Rubber Universe - The Official Website

Lawrence Yaus (Alan Parsons Project Mailing List):

"Rubber Universe!!!!

Parliament of Fooles arrived on Friday; and I've been playing it ever since:-)

I am totally blown away by each and every one of you brilliant artists! I knew you guys were talented, but I had no idea just how gifted you really are. Everything about this project, takes my breath away!

The Musicians: Gina Ronat, Robert J. Noles, Mike Dickerson, Li'anne Drysdale, Andy Burnett, Jim Brooks, Scott Holder, and Sara Motley Live Engineer: Sandra Holder FLAWLESS! The choir and vocal arrangements (both male and female) are stellar! The choir is as beautiful as the English Chorale:-) Each and every one of you have poured your heart and soul into this album, this fact is most obvious. Even the packaging and artwork are very professionally done; absolutely beautiful! The guest musicians (I don't want to spoil it for anybody) but lets just say, I had Goosebumps!

'Negative Spaces' The album opens like Camel's 'Harbour of Tears- Irish Air' An angel of voice we have Gina! Then all the layers of guitars and keyboards, percussion, at first reminded me of 'Marillion' but then you become your own distinctive sound. The vocal range of Gina and Michael- I am just in total Awe!!! I LOVE the swirling keyboard work, and what really knocks me out, is all the backing vocals and the killer guitars:-)

'Dream Catcher' Alan Parsons likes to open tracks with cool sounds;-) This track reminded me of 'Mostly Autumn' Beautiful melody and the lyrics are very haunting. I Love the Grand Piano very much. This is a very beautiful song. This album is very very melodic and moody, and the chorus and vocal arrangements are very pretty. The flute gave me Goosebumps! The poetry is very cool, and then the electric keyboards kick in, they are most surreal!

'Romance of Illusion' The vocal arrangement is very complex, and again shows a tremendous vocal range by the lead vocalists. This track has some very cool keyboard work. I am reminded of Ton Scherpenzeel and his accordion playing. There are elements of 'Kayak' on this album:-) It just gets better every minute!

'Madness in Slumberland' Awesome BASS! How did you get those keyboards to sound so much like 'The Beatles'??? FILLED with ear candy (((headphones))) TURN IT ALL THE WAY UP! Flute, Choir, Male and Female Leading Vocals, and multiple layers of guitars. I knew you guys played musical instruments, but I didn't know you were such professional musicians. Awesome Really!!!

'Garden of Earthly Delights' This saxophone is totally addictive! There are again complex vocals (and choir), but I would say this track is a KILLER INSTRUMENTAL and the most invigorating track on the album!

'Let Me Rule Your Heart' Here is beauty. My eyes and ears are filled with tears. Such a melancholy feeling came over me. Woolfson/Parsons songs often do the same, but what a DREAM within a dream come true this must have been for all of you. The lyrics are telling a story, and the video (Ace!) brings it to life. This is a masterpiece:-) Very Parsonic!

'Paint My World' What an awesome way to open Side B on the album:-) Just What You Need To Make You Feel Better:-) Most uplifting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Robert is featured here on lead vocals; and the backing vocals are really cool. Most atmospheric!!! (((headphones))) A Wonderful Song:-) Beautiful music and lyrics!

'We Insist (Place de Gre've Mix) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yessssssssssssssss Let Yourself Go:-) A hundred thousand million stars;-) Is this a cello playing? This Is Epic!!!! This is most FINE progressive rock music; brilliant composition!

'Good Bye My Love' Piano and Guitars- SO BEAUTIFULLY MELODIC AND HAUNTING This album only gets better

'Trying To Go On' Camel is pretty like this; This is SO beautiful! The accordion is like a dream, again like a Scherpenzeel masterpiece! Clannad is also very beautiful, the multi layered vocals are chilling. Mostly Autumn like;-)

'Nine Minutes Till Midnight' The guitar is positively WICKED! Lots of sounds going here:-) The male choir soaring higher and higher and higher Killer Tune!!!

'Parliament of Fooles' Storytelling at it's finest. Very complex vocal arrangements; and then you hear the most gifted most talented guitar player the world will ever know! The piano is GRAND:-) Symphonic Rock. Gonna blow my speakers I know I am:-) The drum beat is addictive; and again those electric keyboards are total bliss! Congratulations Rubber Universe on a brilliant musical adventure. I'm speechless and totally in awe."

