Rio

Spin (p.104) - "[T]he Durannies take new-romantic pop to the masses with lush, synth-driven choruses and lavish videos..." Q (6/00, p.61) - Ranked #98 in Q's "100 Greatest British Albums" - "...Defined early '80s aspirational glamour, comprising 9 trashily addictive tunes..." Magnet (p.114) - "[T]he Taylors, drummer Roger and guitarist Andy, laid down an aggressively grooving foundation over which vocalist Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes dropped candy-coated bits of melody and insouciant jet-set attitude." CMJ (1/5/04, p.10) - Ranked #13 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1982". CMJ (1/5/04, p.10) - Ranked #1 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1982". Q (Magazine) (p.125) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Originally released in 1982, today both the Chic-inspired basslines and aspirational lyrics of RIO seem utterly contemporary..." Paste (magazine) - "[I]t's the band's greatest achievement....[The] subtle aesthetic shift from New Romanticism to synthpop -- coupled with the band's video success on MTV -- made them a smash and helped usher in the Second British Invasion." Pitchfork (Website) - "RIO isn't just front-loaded with some of the era's most bulldozing hits, it's still Duran's best shot at an artistic legacy." Record Collector (magazine) (p.85) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "1982's RIO was and remains one of the 80s' finest pop statements..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.84) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Duran Duran gave some thought to their 12" singles...[and] -- the biggest achievement of all -- laying down mixes which don't sound embarrassing two decades later."