TYGER

Whilst the last decent Tangerine Dream was arguably the mid-eighties offering 'Underwater Sunlight', the last genuine classic would have to be the live offering 'Poland: The Warsaw Concert'. After these, the once- pioneering electronic outfit would start to concentrate more on soundtrack work, though despite occasional nuggets('Near Dark') it seemed Edgar Froese and company were starting to run out of ideas. This 1987 effort is a perfect example of Tangerine Dream exploring new avenues, with Froese's love of William Blake coupled with a rare attempt to fuse vocals onto his signature sound. Sadly, it doesn't work. Featuring soul-singer Jocelyn B. Smith giving a rather lifeless rendition of some of Blake's key works, 'Tyger' must go down as an ill- advised union between three rather disparate subjects. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, yet, like much of Tangerine Dream's post-1985 material the years have not been too kind to 'Tyger'. Smith's vocals seem awkward and forced, with Blake's complex, lyrical musings rendered impotent by the layers of buzzing synthesizers and drum machines. The actual link between the words and the music is tenuous at best, and the album is not helped by the fact that it features some of Froese' least inspiring melodies. Whilst Tangerine Dream have carved out a long and hugely-successful career out of sonic experimentation, 'Tyger' is a step too far. There is little - if nothing - here that matches up to the group's classic 1970s material, marking this down as a failed attempt to broaden their electronic horizons. Those wanting to investigate Tangerine Dream further are advised to stick to their 1968 - 1983 period, and whilst there may be shreds of novelty interest here for die-hard aficianado's, there is precious little entertainment for anybody else. Poor.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012