From its Nagel cover to the haircuts and overall design - and first and foremost the music -Rio is as representative of the eighties as it gets, at its best. The original Duran Duran's high point, and just as likely the band's as a whole, its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable and danceable as ever. The quintet integrates its sound near-perfectly throughout, the John and Roger Taylor rhythm section providing both driving propulsion and subtle pacing. For the latter, consider the lush semi-tropical sway of "Save a Prayer" or the closing paranoid creep of "The Chauffeur," a descendant of Roxy Music's equally affecting dark groover "The Bogus Man." Andy Taylor's muscular riffs provide fine rock crunch throughout, Rhodes' synth wash adds perfect sheen, and Le Bon tops it off with sometimes overly cryptic lyrics that still always sound just fine in context courtesy of his strong delivery. Rio's two biggest smashes burst open the door in America for the New Romantic/synth rock crossover. "Hungry Like the Wolf" blended a tight, guitar-heavy groove with electronic production and a series of instant hooks, while the title track was even more anthemic, with a great sax break from guest Andy Hamilton adding to the soaring atmosphere. Lesser known cuts like "Lonely In Your Nightmare" and "Last Chance on the Stairway" still have pop thrills a-plenty, while "Hold Back the Rain" is the sleeper hit on Rio, an invigorating blast of feedback, keyboards and beat that doesn't let up. From start to finish, a great album that has outlasted its era.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts of the Week
-
Do you ever dream that you are dancing like a professional dancer on a dance floor? Then, you'll fall in love with Soft Cell The Twelve ...
-
History They originally called themselves The Reactionaries , with additional band member and singer Martin Tamburovich. According to Watt, ...
-
A powerhouse record set full of what made the Doors important. Strong lyrics married to distinct musical passages; storytelling at its' ...
-
Calexico quickly followed their excellent Feast of Wire album with the Convict Pool EP, a collection of covers and original songs that all...
-
Calexico, a Tucson collective of musicians focused around Joey Burns and John Convertino, forged an eclectic identity through their explorat...
-
Feast of Wire does indeed offer a tantalizing array of sounds new and old from Calexico, including more pop-oriented takes on their alread...
-
American Idiot is Green Day's seventh studio album and first rock opera, and was released in 2004. It is the first #1 album for Green D...
1 COMMENTS:
01 Rio
02 My Own Way
03 Lonely In Your Nightmare
04 Hungry Like The Wolf
05 Hold Back The Rain
06 New Religion
07 Last Chance On The Stairway
08 Save A Prayer
09 The Chauffeur
Post a Comment