LOGOS... LIVE AT THE DOMINION - LONDON

A masterpiece from start to finish. I have to say that there are waaay too many 5 star reviews here. But Logos certainly deserves one. This music is the pinnacle of this version of TD's lineup. Franke, Froese, and Schmoelling work as one here. Logos consists of an extended suite of music, breaking only for the old album flip. This is a live recording from 1982 with the final track being an encore. IF you like Tangerine Dream at all, this is a must buy.

This is my favorite album from Tangerine Dream. Definitely electronic New Age oriented, it contains omnipresent melodic percussive sequencers. You have to completely listen to it to understand the real progression involved. Sometimes mysterious and dramatic, sometimes tenderly melodic, just very slightly sentimental, absolutely varied, the 2 epic tracks will obviously make you dream. Some powerful rythmic sections of keyboards are really intense and addictive: it is very representative of the Schmoelling-era. The multi-layer synths offer pleasant combination of beat, melody and rythms. The involved style is somewhere between the albums White Eagle, Exit and Tangram. The album was recorded live, but it doesn't sound like.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

It's very hard for me to give an objective review of this album, since I'm a fanatic Tangerine Dream fan, but I'll give it a try. The whole album has that 80's sound, a bit commercial sounding at times, but it's not such a bad thing here. Johannes Schmoelling really changed the direction of the band after Peter Baumann left, and a part of the 70's splendour seems to be gone. The 45-minute giant "Logos" is still a masterpiece, containing very interesting music. Tangerine Dream has always been a great live band, and they've recorded quite a few fantastic live albums, such as 'Ricochet', 'Encore' and 'Poland'. This is really good TD with the addition of Schmoellings obsession on samples and machines etc. , but not quite up there with the classics. Still, if you like TD, get this.

Good live album but not as good as the mighty Poland album that was released a few years later.This is a bit uneven and has a feeling of treading water at times.There is also less colour in the synths than you would expect form Tangerine Dream.Nice melodies though and certainly a listenable effort (but check out Poland first if you want a TD live album)

It is often the case with a band you're unsure of to begin your exploration with a live album; this was the case many years ago with Tangerine Dream and I - the album I chose? Logos.

From the initial electronic meltdown which announces the beginning of 'Logos' itself, to the finale 45 minutes later, I was hooked; Messrs Froese, Franke & Schmoelling don't put a foot wrong - every sequence, every crescendo, every pop and bleep in it's place, and all recorded with crystal clarity (which is not always the case with TD live albums,as a cursory listen to 'Encore' will prove).

The music itself moves between lush soundscapes, almost poppy beats, and very dark, brooding, almost scary passages(Logos was, in fact, used very effectively as the soundtrack for cult horror movie 'The Keep').

My problem with this album, after hearing many others from TD, is this is almost too clinical - overall the atmosphere of the album is very cold - despite the enthusiastic audience - almost Tangerine Dream by numbers; this is not a bad album, far from it, but for live albums, I would start with Ricochet, Encore (poor sound quality but musically superior), or Poland.

Looking back in retrospect, this is the quintessential Tangerine Dream live experience. The lineup of Froese-Franke-Schmoelling had perhaps the best chemistry in the history of the band. This work finds them at their peak: playing off one another and creating soundscapes that (for the time period) boggled the mind.

I finally got to see TD live in 1992, and while it was sonically quite pleasurable (the lineup was Froese-Froese-Spa and the guitarist recording with the band at the time), it was not the magisterially mysterious and forboding sound that permeated the Dream concerts of 1975-1982.

Probably the only better live album than this one would be Ricochet in its depth of mystery, but Logos contains more tender moments as well as "rocking" portions. The 2nd half of Part 2 is classic for its drumming and recurring theme.

Anyone seeking out to listen to Tangerine Dream for the first time could do alot worse than to start with this one. Easily a prog rock staple, this release finds TD at their creative peak.

It´s not strange to be a Tangerine Dream but not like all their records or even periods. Who owns their entire catalogue of more than 100 (!!!) records? Personally, I´ve listened to most of their discography and some of their records have nothing to do with others (usually, soundtracks or some of their latest records are less interesting than their 70´s and 80´s production). So, there are some people who prefer their first and more "avant- garde" records, others like their 1974-1979 or "classic" period...

