I'm a big fan of the 33 1/3 series and a lifelong Duran Duran fan. As a music fan, I was so intrigued when I first started to hear the singles from Duran Duran. They sounded like nothing else I was hearing on the radio and I constantly heard new sounds and wondered, "how are they doing that?" Listening now, 40 years later, you can hear how much thought they put into the songs they were creating. While allowing plenty of room for experimentation, they were also carefully considering each layer and how it would all fit together. As a result, their music still sounds innovative today. As someone who loves the "fly on the wall" perspective of a good music book, I really appreciate what Annie has done with her look at Rio.
The interviews with the band members (including Andy Taylor!), radio/TV personalities and executives (Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter, Mark Goodman and John Sykes from MTV, for example), as well as key figures who were involved with the creation and subsequent promotion of the album (including designer Malcolm Garrett, video directors Russell Mulcahy and Ian Emes, producer David Kershenbaum, record label and management, etc.) add extremely informative perspective and often, new details, to Zaleski's heavily researched analysis of Rio.
Song for song, Rio stands tall to this day as one of Duran Duran's best albums. Listening to Rio as I read this book, I came away with a whole new appreciation for what they accomplished and a better understanding of how they made it all happen.
This book is a total joy for fellow music nerds (chart nuts and radio geeks, I'm looking at you) and Duranies. Maybe you're in both camps. Highly recommended.
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Reviews with images
Brilliant Writing And Long Overdue Recognition
Huge fan of the 33 1/13 series so I was excited to see Rio added to their list of important records. Having read a lot of these books, I know every author takes a different approach and that not all of them are successful. In this case, the writer gives a wonderfully in-depth peek into the recording process of one of the most popular albums of the 1980s but also situates it within a larger cultural context. Yes, the videos are discussed since the importance of MTV for the band in the USA is a critical part of their story. I especially appreciated how she researched the slow climb of the album in the States and how much effort it took for the band to break through. She also does a wonderful job of showing how the band's success was due to the songwriting and the music and not the image. I read it in one sitting. It was that great!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2021
Huge fan of the 33 1/13 series so I was excited to see Rio added to their list of important records. Having read a lot of these books, I know every author takes a different approach and that not all of them are successful. In this case, the writer gives a wonderfully in-depth peek into the recording process of one of the most popular albums of the 1980s but also situates it within a larger cultural context. Yes, the videos are discussed since the importance of MTV for the band in the USA is a critical part of their story. I especially appreciated how she researched the slow climb of the album in the States and how much effort it took for the band to break through. She also does a wonderful job of showing how the band's success was due to the songwriting and the music and not the image. I read it in one sitting. It was that great!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2021
Top reviews from other countries
Ms. Kp Allman
Oh Rio Rio dance across the Rio grande
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2021Alistair Steadman
Rather dull compared to others in the series.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2021A. Macdonald
Is there something you should know?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2021
Anthony Booster Bools
Not for music fans. For Duranies only.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2021
Anthony Booster Bools
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2021
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