Tangerine Dream - 1975 - Rubycon [50th Anniversary Edition]

(5xCD Box Set, Esoteric Recordings)






















I have long had a soft spot for Tangerine Dream’s wonderful sixth album, so was really intrigued when I heard there was going to be a 50th anniversary 5-disc set being released, and I was definitely not disappointed. Nearly five hours in length, disc one features the remastered original stereo mix, along with an extended introduction of ‘Rubycon’ which has been mixed by Steven Wilson, while the next two discs contain the complete concert recorded at The Rainbow in London in October 1974 while the last two contain the complete concert at The Royal Albert Hall in April 1975 (which featured Michael Hoening replacing Peter Baumann). As well as the music, there is a fascinating booklet containing loads of photos and press snippets as well as a new essay by Tangerine Dream expert Wouter Bessels.

Unless you already love this album this is not a set you will be purchasing, no matter what I say, but if you are already a fan then then this is a wonderful collection featuring Tangerine Dream at their peak. I must also mention a non-musical element which made me smile as John Peel, in his Rainbow introduction, tells the audience it is incredibly dangerous to listen to ‘Phaedra’ when driving alone on a motorway in the middle of the night with traffic in the other carriageway, and then tells everyone to do it! Each concert was improvised, each musician following the lead of the others, three master synth players (all attempting to keep their instruments in tune due to the vagaries of their equipment), breaking the boundaries of modern music and creating something other worldly and special, and even though the band is still active, when this album and concerts were recorded they were in their prime.

Yet another example of how to best treat a classic album, this extended set is a “must purchase” for any fan of the band and is something I have thoroughly enjoyed playing as it takes the listener to a very different place and time entirely. 

Kev Rowland, December 2025

Links:
https://www.tangerinedreammusic.com/
https://www.esotericrecordings.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tonnen von Hall - 2025 - Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen

Image
(61:45; Iapetus [Unsung Records] ) Track list: 1. Erdmantel 4:05 2. Vorhalle 0:40 3. Antlitz 4:12 4. Stahlhalle 1:01 5. Kraken 5:02 6. Mitralsaal 0:55 7. Kanister 5:56 8. Sockelwald 0:49 9. Kaiserlicht 5:46 10. Schacht 0:43 11. Zivilisationsfolie 4:27 12. Nebelgarten 0:58 13. Donnermesser 6:41 14. Blutrille 1:01 15. Rauschmitte 5:22 16. Klingensaal 0:50 17. Endgegner 3:39 18. Ätzung 0:41 19. Thronfolge 3:09 20. Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen 4:55 21. Herzkammer 0:53 Line-up: Markus Reuter - guitars, loops, sounds Alexander Paul Dowerk - guitars Asaf Sirkis - drums, percussion, vocals Prolusion. Germany based band Tonnen Von Hall was established back in 2022 or thereabouts, and the threesome consisting of Marks Reuter, Alexander Paul Dowerk and Asaf Sirkis has been developing the style and sound of this new formation ever since. The results of that process first came to light on an EP released towards the end of 2024. A few months later the band have now released their debut album ...
Read more

Thirteen of Everything - 2023 - Time and Other Delusions

Image
(68:22; Basement Avatar Records) Track list: 1. Timeline 8:57 2. Alternate Life 12:02 3. Where the Time Goes 5:32 4. The Penultimate Flight of Armando the Pigeon 7:11 5. The King of Istanbul 10:35 6. Warmth and Darkness 7:32 7. Count All the Days 16.33 Line-up: Brett Cosby - guitars Mick Peters - Chapman stick, bass, pedals, vocals Ted Thomas - drums, percussion, vocals Bob Villwock - keyboards with: Thad Miller - keyboards Prolusion. US band Thirteen of Everything has been a going concern for a bit over 20 years, releasing their initial demo back in 2002 with official albums following in 2005 and 2019 respectively. Following what has been a brief pause between albums for this band they are now preparing to launch their third studio album "Time and Other Delusions", which will be released on US label Basement Avatar Records. Analysis. In terms of the different variations one can find in the progressive rock universe, Thirteen of Everything resides safely inside the symphonic ...
Read more

Deaton Lemay Project - 2022 - The Fifth Element

Image
(63:04; Deaton Lemay Project) Track list: 1. The Great Awakening 5:32 2. A Different Place in Time 7:24 3. Dragonfly 3:35 4. The Nightmare 4:28 5. Exordium 6:24 - Elements of Life Suite 6. Overture 4:43 7. Fire 6:10 8. Water 6:11 9. Air 4:19 10. Earth 6:53 11. Music 7:25 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards, guitars, vocals Craig LeMay - drums, percussion with: Hadi Kiani - vocals Ehsan Imani - guitars Josh Mark Raj - guitars John Haddad - bass Charles Berthoud - bass Liza Evans - violin Prolusion. US band DEATON LEMAY PROJECT started out officially back in 2018, following a 25 year long period of gestation. They released their debut album "Day After Yesterday" in 2019, and following what I suspect has been a rather busy planning and recording period during the years of the pandemic the creative twosome of Deaton and Lemay are back with their second album "The Fifth Element" at the start of 2022. Analysis. While the fifth element apparently used to be defined as aether ...
Read more