Rubycon

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Customer reviews

review by: Stonegnome date: 2008-05-07 rating:
Rubycon still has elbows!
33 years since I first heard it, Tangerine Dream's "Rubycon" still has the power to send shivers down my spine! Their second album for Virgin records, and consisting of just a single 35-minute work (split in the middle for the old vinyl side-change, of course) this is perhaps the most symphonic of Tangerine Dream's works. It is certainly, even now, the most beautiful and the most elegantly structured, as well as the most mystical, with its soaring, contemplative mellotron choirs, lush tam-tam rolls and hypnotic pulse-laden textures. It is also the least overtly 'pop' in style and steadfastly refuses classification even now. Haunting and delicate synthesiser motifs blend with the sounds of prepared pianos and custom modified organs and other electronics, all of which ensure a uniqueness to the sound world which no-one has ever come close to emulating. A superb mastery of minimalist rhythmic patterns, together with a perfect sense of timing in the development of their material and knowing just when to introduce new elements combine to make this a truly great masterpiece that is set to live forever.

This newly remastered edition is a joy to hear, too. Although some parts of the quiet opening passage remain a little murky, many of the technical problems of the original have been more or less eliminated (or at least substantially reduced) and the louder passages have come up an absolute treat. The flanging of the recorded beach-breakers in the middle of Part II comes through beautifully, too--much clearer than on older releases. The rather raggy ending of the original has been tidied up too and I think Virgin are fully justified in labelling this release as the definitive edition!

At less than 35 minutes overall, this CD remains as scandalously stingy as it ever was, but its beauty soon forces you to forgive it this failing. Own it! Treasure it! Short it may be, but it is oh, so sweet!

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review by: date: 2007-09-27 rating:
Light Up The Joss Sticks!!!
'Rubycon' was Tangerine Dream's second mainstream release on the Virgin label after the hugely successful 'Phaedra', and the battle has raged on ever since among the band's fanbase as to which is the better album.
The two twenty minute pieces on 'Rubycon' are both very similar to the title track of the previous album. However, the production on 'Rubycon' is far superior to that on 'Phaedra', giving the impression that the band were using better studio equipment. The music on 'Phaedra' is probably a shade more absorbing than on this record, but I find the material on 'Rubycon' has far more energy.
'Rubycon part 1' begins as a dramatic soundscape that conjures up the mental image of an alien city skyline before the by now familiar sequencers kick in, with the odd stab of melody here and there.
'Rubycon part 2' has more of the same but has a much darker tone, giving the track a more movie soundtrack feel. In fact, it's no wonder that the band would carve out a lucrative career for themselves out of Hollywood movies, starting with 1977's 'Sorcerer'.
This was an important time for the band, as their UK fan base of mainly college students and prog rock fans was on the increase, and their albums were selling heavily all across Europe.
The next step for the band was to tour and to try and expand their sound, to the extent that they could make the leap from college dormitory favourites to a major recording act, making slightly more accessible music, while keeping to their fundamental principles.
This era of the band, is hard to digest for first time listeners of Tangerine Dream, but given time and patience, there is a lot to enjoy here. However, there was better to follow... Now, which way do I pass the joint?!!!

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review by: Toypom date: 2007-09-24 rating:
Cinematic and atmospheric milestone
This pioneering album of ambient electronic music was recorded in 1975. The music was recorded and played by Edgar Froese (mellotron, guitar, synth, organ, gong), Chris Franke (moog, other synth, gong, organs and piano) and Peter Baumann (pianos, organ, "arp" and voice).

The dreamy music swirls and meanders through crests and troughs over various rhythmic textures, sometimes soaring, at other times bubbling, droning or fluttering. Some sections sound like symphonic passages and the music encompasses many moods, from light-hearted and cheerful to eerie to joyful and uplifting.

I also highly recommend the later solo work of Peter Baumann which is more mainstream and accessible, sometimes even downright catchy. Other enduring German experimental music from the same era includes Monster Movie by Can, Movies by Holger Czukay and Bruder des Schattens by Popol Vuh. If you love this kind of atmospheric instrumental music, you'll definitely also want to explore the work of Autechre.

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review by: davethorn13 date: 2007-09-13 rating:
Rubyrich
This is the first TD album I heard and it's still my favourite, though I've heard less than half their output. To me, it evokes the frequent Sunday morning walks I take on a local beach which is often otherwise deserted. After the eerie droplets of sound that open the album, TD effect a beautiful ebbing wash of sound. This gives way to one of their more typically insistent rhythms. The howling of the second half is a spine-tingler, as is the choral sound that follows. The changes between sections are beautifully formed and the album as a whole possesses both energy and artistry. A lovely album.


review by: Juan Carlos date: 2007-07-02 rating:
Exquisite recording.
This is one of may favourite Tangerine Dream recordings (also Ricochet, Encore and Pergamon). The music is fabulous and this hybrid sacd sounds fantastic. highly recommended!

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