1975: Magma Live/Hhai & Tangerine Dream Ricochet

Inspired by the Live series, but not part of it, which of these two albums released in 1975 do you enjoy more? I was going to do a general Live album poll, but then thought that these two would work well against each other, and are popular (both were my first "Live acquisitions by both bands, and both helped me to really appreciate the bands).

From the PA ratings:

Live/Hhaï (Köhntark): 4.44 | 215 ratings

Ricochet: 4.29 | 316 ratings

From rateyourmusic ratings:

Live/Hhaï (Köhntark): 4.08 | 807 ratings

Ricochet 3.83 | 1,341 ratings

I love both of these albums. I was going to add a both option, but it's just as good to say so in a post. And if it's neither for you, I would like to read your thoughts on both of the albums even if they are negative.

Edited by Logan - February 24 2018 at 00:27

Mortte wrote: Haven´t heard that Tangerine-live, but voted anyway Magma, ´cause it´s just sooo great!

Both are great in their own ways, in my opinion (both are five star albums for me). I don't know if you're into electronic music generally, or other Tangerine Dream, and I don't want to link to the whole album, but here's music off it:

Tom Ozric wrote: Magma by quite a length........I still love Ricochet, though it’s one of my least listened-to TD from the 70’s.

Unlike Magma's Live which blew me away on first listen, Ricochet was something of a slow burner to me. At one time I was only really into TD's 1970 to 1973 period (Electronic Meditation, Alpha Centauri, Zeit, and Atem), but then I got into the later stuff (Ricochet played a part in me exploring the band more). My first TD album was Phaedra many years ago, but it didn't fully click until much later. Now I love all of the 70s TD albums (all the studio and lives that I know) and I enjoy various 80s TD albums very much.

As for the Magma Live, I was really obsessed with it at one time, but then I used to be really obsessed with Magma generally. Incidentally, the Magma album that has got the most plays over the years with me is the debut -- a double-album that was one heck of a way to jump in, and makes Genesis' debut look like child's play in comparison, to reference my other recent poll with some inanely humorous intent.

Once again, I won't link to the whole album, and the whole thing should be heard, but for those that don't know it, here is the exciting concluding track, Mëkanïk Zaïn:



Edited by Logan - February 24 2018 at 01:37

^^ Man, that furious jam in 7/8 kills !! Paga is a monster on the bass

Edited by Tom Ozric - February 24 2018 at 01:49

Ricochet was my introduction to TD, so has a soft spot in my heart. I remember watching the TV broadcast from Coventry Cathedral and thinking that playing that music in a church was a really progressive step!

Logan wrote: ^ It's spectacular; so much power with such frenzy and intensity. Definitely many bold adjectives worthy. ^^ I got hooked with the first Tangerine Dream album (Electronic Meditation). It's a very different experience from Ricochet (a more experimental rock kind of sound) and is not appreciated by most as much as by me.

Love those first 4 TD albums. Alpha Centauri is my pick. Then Stratosfear (from the later albums).

Edited by Tom Ozric - February 24 2018 at 03:24

I've gone from Live/Hhaï to Ricochet. I still love Magma but never listen to this one anymore. I'm also in a minority (it seems) who prefer Didier Lockwood's approach to playing in Zao - by far. I owned Ricochet for years but never given it much attention but as I've kept growing fonder of TD's Virgin-years its gotten plenty of spins in the last couple of years. Now I enjoy it just as much as Rubycon.

I'm a huge fan of both albums, I can't split them so won't vote.

Ricochet was my favourite album for some time in my teenage years, but I've clearly played it too much so that now I prefer the Magma one by some distance. (Both will appear in my poll series later.)


Edited by Lewian - February 24 2018 at 08:41

It's very, very close, but my vote goes for Ricochet.