THE RUBINOOS
Paleophonic (Varese Sarabande)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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I've been a fan of the Rubinoos since their debut release in 1977, when they supplied a healing dose of that AM radio pop prescription for what ails the world that disappeared around '68 or so. It's to my chagrin, then, that I discover I missed their 1998 effort altogether at the time it came out. But so did most everyone else, it seems.

Don't despair, though, because Varese Sarabande has given Paleophonic a second (re)lease on life, and punched it up with a pair of bonus tracks to boot.

The material is what you would hope for--brand new Tommy Dunbar songs that include heartbreak ballads, pop celebrations of young love, songs to push the gas pedal to, and songs to park the car in the dark to. Great songs in an eclectic range of styles from bubblegum pop to quasi-country to vintage rock. And a surf version of the "Star Trek Theme." What more could you want?

How about another Dunbar tune, "Independence Day," and a cover of Eric Carmen's "Cruisin' Music"? Well, those are the bonus cuts, and they're as good as anything you've heard on any Rubinoos release. Good enough, in fact, to justify a trip to the "R" bin even if you grabbed this one the first time around. If, by some chance, you missed out on this one like I did, well, no more excuses folks. Time to go shopping.

Track List: Amnesia * Early Winter * You Don't Know Her * Perfect Stranger * Can I * No More Where She Came From * So Much For Fairytales * Gone To Seed * Life In The Slow Lane * Pursuit Of Happiness * Surf Trek (Star Trek Theme) * Independence Day * Cruisin' Music

© 2000 - Shaun Dale