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MADCAP'S FLAMING DUTY

Tangerine Dream

Progressive Electronic


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Tangerine Dream Madcap's Flaming Duty album cover
2.99 | 46 ratings | 5 reviews | 4% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 2007

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Astrophel and Stella (7:21)
2. Shape My Sin (4:50)
3. Blessed Damozel (5:16)
4. Divorce (4:46)
5. Dream of Death (7:46)
6. Hear the Voice (5:08)
7. Lake of Pontchartrain (7:23)
8. Mad Song (5:08)
9. One Hour of Madness (8:29)
10. Man (4:47)
11. Hymn to Intellectual Beatuy (6:24)
12. Solution of All Problems (6:24)

Total Time: 73:22

Line-up / Musicians

- Edgar Froese / keyboards, guitar, dobro, harmonica, bass
- Thorsten Quaeschning / keyboards, V-drums, steel drums, recorder, E-bow guitar

With:
- Chris Hausl / vocals
- Bernhard Beibl / electric & acoustic guitars, violin, mandolin
- Gynt Beator / Irish bouzouki, bodhrán
- Thomas Beator / Irish bouzouki
- Linda Spa / flute, didgeridoo, modified bagpipes
- Iris Camaa / percussion, drums

Releases information

Artwork: Edgar Froese's "Gertrude Stein Reading Sophokles"

CD Eastgate ‎- none (2007, Germany)

Thanks to easy livin for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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TANGERINE DREAM Madcap's Flaming Duty ratings distribution


2.99
(46 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(4%)
4%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(26%)
26%
Good, but non-essential (41%)
41%
Collectors/fans only (20%)
20%
Poor. Only for completionists (9%)
9%

TANGERINE DREAM Madcap's Flaming Duty reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Dean
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
4 stars I haven't bought a TD album since Underwater Sunlight and only really bought this because it was dedicated to the memory of Syd Barrett. So shock number one is that it is not an instrumental album, it has vocals, (which is enough to send many a Tangerine Dream fan into a flat spin), and shock number two arrives on the form of the vocals themselves - some reviews have likened Chris Hausl to Mark Almond, which is close, but not strictly accurate, but they would be perfectly at home on an 80's synth-pop CD (or more recently Dark Wave and EBM). However, that be said, the guy can sing and it really fits the music to a T. He even manages a passable Irish lilt on Lake of Pontchartrain, which is my only niggle here - I have strong doubts about the song being Traditional Irish, since Lake Pontchartrain is near New Orleans and is about a Creole Girl.

Musically, TD have re-found their stride and any of the tracks here (sans vocal) would sit comfortably alongside tunes from Stratosphere or Force Majeure - Edgar Froese's lead guitar breaks are equally worthy of those albums alone (most notably on A Dream of Death). In fact it is the guitarmanship that really lifts the majority of the songs, for example the acoustic guitar overlaid with some seriously sustained electric/ebow guitar from Thorsten Quaeschning on The Blessed Damozel is just sublime. Add to this the vocals (adapted from 17th & 18th century poetry from the likes of Shelly and Blake) and Tangerine Dream have produced something really special.

Review by Chris S
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Well it has been a very long time coming as in purchasing some recent Tangerine Dream material, however by giving Madcap's Flaming Duty some dutiful listening I decided to invest in the full CD version. I am not disappointed as if there is any accusation that TD do not reinvent themsleves then this is proof to the contrary as was the Tyger and Cyclone releases in bygone years. This is a richly laden vocally driven album and whilst the music resembles Froese's works mainly the vocals are so well done the album holds up really strongly overall. A great TD release sounding fresh and great vocal work from Chris Hausl. There are some excellent Celtic influences also especially on ' Lake of The Pontchartrain'. Other highlights would have to be ' Hymn to Intellectual Beauty', ' Dream of Death' and ' Shape of Sin' If you like this album you will also enjoy Infinite Symphony by Clearlight Symphony. Similar in many respects and quality vocals which is a winning formula to change! Four stars.
Review by ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars Well, I guess that I will be one of the few that won't feel like rating this album pretty high here.

