Those who thrilled to Phaedra, Tangerine Dream's first American-released opus, will be just as charmed by Rubycon. This new package of 23rd-century lounge schmaltz features exactly the same heady blend of electronic whooshes, whirls, hums, bleeps, whines, groans, sweeps and whistles that its predecessor did. In fact, one only slightly more skeptical than this reviewer might go so far as to suggest that Rubycon is little more than Phaedra run through the tape machine backwards. Occasionally this total synthesizer assault makes for an interesting background buzz but Rubycon is so antimelodic that it makes Autobahn sound like the Neil Diamond songbook. The album will retain your interest for a solid three minutes. It would have made a great 45. (RS 195)

ALAN NIESTER