STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT

Peter Baumann was a third of the Tangerine Dream line up through their most productive and arguably best period in the mid 1970s. It is however necessary to warn straight away that any resemblance between the music on this album and that of the Tangs is coincidence. For one thing every track here has vocals, and there are ten tracks in total, so no room for any convoluted experimentation on keyboards. In some ways, this is quite surprising as Baumann was seen as being the most avant garde of TD line up during those years, relying on spontaneous inspiration rather than tight composition sessions.

"Strangers in the night" is however very much a product of the 80's. The album is in fact performed by a five piece band with Eli Holland employed solely for lead and harmony vocals. Indeed, it would appear that the album is actually by a band called Baumann as both the front cover and the actual album omit the Peter from the artist's name (but the spine of the sleeve reads Peter Baumann!). The difference may appear semantic, but it does indicate that this was never intended as a solo album.

The songs are very much in the way of BUGGLES, HUMAN LEAGUE, and the myriad of electro-pop bands who populated the singles charts as soon as the mini-moog went into mass production. There's also some uncanny similarities with the pop synth albums which Todd Rundgren and UTOPIA were coming up with around the same time.

The title track is the FRANK SINATRA song, originally from the soundtrack of the film "A man could get killed". It is admittedly chopped around a fair bit and a synthesiser back beat added, but it is unmistakably the same song. Most of the remaining songs involve Baumann writing the music and Holland the songs, although other band members also get a look in and a couple are solo Baumann compositions, lyrics and all. The lyrics are, to say the least, best not studied too closely. For example, "Time machine" reads "when I was young when I had fun, life was so simple, nothing to do, no one to fear, nowhere to run to, time machine, time machine, carry me back". "Taxi" goes "I lost my lady, I lost my job, I need a lift out.Taxi, Taxi, hello, hello.. Take me away". I'd love to quote some of the other lyrics on a so-bad-they're- good basis, but you get the idea!

The songs are all in the same mould, to the extent that it is hard to tell one apart from another. There's no real highlights, and nothing really awful.

Affectionados of prog, and in particular of Tangerine Dream should not go seeking out this album hoping to discover some lost gem of electronic music. Baumann clearly decided the time was right to go seeking his fame and fortune by making simple music for the masses. Unless you are that person who actually finds something to treasure in the synth pop of the 80's, you can pass this one by quite safely.

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