"Rainbow is a gentle, melodic, flowing piece, which swirls like a psychedelic dance.

It features the use of Riley's "time Lag accumulator," a two-tape deck delay system. Rainbow features delayed electric organ, harpsichord, and the rocksichord with dumbek providing a sparse rhythmic section. This intoxicating and seeming unending repetition of this music became somewhat of a cult favorite with the '60's counter-culture. His composition In C is often credited with launching the minimalist movement, and Rainbow, meant to simulate his all-night improvised concerts, underscores the similarities between minimalism, psychedelia, and spacemusic. The repeating cycles of minimalism are reflected in Eno's tape loops, Tangerine Dream's sequencers and even Mike Oldfield's cycling structures. "This hypnotic piece is a good introduction to Terry Riley's work which integrates repetition, improvisation, drones, classical Indian ragas, alternate tunings and electronics." 2002. New Age Voice. No #8 in top 25 of Ambient albums

Don Cherry & Terry Riley

Variations On A Rainbow

Notes: Here are three jams on Terry Riley's A Rainbow in Curved Air, recorded in Cologne Feb 23, 1975 with Don Cherry and Bengt Berger on vibes. FM broadcast.

In Curved Air

CSB Masterworks DON CHERRY & TERRY RILEY VARIATIONS ON A RAINBOW IN CURVED AIR

1 Descending Moonshine Dervishes 19.44m 2 Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector 8.13m 3 Untitled 12.35m

DON CHERRY & TERRY RILEY VARIATIONS ON A RAINBOW IN CURVED AIR CSB Masterworks

Trade Freely Not For Sale

And then all wars ended / Arms of every kind were outlawed and the masses gladly contributed them to giant foundries in which they were melted down and the metal poured back into the earth / The Pentagon was turned on its side and painted purple, yellow & green / All boundaries were dissolved / The slaughter of animals was forbidden / The whole of lower Manhattan became a meadow in which unfortunates from the Bowery were allowed to live out their fantasies in the sunshine and were cured / People swam in the sparkling rivers under blue skies streaked only with incense pouring from the new factories / The energy from dismantled nuclear weapons provided free heat and light / World health was restored / An abundance of organic vegetables, fruits and grains was growing wild along the discarded highways / National flags were sewn together into brightly colored circus tents under which politicians were allowed to perform harmless theatrical games / The concept of work was forgotten