ALPHA CENTAURI

Gosh!, There's far fewer Tangerine Dream fans out there than I expected. Where have all the ratings gone? This second album is one I first heard in '87. At the time I wasn't that keen on it, but now I just love it to bits. It has dated very well in that Bowie kind of way (sounding rubbish in the Eighties, ok in the 90's and great now).

Alpha Centauri sounds like a haunted house from the 1920's! Very different from their first LP. Much more 'Kosmische', and less noisy. Quite honestly, it's one of their most unforgettable albums, one way or another. You'll either love it or hate it. It sounds like everything has been pushed through filters and effects, all of which creates a totally alien atmosphere. I first bought this on a double album that had 'Alpha Centauri' and 'Atem' combined with a muddy sand- dune insert in the gatefold which suited the music perfectly. The recording, even on the re-master ain't perfect by a long shot. It sounds a bit crackly to me - but unlike Soft Machine's 3rd LP it doesn't spoil things at all. This one's a bit rougher than 'Atem', but every bit as recommended. A real strange one for folks of the 'Prog Archive' to get their heads around.

I fully expect to see ghosts later on tonight if I keep playing this!