Phaedra, to my mind, is Tangerine Dream's "Meddle", in that this is album is where they found their distinctive voice and entered their classic period. The albums that followed were more focused musically, especially Rubycon, Ricochet, and Encore. These four albums are, in my opinion, the essential Tangerine Dream albums to have in one's collection. I'm glad you've taken the plunge into Tangerine Dream's sound world, and I've no doubt you'll enjoy exploring them. You just can't go wrong with mellotrons and sequencers. By the way, I'd always associated the title to Plato's book Phaedra (or is Aristotle?), and never heard the myth of Phaedra until now. It certainly makes more sense now that I know it. so thanks for the illumination!
Phaedra is one of Tangerine Dream's early experimental electronic albums. The sound was performed primarily on Moog modular, Mellotron and VCS 3 analog synthesizer units. Black Mountain Transmitter (Black Goat Of The Woods) sounds similar to Phaedra and early Tangerine Dream as well, more darker and ambient.
The art on the disc is the original paper " middle " from the first virgin record label pressings... Original Tubular Bells LP owner here (Yes, I know, I'm ancient...) on a connected note, try Richocet by the Tangs... Side 2 especially... Stay well and thanks a lot for all the fun.
Now having heard your reaction, your response was very interesting because this IS the standard TD approach and you seemed to like it. The way in which their music evokes imagination and allows each individual to build their own story is pretty unique and in that is certainly their attraction to me. Now you are prepared for the experience and know the sort of thing that you are in for, I suspect you will be able to pick your time for listening and hence begin to enjoy their music more and more. I think you may be the only reactor who would take on more of TD so I really hope that you can find space for some more on the channel. If not I am sure you will listen to more in your own time and that you will enjoy it.
Tangerine Dream.. one of my personal "trinity" in electronic music.. A huge amount of music to listen to... Each decade of their music is different, for my perception, this is not a "band" much more a "collective". One, but not the only one of my favorite is "white eagle". Enjoy !
I heard this when it was first released in 1974. After hearing it I bought it on Vinyl (and still have it) , along with the CD. Arguable, Echoes got me started on Ambient, but this is what really got me into Ambient and Electronic music. Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Robert Rich and especially Steve Roach. Well done Justin; this is pure gold. P.S. yes, it's just you Justin that's freaked out by the kids playing in the hall.
That was a great and really interesting analysis. Your comments about the sacred aspect and reference to cathedrals was very incisive given that Tangerine Dream have actually played in a number of cathedrals for their acoustic properties. Whenever I listen to them it's usually lying down on my bed in a darkened room, eyes closed and the music taking my mind and imagination where they will.
I have two Tangerine Dream albums, Rubycon and Stratosfear, which I would recommend and have a similar structure of alternating ambient and rhythmic sections. However, I've never gotten round to listening to their other albums (too much music, too little time), so thanks for this, Justin. I would say that TD are best listened to laying down in the dark. They are the audio equivalent of an isolation tank - in a good way.
Those Monkeys always sounded like seagulls to me. I was more excited to hear you react to this than any of the subscriber goal recordings. Tangerine Dream doesn't always sound like this, their music goes through different phases at different parts of their career, I personally like Phaedra and Rubycon best. Their early material (Alpha Centauri, Zeit, Atem) is I think more experimental and atmospheric, then this period with the sequencing for a few albums (Phaedra and Rubycon), then it starts to get more structured and there are some great album from the next phase Tangram, White Eagle and Force Majeure, Edgar Froese was the one member that remained throughout. The later albums are kind of more conventional but I like a lot of them too. But with Phaedra and Rubycon I thought Tangerine Dream took electronic music in a direction that no one else has been able to do, it feels organic and has it's own logic, but doesn't sound like regular music, it's fluid and has direction, it's dark and mysterious but also has a luminosity a kind of mystical quality. I feel if Tangerine Dream hadn't made this music something would be missing from the world. This music has retained my fascination for many decades, I love it.
Was lucky enough to be at the Logos Live 1982 Dominion Theatre recording. Amazing band. Always loved them but actually enjoy the 1980's output very much.
I saw them play this in Leicester De Montfort Hall in 1975. The whole of the back of the stage consisted of three massive patch panels full of parch leads and these three guys sitting in front of them at their keyboards with their backs to the audience. They played for over an hour then got up, bowed and left the stage for a break. The second half was over an hour and a half plus a couple of encores. It took the audience a few seconds to come out of their trance, every time that they stopped playing. It was an ethereal experience. I am so disappointed that a couple of years ago, I couldn’t get tickets for them in Coventry Cathedral.