It is of course not the first time that Edgar Froese has integrated vocals on a TD album, but he never did to such an extent. And after over an hour of this treat, I have to say that the mellow, uniform and inexpressive tone from Chris Hausl is quite working on my nerves.

I'm afraid that my perception of this album won't match the majority of (very few) my fellow reviewers. IMO this album is all flatness and (mainly) boredom. Some fine guitar during "A Dream Of Death". Big deal!

Out of almost fifty reviews from the band, I consider this album as one of the weakest TD work so far. Dull, pitiful and totally lacking of originality. Some deep "Talk Talk" feeling is even available; the most noticeable of these "moments" is probably "Hear The Voice". A typical and great "press next" track. Just as the painful "Lake Of Pontchartrain". One of the worst for sure. But is "Mad Song" any better??? I doubt.

It really hurts me when I have to review a TD album which doesn't fulfil its role. Without any spirit nor flavour: so is "Madcap's Flaming Duty". Fortunately, it didn't happen so often. This sounds as no TD at all. I can only recommend to avoid such an album. Unless you would like to listen to some sub "Human League" compositions ("One Hour Of Madness") or some sub "Spandau Ballet" ballad ("Man").

I guess that you have the global feel?

You can easily miss this release. I will be extremely generous because of the emotional link I have with the band: two stars. But gosh! These vocals sitting at each corner!!!

Review by admireArt
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Not to be left behind, as other reviewers of this album, I also have lost track of many 1990-2000s, TD releases. Now, I have aquired a couple of those later releases. Not expecting any kind of miracle, I knew beforehand that this musical association had lost their first decade's "magic", but still a prog-electronic buff that I am, could not skip the chance to indulge in this conceptual, not musical, unmentioned tribute to Syd Barrett's humanity.

Anyway, this , 2007, "MADCAP'S FLAMING DUTY", is not strictly Progressive Electronic as such. Beyond sporting vocals, the majority of the 12 compositions could be pinned down to the Prog eclectic/crossover taggings.

The good news is that among so many acoustic instruments, TD as such is not recognizable, therefore a bit strange but tempting.

The bad news, as with most of TD's post 70s releases, music composition wise, this release will hardly impress any of that decade's followers, less any Michael Cretu's "Enigma" follower, like me (or any Robbie Robertson's follower by the way). But ENIGMA is the best parameter, as he established this kind of stylistic game far from Progland's usual audiophiles, due to the fact, I suppose, that he got air-wave attention. Therefore this TD sounds like an innocent attempt in these well sowed ENIGMA fields.

Good and fun but hardly essential ***3 PA stars.

Review by Modrigue
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars As its title may suggest, "Madcap's Flaming Duty" is an homage to PINK FLOYD's founder Syd Barrett, deceased in 2006. It's no secret that the british pioneers had an important influence on Krautrock and on TANGERINE DREAM, especially on their early albums such as "Alpha Centauri" and "Zeit". However, the featured music is no psychedelic/space-rock, nor pure electronic music, but rather soft songs with an electro-pop background.

Vocals have always been risky business for the german band. "Cyclone" was good but not due to its singer, "Tyger" had few rare pleasant moments, the "Dante" trilogy was controversial. Although different and incorporating unusal instruments, "Madcap's Flaming Duty" is globally flat. The songs sound not various enough and fail at catching attention. Chris Hausl's voice does not really improve the compositions. The bonus track "Burning Babe's Reality Song" does not make exception.

For the few rare good moments, there is sometimes some enjoyable floyd-ish guitar play. The only inspired and the most original track is Thorsten Quaeschning's "One Hour Of Madness". It can be described as a mixture of 90's big-beat and soft trip-hop, with typical TD synth sequence and an interesting progression. Only wish this mastered madness could really last one hour instead of 8 minutes.

As a big TANGERINE DREAM and PINK FLOYD fan, I can't help being disappointed by this album. Do not expect to find pulsating electronics nor trippy space rock here, however you may find sleep. For me, "Madcap's Flaming Duty" is only "Eight Minutes of Goodness"...

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