Personally, I consider that some their best efforts were made when Johannes Schmoelling joined the band. He gave a more melodic side, while keeping sometimes also the "cosmic" essence. So, for me, the best Tangerine Dream record is "Logos", an album which could be the perfect soundtrack for an astral voyage! It´s music for the mind and for the spirit, something mysterious and magical that it´s not easy to find even in other Tangerine Dream releases.

It´s a shame that a lot of people consider Tangerine Dream as a mere "new age" band, or simply "electronic", because some of their records are far from being cold and have more "life" in them, not just peaceful tunes or robotic patterns...

It´s quite interesting to notice that most of their best records were recorded live: "Encore", "Poland", "Livemiles" or this "Logos" are probably my favourite TD records, along with others recorded in studio like "White Eagle" or "Underwater Sunlight". "Logos" is the perfect balance between all the best sides of Tangerine Dream: atmosphear, mystery, melody, original rhythms and warm synth sounds and textures.

This is only one of two albums from this band that I have listened to. The other was "Cyclone". I think that this album is a bit better than "Cyclone" for my taste, but without making me have more interest in their music. This album has good keyboard atmospheres, very "New Age" in style (was the term "New Age" in usage in 1982? I don`t know). I think that it is a very original idea to record live albums with only new songs, or improvisations, but in my case when I buy a new album or go to see bands in concert I really expect to hear my favourite songs played live by those bands. I think that TANGERINE DREAM is for the kind of fans who "expect the unexpected" and like Experimental or Improvised music very much. Sorry, but this is not the case for me.

Some years ago I watched on TV a concert form this band filmed in this decade, I think. The impression that this concert left me was that this band is only "for their Fans", which like bands with the tag of the "New Age" image and lifestyle. So, this album is "For their Fans only", in my opinion.

There's plenty of appeal in this live outing for TANGERINE DREAM. However, whether a fourth live album in seven years is justified is a moot point, especially considering a double live album was to come a mere two years later.

'Logos' is in style a combination of the extended multi-sectioned track form premiered on 'Force Majeure' and the one-part-per-side composition such as 'Rubycon' and 'Ricochet', but is more a child of the early 80s than any of these. Particularly distinctive (and disturbingly poor) is the embarrassingly basic drum track, a huge step backwards from having a real drummer. (An example is the sterile rhythm section at 39 minutes.) As with much TANGERINE DREAM material, little stands out on first listening - bar, in this case, 'Logos Velvet', a memorable tune from 7-12 minutes in. However, repeated listenings alert one to the subtleties of this composition. Much of Part One is quite junglist in sound, a nod to world music TD carried on into subsequent albums such as 'Hyperborea'. That said, I don't believe there's anywhere near enough here to sustain what is a continuous 45-minute composition.

As usual, the music is a combination of passages where the sequencer dominates, and others filled with swirling white noise and synths punctuated with sound effects. Sadly there's no guitar here. While worthy enough, 'Logos' has neither the energy of 'Ricochet' nor the diversity of 'Encore'. I, for one, feel this album was unnecessary and could have, with a bit of work, made part of an interesting studio album.

The galactic splendour of "Ricochet" or "Encore" is not quite present on this live album. Of course, several years have passed and we are now well into the eighties.

This album is still good of course, but I'm missing the absolute beauty of some of its predecessors (live or studio works).

The long "Logos" is somewhat repetitive and lacks of passion. It sounds dehumanized to my ears even if fine moments are plenty. The second part of the vinyl is more mysterious, more profound, more atmospheric and spacey (at least during the first five minutes). In one word: more TD from the mid seventies. And I like it better to be honest. OK, I'm an old freak. So?

More beats are to be listened further on, but the ambient mood is rather pleasant. TD doesn't offer a masterpiece, but this live recording from London is quite satisfactory for the fans. Being old or young ones: both will find interesting aspects and even some moments of delight .

As usual, the closing section of this very long track (over 45 minutes) is pure beauty. A symphonic harmony that only TD can offer. Still, the global feel is more like a good work than more. The commercial "Dominion" being somewhat inappropriate.

Three stars.

