CD reissue of this title from the innovative German Electronica outfit, one of the most influential instrumental outfits of the 20th century. Tangerine Dream has never produced anything calculated to make the masses jump o... more »ff their chairs and start screaming Top 40 tunes, but they have managed to have an immense impact in the world of Electronic and soundtrack music. Their 107 (and counting) studio, live and soundtrack releases have their own driving hypnotic pieces that might differ from release to release, but they are all uniquely Tangerine Dream. Document. 2009.« less
CD reissue of this title from the innovative German Electronica outfit, one of the most influential instrumental outfits of the 20th century. Tangerine Dream has never produced anything calculated to make the masses jump off their chairs and start screaming Top 40 tunes, but they have managed to have an immense impact in the world of Electronic and soundtrack music. Their 107 (and counting) studio, live and soundtrack releases have their own driving hypnotic pieces that might differ from release to release, but they are all uniquely Tangerine Dream. Document. 2009.
CD Reviews
Crystal Voice
01/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Faced with the loss of the crucial member of the band in late 1987, Christopher Franke, and with the corresponding loss of most of the equipment, Edgar Froese was left to his own devices. Ever persistent, he decided to continue the musical path of the band, this time as a duo, hard as it was to find a replacement for the lost nucleus of the band. Busy with mastering the material recorded during 1987 - various soundtracks contracted for the silver screen companies, Edgar Froese did not immediately begin searching for the new musical identity. However, come 1988, he already had clear ideas as to where he would take the band, what direction it might choose. Tangerine Dream has always been the band of technology, more often than not at the frontline, devising the new solutions, new instruments on their own. In 1988, a new opportunity knocked on the door, the age of digital computers. Having decided to use that opportunity, and somewhat being forced to do so after the loss of precious equipment last year, Edgar Froese and Paul Haslinger cheerfully adapted the new investment, the digital computers of Atari and Steinberg. Thus began the new era in the musical heritage of Tangerine Dream. Not only the means of expression have changed substantially, but also the musical direction per se. With the release of "Optical Race" in the spring of 1988, Tangerine Dream entered the realm of pop music. It did so with grand fanfare indeed. This album can't possibly disappoint anyone, even those of us dedicated to the musical experiments of the past. It's simply too good to walk over. Doing away with the length, with experimentation, with orchestration, with the atmospheric climate of the past, Edgar Froese and Paul Haslinger delivered a set of 10 pop instrumental songs which are a pleasure to listen to this day. "Optical Race" withstood the flow of time, and is as stunning today as it was in 1988. We had every right to be optimistic.The album opens with a perfect, dynamic song of 'Marakesh', the best vibrating syncopated melody for years to come. It's simple excellent, perfectly composed in a classic structural way, and equally perfectly executed, no doubt thanks to the new super-precise computerized equipment. This song has soul, it has dynamism, it has the nerve. It's a scream of joy. Just like the next song, 'Atlas Eyes', it carries you to the faraway lands of the desert, to the land of the Mosques, the sand, the magical carpets. Desert it was, indeed, for the following two songs, 'Mothers of Rain' and 'Twin Soul Tribe', seem to have been an astounding accompaniment to the sand dunes journey on a camel's back. With the final erg of the desert overcome, you quickly descend to the oasis of 'Optical Race', a speedy title track where Edgar and Paul showed off with their new percussive digital instruments. It's perfect. Only once they came ever so close to the mastery of this song - on the following studio album of 1989, "Lily on the Beach" - with the madly dynamic track, 'Gecko'. If you are a fan of the black-and-white silent movies of the 20s and 30s, you will notice that Optical Race heavily borrows from the accompaniment to those old classics. If not for the drums, Charlie Chaplin would probably never notice the difference!The second half of the album brings us sunny love songs, which to me seem a perfect beauty. Yes, they are completely different than the heart-breaking tunes of the past, but nevertheless they are beautiful and touching. Ever since I heard this album, I associate 'Cat Scan', 'The Midnight Trail' and especially 'Sun Gate' with love, with romance. Everything good must end somewhere, a sad property of life on this earth, and thus with 'Turning Off The Wheel' we cross the desert fort the last time, in the sunset, to finally embark on the ship, and sail off into darkness with 'Ghazal', a goodbye song from Tangerine Dream.What a beautiful album. What a pity they never after released anything that came close."
An optical Treat for the Ears!