I agree with you Justin I saw this album cover and thought of a snow storm and sounds like a journey. This album and the song Phaedra is Ambient but still electronic but Id Say Rubycon is more electronic. Stratosfear is also a great album
Glad you're finally getting to Tangerine Dream. My favorite is Rubycon followed by Stratosfear. The artwork on the disk is fairly standard for early Virgin releases (the two virgins). Of course it isn't traditional rock music. It is more meditative music. You need to commit yourself to the experience. Less pop than Kraftwerk or Silver Apples. To really know early electronic music you need to listen to Silver Apples. I bought that on vinyl in about 1969 ( a year after it was released).
Thanks for the great review Justin. Their music creates different mind games in everyone who listens to it. I saw Tangerine Dream in concert in Leicester, England around the time they released Phaedra in 1974 and promptly bought the vinyl LP! The sheer volume of their experimental music in the venue and the quadrophonic sound was mind-numbing, something that has traveled with me ever since! P.S. I believe the seagull sounds in the second half were inspired by Echoes by Pink Floyd :-)
Ah! The original Virgin label (designed by Roger Dean of course) - it was once my ambition to own the first 50 Virgin LPs with that as the centre. I must have about 20 on vinyl and another dozen on CD though they don't have the label. The music is peerless - I remember tuning in as a 15 year old to a late night radio station in what must have been 1974 and being captivated by the other-worldliness of what I was hearing. One of maybe half a dozen LPs of the time that cemented prog (and it is prog) as my music of choice.
So much of Tangerine Dream's early music is perfect for colder weather and settling into a 'zone' and mood for being creative (painting, especially, from my experience). I thought your initial impression of icy wilderness isolation was spot on. Of course, a lot of early electronic music was somewhat cold in it's nature, but TD instill a thread of warmth in everything they do with the melodies.
I saw Tangerine Dream in 1976 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. One of the first laser light shows I had seen. We were in the nosebleed seats, absolutely last row against the back wall where the beams landed, making odd patterns. Very cool. Peace.
@@AndyKing1963 You're right. I found my ticket stub. I was wrong about the venue, as well. I saw Tangerine Dream (with Laserium) at Ford Auditorium in Detroit (not Windsor, Ontario) on March 31, 1977. $2.99 was the cost for those nosebleed seats.
@@donthomasdunigan7004 DETROIT FREE PRESS March 20, 1977: There’s no escape from a TANGERINE DREAM WABX Presents In Concert Tangerine Dream, Appearing live in concert With Laserium - the first Time this live-laser-beam Light show has ever gone On tour It could be the most dangerous concert you’ll ever attend. Tangerine Dream: Three sorcerers of synthesizer Who already have all Europe under their spell. Now they’re brining this unique music to America With their new album, “Stratosfear” and their Incredible stage show Thurs., March 31 - 8 P.M. FORD AUDITORIUM Tickets: $2.99-$3.99 avail at Hudson’s, Wards & Ford Aud. B.O.
Somber psychedelic sounds for a somber, sobering Saturday, September 11th. All alliteration aside, R.I.P. Evan and all the souls lost to violence, thanks to Justin for a dream on a nightmare kinda day. Peace to all, the sun always rises on the nights' fall.
If you like Pheadra, TD founding member Edgar Froese has some great solo albums, I particularly like "Epsilon in Malaysian Pale". David Bowie said of that album, "It was the soundtrack of my life when I lived in Berlin"
Edgar's solo albums Aqua and Epsilon In Malaysian Pale are superb - the Virgin originals, that is. Should the name on the albums read Edgar W Froese, AVOID !! These were remixed titles and are truly horrible !
Tangerine Dream! You made my day! You dived right in too. This is why I love this channel, you're not afraid to try music like this. I love Tangerine Dream. Thanks JP. Excellent review. They have music with more "beat".
Because of what is missing in this album, I love Poland so much,... as it is more accessable with somewhat of a rhythm what of course it needs with a live performance.
