Ruby Red is an album by the American band the Dambuilders, released in 1995.[2][3] It was the band's first major label album of completely new material.[4]
| Ruby Red | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Label | East West/Elektra[1] | |||
| Producer | Don Gehman | |||
| The Dambuilders chronology | ||||
| ||||
The first single was "Teenage Loser Anthem".[5] The band supported the album by touring with Better Than Ezra.[6]
Production
editThe album was produced by Don Gehman.[7][8] Its lyrics were written by the singer and bass player Dave Derby; all four band members wrote the music.[9] Gehman encouraged the band to think more about its vocal harmonies, and the intertwining of Derby's and Joan Wasser's voices.[10] "Smooth Control" employed a pedal steel guitar.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Robert Christgau |  [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [14] |
Trouser Press wrote that "there are some good songs, and Derby does some nice things vocally—his falsetto on 'Down' would give Radiohead’s Thom Yorke a run for his money —but it’s a letdown from a band that has rarely disappointed in the past."[7] SF Weekly thought that "Derby's lyrics alternately capture the urge to move (down the highway, into the stratosphere) and the realization that you're often literally or figuratively stuck in one space."[15] The Nashville Scene deemed the album full of "bombastic would-be anthems and strained power ballads."[16]
CMJ New Music Monthly called it "a crystal-clear confection of hooky, muscular guitar riffs and occasional flights of fiddle."[17] The Boston Globe opined that the band "has shifted away from dissonance (good move) while retaining the punk, punch and power."[18] The Wisconsin State Journal stated that the songs "coolly incorporate violins and creative guitar work to create a uniquely creepy, undeniably compelling rock sound."[19]
AllMusic called the album "a raw, unpretentious indie masterpiece that seems to have had few champions."[12]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Smooth Control" | |
| 2. | "Special Ed" | |
| 3. | "Teenage Loser Anthem" | |
| 4. | "Drive By Kiss" | |
| 5. | "Lazy Eye" | |
| 6. | "Bending Machine" | |
| 7. | "Velocidad" | |
| 8. | "Rocket to the Moon" | |
| 9. | "Cosmonaut" | |
| 10. | "St. Tamarindo" | |
| 11. | "Down" | |
| 12. | "I Forget Myself" |
Personnel
edit- Dave Derby - vocals, bass
- Joan Wasser - violin
- Kevin March - drums
- Eric Masunaga - guitar
References
edit- ^ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-62788-379-5. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Dambuilders Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Music: The Dambuilders Final Frontier (Salt Lake City Weekly . 10-20-97)". The Weekly Wire. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 707–708.
- ^ Miller, Nerissa (3 Aug 1995). "Spring Grove drummer finds home with the Dambuilders". The York Dispatch. p. E11.
- ^ "Ruby Red The Dambuilders". The Albuquerque Tribune. 11 Aug 1995. p. E19.
- ^ a b "Dambuilders". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Cellars by Starlight: Dambuilders then and now". Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ Wolff, Carlo (Jul 1, 1995). "Dambuilders Cover States, One By One". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 26. p. 19.
- ^ McLennan, Scott (7 Sep 1995). "Dambuilders make case for rock violin". Telegram & Gazette. p. C4.
- ^ Younk, Dave (17 Aug 1995). "The Dambuilders stem tide of fast-paced rock". St. Cloud Times. p. 4E.
- ^ a b "Ruby Red". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Dambuilders". www.robertchristgau.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 305.
- ^ "Recordings". SF Weekly. August 30, 1995. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ "Notes". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ Moed, Andrea (Oct 1995). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 26. p. 30.
- ^ Sullivan, Jim (11 Sep 1995). "Life is better than ever for Better than Ezra". Arts & Film. The Boston Globe. p. 33.
- ^ Thompson, Stephen (4 Apr 1996). "It's a Big Music Week". Rhythm. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 7.