Madcap's Flaming Duty - DVD

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tdfan
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Madcap's Flaming Duty - DVD

Post by tdfan »

Anyone received it yet?
was it sold at the concert?
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bigmoog
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Re: Madcap's Flaming Duty - DVD

Post by bigmoog »

tdfan wrote:Anyone received it yet?
was it sold at the concert?

yes, it was at the gig.....selling well.....!
...The wise.....are silent.....
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tdfan
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Re: Madcap's Flaming Duty - DVD

Post by tdfan »

bigmoog wrote:yes, it was at the gig.....selling well.....!
Sweet. Looking forward to a review then. :D
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endorphin
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Post by endorphin »

Purchased a copy of this last night and watched it earlier on this morning. Predominately filmed in black and white with subtle touches of colour here and there it features the band (complete with period costume!) perform in a relaxed studio setting. Interspersed are outdoor shots, rather grand looking old buildings, coach and horses etc and the end result seeks to recreate an 18th century vibe.

The DVD is basically a straight run through the album plus some behind the scenes bonus footage, no interviews sadly.
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Post by wayfarer »

endorphin wrote:Purchased a copy of this last night and watched it earlier on this morning. Predominately filmed in black and white with subtle touches of colour here and there it features the band (complete with period costume!) perform in a relaxed studio setting. Interspersed are outdoor shots, rather grand looking old buildings, coach and horses etc and the end result seeks to recreate an 18th century vibe.

The DVD is basically a straight run through the album plus some behind the scenes bonus footage, no interviews sadly.
there's an extra audio track on the Cd though isn't there?

"Burning Gabe's(?) Reality Song"
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tdfan
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Post by tdfan »

And also a booklet with the lyrics and maybe some photos?
This DVD is on top of my wishlist!
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Chris Monk
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Re: Madcap's Flaming Duty - DVD

Post by Chris Monk »

bigmoog wrote:
tdfan wrote:Anyone received it yet?
was it sold at the concert?

yes, it was at the gig.....selling well.....!
Saw it but I've got it on order so I didn't buy it. Can't wait to see it.
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Re: Madcap's Flaming Duty - DVD

Post by alipaul »

Chris Monk wrote:
bigmoog wrote:
tdfan wrote:Anyone received it yet?
was it sold at the concert?

yes, it was at the gig.....selling well.....!
Saw it but I've got it on order so I didn't buy it. Can't wait to see it.
So did i, i bought a copy and i'm cancelling my order on Monday
"Zero Tolerance on Cyber Bullying"

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On guard duty to shoot all grizzlies on sight !!!

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MrCox
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Post by MrCox »

I recieved my copy today. I didn't have a chance to listen to the whole album and watch the DVD though, I was just skipping through the contents.

Unfortunately the set doesn't contain a booklet with the lyrics, there's just a hint that we will be able to download them on the official download site. The bonus track "Burning Babe's Reality Song" is in fact an edited version of "Metaphor Earthling's Reality", but for everyone who missed the "Metaphor" EP this is a nice (and fitting) addition as I always thought this song may be a MFD outtake.

I will go through the set more detailed tomorrow, but I'm really exited about it. And I was one of the first 50 who got the autographed picture of the band! :D
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Post by MrCox »

Well after listening to the album several times and watching the DVD once I wrote a more extensive review about this release. 8)