Distant Voyageur | Io | 09/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Of the countless Tangerine Dream CDs that I own as of writing this review, this 1988 outing by Tangerine Dream is likely my favorite of them all. The album has a really beautiful summer afternoon tone to it and the songs are really innovative and powerful. While I strongly object to the negative output that their following albums have recieved, I cannot deny that TD haven't reached such a high point like they did with "Optical Race". The song "Mother's of Rain" alone makes this album worth purchasing but there are other amazing pieces on here that are highlights. The closing track "Ghazal" is a really joyous and optimistic closer to this fantastic CD. As of writing this review, this album is extremely hard to find and may not even be in print but if one can find it, it is a must have! I guarantee it. While the TD audiences may be a bit divided between the many albums they did during their 30+ year career, almost everyone will find lots to enjoy on "Optical Race"."
Very cool and very intense!
Brianna Neal | USA | 12/31/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Optical Race" is my favorite of Tangerine Dream's releases! I first heard the opening track of this CD played over the sound system in a music store, and it just blew me away. I bought it on the spot. Track #1, "Marakesh," is a terrific electronic composition, building, driving, transforming, and all the while losing neither steam nor interest. It's perfect motivation for a high-energy physical workout or just about anything else that requires a continuous output of vigor and enthusiasm. "Marakesh" is the sort of song that is worth the price of the whole album, but happily, "Atlas Eyes", "Optical Race" and "The Midnight Trail" follow suit, continuing the building energy and percussive vibrance of the opening number. Many of the other tracks also echo the intense mood and intricate textures, but in a more subdued way. Sometimes a lack of melodic focus in synthesizer music can make it boring and predictable, but Paul Haslinger and Edgar Froese have thrown in enough structural and textural twists and turns to keep these compositions excitingly fresh. Other Tangerine Dream albums, such as "Lily on the Beach" and "Melrose", have much the same tone and style as "Optical Race" and are also recommended!"
Promise of new beginnings...
Neil Thompson | Birkenhead, Wirral United Kingdom | 08/02/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"For TD fans who have followed the band for some time, "Optical Race" must surely be seen as the turning point in their career. This was the album where the old was well and truly swept out by Edgar Froese. With the departure of long-time collaborator Chris Franke and introduction of young blood, Paul Haslinger, it must have made sense for Froese to try a new direction.I remember all too well listening to this for the first time with a mixture of shock and pleasure. The opener, "Marakesh" is vaguely reminisent of the "Livemiles" and "Canyon Dreams" albums, but much more up-tempo and the switch from 4/4 to triplet rhythm half way through is a masterstroke that TD saw fit to overuse from then on!From there on the tracks are more difficult to understand. It appears that there were alot of ideas and the constant theme so clear on previous TD albums is missing here. It's a collection of disparate tracks, some good, some bad, but there's no continuity between them. Not necessarily a bad thing, but in light of what happened on future albums it can be seen that the evil trend began here."Atlas Eyes" and "Mothere OF Rain" are boppy enough without being too challenging (the latter has a beautiful introduction rather spoilt later in the track), while "Twin Soul Tribe" is a rather more sombre affair with some lovely "fretless" bass synth work.The less said about the title track the better... remember "Destination Berlin"?"Cat Scan" doesn't really grip, but it's the next track, "Sun Gate" which is perhaps the most interesting. It's credited to Froese, Haslinger and Ralf Wadephal, the latter being the man who toured with TD briefly after Franke's departure and all set to be the new third member, until creative differences... It is also perhaps the one track on the album with any real emotion; it builds and builds; the rhythms are held nicely in check even Edgar Froese's screeching guitar solo adds rather than (as is mostly the case) subtracts to the song. Kind of remninds me of "Song Of The Whale" from "Underwater Sunlight"; nobad thing as that was the last really great track TD have written."Turning Off The Wheel" is nothing to write home about, while "The Midnight Trail" starts well but collapses into what sounds like an outtake from the Streethawk sessions."Ghazal" is a nice way to close the album, so overall it must be seen as something of a success. Few bands change their entire style so successfully, so to see this album as the beginning of the end is unfair. "Optical Race" promised much for the future, but alas, there was to be very little experimentation on later albums..."
Wrong!
Neil Thompson | 09/26/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Every song of this album comes together to create a greater whole. I believe this is the best album since Rubycon! Thats what this kind of music is really about, totally new regions of sound, and what sound shows/creates behind your eyelids and inside your skull (or perhaps beyond:). The sound of Optical Race was and is so clean, new and beautiful. I think the biggest change here may be the overall positive vibe of the album. No descent into the void or something chaotic at the end here.Listen to this on a great stereo when your in an extra special state of mind and youll appreciate every song.... a lot.By the way, the title track rules! Total brain candy.Trust me ;P"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1