Tangerine Dream

Back in the pre-internet days, when the only other TD friends I knew were few and far between, the consensus was that Hyperborea was a dull album, to be listened to when new and then rarely ever again.

For this reason, (and also the opening chord on Poland that lead onto such 'greater' things) I rarely paid much attention.

However! Friday's 'Poland opener' chord led onto some utterly hypnotic new layers of rhythm, both in terms of clarity and also (correct me if I'm wrong) new layers. I was immediately sucked in and, having thought 'oh-no-hyperborea' I was soon overcome with the emotions of what I was hearing.

The guitar solos were just the icing on the cake, and the whole experience only reinforced to me the importance of seeing this band live.

Hyperboreauk wrote:I love the the first three tracks, as I have already said before Sphinx Lightning lacks something IMO must give it another try after listening to the excellent rework.

Well Sphinx lightning has a lot more to offer than Cinnamon Road IMHO

I must confess I enjoy these 4 minute synth pop pieces like "Midnight In Tula" or "Choronzon", as TD always managed to create great melodies and dancable rhythms on them. And "Cinnamon Road" is no exception, it also works very well in context of the album. TD albums of this era weren't complete without a track like this: They always include at least one or two short "pop" compositions (here "Cinnamon Road"), one lengthy suite (here "Sphinx Lightning") and one atmospheric mood piece (here "Hyperborea") and this is what makes them stand out for me.

"Hyperborea" isn't the best release of the "Schmoelling" era, but I really love that album, especially as the band included some eastern influences that are fascinating ("No Man's Land" in particular). The title track is an all-time classic, no doubt about it. I just had some problems liking "Sphinx Lightning" in the past. I think it belongs to those TD compositions that require very close listening and at one time it just "clicked". Now I wouldn't want to have the album any other way, just awesome 40 minutes.

MrCox wrote:I must confess I enjoy these 4 minute synth pop pieces like "Midnight In Tula" or "Choronzon", as TD always managed to create great melodies and dancable rhythms on them. And "Cinnamon Road" is no exception, it also works very well in context of the album. TD albums of this era weren't complete without a track like this: They always include at least one or two short "pop" compositions (here "Cinnamon Road"), one lengthy suite (here "Sphinx Lightning") and one atmospheric mood piece (here "Hyperborea") and this is what makes them stand out for me.

"Hyperborea" isn't the best release of the "Schmoelling" era, but I really love that album, especially as the band included some eastern influences that are fascinating ("No Man's Land" in particular). The title track is an all-time classic, no doubt about it. I just had some problems liking "Sphinx Lightning" in the past. I think it belongs to those TD compositions that require very close listening and at one time it just "clicked". Now I wouldn't want to have the album any other way, just awesome 40 minutes.

Gave a copy of Hyperborea to one of my junior staff once, who was from Sri Lanka, and she liked it quite a lot. It's about the only piece of music in my collection that has anything remotely approaching an Indian style of music.

Had to snigger when you said that Chronozon was a 4 minute synth pop piece. It may be today but when I heard it the first time at the Manchester Apollo in 1980 it was a crushing heavy-metal monster of a track, with a riff straight out of Hades.

Although not my favourite TD album, Hyperborea is part of my favourite era. It was one of the first albums that I heard, back in the early eighties.

I, also, had moist eyes when Hyper Sphinx began. I couldn't believe that I was hearing it. `Course when I got home I saw that Sphinx Lightning had been modified on the new Ltd.

i had the same feeling when Exit and Das Madchen started too.

Incidentally, I always thought that SL's beginning would make a good soundtrack piece to a big budget living dead horror movie. The beat fits the living dead shuffle quite well

Chris Monk wrote:

MrCox wrote:
Had to snigger when you said that Chronozon was a 4 minute synth pop piece. It may be today but when I heard it the first time at the Manchester Apollo in 1980 it was a crushing heavy-metal monster of a track, with a riff straight out of Hades.

thats because 'choronzon' is a crushing heavy-metal monster, with a riff straight out of hades....(see Crowley's writings........)


EXIT is titanic

I have to admit Hyperborea was not one of my most favourite albums
It was the first time for me that the line up of FFS sounded a bit jaded.
Also was this the last album for Virgin ?

Arguably I would say that Risky Business marked the end of the Virgin Years, as it was on the Virgin label.

bigmoog wrote:
thats because 'choronzon' is a crushing heavy-metal monster, with a riff straight out of hades....(see Crowley's writings........)


EXIT is titanic

You beat me to it there BM. For those curious, Choronzon, according to occultic tradition and the writings of Aleister Crowley, is the demonic Dweller in the Abyss. Crowley infamously claimed to have summoned Choronzon during a magical ritual in the Sahara desert and which nearly resulted in the death of his pupil Victor Neuberg.

I guess quite a fitting name for a track on a bleak album concerned about apocalypse/nuclear war and, by inference, meddling with things that are beyond your control.

endorphin wrote:

bigmoog wrote:
thats because 'choronzon' is a crushing heavy-metal monster, with a riff straight out of hades....(see Crowley's writings........)


EXIT is titanic

You beat me to it there BM. For those curious, Choronzon, according to occultic tradition and the writings of Aleister Crowley, is the demonic Dweller in the Abyss. Crowley infamously claimed to have summoned Choronzon during a magical ritual in the Sahara desert and which nearly resulted in the death of his pupil Victor Neuberg.

I guess quite a fitting name for a track on a bleak album concerned about apocalypse/nuclear war and, by inference, meddling with things that are beyond your control.

for those disinterested : try reading the vison and the voice LIBER 418 by him as Sir A.C.


this DEC 1st 2007 will be 60 years since the old duffer entered his infinite very self

Hyperborea
"No Man's Land" is unique in the Tangerine Dream canon, its tone colors and rhythms evoking the indigenous music of north Africa. The piece makes also heavy use of sitar. "Sphinx Lightning"' is an epic recapitulation of every style explored by Tangerine Dream over the previous decade.

batman wrote:Hyperborea
"No Man's Land" is unique in the Tangerine Dream canon, its tone colors and rhythms evoking the indigenous music of north Africa. The piece makes also heavy use of sitar. "Sphinx Lightning"' is an epic recapitulation of every style explored by Tangerine Dream over the previous decade.

Lovely summary Theo

batman wrote:Hyperborea
"No Man's Land" is unique in the Tangerine Dream canon, its tone colors and rhythms evoking the indigenous music of north Africa. The piece makes also heavy use of sitar. "Sphinx Lightning"' is an epic recapitulation of every style explored by Tangerine Dream over the previous decade.

Excellent summary Theo of two very special tracks IMHO

I must say, Hyperborea always figures in my fave album lists and my Dad must have known something as he bought the album the afternoon before the show in FOPP! (under my supervision of course!).

Hyperboerea is very athmosphere sounding production with great sounds.
No Man's Land was composed with the PPG Waveterm.
Here nesting itself different Sequencerlines.
Hyperborea is a very warmly sounding TRACK with a beautiful similar bass line.
With Cinnamon Road one can frighten oneself easily. The PPG Sequences rumbles immediately loosely
And Sphinx Lightning surprises with a fantastic electronics Percussion.
This increases up to the end of the TRACK very impressively.