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Tangerine Dream - Thief (OST) CD (album) cover

THIEF (OST)

Tangerine Dream

 

Progressive Electronic

3.22 | 183 ratings

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Rune2000
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars This was Tangerine Dream's second and by no means last escapade into the soundtrack genre. Thief was an early Michael Mann film that kick-starter his career as one of the most intelligent action movie directors in Hollywood. After the band's first soundtrack to the film Sorcerer became a minor hit in UK, which is something that can't be said about the movie, Tangerine Dream received numerous new requests to pursue this line of work.

At the time, Thief might have been considered a risky project to undertake because, unlike William Friedkin, Mann didn't have much of a resume to talk about. The same went for the now renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the cast that featured James Caan, James Belushi, Willie Nelson and Dennis Farina. Luckily Tangerine Dream decided to follow through on the deal and even continued their collaboration with Michael Mann by writing the music to the 1983 cult classic The Keep.

The soundtrack is comprised of a few short suites and one lengthy track titled Diamond Diary. The style of these compositions are far from what was displayed on Tangram, only a year earlier. The music is often very melodic while the atmospheric synthesizer layering is used sparsely giving way for the more traditional '80s style sound. The two takes of Beach Theme might be considered unnecessarily direct unless they are experienced in the context of the movie. While Dr. Destructo and Diamond Diary are definitely the low points for me since they sound generic to my ears and lack that important Tangerine Dream touch. Having said that I still have a soft spot for this release which most probably has to do with the excellent movie that it's supporting. If there was ever needed to be a definition for a great '80s action movie then Thief would easily make the cut, even though the 1984 version of Scarface is probably its strongest competitor.

Unlike the band's previous soundtrack that might have overshadowed its movie material, Thief is definitely a better movie than this soundtrack gives it credit for, but when this album is experienced in context the material creates that unique '80s movie feel that many people seem to be so nostalgic about. A good soundtrack but far from the excellent material of the past for Tangerine Dream.

**** star songs: Beach Theme (3:46) Burning Bar (3:12) Beach Scene (6:52) Scrap Yard (4:39) Trap Feeling (2:59) Igneous (4:46)

*** star songs: Dr. Destructo (3:19) Diamond Diary (10:50)

Rune2000 | 3/5 |

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