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Tangerine Dream — Phaedra
(Virgin CDV 2010, 1974/2000, CD)

by Mike McLatchey, Published 2014-11-08

Phaedra Cover art

McLatchey's Top Tier #26

Back when so many gatefolds were things of beauty, I looked around a little bit to make sure the picture wasn't the original CD where they put those frames around the covers. The inside gatefold might have been even more beautiful. Anyway when you think of it this was a huge change from Atem, almost like a different band (I've never bought Green Desert in the slightest). They go from this brilliant almost primitive apocalyptic rock dirge sound to an almost shiny (metallic... silver) new sound that would be their model moving forward. Who can forget the side long title track on this, almost the archetype of combining Mellotrons with electronics, sequencing breathlessly through all kinds of swirly envelopes. I even remember the one time I got to see the band on the Optical Race tour, they actually did a nice chunk from this. The second side seems more reserved, each piece sort of a solo work by Froese, Franke, and Baumann. I used to play "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" constantly on the radio back in the day.

Filed under: Reissues, 2000 releases, 1974 recordings

Related artist(s): Edgar Froese, Tangerine Dream, Christopher Franke, Peter Baumann

 

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