Tangerine Dream Appreciation Thread - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

verslibre

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 14979

Topic: Tangerine Dream Appreciation Thread
Posted: February 10 2017 at 09:43

eBay

verslibre

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 14979

Posted: February 10 2017 at 09:39

Davesax1965 wrote:

The problem I have with it is that, as someone who's into older synth equipment (you might have noticed) the arrival of new technology, in the form of poly synths and digital synthesizers meant that the music changed. Tangerine Dream are so linked to electronic music developments that the history of electronic instruments and TD themselves is virtually identical.

I might do a thread about the development of synth technology over the years. Well, at some point. ;-)

To me, TD is the early experimental stuff and the use of their Moog modular and sequencers. I've got pretty much an "early TD " music setup here which many of you could probably spend a pleasant afternoon on. ;-) It's great fun to play around with, a real experimenters' set up, rather than one where you just press a button and get a preset sound.

The sounds they used from '79-'85 are beautiful, though. I can never get enough of the Roland Jupiter 8, which is Johannes' main beast. Not to mention the PPGs, Oberheims, Prophets, and the ubiquitous Mini-Moog. Tangram, Exit, Wavelength, Logos, White Eagle, Firestarter, Poland...all dripping with great, great sounds.

Davesax1965 wrote:

I'm quite appalled that the band is seemingly continuing without Edgar Froese. Tribute ? Or moneyspinner ?

At first, I was onboard, but now I do feel that the current trio should operate under a different name. I think the plan is to finish out the "Quantum Years" before the decade is out, but that could change.

eBay

Pixel Pirate View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: September 11 2004
Location: Norway
Status: Offline
Points: 793

Posted: February 10 2017 at 05:04

Hi there,I have recently re-joined this site after a very long absence,and as a massive TD fan for many years I am in two minds about them continuing without Edgar. At first I was also appalled,but then I remembered what Rick Wakeman said many years ago about Yes,that he wouldn't be surprised if there was a Yes up and running long after he was dead and buried in the same way that there is a New York Philharmonic. And the fact that Yes are actually continuing even after Chris Squire died is an indication that Wakemans vision might be coming true,and why not TD? Perhaps it's time to rethink what a band is,start to think of it as an institution,or collective of musicians that change over the course of time, rather than a specific set of people?

Odi profanum vulgus et arceo.

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: May 23 2013
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 2826

Posted: January 10 2017 at 03:12

I suppose we all have our various tastes (thank God for that) but for me, Tangerine Dream really finishes around about "Cyclone". There are a few peaks after that, but quite a few troughs. Matter of fact, it's nearly all troughs. ;-) Well, for me, anyway.

The problem I have with it is that, as someone who's into older synth equipment (you might have noticed) the arrival of new technology, in the form of poly synths and digital synthesizers meant that the music changed. Tangerine Dream are so linked to electronic music developments that the history of electronic instruments and TD themselves is virtually identical.

I might do a thread about the development of synth technology over the years. Well, at some point. ;-)

I'm quite appalled that the band is seemingly continuing without Edgar Froese. Tribute ? Or moneyspinner ?

Tom Ozric

Prog Reviewer

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916

Posted: January 09 2017 at 21:32

verslibre wrote:

Tom Ozric wrote:

Invisible Limits..............one of the GREATEST pieces from TD.

On that note:

Stratosfear — — — one of the GREATEST albums from TD!

Yes. Yes it is

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Retired Admin

Joined: January 22 2009
Location: Magic Theatre
Status: Offline
Points: 23098

Posted: January 09 2017 at 11:16

^Certainly the best cut on Stratosfear. Must revisit that album tonight - been such a long time since my last spin.

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

verslibre

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 14979

Posted: January 09 2017 at 10:15

Tom Ozric wrote:

Invisible Limits..............one of the GREATEST pieces from TD.

On that note:

Stratosfear — — — one of the GREATEST albums from TD!

eBay

Tom Ozric

Prog Reviewer

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916

Posted: January 06 2017 at 21:20

^ The bell

Yes, the bell !! You have that serene and dreamy build and then BANG !! Gets me every time....
I never got into Poland. Love Pergamon - Live at the Palast......, from this period. Really enjoy most of TD's albums from Electronic Meditation through to Underwater Sunlight.
But, stupid me, I go through phases, or binges - where I will spin mostly Prog-Electronic, or R.P.I., or Canterbury, or 80's New-Wave or, like currently, on a Metal binge. Just so much to enjoy. Love it all.

Replayer

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 04 2013
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 356

Posted: January 06 2017 at 09:47

I've listened to Invisible Limits a few time's while driving with the volume turned up and the sudden bell noise right after the three minute mark caught me by surprise a few times

I'm listening to Poland right now. It's a very good TD live album and I got it last year. I prefer Logos Live as a Schmoelling era live album, but I already listened to it so much that I feel I know it by heart.

Modrigue

Prog Reviewer

Joined: January 14 2007
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 1125

Posted: January 01 2017 at 02:19

Tom Ozric wrote:

Invisible Limits..............one of the GREATEST pieces from TD.

Tom Ozric

Prog Reviewer

Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916

Posted: January 01 2017 at 01:56

Invisible Limits..............one of the GREATEST pieces from TD.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951

Posted: January 01 2017 at 01:42

How strange...I made that above post, I've definitely got the CD of that album, but for the life of me I can't think of a single second of music on it off the top of my head!

A replay is in order!

Magnum Vaeltaja View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: July 01 2015
Location: Out East
Status: Offline
Points: 6777

Posted: December 31 2016 at 10:13

^ Quinoa is listed under the "Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo" section.

