RUBYCON

This was the first album I ever bought by the Tangs. After the groundbreaking innovation of the albums which preceded it ("Atem", "Phaedra") "Rubycon" comes across as rather a lazy effort. Perhaps the band were simply taking a well earned breather.

The album consists of two pieces each lasting about 17 minutes, and occupying one side of the LP each; both are made up entirely of synthesiser instrumentals. The two sides are very similar in structure, to the extent that at first they may appear to be mirror images. Each starts with an ambient procession of spacey sounds which swirl around in waves of synthesisers. This leads into a far more structured trance like section with a strong rhythmic basis.

The foregoing may seem a smidgen negative, which I have to admit is unfortunate as this is a fine album. The music here is simultaneously relaxing, dynamic, and rewarding. It must be remembered that although the soloing synthesiser sounds which dominate the album may now sound prosaic, at the time they were still relatively unique and unexplored. The rhythmic sequencing which prevails for about 50% of the album laid the foundations for a whole generation of dance music (like it or not Georgio Moroder, producer of Donna Summer, must have been an ardent fan of the Tangs!). In essence, this is where prog and trance come together to find their commonality.

Like the Ozric Tentacles who followed them many years later, Tangerine Dream hit upon a formula here, which they would go on to exploit on many subsequent albums. The never ending list of albums by the Tangs which appears on this site is testimony to just how easy it was for the band to create albums at will. The challenge is therefore to separate the wheat from the chaff. To exploit the analogy further "Rubycon", is not only most definitely the wheat, but also the source of the seeds.

By the way, there are many stories and legends relating to the Rubicon river in Italy, dating from Roman times. I guess it would be fair to say that after crossing this Rubi(y) con, Tangerine Dream never did go back, but fortunately, neither did they disband the army.

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