Search - Tangerine Dream :: Encore: Live

Great live TD!

N. Jacobs | Fish Creek, Wi USA | 02/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit that I was a bit sceptical about picking up live Tangerine Dream albums, because I'm not much of a fan of live albums in general. But seeing as how these songs are essentially jam sessions, well recorded, and do not appear on other albums, I didn't hesitate too much to pick this up. This does NOT disappoint! If you liked the more active approach they took on "Stratosfear" then this will definatly thrill you! It still has the same urgency, and some live instruments of "Stratosfear," but its really trippy. The track "Desert Dream" features some of the darkest TD music ever, with the strange Egyptian feel in the second movement of the song. The song "Clearwater Canyon" is a bit more "active" than other TD songs, with a strong beat running all the way through the song. When you give this album a few listens it really grows on you.
As usual, its kind of difficult to really describe the way the album is because it is like a dream; it takes you away on a fantastic journey filled with abstract and normal sounds, evoking strong emotions, but when its done, you can only remember bits and pieces. "Encore" is not as unified as "Ricochet," nor as synth based, but its an absolutely essential TD album."

Le Quattro Stagioni

N. Jacobs | 09/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In March and April of 1977 Tangerine Dream enjoyed their first North American tour, where they were welcomed enthusiastically. Long-haired musicians barely visible behind the stacks of analog electronic equipment, with a huge Moog synthesizer staged in the center, right behind Christopher Franke, with lights dancing around, synchronized with the psychodelic - for that was how they were received - music from the moon. Imagine that you have never heard this type of music, and then bang, you discover that the ways humans musically expressed themselves so far - are very limited. New worlds of excitement are open for you to roam about. That was an unforgettable series of concerts, the series that made Tangerine Dream widely popular. They conquered the American market, the biggest audience in the world. Europeans and everyone who was not able to travel with Tangerine Dream - received a priceless gift in the form of the longest-to-date album, "Encore", featuring various concert pieces mixed into four movements. This album is also the swan song of Peter Baumann, for this was the last gig he participated in, the last album featuring his name, the last compositions that have been partially conceived by this brilliant musician. In early summer of 1977 Tangerine Dream was down to two members: Edgar Froese - the founding father, guitarist and mellotron player, and Christopher Franke, the godfather of the trade-mark Tangerine Dream sound, the Moog maestro of the bubbling ostinata, the primary composer of the band. What they lost with the departure of Peter Baumann was the eerie feeling of the fantasy Tolkien marshes, the misty swamp atmosphere of his synthesizers, the memorable flute passages, which could make you heartbroken. Never again was Tangerine Dream's music so personal, so spontaneous, so complicated and yet simply beautiful. Indeed, the loss of Peter Baumann as an active musician was the largest loss for everyone who loved the electronic roots music. For all the aforementioned reasons, "Encore" is a monument, a historical landmark, and an album, which is virtually worshipped by generations of audiophiles all over the world. "Encore" is monumental indeed - it features four long compositions, which used to correspond to the vinyl 'sides' of analog records - for in the times of black records, it had been a double album. The mood of all compositions reflects the classical masterpiece of Maestro Vivaldi - 'Le Quattro Stagioni". The resemblance of the atmosphere and concept is so strong, that it's stunning. The opening track, 'Cherokee Lane', is SPRING - vivacious, full of hope, vitality, energy; it bursts with optimism and dynamism. Nature wakes up from the haze of winter sleep, and enters the periodical evolution race for growth. 'Monolight' comes into play silently, where the world is full of magical scent, and the happy universe is enjoying the peak of its creative abilities. Such is also 'Monolight', where beautiful melodies, resembling "Stratosfear", are inter-looped with one another, and where the composition nears its end, you might feel a painful regret of the SUMMER that will die soon. For the AUTUMN comes fast, with its monotonous showers of rain, with its howling winds, with the death of the vivacious, the optimistic, the warm. 'Coldwater Canyon' is very much like Vivaldi's memorable third movement. One might make exactly the same comment for 'Desert Dream', the WINTER part of the album. Cold, detached, frozen, frigid, glacier winterlanschaft music, only at times intercepted with beautiful tunes, which perhaps signify that even in winter one may curl up under the blankets in a snow-bound hut, light an oil lamp, and read 'Moomintroll Midwinter', and still be happy. This beloved album deserves to be treasured, listened to, and enjoyed. Spontaneously composed tracks, composed during the gig - show that Tangerine Dream was the band of extremely able and literate musicians. "Encore" is the work of art, the work of genius."

Another spectacular TD live set

Steve Benner | Lancaster, UK | 01/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The four tracks presented here cover a good selection of Tangerine Dream's live styles from the late 70s, bearing in mind that Froese, Franke and Baumann habitually improvised nearly all of their concerts. This remastered edition removes many of the recording problems that earlier copies of "Encore" suffered from, although the sound is now a little muddier in places than it was. Generally, though, this edition is much to be preferred over the earlier releases and can be recommended without reservation: this remains an indispensable item for the Tangerine Dream enthusiast's collection.If you like what you hear here, be sure to investigate TD's albums "Stratosfear", "Ricochet" and "Sorcerer" for more great sounds like these."