IN BLUE

I only have the 2 CD version, not the new remaster with 3 CD's. But I don't think it will matter much, as it takes a lot to get through the two original CD's, let alone a 3rd (is there a more prolific artist than Schulze? I don't think so).

It took me a while to get into Schluze's music. When I first heard it I just didn't care for it. A more psychedelic and ballsy type of new age music was my first impression. And I suppose that describes his style fairly well, though he was obviously the inspiration for many new age and ambient artists to follow, along with similar artists of the early 70's like Tangerine Dream.

This album is considered something of a return to form for Schulze. Gone are the sequencers that marred many of his 80's albums, and back are the undulating synth waves and slowly evolving organic melodies of old. The first 15 minutes of the first "track" (over 78 minutes long) is very much a return to the spacey formlessness of his best work on albums like X and Mirage. After that, the drums kick in and we go through a number of movements that vary the style somewhat. But on the whole, a satisfying ambient piece. The best, however, is found on the next "song", Return of the Temple. The presence of Manuel Göttsching's electric guitar combined with Schulze's acoustic textures and keyboard washes brings us back many years to......well, Ash Ra Temple days, obviously! And what a wonderful journey it is. 44 minutes of pure psychedelic bliss. The stand out highlight of the album for sure. The final, 34 minute, track Serenade In Blue is something of an anticlimax to what has come before, but it has it's moments and concludes the album in appropriately floating and relaxing fashion.

If you've never heard Schulze, don't start here. But if you like his 70's work, this is a must. Not quite to the level of those albums, but close enough for 4 stars. This is not music in the sense that this site usually specializes in. But if you like feeling that you are floating through space in waves of subtle melodic shifts and occasional percussive accompaniment, then this is as good an album as any.

Klaus Schulze released a dreadful album prior to this : "Totentag" was a nightmare from start to finish and the man surely needed to release a much better album to seal back the great respect from his fans. On top of this, I can't say either that his "Goes Classic" and " Le Moulin De Daudet" stuff were encouraging nor really worth the attention. In the meantime, Klaus also released three albums under the "Dark Side Of The Moog" umbrella. I'll review these after the "standard" work.

But the great man came back in shape; with honour and care. This album is a very good piece of electronic music as a Schulze's one ever ought to be. It is a great journey back in the early days.

Gone are those synthetic beats, gone are the classic feels. Back is Klaus as I like him.

This ultra long CD set opens on the longest track I ever have listened to: some seventy eight minutes of music (yes: 78). Before this, "Amarok" from Mike Oldfield was the longest one to my knowledge.

"Into The Blue" starts extremely quiet for a very long time: almost twenty minutes, which is already an epic but only an introduction here. But one has to forget all standard references when listening to this CD set. The start is maybe too long, but extremely tranquil and spacey. A splendid example of soft electronic mania. And I have to say that I'm quite a maniac of this sort of sounds.

"Into The Blue" is probably less melodic, less grandiose or impressive than most of the seventies great songs; but the feeling is pretty close to this period. It sounds as if, one does a giant step back into these fantastic moments for a while. Just the time to revive some great experience.

The second "song" almost starts in the same way. A long waking up, a smooth journey again onto the boundaries of our physical knowledge. Enough for us to try and imagine what' s up there (or what isn't).

What comes afterwards is pure delight?The reincarnation of the early "Ash Ra Tempel" has been reconstructed and the fantastic guitar play of Manuel Göttsching provides a deep sensation. Very similar as well as one could experienced with some mid seventies great TD albums.

"Serenade In Blue" is more delicate, more simple but as effective in terms of "trip". I had a good time today in listening again to this ultra long work to finalize this review. Since I have quite a lot of problems these days, it was a wonderful manner to send all my terrestrial feelings into the stratosphere and forget them for some time.

The third CD is not so interesting. It consists of three tracks of which only "Return Of The Tempel" is valuable. The long (over thirty two minutes!) "Out Of The Blue" is a repetitive song more in line with his work from the mid eighties, which were less appealing to me although the last ten minutes provide some good sensation and are again closer to the concept idea I have of the man's great work.

This "In Blue" is a fine trip back to ancient time. Therefore, and as a nostalgic of these days I rate this work with four stars (but it is maybe more worth seven out of ten). Mais quand on aime, on ne compte pas?

Klaus says that when he made this album he did so with the fans in mind, so this is a more traditional Schulze album I guess you could say. His old friend Manuel Gottsching who he played with in ASHRA TEMPEL guests on one track with guitar.These two discs are packed full at over 78 minutes each, plus there is a third disc so we get over 210 minutes worth of music.That's 3 1/2 hours ! Klaus talks in the liner notes about how Edgar Froese gave him an ultimatum when they were both in TANGERINE DREAM to stick to playing drums or leave. Of course he left and continued with his love of experimenting with electronic soundscapes. "In Blue" was released in 1995 and it sure has it's moments but I admit that there are also many sections that do little for me.

I like the way this starts with "Into The Blue" with those spacey winds as the synths slowly pulse. We get some choir-like sounds too before 12 1/2 minutes.This style is really a common thread throughout. "Blowin' The Blues Away" kicks in loudly (compared to the sound of the opener) with a beat and synths.This is great ! It sounds like trumpet 13 1/2 minutes in and it is annoying. It doesn't stop until 19 minutes in. "Blue Moods" is a short spacey piece. "Wild And Blue" is eventually led by electronic beats then we get what sounds like violin before 4 minutes.The beat takes off as it were before 6 minutes.Those annoying trumpet-like sounds come and go beginning after 10 1/2 minutes.Sequencers after 15 minutes then we get what sounds like acoustic guitar. A calm 19 minutes in as it turns spacey. It picks back up after 23 1/2 minutes then turns spacey again late. "Out Of The Blue" is another short spacey track to end disc one.

"Midnight Blue" starts disc two and it's spacey with intricate sounds that sound like acoustic guitars. I like it. "Return Of The Temple" features the guitar of Manuel.The tempo picks up quickly and unfortunately we get some abrasive sounds before 3 minutes and later too. In between Manuel works his magic. Love that section. "Blue Spirits" is spacey with acoustic guitar sounds.Volin sounds come in at 2 1/2 minutes. "True Blue" is a short spacey piece. "Aubade" and the next four tracks all sound the same and blend into one another. Spacey with choir-like sounds and electronic beats.The bonus disc features live versions of some of these songs.

This is regarded fairly highly by most Schulze fans but i'll stick with his seventies stuff. 3.5 stars.

By the time this album was released, I already had lost hope, that Klaus Schulze, will turn again something at least interesting. So I got this "In Blue", like 10 years later from its release in 1995, in its new deluxe re-release in 2005. What a relief, I could not believe that Mr. Schulze could pull it off again, his creativity I mean, what great luck, to have aquired this work.

Long timed compositions, sub-divided in movements, that actually detour from the structure and become independent, and yet part of the whole. Klaus Schulze experimentation with the 80's actually paid off, if not on those albums, it actually did on this one, avoiding consciously, that language but not its tools. His electronic/drumming is richer, maybe he remembered, that he is also a drummer, without making it the main character, but in addition to the melodic lines, that are again intelligent, daring, yet kept in size, like in his "peak" days of inspiration.

Even though this "In Blue" is a 2CDs project, it seldoms repeat itself, and if it does, it is to "mark" the concept of the whole composition, so it never gets tIring to the listener, nor to the composer.

Dynamic, ambiental, interesting, both as far as composition goes and as a Progressive/Electronic "sonic" experience.

The good days are back! ****4.5 PA stars.