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 Better Sounding Remaster plus extras Nov 21, 2009
For those of you who own the 2001 remaster of Rio, it's worth it to purchase this special updated remaster for many reasons.
First, the sound quality of this new remaster is far superior than the 2001 remaster. In comparing them I found the 2001 remaster to be hissy compared to this new realease. The improvements to this new 2009 remaster eliminates the hiss and is punchier and more present than the 2001 version.
Secondly, which is really interesting is that this UK version is different than the 2001 remaster(which I thought was the UK version as well). Tracks like "Hold Back the Rain" and most of the others are mixed differently...and are better! Plus you have the U.S. mixes which are interesting to hear(but I prefer the UK version on this 2009 remaster over them all). To top it off, you have the b-sides, demos, and night versions on disc two.
Speaking as a musician and a music fan, Rio is one of my favorite albums of all time and one that sounds fresh everytime I listen to it. This 2009 remaster is a must for any Duran Duran fan and a strong suggestion to those unfamiliar with this wonderful album. I hear they are going to give the same treatment to their debut album(which is a favorite of mine as well). This is an important album for rock history and if you happen to be a bass player, look no further...John Taylor rocks!
great CD, really weird production issues Nov 20, 2009
I got this CD along with the Hammersmith 82 DVD. The music on the CD is what it is supposed to be, according to the CD label and track listing, but when I put it on my computer, it reads as Duran Duran Rio 2000. Same goes for the 2nd CD, with the old demos and night versions. When I put it in the computer, it came up with the Big Thing cover and the track listing for the Big Thing CD...Really weird...When you actually PLAY the CD, it is what it is supposed to be. I think the whole production of the CD got rushed and it's a careless job, which is a shame. I don't know what to do with it, to send it back and try again, or just keep it and deal with it, since it is what it says it is, as far as the actual CD itself....I do like the old photos, and the narrative of the CD...I just think the record company should have paid more attention to the overall detail.
Well done! Nov 08, 2009
I was looking forward to this reissue for quite a while, as it has both the original UK LP and the remixed versions of songs that appeared on the US LP.
It appears, though, that I must be the only person in the US who prefers the original UK version. I did have a copy of the US LP, and then the Carnival mini-LP (as these 12" EPs were called at the time), but I got my CD copy almost as soon as it became available, and that is the version I have lived with since.
Though I can appreciate them as remixes (and I have always preferred the night version of "Hungry Like the Wolf" to the album version), in the context of the original UK album, the remixed songs that appeared on the US pressings sound too bright and sterile.
In terms of sound quality, this reissue is the rare instance of a remaster done up right. Dynamic range appears to be mostly left intact rather than squashed for the sake of loudness, and the overall sound is a bit fuller than the orignal CD, which sounds slightly anemic in comparsion. (EMI is excelling at this as of late, as anyone who has heard the Thomas Dolby or Beatles remasters can atttest.)
The packaging is fantastic (though I agree with the reviewer who complained about the typeface used for the liner notes), and I particularly appreciate the attention to detail in the track listings, especially the inclusion of catalog numbers for the original releases.
In any event, this reissue should satisfy anyone who originally bought the album way back when, regardless of which version you prefer. Recommended.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Garden-Variety FAN review Oct 28, 2009
So I bought this for the demo of "The Chauffeur," and I was not disappointed. I also loved the release of "Like An Angel," but was horrified by the demo of the same (WHAT was with the backing vocals?) As for the rest, I could not really tell it was all "digitally remastered," and the UK versions were different from the US version literally by seconds. All in all, though, I was pleased.
As a fan of Andy Taylor, it was interesting to me to hear how much more the guitar was prevalent on the four Manchester Square demos. I was also intrigued (listening to the songs on my iPod,) by the use of mono versus stereo on "New Religion."
I recommend for every fan. I'd also recommend this CD above the regular "Rio" CD. I look forward to (we can only hope!) the "Collectors Edition" SATRT .... from all I have heard, THOSE are the demos I want to OWN!
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
An Exhaustive Look at Duran's Duran's Finest Album Oct 11, 2009
This is the third CD release of the Rio album, and it compiles the original UK LP release of the album, the US Kershenbaum remixes, some original demos, as well as b-sides, non-album singles and Night Versions. Because there are literally dozens of versions of certain songs from the album, no one release will ever encompass all of them, but this one comes as close as any one release ever has, and most likely ever will.