Hey Justin ~ Well, you've done it now. Welcome to the absolutely amazing world of Tangerine Dream! They are the pioneers of surreal ambient electronica. Because I was already into Electronic and Progressive music, Tangerine Dream was a gold mine of ever more beautiful musical textures and landscapes for me. They created some of the VERY best head phone music ever. With their ability to use so many different types of "regular" and electronic instruments, and a very real and deep abiding desire to explore music and sound to it's fullest, they have given us not only some truly awe inspiring albums (Exit is my second favorite, right behind Phaedra), but also some the greatest movie soundtracks ever recorded. I would refer you to Thief, Legend (along with Jon Anderson on vocals!!) The Keep and Sorcerer as my favs of their soundtrack work. Everyone who does EDM and modern trance owes everything to TD. Without them, they would probably not exist. I can hear the Dream's influence in bands like Swedish House Mafia, quite easily. It was a sad day indeed when Edgar Froese died. What a genius! Your reaction was wonderful. I am very glad that you are allowing yourself to expand into this direction, as it's certainly NOT for everyone. You are going on journey now. Get your space suit prepared! =)
0:15 - Justin, nothing is absolutely happening, because for something to be absolute it has to be without any trace of it's contrary; and for something to be "happening" it has be both "actually being what it is" and "potentially being something other than what it is", which means if it's absolute it can't be happening. Just answering your question, that's all : ) Okay, I'm excited to actually watch this video now x) Ohhh my gosh your first time listening to Tangerine Dream!!! ahhhhhh here we go this is gonna be good, this is gonna be fun 21:57 - The description you give from your story is great! That definitely captures a similar feeling I feel. It's not even so much how /far/ you are from civilization--altho you do seem to be far--but how you're in this one tiny little sheltered place in a desolate area, surrounded by choas. You have this little slice of peace - but like you said, it's undetermined, you can't just stay there. You have that temporary reprieve, but you know you're gonna have to trek forward any time now, your peace is only temporary, so get your rest, but you need to be up for adventure. I love it! Is this their usual sound you ask? It is and it isn't!
Brave reaction Justin as TD is not an easy band to absorb on a first listen let alone ‘like’. This is not catchy music with a sing along hook, but music to immerse yourself in like a warm bath. It creates a mood, a soundscape which varies album to album- relaxing , tense, disturbing, spaced out etc Phaedra is not so accessible as some of the later work like say ‘Ricochet ‘ ( my personal favourite) or ‘ Tangram’ so it will be interesting to get to the end of this reaction to see what your initial take is.
Thank you for finally coming to Tangerine Dream. Good analysis, Not quite an outlier, but probably one of the last gasps of the more 'meditative' sound from them. I prefer Ricochet ( next album ), when they began to bring more rhythm and then with the album after THAT ( Stratosphere ) TD began to go for shorter ( less than a full album side ) pieces. Their soundtrack albums ( Sorcerer, Thief, Risky ( 'Love on a Real Train' ) Business, etc. ) brought their sound to a much wider audience. I have their entire discography up through Melrose, when I finally couldn't keep up. The oscillator detuning or up-pitching was a problem / feature that artists of early electronic instruments learned to adapt into their works ( Dick Hyman comments on this in the liner notes to "The Electric Eclectics" ). Speaking of Hyman, 'Kolumbo' would be a good track to add to your electronic list.
1988, in Gwrych Castle, nr. Abergele, North Wales. Spent an evening talking to Mandy Cantrell, whilst listening to this. Thank you Tangerine Dream. Mandy liked them too...and me.
I love how you introduce soooo much new music to us. These guys could put you to sleep or cause you to appreciate what all goes into this. Complex effort to mellow you out. A little Pink Floydish or ELP on anti-anxiety meds. Very talented, but so mellow. Please try Brian Augers Oblivion Express “ Straight Ahead “ album. Kinda (jazz fusion prog). You and your family of listeners will love it. Straight Ahead, Change, You’ll Stay in My Heart are amazing as well as other side 2 long pieces
This is another one I was hoping would appear on your videos I first heard this when I saw a copy in a library while stationed in Berlin Germany. I, at first wasn't sure what to think. Within a few months it was high up on my list of must own and was soon buying their albums on sight. I have al of them through Live Miles (1987) except a couple of soundtracks. One cool thing is that all the live albums up to at least the 80s are different pieces of music and therefore quite necessary for fans. Later albums like "Encore" and "Force Majoure" showcase more guitar (by Froese). Only one of my TD albums has vocal tracks. Looking forward to more of their tracks. Stratosfear is another gem of an album. Enjoy.
@@MrSinnerBOFH I like all those (plus Logos). Encore and Ricochet are my favorite live ones. Ricochet has had additional studio instrumentation added. The original live version can be heard on the Bootleg box set vol 1.
Phaedra is the very beginning of 'Berlin school of electronic music'. Later pieces are more developed and maybe more accessible though all core elements of the genre like galloping sequencers and abstract 'atmospheres' already here.
Just now clicked on the video, and had to stop it to make this comment... I am so happy the shirt fits! I didn't expect to see it until you did a review of Équinoxe.
Wow!! ♥️ TD.. 😊 Phaedra. Very atmospheric Justin. 👍 This takes me back to my late Twenties butty. 😊 Over the moon you're doing Tangerine Dream Justin. Great soundscapes, dreamlike... A journey like no other butty!! ♥️ Cracking review Justin. 👍 Just beautiful material. ❤️ Cant wait for S2 butty. What a wonderful surprise on a Saturday afternoon. Wait for Rubyicon..😊 ❤️. Me thinks rabbit hole Justin.
