features in: Album Chart of 1974 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
With the preceding LP “Atem” having been named “album of the year” by John Peel, the hipsters were all ears for Tangerine Dream’s futuristic vision, and Richard Branson, high on his share of 15,000 mail-order import sales for that title, was impressed enough to offer the Berlin trio a proper album deal on Virgin, a proposition which they accepted gladly. Branson’s nose for an opportunity proved to be right; the album was a surprise hit in the UK, ascending to #15 in the chart, despite virtually no commercial radio airtime. At the time of release in February ’74 they were: Edgar Froese (29, mellotron, guitar, bass, VCS 3 synthesizer, organ); Peter Baumann (21, organ, electric piano, VCS 3 synthesizer, flute) and Christopher Franke (20, moog synthesizer, VCS 3 synthesizer). The title-track, at over 17 minutes long, takes up the entirety of side 1 and is rather wonderful; their ability to create exquisite mood-music via synthesizers is clear for all to hear, as this piece twists and turns, suggesting some sort of adventure is being undertaken. Me personally, I’m exploring Europa – my god, there’s some weird creatures in some of the caves on that planet. Despite the well-documented sweat, labour and toil in the creation, I remain unmoved by side 2; the whole thing passes my by, in the same way that an eerie film soundtrack might, although I admit it has a certain beatific aesthetic that induces curiosity more than a racing pulse. A rather nice dream all the same.
The Jukebox Rebel
18–Feb–2016
| Tracklist |
| A | [17:39]  Tangerine Dream - Phaedra (Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Peter Baumann) Ambient |
| B1 | [09:55]  Tangerine Dream - Mysterious Semblance at The Strand Of Nightmares (Edgar Froese) Ambient |
| B2 | [07:56]  Tangerine Dream - Movements Of A Visionary (Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Peter Baumann) Ambient |
| B3 | [02:13]  Tangerine Dream - Sequent C (Peter Baumann) Ambient |
