Classic Albums: Rio [DVD] [2008] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Got my Classic Album DVD in the post this morning. Was having a grey week (and it's only Tuesday) so I saved it until this evening, and now that the winter nights have drawn in, I turned all the lights off, cranked up the DVD through the stereo, and got comfortable on the sofa.

Wow.

I've gotta say, if you watch this as one big whole, ploughing straight into all of the extra interview material straight after the main doco, it's hands-down the best Duran documentary I've ever seen. All of the comments are great, the contributors are concise and informed, and the diverse and fantastic background information provides such evocative context that, for once, the real, true Duran seems to have been nailed. In short, the story this Classic Albums has to tell is of a stunningly innovate art-rock band, with great ability, who like all landmark pop before or since, defined a moment; utilizing a fab creative team of record execs and video makers, sleeve designers and a hungry management team to create a perfect piece of blistering pop music out of nothing but passion and belief.

On it's own as the standard hour long episode, it's pretty disappointing. Such a crying shame they didn't have the function to watch it as one big extended mix. A Night Version, if you will! The key issue I have with this, and a lot of the later Classic Albums, is that the producers have tried to cover too many bases by crowbaring parrallel biography into what is essentially, according to the name above the door, a documentary series about the making of those modern pieces of art: albums. As a result, you kinda get a pleasant but hardly inspiring homogeneous mush of the two pursuits aimed more at the occasional, passing viewer (the musical lowest common denominator) instead of actual music fans looking for something fresh and new. This, I fear negates the whole point of the series, and The Doors' episode springs to mind as an example of where this series can really come off the rails if its not focused.

Overall though, this documentary DVD actually serves as the alternative history of Duran Duran: it tells of the music, the passion and the talents, not the pin-up teen appeal and screaming girls. The clever interplay of the six major creatives involved in making the album (the five musicians and Colin Thurston) shines through. The five Durans come out looking like the kinds of people that were actually capable of making a great album (instead of being the cutsie-pie patsies of a cynical music industry, and which I suspect stops all those glum faced NME journos from ever admitting the album was a bone-fide addition to the propulsive lifespan of great pop). And perhaps the greatest joy is (because he's been the last to be acknowledged in these things) Simon Le Bon, who finally, and quite rightly, gets major props for his harmonies and lyrics.

So for all my dislike for the main broadcast version of this Classic Album episode, if you take the overall disc as one it does actually manage to do what it claims on the tin: it explores, reveals and celebrates a truly great, iconic album; but in the case of Duran Duran, it actually, and very importantly, validates a valuable piece of work which is so often, and most cruelly, derided by the po-faced indie snobs of the early 80s music inkies.

This album honestly changed my life: I can still remember quite vividly the shock of hearing the beginning of Rio oozing, then blasting out of the speakers. It had such an impact on me that, once the arm lifted back off the end of side one of the vinyl, the only thing I could think to do was put it straight back to the start and go again. Such was its hypnotic perfection. I honestly think the rest of my musical life started then. And whilst I don't often forget this, I'm genuinely pleased to see the album get the respect it deserves.

One PS: after all is said and done, they never tackle the album title. I've read it was John Taylor that suggested writing a song called Rio, but how come it never comes up here?

In 1981, Duran Duran came into the limelight with two hit singles and their first album, but it was the follow-up, `Rio', which catapulted the band to global success. Against a backdrop of Thatcher's Britain, with riots, record unemployment and the conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, Duran Duran released this optimistic, celebratory and uniquely visual album. `Rio' would go on to become one of the most successful albums of the Eighties and paved the way for Duran Duran to become one of the biggest bands in the world.

This Classic Albums DVD tells the story behind the writing, recording and subsequent success of `Rio' through interviews, musical demonstrations, and archive footage not included in the broadcast version. Original band members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor are all interviewed along with director Russell Mulcahy, former manager Paul Berrow, journalist Beverley Glick, designer Antony Price and Bob Geldof amongst others. `Rio' captures Duran Duran at the height of their powers, with wall-to-wall hits and great videos: a Classic Album of its time.

Tracklist as follows:

SCENE SELECTION
Intro
Rio
In The Beginning
New Religion
Hold Back The Rain
The Chauffeur
Hungry Like The Wolf
The Sri Lankan Videos
Save A Prayer

BONUS MATERIAL
Videos
Save A Prayer
How To Make It In The USA
The Chauffeur And Simon's Lyrics
Early Days
The Rio Album Sleeve

LIVE SONGS FROM BOSTON
Rio
Save A Prayer
New Religion
Hungry Like The Wolf
The Chauffeur

Released on Eagle Rock Entertainment

USA - November 4th, 2008
Europe, EEC, Russia and ex Russian States, Middle East, South Africa - October 27th, 2008
Australia & New Zealand - November 22nd, 2008
South America - November 25th, 2008
Japan - November 19th, 2008

RIO still sounds as fresh today as it did 29 years ago, and watching this fasinating insight into how it all came about is fantastic, Simon,John,Nick and Roger(sadly no Andy,who had left the band for a second time) reveal the stories and ideas that lead to a true 80's classic,and along with contributions from both sides of the atlantic including director Russell Mulcahy make this dvd a must for any duran duran fan. The live recordings sound just as good as they did on earlier releases and hav'nt aged at all.Great nastalgic stuff.