I bought this book called, _The Keyboard & Synthesiser Handbook_ by David Crombie. I bought it because it indicated many different chords, and the notes that they consisted of in C. In the book was all kinds of keyboards, synthesisers, replay and sampling keyboards, but also, everyone who played a keyboard from the Ragtime era, through rock ‘n’ roll, the early electronics, and to that present day. The author even separated the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, etc. from the “synth pop” bands, which I think is right. In amongst those “elite composers”, as I call them, was this band that I had never heard before at that time: Tangerine Dream. It mentioned that they used “cathedral acoustics” for their sound, and it also mentioned an album as an example: _Phaedra._ So, on 25-05-1987, I went to the Virgin Record shop in Southampton, UK, and asked the man to play it for me. He said, “I will play it further in the piece as they are slow starters.” He started playing it a few moments before the sequencer gains volume and the Mellotron choirs start to come in. Even after having collected Jean-Michel Jarre’s albums, _Oxygène_ to _Rendezvous_ to that date, I was eerily blown away in a way that I had never experienced before or since! Something though was very familiar with what I was feeling and hearing, and it wasn’t until I saw a photograph of Edgar Froese with Salvador Dalí in a book that it all fell into place, since I had already been to Dalí’s birthplace museum in Figueras. I have now approaching 70 albums to date, and I am by no means have the greatest quantity of albums of Tangerine Dream amongst “Dreamers” around the planet!
This is the music of my dreams. Word for word. It describes exactly the feeling when as a child I had fever and saw unexplained dreams in a fuzzy condition. I had this LP back then and liked it a lot.
Hi Justin, well you did it jumped into TD Phaedra. Of course I like TD and first listened to this album back in 1975. You might be surprised to know it was in the top 50 albums of that year for us. So TD is not completely obscure. What was more interesting was watching your reaction to yet another different genre out of the 70s. The UK gave us prog rock and the Germans gave us electronic music. You are right TD music is structured very differently but that is a good thing and is part of music journey you are on. This is immersion music, for me it was always a space adventure but I first listened to back in the space race era as a teenager. But still it is immersion and drifting off music. I always liked the children playing at the end because that was a way to bring you back to Earth and the normal condition and also I thought it was a statement to approach this music with a childlike open mind. Great reaction and really a tough one for a first listen of TD while recording.
Justin...great review!! I am amazed that you took on TD...not an easy task. (clap clap) You are correct. It is amazing what the artists had to deal with back in the day to create sounds. In many ways it led to wonderful creativity. TD have many great albums that thru time changed and evolved. Probably good you started here. I love soooo much of their work but would think that Stratofer is the easiest to digest for those outside of the TD listening realm. Note: glad to get back to you after awhile. I now watch you on my tv but have to use my phone to react. Before I was exclusively on my phone. Keep it going!! Oh and Thank You!! 🌴🙂
As others may've already said, the artwork of the young girl on the cd was the original Virgin Records logo called Gemini or The Twins, and was designed by the famous Roger Dean. :)
Ohh, song choices.. Easy listening. Swept away, Rendezvous by the so underrated Christopher Cross. .. Album.. Nude.. And Breathless by the mighty Camel. All the best Justin.
Phaedra got into the Top 10 in the UK based on word of mouth ie no airplay on any radio stations. A DJ called John Peel on Radio 1 recommended them to his audience.
I'd forgotten how hauntingly hypnotic this album is. Where you heard monkeys, I;ve always heard gulls calling from above a grey ocean. Great musi to meditate to.
Nice choice JP. I still have my original vinyl I bought back in the day. My first Virgin Record was, of course, Tubular Bells which I bought in 1974 without ever hearing a single note. After that I was hooked: Tangerine Dream’s Phaedra, Rubycon, Stratosfear, and Cyclone; Edgar Froese’s Aqua; Krause Schulze’s Timewind; Jean Michel Jarre’s Equinoxe and Oxygene; Pekka’s Mathematician’s Air Display; David Bedford’s Star’s End, The Odyssey, and Instructions for Angels; and every single Mike Oldfield release. A few months ago there was a Record Store Day release of Tangerine Dream’s Live in Reims Cathedral, recorded I believe in 1974, a double vinyl album with each side a different design and color replica of the stained glass windows. The recording is infamous due to the Vatican forbade concerts in cathedrals afterwards due to what they believed was desecration of the cathedral. Apparently there weren’t enough restrooms so what would they expect? