Duran Duran - Rio (Classic Albums)

This latest addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series on Eagle Vision takes us to the release of Duran Duran’s massive second album ‘Rio’, an album originally released in 1982. The album became one of the must-haves of its time and helped define the music of the early 80s.

Released against a backdrop of riots, record unemployment and the Falklands War, this optimistic and celebratory album would generate a string of hit singles and groundbreaking videos and catapult Duran Duran to global stardom. This DVD tells the story behind the writing, recording and subsequent success of the album through newly filmed interviews, musical demonstrations and both new and archive performances.

‘Rio’ saw the band make a huge leap from catchy, if somewhat rudimentary, New Romantic synthfunk, to elegantly arranged, sophisticated pop-rock, concentrating more on song structure than dance beats. They were rewarded with superstar status, due chiefly to the hit single ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’, a tasty tune that injects a welcome dose of rock & roll guitar. Other standout tracks on Rio include ‘Lonely in Your Nightmare’, ‘My Own Way’, ‘Save a Prayer’, ‘The Chauffer’ and ‘Rio’.

Duran Duran have specially re-recorded the album’s key tracks; ‘Save A Prayer’, ‘The Chauffeur’, ‘New Religion’, ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’ and the title track live for the DVD - as well as personally telling the story behind the writing, recording and the aftermath of its success.

‘Classic Albums: Rio’ includes stacks of archive footage from the period as well as the newly filmed interviews with original band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor. Other interviewees include director Russell Mulcahy, former manager Paul Berrow and Bob Geldof.