Unlike the previous CD releases, the version on this disc is the original UK LP release of the album. Essentially, the UK album is identical to the previous CD issues, with three exceptions: The version of "Lonely In Your Nightmare" appearing on this disc is a different mix than that featured on the earlier CDs. This mix features a longer synth note at the beginning, a three-bar lead-in to the vocal (as opposed to four bars on the earlier CD versions), acoustic guitar that doesn't come in until halfway through the first verse (as opposed to starting at the beginning on the earlier CDs), and different vocal and instrument levels. The version of "Hold Back the Rain" is virtually the same as the "remix" version on the "Save a Prayer" disc in the Singles Box, but with a slightly different mix. This version is dramatically different than the ones featured on the previous Rio CDs. It has the synth intro, is more texturally jagged and more musicially propulsive, but omits two of the verses and thus feels somewhat structurally disjointed. Finally, "Save a Prayer" is nearly the same as the version appearing on the earlier CDs, but with a slightly different edit at the end, on Simon's "Save a prayer til the morning after" refrain. This is not the same as the mix used for the video (which has never appeared on any album or single, unfortunately), but is closer to it than any version previously available on disc. Whether or not this is the "best" version of the Rio album is subjective, but insofar as it was the version first issued on LP in the UK, which was the version Nick Rhodes and producer Colin Thurston mixed together, it is the most historically correct, and likely the most definitive.
Soundwise, this is arguably the best this album has ever sounded. This newest mastering is actually closer to the original CD mastering from the '80s than to the 2001 remaster. The 2001 remaster greatly enhanced the higher frequencies present on the master tape, and as such sounded much brighter than the '80s disc; but it also had much more tape hiss, and lost a certain degree of focus and tightness. Compared to the '01 remaster, the sound on this latest remastering is considerably tighter and more focused, and with much less hiss; it also has more thrust, presence and sonic impact than the earlier '80s mastering, while still being brighter sounding. In effect, it combines the best of both worlds.
The Kershenbaum mixes are their own thing. Some are outstanding - his mix of "Lonely In Your Nightmare" is definitive - whereas some are just OK. Virtually all of them capitalize on details not present in the original album mixes, and cause the listener to hear the music differently. Unfortunately, none of them sound very good compared to the polish of the original album mixes. Textures are very thick and muddled, somewhat butchering the wonderful engineering Colin Thurston used in recording the multitrack tapes, which was preserved in the original mixes. Nevertheless, these are the versions many fans have been hungering for for years, and this is the best these versions are ever likely to sound. Note: the Kershenbaum remix of "Hungry Like the Wolf" on disc one is the rare U.S.#2 album remix, which was quickly replaced by the Night Version of the song on subsequent pressings. It makes its CD debut here.
The best packaging a Rio CD ever got was the limited edition mini-LP gatefold for the 2001 remastered CD. That version featured an outstanding reproduction of the album cover, and also included the second Nagel painting the band had commissioned - on the cover of the lyrics booklet - along with a separate inner sleeve for the CD, and a gorgeous reproduction of the gatefold photo. This latest version doesn't quite approach the grace of the earlier issue, even though it is more comprehensive in terms of content. For one, the cover is printed on a linen-textured surface, which is not how the original album appeared, nor is the cover quite as rich in its color palette. It has a more comprehensive booklet with thorough liner notes and many, many photos - some of which are anachronistic, clearly coming from different periods of the band's development. Unfortunately, the fixed sleeves for the CDs are very tight, and will likely make disc scratching an issue if one is not careful. Generally, it is a nice package, but doesn't do quite the same justice to the original, innovative design of Malcom Garret as the earlier mini-LP gatefold design did. However, I would say this package is superior to any previous versions of the CD available in jewel boxes - although at least jewel boxes won't scratch the discs in them.
Beyond the Kershenbaum mixes of "Lonely In Your Nightmare" and "Hungry Like the Wolf," as well as two of the cuts on the album itself, there is scant little in this package that has not been made available on CD before, either on the Night Versions disc, or the Singles box. The four demos on the second disc are newly available, and are worth a listen one time through, but grow tedious pretty quickly. The rest of the songs - which include the 7-inch and Night Versions of "My Own Way," the b-sides "Like an Angel" and "The Chauffeur (Blue Silver)," and various other Night Versions and remixes - have all been available before on CD. However, by compiling them here, this collection provides an exhaustive look at the various incarnations of Duran Duran's music from this period. For fans of this band's finest hour, this collection will prove invaluable.
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