Ruby Red
Studio album by
Dambuilders
Released1995
GenreAlternative rock, indie rock
LabelEast West Records/Elektra Records[1]
ProducerDon Gehman
Dambuilders chronology
Encendedor
(1994)		 Ruby Red
(1995)		 God Dambuilders Bless America
(1996)

Ruby Red is an album by the American alternative rock band the Dambuilders, released in 1995.[2][3] It was the band's first major label album made up of completely new material.[4]

Production

The album was produced by Don Gehman.[5][6] Its lyrics are by the singer and bass player Dave Derby; all four band members wrote the music.[7] Gehman encouraged the band to think more about its vocal harmonies, and the intertwining of Derby's and Joan Wasser's voices.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[11]

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."[5] 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."[12] The Nashville Scene deemed the album full of "bombastic would-be anthems and strained power ballads."[13]

CMJ New Music Monthly called it "a crystal-clear confection of hooky, muscular guitar riffs and occasional flights of fiddle."[14] The Boston Globe opined that the band "has shifted away from dissonance (good move) while retaining the punk, punch and power."[15] The Wisconsin State Journal stated that the songs "coolly incorporate violins and creative guitar work to create a uniquely creepy, undeniably compelling rock sound."[16]

AllMusic called the album "a raw, unpretentious indie masterpiece that seems to have had few champions."[9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
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

  • Dave Derby - vocals, bass
  • Joan Wasser - violin
  • Kevin March - drums
  • Eric Masunaga - guitar

References

  1. ↑ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). "Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996". Voyageur Press. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "The Dambuilders | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  3. ↑ "Music: The Dambuilder's Final Frontier (Salt Lake City Weekly . 10-20-97)". www.weeklywire.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  4. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 707–708.
  5. 1 2 "Dambuilders". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Cellars by Starlight | Dambuilders then and now". bostonphoenix.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  7. ↑ Wolff, Carlo (Jul 1, 1995). "Dambuilders Cover States, One By One". Billboard. 107 (26): 19.
  8. ↑ McLennan, Scott (7 Sep 1995). "Dambuilders make case for rock violin". Telegram & Gazette. p. C4.
  9. 1 2 "Ruby Red - The Dambuilders | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18 – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Dambuilders". www.robertchristgau.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  11. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 305.
  12. ↑ "Recordings". SF Weekly. August 30, 1995. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Notes". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  14. ↑ Moed, Andrea (Oct 1995). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly (26): 30.
  15. ↑ Sullivan, Jim (11 Sep 1995). "Life is better than ever for Better than Ezra". The Boston Globe. ARTS & FILM. p. 33.
  16. ↑ Thompson, Stephen (4 Apr 1996). "IT'S A BIG MUSIC WEEK". Wisconsin State Journal. Rhythm. p. 7.
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