Search - Tangerine Dream :: Alpha Centauri

Pompous symphonic schwung

10/31/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After Froese and Schulze parted company in 1970, the band was lucky to find a replacement in Christopher Franke, an extremely talented musician, who will be one of the first people on earth to explore the power of synthesizers and translate technology into musical notes. From 1970 Franke and Froese will constitute a nucleus of the Tangerine Dream band, accompanied by more or less important temporary members. Unfortunately, after 18 years, their cooperation ended abruptly, with no particular benefit for what remained of Tangerine Dream. Alpha Centauri, their second album, is a significant step forward in their career. The first change one notices immediately after turning the album on, is the quality of the sound. Unlike its predecessor, this album was not recorded in an old factory warehouse, but in a studio. Guitar is not a dominant sound anymore - it is messed into the musical texture that in turn consists of landscapes created by VCS3 synthesizer performed by Franke and "church-like" organs maneuvered by both Froese and Schroyder, the latter having a very temporary adventure with Tangerine Dream. Still, there is lots of experimental stuff in this recording. One does not have to look far - the whole "side B" of vinyl consists of a single, title track that does not possess a musical leading line. It is hard to digest only at the first trial or for "unaccustomed ears". Do not give up, however. Come back to Alpha Centauri every now and then and maybe, as I certainly hope, you will find a fly in a collision with Comas Sola somewhat attractive, even if pure historical reasons are not convincing for you at this time. The second track is the most structured, which seems to be against their hitherto worshipped motto of complete freedom. Under heavy stratum of organs, we can dig the buried neoromantic tune - trying to catch it is by itself a pastime. Then they slowly progress with pompous symphonic schwung that culminates in hysteric looping of the tune and organs and blasted altogether with acoustic percussion solo by Christopher Franke. The whole album ends with German recitative. I love this language, although I understand as much as from Eskimo. SUMMARY: buy if you like to experiment or if you are more and more into Tangerine Dream."

Tangerine Dream enters deep space

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 12/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With Electronic Meditation, Tangerine Dream blew people's minds by intense guitar and drum jamming, making them easily categorized as a rock band. Then Klaus Schulze and Conrad Schnitzler abruptly left, replaced by Steve Schroyder (later briefly of Ash Ra Tempel) and a teenaged Chris Franke. With Alpha Centauri, the band abandoned most of the rock found on their previous album in place of deep space explorations. And you know you'll get something spacy when songs bears titles like "Sunrise in the Third System" and "Fly and Collision of Coma Solas". Most of rock's convention's are abandoned here with the sound of what sounds like a pipe organ and lots of spacy electronic effects. The only drums you'll find is near the end of "Fly & Collision" and that's as close to rock as you'll get here. The album then ends with the side length title track which is truly the ultime excurion in to deep space. I just love this stuff and I wonder why so many people these days listen to Jewel. For me, I feel Tangerine Dream's early material from the Ohr label (1970-1973) represents the band at their most interesting, even though it's not for everyone, like Alpha Centauri. Certainly if you're expecting some of their later, more upbeat electronic albums, you probably won't like this, but if you love unconventional space music like me, you're sure to like this."

Voyage beyond unconscious worlds !

James Bang | Brazil | 11/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another great TD album, from the early years. Some people dislike AC, but this album is definitively the birth of the spacial-relaxing-dark sound that TD recorded after.
The formation is very interesting, Froese's guitars interruptions and noises are very creative and atipical. Franke's drums on Fly and collision... are something out of this planet, including the oriental-greek-like flute that appears in the middle of this track and in the last song, the title-track.
Schroyder's organ, specially Farfisa organ gives a relax sensation, like a medieval time, but not in planet Earth !It's interesting, rustic, experimental, but more linear than Zeit, the next album that is more apocalyptic, dense, visceral, everything in a VERY slowly dose... if it's possible !
Alpha centauri is an interesting point to start TD discography. And a final commet: 80's and 90's are pure pop-synth thing... a few things interesting....the early years are much more intense and creative, many people on new age stuff heard TD... there's no doubt !"