Possibly the greatest thing Tangerine Dream did in the 1980s. This live album is no match for Ricochet or Encore, but unlike those albums this does not sound like it was spiced up in the studio later. At this point in their career they were working almost exclusively with digital synthesizers and drum machines. There are no analog keyboards or guitars here, although the synths can sometimes sound almost like a guitar. A lot of the music here was based on their work for the soundtrack to the Michael Mann film The Keep. Lots and lots of great melodies on this set, most likely due to the influence of newest member Johannes Schmoelling.

The 45 minute title track was originally split into two parts; I will review it as such. Part 1 begins with the trio being introduced for the London audience. Some (at the time) futuristic sounding spaciness starts the piece. A drum machine groove leads to some quasi-soloing on keys. Later the drum machine dies out and the music gets both ambient and cinematic. As another drum machine pattern begins we get to hear one of the best things TD ever did...absolutely fantastic melodies that will get stuck in your head forever. The melodies and the tones used to play them are just perfect. Once this part ends you can hear the roar of applause from the audience.

After that the music gets spacey again, almost sounds like a horror movie soundtrack for awhile. The next part I have read is based on Music For 18 Musicians by minimalist composer Steve Reich. Since I am not very familiar with the work of Reich, I can neither confirm nor deny this. Some military style drum machine programming gets joined by some ethereal synthetic voices and hip-hop DJ scratching. More sounds get added and it becomes very "80s" sounding. After 20 minutes some more great melodies start as the miltary style beat is lowered in volume. Tempo increases towards the end of Part 1.

Part 2 is not as consistently good as Part 1 but still has it's moments. It starts out very icy and mechanical sounding. I like the fake bird sounds after a few minutes. Shortly after that the music changes to some kind of baroque synth-pop. Gradually it gets more aggressive and darker sounding before going back. Halfway starts a very '80s sounding drum machine pattern. Then it goes into some catchy synth-pop territory. The last few minutes sound similar to the title track of Hyperborea. it sounds like music to accompany the credits at the end of a movie.

There's one more song at the end, a very early 80s danceable synth-pop ditty called "Dominion." It's nice but nothing special; at least it has some good melodies. With the title track you could hear a connection to the 1970s, but this song looks towards the uncertain future. If you only know '70s TD but are curious about anything they did after, I would suggest picking this up. It's nowhere near as good as their best work from the previous decade, but it's still more consistent and enjoyable than the majority of what they released in the '80s. This gets a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Between a soundtrack and another in the first half of the 80s, Tangerine Dream found the time for recording a live album. Without the constraints imposed by studio cinema work, they can freely express their music out of time limits.

Unfortunately the size of vinyls caused this "Logos" to be cut into two parts, and this is really a pity, even if I have read that the CD edition has the two parts reunited into one single track.

What I call "the rule of five" is initially respected: the first 4:30 minutes are based on a repetitive obsessive rhythm, then a section made of rhythmless keyboards comes. This part reminds me to the most spacey parts of Vangelis' Albedo 0.39 and is effectively very spacey. After a couple of minutes a slow electronic drumming transforms it into a melodic newage.

The rule of 5 (a change every 5 minutes) is broken and what we have is similar to what Peter Bardens was doing more or less in the same period: melodic electronic. Good but not excellent. I prefer the spacey things.

At about minute 12 the music stops and it's like another track is starting, but it's only because the keyboards volume lowers down and is covered by applauses. Then we travel again in the darkness of the deep space, then some "techno-house" sounds like a scratch and a voice crying "Breakdown". The space environment is left behind until minute 17 when a repetitive base brings us back to the times of Ricochet and Cyclone. Squared waves and little variations.

It doesn't last long. at minute 20:30 a melodic rhythmic section brings us to the end of side A.

Side B opens in a very different manner. I'd like to hear the 45 minutes version to hear how the transition is made. This opening is dark and spacey, very appropriate as starter. Again I see a connection to Vangelis. Heaven and Hell, this time. Exactly five minutes, then a new section starts. Odd signature, electronic bass and sequencer. Again very close to Vangelis (China). I think to hear some of Froese's guitar here, too.

At about minute 10 (now the rule of 5 seems to work), it turns into 80s electropop. Not a good conclusion, but 6 minutes weaker than the rest on a 35 minutes performance can be tolerated.

The final section is melodic and poppy, but it maintains some of the typical TD characteristics. It's a good closer for this long live track.

