Ruby Red (Dambuilders album)

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]

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)

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. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 707–708.
  5. "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. "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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