UNDERWATER SUNLIGHT

Many feel that this is the last great TANGERINE DREAM album. Hard to disagree. Schmoelling has just left to be replaced by the classically trained Austrian Paul Haslinger. While Paul didn't compose any of these tracks he certainly left his mark on this record, especially with his piano work. Anyway he seems to have ignited the creative juices of Froese and Franke and given them a renewed energy as well. A definite theme to this album with the "ocean" being the subject.

I have to say that the side long suite "Song Of The Whale" is possibly the best composition i've ever heard from this band. As tszirmay mentions in his review there is so much emotion, and the guitar work of Froese is outstanding. It opens with these electronic sounds as the guitar and a lush sound take over. The feeling you get is of the sun rising over the ocean and we can hear the sounds of sea creatures and water. This is so uplifting and moving. The guitar cries out 3 1/2 minutes in. A powerful soundscape before 5 1/2 minutes before we get some more amazing guitar around 7 minutes. Part two of this suite opens with grand piano then synths wash in around 2 minutes.The sequencers come in and this all sounds so beautiful until around 5 minutes when it turns bombastic. Guitar 6 1/2 minutes in before it turns soft and lush again 7 minutes in. The guitar is back ! This is so impressive. Even the way it ends with that powerful atmosphere.

"Dolphin Dance" features a beat with spacey synths. This sounds so good. Guitar before 2 minutes. The synths after 3 minutes sound like a guitar. The last three tracks are not nearly as good as the first three. If I was rating the first half alone it would be easily 5 stars. The tempo starts to pick up on "Ride On The Ray" before a minute. A good beat continues. Guitar 2 1/2 minutes in. Good tune. "Scuba Scuba" is spacey with a beat and seems a little uninspired to me. "Underwater Twilight" has this intro that I would describe as heavenly. It changes 2 minutes in as we get a beat with synths playing over top.

I really like the combination of electric guitar with electronics like on the later HELDON albums.