"Dominion" is a sort of filler. 8 minutes of 80s pop without particular goods and bads. It's listenable and doesn't add or remove anything to the album. It's there, that's all.

Side A is quite a masterpiece, side B is "only" good, so the average is 4 stars, also taking into account that this one of the few non-soundtracks released by TD in this period.

This album I never owned on LP, so I only know the long Logos piece in the continuous version on the CD. It's nice, and has some very good sections, but it also has some very cheesy parts as well.

First of all, the synth sounds are superb. They are very sharp sounding, and some are quite original. I suspect that the "Wake up!" sample and the breathy sound used in that section were sampled from Godley & Creme's "Consequences" album. A half a point added if that is the case.

On the other side, the piece sounds like a bunch of disparate ideas stuck together to form a long composition. And too many parts resolve into the obvious major chords, instead of those wonderfully dark minors. And as for Dominion, meh.

3 stars.

Coming from a self proclaimed hater of live albums, 'Logos' is one of those albums that uses a slow drum machine that the band are slavishly tied down to throughout its duration. You'll feel like giving them a good kick, just to get their sorry asses into gear.

Unfortunately it doesn't really happen. Tangerine Dream sound hamstrung and crippled by the technology that they've promoted throughout the decade. However, as soon as those damn drum machines stop - they let themselves go a little bit, creating something far more interesting. Such a pity then that it's all too infrequent an occurrence.

All spontaneity is lost leaving a sterile and clinical sound which probably sounded great at the time, but now, in 2012 sounds staid and uninteresting.

The second part sacks the drums for the first half but the band still sound like they're playing to a metronome which is annoying as it is painfully obvious that they are doing so. Things get pretty cheesy 12 minutes into this track with every early 80's cliche you can imagine being rammed down your throat. It's almost like listening to an episode of 'Miami Vice'

Still... I'm a real sucker for sequencers, of which their are plenty and it's for that reason only that 'Logos' scrapes a three star rating by the skin of its teeth. In truth it probably deserves two...

Tangerine Dream were hoist by their own petard. And far, far worse was to follow...

Recorded at the Dominion Theatre, London, this superb live release finds Tangerine Dream performing a lengthy, bravura set very much at the peak of their formidable powers. Others will argue that the German electronic pioneers best times came around the mid-seventies with their 'Phaedra' and 'Rubycon' albums, yet it is their later material, particular between the years 1977 and 1984 that finds the group at their most universal, creating highly-emotive synthesized melodies that partially eschew the experimental musings of their formative years in favour of a much more accessible sound. The style evident on 'Logos' would of course lay the foundations for a commercially successful 1980s period which saw the trio - led as always by founding member Edgar Froese - embark on a lucrative soundtrack period(1977 had seen them provide the music for William Friedkin's thriller 'Sorceror') which would see Hollywood directors such as Michael Mann(Thief, Manhunter, Heat, Miami Vice) and Kathryn Bigelow(Near Dark, Strange Days, The Hurt Locker) utilising Tangerine Dream's powerful music in place of classical scores. Indeed, 'Logo's most powerful moments also feature prominently in Michael Mann's criminally-ignored and highly-atmospheric 1983 World War II horror fantasy 'The Keep', making it a much sought-after album thanks to the fact that the film's official soundtrack was never made commercially available, probably due in part to the film's subsequent box-office failure. Made up of one pulsing, five-minute closer('Dominion') and the epic, electro-psych journey title-track, this 1983 album ebbs and flows almost sensually from one uplifting moment to the next. The variety of moods charted by the group leads the listener through a seemingly endless array of gently-pulsing electro soundscapes, all the while flecked by neon-lit keyboards and dazzling, multi-layered synth workouts that flow almost effortlessly from one section to the next. This is Tangerine Dream in gloriously upbeat mode, and, unlike their earlier, darker live offering 'Ricochet'(another excellent concert album) there is much less reliability on repetition. Featuring a crisp, classy sound quality, 'Logos' is possibly the definitive live statement from this pioneering outfit and a must for every fan of early electronica. A truly captivating experience.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

For me personally Tangerine Dream was quite known for its space rock music style where I need appropriate mood to enjoy the music as I originally came from the kind of symphonic prog music. But it does not necessarily mean that this is not the kind of music that I cannot enjoy it's just I need quite sometime to find the best mood to get the subtleties of the music. Once I love their 'Bent Cold Sidewalk' track from Cyclone album but not many tracks of them that I am aware of.

