Tangerine Dream – Rubicon (50th Anniversary Edition, 5CD Box Set – Cherry Red Records)
There’s something deeply evocative about certain albums — records that don’t just play, but exist alongside you. For me, Rubicon by Tangerine Dream is one of those albums. Released in 1975, it sits at a fascinating crossroads in the band’s output, balancing the cosmic pulse of Phaedra with something more immersive, more refined, and ultimately more enduring.
This new 50th Anniversary Edition of Rubicon, released by Cherry Red Records, arrives as a 5CD box set, and I wanted to take a closer look at exactly what it offers — and just as importantly, who it’s really for.
What’s Inside the Box
This is a lift-off lid box rather than a clamshell design. Inside you’ll find five CDs:
CD1: Rubicon – the original album
CD2: Rubicon with bonus material
CD3: Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London – 26 October 1974
CD4: Live at the Royal Albert Hall – Part One
CD5: Live at the Royal Albert Hall – Part Two
The discs are presented in simple sleeves rather than gatefolds, with artwork drawn from the original album visuals and period imagery. It’s functional rather than luxurious, but everything is clearly laid out.
Also included is a substantial booklet, featuring a newly written essay by Walter Baezels, widely regarded as the leading historian and archivist of Tangerine Dream’s catalogue. His essay was written in July 2025 and provides detailed historical context, contemporary press clippings, tour material, and — crucially for collectors — detailed breakdowns of the equipment and instrumentation used by each band member.
A Small But Important Clarification
There is, however, a notable typo that needs addressing. The packaging and booklet repeatedly reference the Rainbow Theatre concert as taking place on 27th October 1974. This is incorrect. The correct date is 26th October 1974, and this matters because that performance already appeared in the In Search of Hades box set.
At first glance, this misprint could suggest that this is a previously unreleased concert — it isn’t. It’s the same Rainbow performance that longtime collectors will already own if they have the Hades box.
Is There Any New Music Here?
This is the key question.
If you own the In Search of Hades box set, then the honest answer is: you do not need this set. There is no new musical content. The remasters used here are the same ones previously prepared, even though the credits state “remastered from original master tapes.” They are not newly created for this release.
However — and this is the crucial point — the In Search of Hades box is now out of print and will never be repressed. It regularly sells for hundreds of pounds on the second-hand market.
Who Is This Box Set For?
If you missed In Search of Hades, then this Rubicon 50th Anniversary Edition is absolutely essential.
You’re getting:
The original album
Expanded versions
Two full Rainbow Theatre discs
Two full Royal Albert Hall discs
All tied neatly to the Rubicon era in one cohesive package.
For newer listeners, this is also an ideal entry point into Tangerine Dream. Rubicon is often cited as the high-water mark of their 1970s output — and I’d agree. There’s something about it: the pacing, the atmosphere, the way it seems to blend seamlessly into whatever environment you’re in.
I have vivid memories of listening to this album on my Walkman in the late ’70s and early ’80s — walking across beaches, hitchhiking, letting the music dissolve into the landscape. It doesn’t dominate your attention; it absorbs you.
This box set isn’t aimed at the completist who already owns everything. It’s aimed at those who missed out — and for them, it’s beautifully judged.
If you don’t have In Search of Hades, this is one of the best ways to experience peak-era Tangerine Dream. Pair it with the recent Phaedra box set and you have an extraordinary snapshot of the band at their most influential and timeless.
Rubicon remains my favourite Tangerine Dream album — and fifty years on, it still sounds like nothing else.
ORDER THE RUBYCON CD BOX SET HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
