CYCLONE

Cyclone became a controversial album in Tangerine Dream discography because of the vocals, which were not really a great addition, but more because of the style employed by Steve Jollife than anything else. Apart from that, it is a lot in line with Tangerine has already presented in Stratosfear, which is an album that, while still retains most of the elements found in Phaedra and Rubycon, is more accessible and less electronic.

One of the remarkable changes in Cyclone has to do with the evolution of synthesizers by late 70s, making it sound more modern than their previous works and losing a bit of the atmosphere achieved in the previous albums. The brass and string leads in Bent Cold Sidewalk and Rising Runner don't give the cold electronic atmosphere than analog synths and sequencers gave to TD sound. The addition of real drums, percussion, horns and wind instruments only make the changes more dramatic, but it is very much in line with the evolution of TD sound in the later stages of the 70s decade.

Apart from a few moments that don't work that well, the music in the album is very solid, especially the sidelong Madrigal Meridian that mixes some of the traditional Tangerine Dream goodness (sequences, analog synth solos, long guitar solos) with some beautiful passages mixing synths and wind instruments towards the end of the track. Bent Cold Sidewalk is also a very good song, mixing a bit of traditional prog very much in vein with Pink Floyd slow and melodic passages with sequencer and synth electronic passages.

Despite the controversy, an album worthy looking for, especially for electronic prog fans. And a good introduction to Tangerine Dream for symphonic, ecletic and crossover prog fans that might be scared by the experimentalism of earlier Tangerine Dream albums.