As for Logos, I remember vividly that I was doing my final years at college when this album in cassette format I purchased, the same year with Marillion Script for a Jester's Tear. During the year I basically more into Marillion than other bands because to me Marillion brought alive the spirit of prog. But when I got a bit bored with Marillion I found others like Logos from Tangerine Dream - especially when I worked my academic work during the night until midnight. Wow! The opening track Logos really fit my purpose where at that time I need something foft as background and there are so many electronic instruments that Tangerine Dream plays in this live performance. I like the way how the keyboards and its devices create various sounds throughout the track. When I am now playing the cassette of this album now I can feel the way I worked at that time and I find joy now listening the music of Logos. The beauty is how the music flows and transcends all segments wonderfully as we are moving away with the music. Wahat a beautiful composition!

Overall, I find this album very good and enjoyable from start to end, especially when you enjoy it while the light is off and sipping a cup of coffee ... What a life! Am not doing it now as I am listening while writing the review of this album and it's heavy rain outside now. It's really enjoyable.... Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

One of their better Live performances of the era.

By this part of their career the band have probably got bored with doing their atmospheric Space/Psychedelic approach. "Logos" still represents long tracks, but more rhythmic and straightforward than their early works. Comparisons with "Tangram" and "Force Majeure" spring to mind here.

The first two tracks represent an approach of "tension and release", something that Fripp was very good at some stage. Musically however, they are rather different. Building slowly - as TD are undisputed masters of in general - till the unexpected, bombastic finale. Bombastic in a very pleasing, satisfying sense, reminiscent of "Beach Scene" from the album :Thief". Now, this is the TD approach that makes yours truly salivate over. Just brilliant!

The third and last track is a short and somewhat "poppy" one that wouldn't have been missed. The programmed drums lend it a cheap feel, but it's not really that bad after all. Over the years it grew on me to the point of enjoying it, still...

The truth is, I am rather biased towards "Logos" - that is in comparison with the bulk of their other works. Whilst it's not quite a 5 star performance, to me it represents the degree of enjoyment that deserves more than 4.

Logos was recorded from parts of the 1982 London Dominion Theatre concert, during the band's european tour. This record, entirely electronic, is one of the most melodic from the Schmoelling-era.

Logos Part 1 is the highlight of the disc and a must-listen for Schmoelling-era fans. Although it does not feature heavy/fast/hypnotic sequenced passages typical from the band, it has very good progession, various atmospheres, trippy and tense moments, beautiful melodies and a grandiose finale. Furthermore, the sound quality is very clean for a live album. Highly recommended.

Logos Part 2, however, is the problem of the disc. It looks like it was made with the same instruments as Part 1, but unfortunately not with the same inspiration and coherency. This piece alternates cheesy, flat, and a bit irritating passages. Looks like distinct tracks were put together, without unity. It is hardly understable and disturbing when, just before, the finale from Part 1 was cosmic.

Dominion is a short, melodic, enjoyable encore, nothing more. It finishes the record on a positive note.

As a conclusion, Logos is not my favorite live album from TD. While Logos Part 1 is a superb melodic piece, Logos Part 2 ranks amongst the worst music composed by the Froese/Franke/Schmoelling trio. What a contrast! Only a few parts of the 1982 London Dominion concert were used for Logos. Remaining parts were prototypes for the following White Eagle album or planned for The Keep soundtrack, especially the "Logotypes" suite, which is IMHO far superior to Logos Part 2. For a live album from this era, I'll rather recommend Poland. But you must give it a listen if you're a fan of the melodic facet of the band.

A cheesy but enjoyable live set from Tangerine Dream. Some sections of the epic Logos would crop up here and there in other work over the 1980s - for instance, there's the beautifully dramatic bit about 20 minutes in which was memorably used in one of the most unforgettably dramatic scenes of Michael Mann's The Keep. If you cannot stand the polished, cinematic style of 1980s Tangerine Dream, it probably won't be for you, but if you do it's a treasure trove of electronic playfulness and a welcome break from the occasional sterility of their studio albums of the era. Three and a half stars.