Tangerine Dream - Encore

Nice live album by Tangerine Dream

This 1977 album brings together live performances from the North American tour and would prove to be the last with Peter Baumann, who left the group shortly afterwards. Overall, this is a great live album that captures the dreamy, outer space soundscapes of the group, with the added spectacle of the hooting and hollering that typically goes on at live shows. Fortunately, the hooting and hollering is restricted to the beginning and end of each track.

Although the four (lengthy) tracks are essentially new tunes, bits and pieces of Stratosfear (1976) turn up here and there. Overall, the album is a fine example of brooding "Berlin School" electronica, replete with pulsating sequencers, soft mellotron pads, and synthesizers of all descriptions. In addition, Edgar (Froese) turns in some exciting solos on a distorted electric guitar, and the use of percussion lends a nice textural element to the music.

This remastered definitive edition is OK and features great sound quality (for a live performance) and a few liner notes that discuss the "ins and outs" of the album and group circa 1977.

Unfortunately, in addition to losing a key member, this would prove to be last album that boasted the classic Tangerine Dream sound. After this, the group released the controversial Cyclone album (1978), which dipped a toe (or two) into the musical mainstream - not unlike most progressive and jazz rock groups active at the time come to think of it.

All in all, this is a great live album by the group and is highly recommended along with the other live album Ricochet (1975). October 15, 2008

Art Decade

In what was a triumphant 1977 Spring/Summer tour, Tangerine Dream solidified itself as a band that had to be seen as well as heard in what was already a prodigious catalog of studio work to appreciative crowds in venues across the United States.

Released in October 1977, the four selections are based on themes from the critically-acclaimed studio album, Stratosfear, and features the lineup of Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Peter Baumannn. The latter would leave the group in November.

The most interesting track is Desert Dream, which has an ambient mood that draws in the listener through its stately elegance. The oftentimes underrated guitar work of Froese drives Coldwater Canyon. Though performed with a heavily-treated sound, his extended solo compliments the swirling rhythm by not overwhelming the textures from Franke and Baumann.

Cherokee Lane and Monolight work on the fringes of clubland, as the punchy beats tread near the trail carved by Kraftwerk, and explored by David Bowie during this time period.

The 1970s brought great commercial success to Tangerine Dream and Encore is an artistic statement from the stage which retains its relevance some 30 years later. June 30, 2008

Excellent

The most incredible 70s album by TD. The group had reached the peak of perfection.... the awesome laser sounds begin, gracefully exhilerating interweaving sequences and a bass to die for on Cherokee Lane. The melodic and just plain good fun aswell as the exciting themes of Monolight. The rock genius of Edgar's extended electric guitar solo really is to die for. Desert Dream is amongst the most haunting and atmospheric music you could imagine. That is why this is my favourite album of all time! October 1, 2007

Classic live performance

The year was 1977 and TD's classic lineup of Froese, Franke and Baumann was about to come to an end (Peter Baumann left the band later that year to seek a a resonably-successful solo career). This was TD fans' last chance to get a taste of that classic trio.....and this time, it was live.

Everything that defined TD at that time is included on this disc; the creepy synth washes, the intense sequencers, Edgar's searing guitar solos and moody electronic passages.

Though this album claims to be "live", certain parts were overdubbed in the studio, but regardless, this is an excellent example of what TD was capable of at the height of their fame. June 19, 2007

Live Whooshsh

This is fine for the most part, providing a good summary of what T-Dream was about in the mid and late 70s. It noodles a lot, but that's to be expected from these guys. The four parts are ostensibly jams, incorporating a few snatches of familiar pieces (STRATOSFEAR is previewed prominently in "Monolight," for example). Not so sure about spontaneity, though - - these guys were noted for studio mix-and-match patchworking in their compositional technique. And the crowd noises are definitely pointless, sounding like they were lifted straight from a heavy metal show and mixed right in there with the rest of the stuff for effect- - and the effect is that the crowd seems trying as hard to sound enthusiastic as the band was to please them, notably insular as Tangerine Dream was. Still, it's nearly 80 minutes of prime 70s Dream, so get down People. April 16, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...