MADCAP'S FLAMING DUTY

Tangerine Dream did it again, they released another album with vocals and of course this fact alone will divide their fan base. But in my humble opinion "Madcap's Flaming Duty" (MFD) is a decent album with great songs and instrumentation.
The album kicks off with Edgar Froese's blues harp solo, a beautiful intro to a fascinating song called "Astrophel And Stella". The piece builds up quite slowly using some mellow sequencing and percussion, soft electric guitar and finally Chris Hausl's haunting voice, but I dare to say that it's one of Froese's best compositions. This song really sends shivers down my spine and is the first highlight of the album. Of course most of you already know this track either from last year's live performance or the promo CD, so I guess I don't have to tell more about it.
Thorsten Quaeschning's song "Shape My Sin" is next. It made its first (unofficial) appearance on the Tangerine Tree CD "Assorted Secrets 5" last year, but here (with proper production and the usual great sound quality) it shines even more. The song flows along in mid-tempo, some nice melodic touches and once more great singing on Hausl's part. This track would be a great single for the album, especially with its haunting refrain and an even better middle part, the second highlight of MFD undoubtedly.
Quaeschning's "The Blessed Damozel" is almost a classic ballad, although there are some strange percussion elements in it. Although Hausl's voice makes this for fascinating listening and the melody is quite nice this piece doesn't do much for me. It's a fine composition but doesn't belong to the best this album has to offer.
Next up is Froese's "The Divorce". And most fans will recognize that the composition is based on "Tangines On And Running" released on the "40 Years Roadmap To Music" EP last year. Although I always liked the instrumental, this vocal version lifts the piece considerably. Besides Hausl's extrordinary vocals there are some great guitar parts added by Bernhard Beibl. All in all this song is marvellous and differs enough from the instrumental version to really be of interest.
The same goes for Quaeschning's "A Dream Of Death" which is based on "Day Shift" (although the original "false start" is missing here). This song is the third major highlight of this album. This piece is especially notable for its strict structure, a haunting vocal part is followed by an extended instrumental section complete with a beautiful flute solo by Linda Spa, Beibl's guitar and some percussion rolls by Iris Camaa, before the piece returns to the vocal part. This track really may bring tears to your eyes.
Froese's "Hear My Voice" is a strange composition which kicks off with subtle percussion, flute and unrecognizable sound effects. While listening to this track the third time I think there is something special about it, but I'm still not too sure what to make of it. I like the guitar on this track but the melody seems to be quite complicated and moves through different moods. Maybe a bit less would have been more? Well, I guess I'll have to revisit this one more often (I don't give up so fast).
Now it's up to TD's version of the Irish traditional "Lake Of Pontchartrain" ... and who would have thought it could be one of the highlights of this album? It's just magnificent although there are just some simple sequencer patterns in the background to please the usual TD fan. Guitars, a bagpipe, an accordeon, acoustic percussion and even a didgeridoo make for a highly unusual but most entertaining song. I'm just blown away by this track!
The next track "Mad Song" is in contrast very typical for Froese's compositions, a relatively simple keyboard melody, a steady rhythm and some additional touches here and there. There's nothing wrong about this one, but there's nothing too special either. I could have lived without this song, but it fits quite well between the Irish song and the next one.
Finally the band speeds up with Quaeschning's "One Hour Of Madness" (it was also a highlight on the promo CD). Here the Dream machine runs at full speed again and the whole composition is very dark, at times even disturbing. Chris Hausl has one of his best performances on this track; what a voice! This composition will stay in your mind for a long time as the fifth major highlight of this disc. The only criticism I have about this one is the kind of anticlimactic closing section with Beibl's guitar solo that almost seems to belong to a different song altogether, but in fact it doesn't distract too much.
With Froese's "Man" we're back on typical mid-tempo Froese ground. Just like "Mad Song" the song itself is beautiful and has some really nice moments, but it doesn't do much for me. Maybe the song is lacking a strong refrain, yet again Beibl delivers another fine guitar solo.
Quaeschning delivers another mid-tempo composition next with "Hymn For Intellectual Beauty" and what a beautiful song this is. After a moody beginning Hausl begins another great vocal performance with a haunting refrain. This track could also be found on the promo and it makes for fascinating listening here too. Every verse raises the piece to a new dimension and makes the song more intense. This one really is fascinating.
At the end of the original album there is Froese's "Solution To All Problems", a track that was compared to Depeche Mode by some fans. Hausl's singing reminds a lot of Dave Gahan in fact. For me this song is a bit too monotonous as it lacks some kind of development, but the rhythm and sequencer parts are fascinating in their own right. But one thing really always bothered me while listening to this one. I knew I heard the instrumental background before. I did, this song is a variation on "Oceanride", one of the compositions that can only be found on TD's official download section (on the album "Ocean Waves"). Well whatever, it's a strange yet fitting final track for MFD and I begin to like it the way it is.
The bonus track "Burning Babe's Reality Song" is an edited version of "Metaphor Earthling's Reality" (on the limited edition EP "Metaphor" released last December). Because the CD clocks in around 79 minutes, the track had to be faded out after approximately 5 minutes. I always thought this song was a MFD outtake. I like the song because it was the first one that introduced me to Chris Hausl's great voice and because it's a fantastic Froese composition. For me this is the real conclusion of the album.

