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Joined: May 23 2013
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Topic: Cyclone - Tangerine Dream Posted: February 03 2015 at 07:41
Surprisingly, one of my favourite Tangerine Dream albums - after Ricochet and Phaedra.
I know it got a panning from the fans, after including (shock horror) vocals on a few tracks. But numbers like Bent Cold Sidewalk are - well, IMO, some of Tangerine Dreams' best.
And what do we all think, here ? With TD (as with a lot of bands) I tend to like the earlier stuff but lose interest as bands go on ...... usually past their sell by date.
I was completely shocked on hearing Bent Cold Sidewalk for the first time. But I gave the album a chance to grow on me and it did not take long to become my 4th favourite after Ricochet, Rubycon and Stratosfear.
Joined: July 27 2006
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 07:49
no worries, this is one of my favorites as well. Vocals or not. If the vocals fit the music, works for me (and with this TD album, it does). The album opener blew me away first time I listened.
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 07:56
I look at Phaedra, Rubycon, Ricochet, and Stratosfear as the core of TD's classic period. If somebody wants to know what TD is about, those albums are when I send them.
Cyclone shows the band exploring some very new territory with the vocals, which freaked some people out at the time. I believe the band did this to keep from getting stale. And I agree that the album ranks among their very best works.
I also love Force Majeure, in which the band expanded their sonic palate and went for a brighter tone. One of these days I need to download Tangram - It's been so long since I heard that gem I forgot what it sounds like.
BTW, this post will probably get moved to the artist/band appreciation lounge.
Joined: May 23 2013
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 08:00
Just listened to the middle section of Sidewalk again and thought, yep, some cracking ideas in there. I'm astonished how much I've been subconsciously influenced by them.
Mind you, so have a lot of people. And I do think the vocals fit. It gets a bit Eloy / Silent Cries at times as the vocals are not done by a native English speaker, obviously, but..... I have no complaints. Cracking album. ;-)
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 08:14
This album has never grown on me. Some good ideas, the vocals can be puzzling at the beginning, but they can also be interesting, but in the end to me it's the music that sounds a little clumsy. By the way: the vocals ARE provided by a native speaker (Steve Jollife is British!)
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 10:00
Davesax1965 wrote:
Surprisingly, one of my favourite Tangerine Dream albums - after Ricochet and Phaedra. I know it got a panning from the fans, after including (shock horror) vocals on a few tracks. But numbers like Bent Cold Sidewalk are - well, IMO, some of Tangerine Dreams' best.
And what do we all think, here ? With TD (as with a lot of bands) I tend to like the earlier stuff but lose interest as bands go on ...... usually past their sell by date.
I love TD's "progressive rock" phase. "Bent Cold Sidewalk" is a great song that I connected with immediately. "Rising Runner" is a cool track, though not as striking as "Bent."
Of course, "Madrigan Meridian" is the real draw for most people, but overall, this album is another worthy entry in the canon.
"Bent Cold Sidewalk" had this "feel" to it that existed in the Bob Calvert days of Hawkwind. It could have been that some of the keyboard settings used by Simon House on Quark, Strangeness, and Charm were the exact ones that Tangerine Dream were using on Cyclone. Steve Jolliffe was not the most impressive vocalist , although I have all of his solo LP's and cd's where it is evident that he is a skilled, creative, Electronic composer. When he was on tour with Tangerine Dream...he kept a diary of his out of the body travels/experiences and a few years later released Journey out of The Body with Tony Duhig from Jade Warrior. I do like Cyclone, but I don't feel that Steve Jolliffe was all that fitting to Tangerine Dream , but perhaps live..it would have been more appreciated. Possibly when Tangerine Dream toured off the Cyclone album...they extended pieces, re-arranged sections and made it more interesting.
I still appreciate Cyclone for what it is. At the time of it's release, ( and particularly in America), people were approaching it's musical concept with the "Not What I Expected" mentality. When I first brought the album home and played it...I loved it, but those around me were not enjoying it because they expected something else. Over the course of 3 decades, Cyclone has unfortunately gained the reputation of being that kind of album and as a result, many people are dismissive of it's existence. I still love it!
Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 13:48
Its not the vocal tracks that are the problem but rather the very long and uninteresting track Madrigal Meridian which so far has been skipped over. TD's 'vocal albums' are not that bad. I have some time for Tyger while Purgatorio is easily in my top five favourite TD albums. Side One has that distinct 'Germanic' quality with strong echoes of Kraftwerk with a touch of Eloy. That's fine but sticking a long throwaway track on side two did the band no favours imo.
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Joined: October 31 2006
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:05
I have actually rated Cyclone with 4 stars. I'm not disturbed by the vocals and Bent Cold Sidewalk is a great song even if not totally instrumental. Not at the level of Phaedra or Ricochet, maybe, but still a very good album.
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:12
Love it a lot, only complaint would be that the drums are too far down in the mix, especially so in 'Rising Runner' where the vocals are way too loud. In any case, it's the only thing they've ever done with vocals that I can stand listening too. (well Kiew Mission too) And Madrigal Meridian rocks!
Joined: December 16 2004
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Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:48
I saw Tangerine Dream on the Cyclone tour (Manchester Apollo) and they were a lot better live than the (at the time) disappointing album. Steve Joliffe used a Lyricon to great effect, and the addition of a live drummer also gave the sound a definite boost - Klaus Krieger went on to join Iggy Pop's band. Cyclone has actually aged quite well, but it will never be one of my favourites.
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Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:12
It's pretty much near the bottom for me of the classic era TD, but it's still worth having.
Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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Cyclone - Tangerine Dream
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Davesax1965 wrote:
