redundant.

The first pressing of Rio bombed in the USA.

So they re-mixed and re-released it. Redundant.

Doubling down on their redundancy, all the songs sound the same.

Which one is “Rio,” and which is “Hungry Like The Wolf”? Redundant.

But nothing – nothing – about Duran Duran annoys me more than Simon Le Bon’s droning, affected, whiny voice. Hearing these songs, after blocking them out for decades, made me want to punch him all over again.

At the risk of being redundant, I’ll stop here. I’ve made my point. Unfortunately for Mitch, despite a hilarious pitch, he’s not getting any from me.

Pitch Failed

Mitch’s pitch was successful and Duran Duran’s RIO has sailed into the Newbury St. Collection.

Please, please tell us now, is there something we should know? If so, head over to the comments section and let us know what you think about Duran Duran and Rio.

Exile on Newbury St.

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