Duran Duran's Rio

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.

Have read little bits and her podcasts from this writer and duran fan so was looking forward to read this book and it didnt dissapoint was a great read and a bargain price.

I'm a hardcore Duran Duran fan of more than 35 years. I have extensive knowledge of the band's discography and history. And still, I learned plenty while reading Annie Zaleski's concise yet intensely packed look into the band's landmark "Rio" album. I'm so glad there is finally a Duran Duran entry in the commendable 33 1/3 series.Not only does Zaleski cover the making and reception of "Rio," she also gets into the landmark music videos that helped propel the album and band. Furthermore, she provides key details that lay the foundation for the band's pre-"Rio" days, and additional context around the whirlwind that was the band's first few years in the public eye.I will never cease to be blown away by how much music the band made and all they achieved between 1981 and 1985, and one of my favorite aspects of this book is the timeline it builds for when various milestones happened, all with a context of how "Rio" informed the bigger picture of their career.Hands-down, this is the best book on Duran Duran that I've read.

To read about there best album

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!