Here's a link to the album page.

when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents

Green Shield Stamp View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 17 2009
Location: Telford, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 933

Posted: December 31 2016 at 09:41

Originally posted by Aussie-Byrd-Brother

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote:

Yes, Sam, not the `laser show' I had in mind when thinking of Tangerine Dream!

Cursed `Hyperborea'! That and `White Eagle' are two I don't have either on LP or CD! I keep having to spin the Youtube clips! I will get them, I'm just after the specific Virgin reissue editions of those two. Ebay will be my friend

OK, I picked a random TDream CD for the drive home, thoughts on this one:

QUINOA (1992, but really 1998), described as the following:

"Quinoa was released first in 1992 as a limited edition of 1,000 copies and sent as a gift to the members of the then discontinued official TD International Fan Club (TDIFC) only. Thus, this release became a very rare collector's item. The last CDs which had remained in TD's stock had been sold during TD's German tour in 1997 for 50 DM each. The CD featured one single composition of nearly half an hour, its title originating from a kind of grain which was a essential part of the meals of the Incas in South America.

In June 1998, TD re-released this album on their then new label TDI, including two bonus tracks: `Voxel Ux' had originally been composed for a website competition on TD's official internet homepage in 1996. There had been just one single CD-R released for the winner of this competition only. `Lhasa' was described to be the first movement from a so-called 'Tibetan Cycle', containing six other movements which were unreleased so far. Two years later TD released the cycle in form of the album `The Seven Letters From Tibet', `Lhasa' was extended by an opening of some four minutes and became the fifth composition of the cycle, being re-titled `The Blue Pearl'. "

******

It seems fairly well received by many TD fans (although I've noticed RichardH's 1 star review on the Archives here!

), some even seemed to consider it a kind of modern `Tangram'!

That's definitely being waaaaaaay too generous, but it's a pleasant and easy undemanding listen. Most sections are simply nice and breezy (and it's cool to hear 90's TD offering lengthy longer tracks), but there's a stretch in the middle of the title track that's bombarded with badly dated 90's programmed drums (No doubt Jerome's doing?!

). The final track is a fancy classical-inspired piece, rather grand.

A mostly worthy if still kind of forgettable 90's `TDream release I suppose.

I've been listening to Quinoa a few times over the last week or so and wanted to find out a bit more about it - interesting facts, members views/reviews etc. But, I can't find it listed in any of the Tang Dream albums in Prog Archives. Is this an oversight, or is there a reason why the album is not listed?

Haiku

Writing a poem
With seventeen syllables
Is very diffic....

2dogs

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 03 2011
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 705

Posted: June 22 2016 at 07:03

This is good, the more you can enjoy the better. I feel a bit guilty about giving up on Exit and Thief despite repeated and determined listens, but I figure the other 22 TD albums I have make up for this Embarrassed

. Also I really like Electronic Meditation which I expect puts me in something of a minority here Wink

Modrigue

Prog Reviewer

Joined: January 14 2007
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 1125

Posted: June 22 2016 at 03:14

2dogs wrote:

I've been enjoying White Eagle and Hyperborea a lot more since deleting Midnight in Tula and Cinnamon Road

Agree for Midnight in Tula which is the weak point of White Eagle (an underrated album IHMO).

However I do enjoy Cinnamon Road.

2dogs

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 03 2011
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 705

Posted: June 22 2016 at 01:04

I've been enjoying White Eagle and Hyperborea a lot more since deleting Midnight in Tula and Cinnamon Road - they play very nicely in sequence and give a calming and ethereal feeling as if the band had turned their back on the world after Exit and were floating away into clouds of bright white light Heart

. Nice and easy to edit with an iPod but the remainder of the two albums would fit together on a single CD-R.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: October 12 2011
Location: Melb, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 7951

Posted: June 21 2016 at 12:37

Guldbamsen wrote:

An old friend of mine recently gave me the new Official Bootleg Series vol 1...habahaba

I initially thought it was a rerelease of the Bootleg boxset, which I already own, but it isn't. I am completely over the moon! More live TD from the luscious 70s?!?!?! You betcha.

To be fair, I've heard all of these tunes before over ze JooToob, but it's nice to have my own copy.

The sound quality is alright, but don't expect to hear a Steven Wilson-like clarity though. Most of the cuts still have that slightly fuzzy feel you often get from live albums cut during the 70s. I don't mind really. I can hear and differentiate between the different instruments and am never in any doubt as to whom is playing what (almost that is Embarrassed

Fans of Stratosfear and Phaedra, in particular, should definitely have a look see, because these 4 discs contain the aftermath of those seminal records....but in true TD fashion it's all improvised within certain sounds and rehearsed grooves. You never get a full TRACK from a record though, which is one of my absolute favourite things about this band.

I can just imagine buying one of their LPs during the 70s - spinning that sucker like it was going out of fashion - remembering every little sound and musical gesture....and then buying tickets to see them tour the given album - finding out you don't know a peep and as a consequence stand absolutely no chance of whistling along as you've practised during late night weed seances.

I'm listening to that set again right now, David (the 1974 Reihms Cathedral performance of the two included shows), and I truly believe the two concerts in the set, as well as pretty much ANY other concerts from around that era (or even most of the decade) all stand as their own beautiful albums in their own right. Each one sounds completely different to the last, making them a very worthwhile addition to the TD collection, and they demand you listen to them over and over. I've got the second volume on the way too.

kenethlevine View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Prog-Folk Team

Joined: December 06 2006
Location: New England
Status: Offline
Points: 8849

Posted: June 21 2016 at 09:44

Back to the show I went to in 1988, they didn't speak until the very end when I assume they showered us with platitudes, etc. Speaking would have broken the spell they weaved from the first to the last note

2dogs

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 03 2011
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 705

Posted: June 21 2016 at 00:40

LOL that would be great to go to a concert full of expectation only to be blown away by something completely different Shocked