RICHARD D. RUTTENBERG: “The Outer Limits” (release date July 11, 2020)

If You Must…

…Drive All Night

That’s right.

If you MUST drive all night, may I make a suggestion?

RICHARD D. RUTTENBERG’s “The Outer Limits”.

That Dude on the album cover?

Just a thought, just speculation.

But here it is, my third review of an RDR album…

…And it finally occurred to me what’s {likely} going on.

That’s RDR himself.

Un-retouched. Unexpurgated. Un-censored.

Question- do those shades cover the laser eyes?

The Laser Eyes

OK. I KNOW it’s a long preamble for this album review, but bear with me.

My hunch is (and don’t tell anyone, since who knows who’s listening in/reading?): RDR is half man/half alien life form.

How else to explain the extra-planetary grooves, the down-to-earth funkiness, that co-exists with the “outer limits” of space/time/fourth- and fifth- and sixth-dimensionalisms?

The laser eyes simply SHOUT extra-terrestrial; the curly hair and fuzzy beard reassure us there’s a human dimension as well.

Further Reassuring Poop:

BARRY FINNERTY – Guitar on songs 3,4,8.
KEVIN CROCKETT – Guitars 2,6.
JOE BERGER – Guitar fx 1,8.
VINNIE ZUMMO – Guitars 5,7 (co-writer on 5)
EDDIE KOHEN – Bass 3,4,5,6.
LAGGY “Hijacker” PANTELI– Keys, programming, mix & co-writer 9.
RICHARD D. RUTTENBERG “RDR“- Modulus 002, Korg Karma, Elektron 4V Analog Keys, ARP Odyssey, E Bass, E Drums, Custom RDR Sound Library, programming, mixing and editing. (All songs). Composer on all tracks except co-writes where noted.

(And I’m pretty certain, almost 94% convinced, I mean fairly clearly demonstrated- that the other musicians are mostly humans.)

Space Baby??

Let’s Talk Tracks

OK. Nine tracks on “The Outer Limits”.

I’m pretty sure “nine” has some hidden, inter-planetary symbolism, largely unknown to most human life-forms (with the possible exceptions of seers and maybe people using psychedelic mushrooms as a gateway).

Since I am neither, I must rely heavily on my intuition and ears.

RDR cleverly camouflages his space-alien identity using a variety of keyboard sounds- whistles, murmurs, washes, sequences, wails, alien space-travel sounds- and sets up a groove.

Sometimes slow and deep and sexy; sometimes funky and mid-tempo- filled with jazzy chops and often lead by the hard-core chops of guest guitarists.

BUT

And again I say, BUT…the extra-terrestrial side of RDR begins to intrude- at first subtly (he just can’t help himself), then more insistently. Sounds. Signals (?), UFO noises. Hovercraft.

It’s all there, all the proof any serious student of the paranormal would need.

Workstation? Or spaceship??

Breadth. Depth. Width.

They’re all there- all the grooves, and funk, and cool jazz-fusion anyone could want. Deep, cool, smart, and hip.

Then, RDR‘s other side begins to emerge. Trust me. Give it a listen or two-

preferably on an all-nighter across Utah, Wyoming, heck, even Kansas.

Test YOUR Outer Limits with Richard D. Ruttenberg and human crew: I challenge you to present a better working hypothesis!

RDR links: bandcamp– https://rdruttenberg.bandcamp.com/album/the-outer-limits; facebook– https://www.facebook.com/richard.d.ruttenberg

Progressive Rock Fanatics facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/595398647223538/?multi_permalinks=1413972172032844&notif_t=like&notif_id=1503396208171776