Log #54 - A Tangerine Dream 70s Retrospective

Following the new Tan Dream Essential entry last week I've gone for a near clean sweep this week. Odd one out is one of Klaus Schulze's early solo albums Picture Music (he went on to record over 50 and this was just his 4th). Schulze was originally part of Tangerine Dream but was actually only present for their first album Electronic Meditation.

1. Tangerine Dream - The Essential
2. Tangerine Dream - Force Majeure
3. Tangerine Dream - Cyclone
4. Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
5. Tangerine Dream - Encore
6. Klaus Schulze - Picture Music

The Tan Dream debut album is a curious affair. Basically it sounds nothing like Tangerine Dream and nothing like Klaus Schulze either. Despite the album title the electronics are relatively minimal with the musicians using traditional instruments - Schulze on drums - but there is nothing traditional about their use. The music is avant garde and experimental more akin to the experimental pieces of early Pink Floyd and Can and heavily influenced by Stockhausen. It may have been an important recording in the gestation of "Krautrock" and "The Berlin School" but deserves only passing attention these days as an actual listening experience.

Ignoring a recently released "lost" tape Green Desert allegedly from their early period (although  sounding suspiciously much more modern) Tangerine Dream followed up with three ambient albums championed by John Peel amongst others: Alpha Centauri, Zeit and Atem, the latter being one of Peel's albums of the year in 1973. Although still using some traditional instruments such as flute, organ and percussion, they were now very much an electronic band.

It's electronic for sure, but these early analogue recordings with their flutters and imperfections, their swirls and waves, sound organic and very real.

Trivia Fact no. 1: Edgar Froese's baby son Jerome featured on many of the early album covers. 

In 1974 they moved to the Virgin label and released Phaedra which many regard as their best. Here they began to develop more hypnotic pulsed music particularly on the powerful title track and Movements of a Visionary. These two tracks are separated by the gorgeous lush mellotron "strings" of Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares. 

I remember falling asleep listening to Phaedra, a little stoned and being completely blown away by the adventure of it. It was taking me to places I had never been before. This album is the reason I’m obsessed with synthesisers. 

 Anthony Gonzalez

Rubycon followed - just two tracks - a side one and a side two. Ricochet was their first live recording - again just two tracks (there would be many more live recordings that would be released as albums - most live performances consisted of new material interspersed with improvisations based on existing tracks). Stratosfear indicated a move towards more accessible melodic compositions that would be developed through the 80s. Parts of the title track from Stratosfear would surface again in the double live album Encore (four 20 minute tracks).

Not surprisingly Tangerine Dream's music made excellent movie soundtrack material and in 1977 they scored William Friedkin's Sorcerer film. Although a departure from their epic side long compositions the album is actually a very coherent work.

Trivia Fact no.2: Sorcerer is Stephen King's favourite film.

By the end of the 70s Tangerine Dream were venturing towards a more expansive progressive rock direction. The drums and guitars returned for two of my favourite albums - Cyclone and Force Majeure - but in a much more conventional rock style. The former even featuring lyrics and vocals to mixed reviews. Each album consisted of just three tracks of epic proportions with titles like Thru' Metamophic Rocks and Rising Runner Missed by Endless Sender.

Tangerine Dream 1978, Steve Jolliffe far right

Trivia Fact no.3: Much maligned singer Steve Jolliffe from the 1978 Cyclone album was actually briefly in Tangerine Dream with Klaus Schulze in 1969 on saxophone, flute and keyboards.

And there my Tangerine Dream exploration pretty much ends as they entered a more melodic commercial synthesizer era through the 80s and who knows what since. 50 years since their formation and literally 100s of albums later, they are still going in some form despite the death of Edgar Froese in 2015 - a new album Quantum Gate was released last month with writing credits to Froese and good reviews. Maybe time to give their post 1980 output a listen starting with this one!

Trivia Fact no.4: Baby Jerome Froese actually joined Tangerine Dream in 1989 and stayed with the band until 2006.

3 of the best from the 70s: