Ahaha, this is an album I know so well. I was an eleven-year-old girl when this came out, so there you go. Listening now, I think this album is as good as it ever was. It's a New Romantic classic, and a still a really fun listen. Rio is probably the strongest, most perfectly crafted album Duran Duran ever made, the album that made them stars. Credit where it's due: John Taylor is a legitimately great bassist, delivering a surprising, funky groove that a lot of English bands did not have. You pull Taylor out of Duran Duran and you have a considerably less interesting band. The best songs on this album are the ones that lean into that groove, like the title song and "New Religion." Taylor's funky bass plays well against Andy Taylor's equally strong, energetic riffs and Roger Taylor’s crisp, punchy drumming style. Nick Rhodes' keyboard arrangements are elegant and exotic sounding, with a vibe straight out of Bowie. Simon Le Bon had a lot of charisma as a front man and his voice works well with these songs, even if he wasn't as strong a vocalist as some of his contemporaries. The album is book ended with two excellent songs in "Rio" and "The Chauffeur." The rest of the songs vary in quality, but the overall flow from beginning to end is really good. The danceable stuff is where the band excels, but the ballads are also still lovely to listen to, with some of the prettiest, most stylish keyboard arrangements out at that time. Fave Songs: Rio, New Religion, The Chauffeur, Save a Prayer, Hungry Like the Wolf