Rainbow in Curved Air

Terry Riley (Composer), Terry Riley (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Terry Riley
• Composer: Terry Riley
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000024QA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,696 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #2 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( R ) > Riley, Terry
  #3 in	Music > Dance & Electronic > Techno > Minimal Techno
  #37 in	Music > Jazz > Avant Garde & Free Jazz

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Riley is one of the granddaddies of Minimalism. His early music, In C and the two works on this disc, brought to light the musical possibilities of rapid-fire notation and shifting sonic textures to a new form of music. Riley has done this primarily through electronic keyboards and computer technology. The composer plays all the instruments on this extraordinary disc: electric organ, electric harpsichord, "rocksichord," dumbec, tambourine, and soprano saxophone. The music is spooky and hypnotic and is an early masterpiece in the genre. It belongs in the collections of anyone interested in late 20th century American music. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important early electronic minimalism, April 3, 2000

By	DAC Crowell (Rankin, IL United States) - See all my reviews

That subject pretty much says it all. This pair of pieces sees Terry Riley during the initial period of his experiments with tape delays and electronic organs, where he began to create long, flowing improvisational tapestries of repeating periodic forms. If you're familiar with Indian music, particular Karnatic music, you'll find this especially fascinating, as there's a definite parentage from the Indian subcontinent to this style. The title work is a gentle, melodic, flowing piece which swirls around and around, sort of like some candy-colored psychedelic dervish dance. But the other piece, "Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band", is a dark and delicious work, with Riley adding his superb sax (very shenai-influenced, it should be noted) playing to the mix along with tense organ drones and shocking, abrupt shifts of tone. A great work to play for those who dismiss minimalism as bland repetitive background music! This is a truly important release, and also an excellent introduction to this important period in Terry Riley's output.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A landmark release, December 3, 2002

By	rubidium84 (Ft. Calhoun, NE) - See all my reviews

This is another one of those records that come out very rarely and change the face of music. It has been said by my fellow reviewers that this record basically started the trance/new wave/techno scene. This record also premiered the "Time-lag accumulator", two Revox reel-to-reel tape recorders wired together in such a way as to create a continuous loop of sound. This was the machine that Fripp and Eno used on their groundbreaking "(No Pussyfooting)" album.

Listening to the record's first track is like watching water boil, or a hive of bees. It is both constantly changing while also being completely static. The structure is impeccable, reminding one of the fugues of Bach at times. And the keyboard sounds that Riley chooses are some of the most interesting that I've ever heard, especially the "Rockschichord" that comes in at around 10:00.

The first track presents the sunny, happy side of Looping; in the second we hear a more disturbing presentation. You first hear the ominous sound of Riley's looped saxophone creep out of the speakers, but that is gradually overtaken by a dark organ drone. Throughout the next twenty minutes the saxophone fades in and out, but the drone remains constant. And at the end, when your head is completely lost in the music, the drone stops - and the silence that ends the CD is more shocking than the loudest discord.

I recommend this CD to anyone who is in on the current techno-trance scene, so they can hear where the movement began.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meditative, with a subtle rhythmic element, August 25, 2006

By	Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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I found my first exposure to the music of American minimalist composer Terry Riley (and minimalism as a genre), to be extremely rewarding. As a fan of 1970s progressive rock and electronica, I am a little surprised that I did not explore the genre sooner, given that there is so much overlap between audiences of progressive and minimalism...well, at least there was overlap back when both styles formed part of a "popular avant-garde". At any rate, this 1969 album is excellent and sounds (to my ears) as exciting and innovative now as I am certain it did upon its release.

Terry Riley plays quite an assortment of instruments on this album including electric organ, RMI electric harpsichord, rocksichord, dumbec (finger drum), and tambourine. The electric organ however, which is heavily treated at times, dominates the soundscape. There is also heavily electronically altered soprano saxophone in the mix too. Quite honestly, this is some of the strangest and most eerie saxophone playing I have ever heard - very long sustained tones, with only incremental changes.

The music on this album is characterized by a series of what musicologists refer to as "ostinato networks". These networks are comprised of layers of interlocking and repeated melodic patterns that gradually unfold over long periods of time (A Rainbow in Curved Air = 18'39"; Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band = 21'38") with only very subtle changes over the course of each piece. There is however, a subtle rhythmic element, which is nicely demonstrated on the first piece. Evidently, this is a tendency borrowed from American jazz styles.

In large part however, the music on this album is deeply meditative, and at times borders on the hypnotic. The droning organ does a great job of achieving this and reflects a structural aspect borrowed from eastern music, particularly Indian classical music. One interesting fact that I read during my fact-finding session on minimalism was that the sheer length of each piece and the meditative quality of the music deliberately tried to reproduce the sense of timelessness induced during an acid trip. The second piece is a good example of this and seemed to at least partially suspend time - I got very caught up in the meditative aspects of the music and (for once) was not aware of time.

This is fantastic stuff and I am well on my way to exploring other works by Terry Riley including his masterwork "In C", in addition to other minimalist composers such as Steve Reich, LaMonte Young, and Philip Glass. Very highly recommended to my fellow proggers.