The second disc of the eastgate edition is the DVD containing 85 minutes of film and 5 minutes of bonus material with some glimpses behind the scene of the filming process.
The film itself could be seen as a collection of video clips for each and every MFD song. Most of the time the band is in the studio playing their instruments, filmed in black and white (and some colour elements here and there like Edgar Froese's blue guitar, Iris Camaa's red drum sticks or even Linda Spa's lips!). But with each song there are some additional images, archive pictures, coloured image effects, the band in early 19th century costumes moving through the city of Vienna, dancing in front of a Ferris wheel or riding on a carriage. It's hard to describe some of the images, but they make for fascinating viewing.
During the performance bits Chris Hausl (the singer of course) and Iris Camaa (with her whirling drum sticks and percussion instruments) are the ones the cameras focus on most, but all six musicians are featured in some clips more extensively, for example Linda Spa during her flute solo on "A Dream Of Death" or Thorsten Quaeschning behind the drum kit on "One Hour Of Madness").
The DVD is never boring as every clip delivers something special. My favourites are "Shape My Sin" with some colour footage of Hausl in front of a blue sky with a giant bird flying, "Hear The Voice" with some great Vienna footage, "Lake Of Pontchartrain" with its sepia images of the band playing in a more intimate half-circle and images of Hausl singing at a lake. On "One Hour Of Madness" the band really seemed to have fun (just watch Hausl's face during his first singing verses!), on "Hymn To Intellectual Beauty" are more great Vienna shots (with the aforementioned dancing scenes) and "Solution To All Problems" and "Burning Babe's Reality Song" feature some fantastic effects and unusual shots. The latter falls out of the 19th century style of most of the other clips as it's "just" the bonus track; here Chris Hausl can be seen walking around in his everyday clothes and some images of the moon and the sun going up behind it don't fit to the rest of the clips, but nevertheless this clip belongs to the best parts of the film.
The DVD is more than just "the band performing the album", this film is a work of art in its own right. And it feels like an integral part of the whole concept. At one point a burning picture of Syd Barrett (whom this album is dedicated to) can be seen. But I fear this (and maybe some more unusual guitar parts) is the only thing that really refers to Barrett. The concept of MFD feels a bit underdeveloped (in some eyes it's even non-existent), but who cares if the result is this interesting?

The album is another great example for TD's and Edgar Froese's ability to surprise fans. Although most tracks are mid-tempo they all have something special. Some compositions are better than others, but that doesn't harm my overall impression too much. I must admit I really love Chris Hausl's voice and Linda Spa's contributions are just perfect this time (no saxophone at all but flute, bagpipes and didgeridoo). If I have had to compile this album I'd have left some weaker songs off ("The Blessed Damozel", "Mad Song" and "Man") and trimmed the album to around 60 instead of 79 (or 73) minutes. But that's just my opinion. All in all there are at least 5 top-notch compositions ("Astrophel And Stella", "Shape My Sin", "A Dream Of Death", "Lake Of Pontchartrain" and "One Hour Of Madness") and another 4 good ones ("The Divorce", "Hymn To Intellectual Beauty" "Solution To All Problems" and "Burning Babe's Reality Song"). So we've got no right to complain at all. And the DVD is a fantastic addition to the album which even makes the weaker tracks very interesting on the visual level. I just cut off one point of my DVD rating because you can see clearly at times that the band didn't perform the music like it can be heard (the music is nearly as good to the CD). But well, that's a standard problem with music clips.

If you're a fan who likes TD strictly instrumental, well I guess you will skip this release after all. There's not much to criticize if you enjoy vocal TD music. I just wish the band would have strengthend the Barrett connection so that it doesn't somehow feel just like a marketing trick to gain more attention (half a point less for this factor). I didn't talk about the lyrical content in this review, but this is because I didn't hear all the words properly enough to rate their contribution to the album and its concept. Well, I think MFD is a fine and interesing album I surely will revisit more often in the weeks to come.

Audio CD rating: 7,5 / 10
DVD rating: 9 / 10
Overall: 8 / 10
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Post by epsilon75 »

Another excellent reveiw Mr Cox.............thanks very much :wink:
RIP Edgar. I am going to miss you.
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Post by Chris Monk »

epsilon75 wrote:Another excellent reveiw Mr Cox.............thanks very much :wink:
yep. there's some work gone into that. Thanks.
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Post by endorphin »

Great review, many thanks for sharing.
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Post by bigmoog »

as ever a concise review of TD, wonderful


MFD is now legendary as is the astoria gig and the fan meet, talk about brilliant.....I will never ever forget the friendly, generous and lovely fans I met....true memories and love to all :arrow:
...The wise.....are silent.....
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Post by wayfarer »

bigmoog wrote:as ever a concise review of TD, wonderful


MFD is now legendary as is the astoria gig and the fan meet, talk about brilliant.....I will never ever forget the friendly, generous and lovely fans I met....true memories and love to all :arrow:
Too right, BM, too right! Pity there's a bit of a hoo-ha going on about it on the Yahoo Group. :(
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