TURN OF THE TIDES

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I probably fell into the same trap as a lot of other long-term Tangerine Dream fans after first hearing this 1994 effort, comparing it (unfavorably, of course) to such unqualified TD classics like "Phaedra", "Ricochet", and "Stratosfear". Maybe it was the anonymous sheen of all those new digital keyboards, or else the steady diet of generic dance-floor drum programs. But at first exposure the album sounded little better than boilerplate New Age movie soundtrack mush.

All right, so their musical strategy is more conventional than it was in the old days. But the band in the 1990s needs to be measured with a different yardstick. This is not your parent's Tangerine Dream anymore, and neither does it pretend to be. On its own merits the music itself is often gorgeous beyond description, sounding on some tracks ("Galley Slave's Horizon") not unlike the classic symphonic Prog of Andy Latimer and CAMEL: quite a radical departure from the counter-culture doodles of their early Krautrock days.

There's even (further shades of Golden Age Prog Rock) a concept of sorts behind it all. The album was composed around an obscure, allegorical narrative penned by the prime T. Dreamer Edgar Froese himself, apparently after one too many screening of a Wojciech Has movie (remember "The Saragossa Manuscript"?) The mood is set, oddly but effectively, by the "Promenade" from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition": an unconscious nod, perhaps, to fellow synthesizer advocate Keith Emerson? This brief but luxurious version was arranged by TD debutante Linda Spa, with the sounds of a horse-drawn carriage on rain-swept cobblestones adding to the overall cinematic effect.

Spa's recruitment into the band still tends to confound the more chauvinistic corners of the Tangerine Dream fan base. But to these ears her graceful handling of the saxophone adds a welcome soft touch to a band historically obsessed with the latest electronic hardware. Likewise, a notable performance by guitarist Zlatko Perica brings the typically cosmic TD sound even closer to Earth, trading his sometimes overwrought pyrotechnics (see "220 Volt Live") for a more polished approach, often with an unexpected Spanish flair (as on the track "Firetongues").

Approach it with skepticism if you must, but don't dismiss the album without an impartial hearing. Too much good music can be irretrievably lost when doggedly kept at arm's length.

This is another winner in the very extensive TD discography. It is amazing to notice how effectively the band was releasing good albums one after another (even if some scarce flows can be noticed once in a while).

I was of course curious to listen to their version of "Pictures At An Exhibition" that I discovered in the early seventies with ELP (I don't know the original version, shame on me). I have to say that they pass the test quite well to be honest.

There are no masterpiece tracks featured here (at least I feel so), but some engaging music that combines both electronic with Middle-Eastern influences ("Firetongues").

Of course, as "Neu!mann" says in his reviews, this work can't be compared to the several masterpieces that the band delivered, but it remains of pretty decent quality. The addition of several members do provide a variety that was not too often met in their previous releases, the best of which is held by the superb sax play from Linda Spa during the excellent "Midwinter Night" for instance. Same nice feel can be experienced in the smooth and atmospheric" Galley Slave's Horizon". The one of that kind too much probably being "Death Of A Nightingale".

Another good and quite diversified track is the long "Twilight Brigade". The closing section is just brilliant: it consists of a superb guitar solo which is maybe one of the best that can be heard on a TD album. Really impressive. The upbeat (and somewhat "tribal") "Jungle Journey" is also a fine moment which contrasts with the usual atmospheric TD mood.

One blunder though here: the closing and title track which is too much "dance" oriented to my ears. The band released some of these previously (but hopefully not too much). And even if it is one of the longest track available on this "Turn On The Tides", one out of eight is not a drama, right?

Three stars for this good album.