HardSounds, the Italian Progressive Rock Webzine:

"Born as a cover band for Alan Parsons Project (since then APP) in the year 2000, under the moniker Projectronics, Rubber Universe debuts with “Parliament of Fooles.” The disc isn’t a concept, but the tracks, however, have songs as common denominators through the vision of great authors such as Sigmund Freud, Edgar Allen Poe. The talented American band brings us twelve symphonic progressive rock tracks in which they mix originality and influence with gusto, in a manner which creates a record of special sound, but absolutely the offspring of great acts such as ShadowGallery, (see the opener “Negative Spaces”), APP (with the stupendous “Garden of Earthly Delights” and “Let Me Rule Your Heart”) and Mike Oldfield.

The result is absolutely positive: “Parliament of Fooles” flows fluidly and persuasively, conquering the listener at the first, even if I have to say that it is after repeated listenings that one fully appreciates the unfolding best work. A disc such as this could have been a valid Alan Parsons license. . . Another arrow in the quill of Rubber Universe is the presence, as a guest, of Ian Bairnson, Godfrey Townsend (current APP guitarist) and, especially, of Eric Woolfson, co-creator and great voice, also of APP.

The production and the mixing of this disc are the best, and they augment the value of the product. “Parliament of Fooles” if definitely a very persuasive debut, that demonstrates the value of Rubber Universe both technically and from the songwriting point of view. Truly a beautiful surprise that I hope will continue on the next record, given that this American band really has their cards in good order to make a presence in the musical world.

My most sincere compliments for a classy disc.

John Capon (CD Baby):

"This album is a real find. Very similar to Alan Parsons Project (but with enough individuality in its own right so it is not just an APP clone) this album for me was ( like most albums you buy) a try it anyway, I may not like it but worth a go. How many times do we all do that and end up disappointed? Not this time, my friends. Click away and buy it now and look forward to the best CD you have bought in ages. Get the glue out to fix it firmly in your CD player for weeks. When you play it first you will like it. When you have played it 20 times you will like it more. Fascinating arrangements, stunning vocals, an intellectual theme. All my friends who have heard it love it. I think this will be a very big hit indeed.so YOU should go buy it, right now."

Parrish Highly (Alan Parsons Mailing List):

"Fulton J. Sheen often remarked that there are two images of every human being: the one we are supposed to be and the one we are. Those who condemned to the Parliament of Fooles never reconciled the two with a faithfulness to their aspirations. So haunting are such thoughts that most will turn away rather than examine why their lives lack meaning or, more importantly, make the sacrifices necessary to live the meaning of their individuality.

That the weight of these melancholy dilemmas actually lift the music rather than bog it down is a real testament to not only the composers, but the musicians and vocalists as well.

The lyrics, the songcraft, and the prevalence of the human voice throughout this debut studio effort by Rubber Universe exceeded almost every expectation I had. Rather than trying to be radio-friendly, Parliament of Fooles firmly stands its ground and beckons radio to it, particularly with "Dream Catcher" and "Let Me Rule Your Heart" for which there is an animated video on youtube.

This album is yet another reminder to every detractor of progressive/art rock that the genre is never going to die the death its critics embracing prejudice as if a credential have repeatedly and gleefully foretold."

NY Jeff (Alan Parsons Project Mailing List):

"I just want to say to anybody who is sitting on the fence about buying it to just go ahead and do it.

I don't know how these folks did it, but they have readily captured and reproduced all the subtle and intangible musical greatness that is Alan Parsons, Eric Wolfson, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles. The only way I can tell greatness is by how much a piece of music replays in my head while I'm just going about my ordinary everyday life.

Let me just say that POF is in heavier rotation in my brain than any other piece of music in years!... It was my own personal soundtrack to a recent weeklong vacation to Florida. It is a superior composition by anybody's standard (less one track-nobody's perfect!) that likes the kind of music we do; that includes "professionals" and "non-professionals" alike. Kudos to all involved in this production; it has enriched my life!

Gregg Rubin, Grammy award-winning engineer (Harry Connick, Alan Parsons) writes:

"I didn't know they made music like this anymore!"