CYCLONE

If any of you cared to imagine what Tangerine Dream would have sounded like with vocals then I'm sure Cyclone would have been not too far off the mark to many. Things must have been going stale of the Tangerine Dream as they added a fourth member to freshen things up only this guy as well as adding an arsenal of electronic gizmos, horns and other delights added some throat pipes-that would be his voice then. Enter Steve Jolliffe. Even his name sits uncomfortably beside the others. But just like Poochie's short lived life as part of the new Itchy And Scratchy line up on The Simpsons, something is not quite right. The vocals are distracting and only allow the musicians to lazily loop over their music rather than add colour and texture and constantly move in hypnotic ways in a traditional Tangerine Dream fashion. "Madrigal Meridan" is more typical of the dark ambient of previous work and as usual a big brooding piece with a faster beat than earlier Tangerine Dream. Some subtle guitar playing is thrown in among the synth, compotone and other noises. I'll tell you this though, the vocals aren't half catchy after a few spins! Later Mr. Jolliffe had to return to his own planet and the Dream Team were back to a more cosy three piece again and he was never to return (I Think?).