UNDERWATER SUNLIGHT

The membership is changing (gone is Johannes Schmoelling) but the sound continues. And for those hoping/expecting a continuity between the band's classic side-long epics of the middle 1970s, let go! This is a different era; the band has different, more melodic goals and styles to explore.

1. "Song of the Whale - Part 1: From Dawn... (8:20) acoustic guitars! Fairlight "breath" synth sounds! Clearly lead wailing/searing electric guitar solos! Is this really TD? Is it really progressive electronic? It doesn't matter: it's beautiful; it works; it's powerful. Edgar Froese is a really great guitarist. The computerized sounds and programs really sound great from these masters of synthetic music. (18/20)

2. "Song of the Whale - Part 2: ...to Dusk (10:53) Not nearly as engaging (due to its very dated sound palette as well as the mystifying removal of all guitars from the baseline weave) as the previous part of the suite, this one sounds more like a 1980s movie soundtrack (think Axel Foley or Fletch or one of the many John Hughes films). (16.75/20)

3. "Dolphin Dance" (5:02) modern pseudo-"dance" schlock. (8/10)

4. "Ride On the Ray" (5:32) opens like some 80s folk Christmas music before cheesy drum machine enters (far in the background). I actually quite like the weave of folk-instruments and synth washes in the background, great sound and melodies. And Edgar's guitar lead is great (if not quite fitting). It's the background rhythm "instruments" and sounds I dislike. A tough one to rate. (8.5/10)

5. "Scuba Scuba" (4:24) Trevor Horn meets Harold Faltermeyer. As the song never really takes off, it makes me wonder if it was just a sound experiment that was thrown on the album/CD as last-minute filler. I like the soundscape presented--it's very cinematic--but, again, it feels unfinished--or, at least, undeveloped. (8.5/10)

6. "Underwater Twilight" (5:52) there is so little here to remind one of the TD of old; this is more like a modern New Age thing, than something from experienced masters of synthesized music. It is, however, a little more developed/realized than the previous song--with far better drum/percussion noises used. The strings synth used, however, is dated and rather annoying. (8.25/10)

Total Time 40:03

A good, though not great, display of TD sound and the genius of Edgar Froese and Christoph Franke for their remarkable adaptability to the new equipment and technologies available with the passage of time. Still, one great song does not make this an album that I can recommend highly to prog lovers. Also rated down for the dated short length of the album. (Perhaps they were still trying to produce only vinyl releases.)