This is a strange album to review. My first impressions were rather indifferent and as the disc dragged on, that turned into irritable boredom. On further playthroughs, the finer nuances were revealed and was thus able to come to appreciate facets of
"Rubicon". The journey was a long one to endure and most tracks never recovered from the negative first take thoughts, but the ones that did blossom upon further dissection were worth it. After a truly thorough examination of the disc I finally feel somewhat comfortable putting my thoughts to print.
Wetton/Downes "
Icon II"
"Rubicon" is an unusual slice of AOR. There are segments that are pop/progressive in the vein of
Marillion ("Misplaced Childhood") and drawing from the two headliners' experience in
Asia. Others draw from a wealth of influences, all situated in the 80s. Bits of pompous key swirling
Survivor, "Vigilante" Magnum, the soft pop of Peter Cetera fronted Chicago,
REO Speedwagon in their salad days where ballads were the main attraction for their buffet...and more. The more you listen, the closer you can hear these musical pieces from the past, shoved together into one album. It just seems to be bursting at the seams with positive influential backgrounds, yet something is missing.
At first its hard to put your finger on it. For all good intentions, this *should* be a knockout of an album, yet its not. There are moments where everything falls into place, then things are turned topsy turvy and it offroads into the bumpy trail of boredom again. The songwriting could have been much tighter. The reins are loosened and the songs are allowed to wander around in murky territory that ruins the flow and ebb of the disc and sinks certain tracks altogether. They seem flat and uninspired despite all the sugar high synth running in the background, determined to convince you otherwise. The effect is sometimes artificial, and a trifle trite. Maybe they are trying *too* hard. Whatever it is, the lack of spark and enthusiasm dims the potential light shining from portions of the disc. Couple that with a lackluster production and things seem pretty rocky. Then there will be one song that just changes your mind and starkly stands out.
Even for AOR, a genre known for quiet, smooth, easy listening music,
"Rubicon" is a snooze fest.
"The Die Is Cast" is the starter and it has an uptempo energy that echoes Jimi Jamison
Survivor and early
Asia. This should be an awesome thing, but the track feels like is held together flimsily with generic scotch tape and is threatening to just fall apart at the seams into a pile of utter rubbish. There's no fire, no spark. It sounds very 80s but the soul is missing in action.
"Finger on the Trigger" is another pumping piece and gets things together. It has all the sparkle and shine that the other song could not get a grip on. Unremarkable but nicely done and topped off with a good vocal delivery. Enjoy it because its the last time this album comes anything close to a rocker. From here on out its all easy listening.
"Reflections (of my Life)" is quiet, slow and somehow moving. Follow the lyrics and let them haunt you. This guides the song and gives it breadth and depth. A painfully somber ballad of reflection that has a gentle, touching atmosphere. Initial impressions had this tagged as just another of their boring, noodling failed efforts but after a few more spins it finally bloomed and opened up in another light. Reminiscent of the Gathering, and how ironic since the two following songs have their lovely voiced frontwoman making a guesting appearance.
The two duets with Anneke van Giersbergen are two polar opposites. One has moments of splendor, the other dodgy in the doldrums. Her voice is as pristine as pure diamond.
"To Catch a Thief" has moments of true beauty when the two voices blend and then Anneke's is left to fade like a firefly blinking out into the night. A lovely chorus makes it worthwhile.
"Tears of Joy" on the other hand is terribly boring and goes nowhere and takes its sweet time doing so. Impossibly slow and plodding, it serves best as a tranquilizer or sleeping aid. The lazy lulling violin looping its theme and cheesy vocal punctuations of
"tears of joy" makes me want to cry. Not tears of joy, but weep from the new age vibe of it all.
"Shannon" in another life could have been an experimental country song. It has this folksy, down to earth feel and an Irish flavor in its approach. The vocals seem to flare and ebb with the same monotonic flow. Truly snooze worthy. Some have highlighted this as being a daring innovative departure, but
Dare did this so much better with "Beneath the Shining Water" and
Ten has conquered this same route with greater success.
"The Hanging Tree" is sleepy and snail paced as well. Nothing worth noting, other than the fact it could be played over a nursing home's loudspeakers and no one's pacemaker would skip because of it.
If you can stir yourself from slumber, the final two tracks are worth a listen. Especially
"Whirlpool". Spacey and trippy, it pulls you into its emotional struggle. Laced with piano and a striking charge from hypnotic and dreamy to puzzled intensity. The pomp of Meatloaf, the relaxed vision of Pink Floyd, and the edges honed by the
Asia background. A slow to grow but largely satisfying trip into the strange and subtle.
"Rubicon" closes and has a very Fish-y pace in the vocal delivery, reminiscent of
Marillion before stepping into
REO Speedwagon "lighters in the air" shifting feel of the chorus. The song trickles forth like a leaky faucet, the somber mood fully embraced and dripping along. There's an overall anticipation that it should be building up to grandeur yet it never arrives at that destination and settles for tiny spikes in the pacing. What could have been epic just comes off disappointingly flat. A journey with no memorable ending.
"Rubicon" requires the patience of a saint to tolerate in one sitting. There are several tracks that would be real wonders on another album, but surrounded with more of the same, yet lesser in quality pieces, they tend to blend into the overall experience.
Wetton/Downes can definitely do better, and if very soft and slightly progressive pop/rock appeals to you then this is worth a look. Just don't expect to be colored impressed even after multiple listens. It takes a long while to gather appreciation for the buried gems here, and that time is probably best wasted enjoying something else. An improvement over the first
Icon release, but still no winner on its own. These group of musicians are obviously talented and highly regarded, but sadly
"Rubicon" just drags around far too much to be noteworthy.
Written by
Alanna Wednesday, November 22, 2006
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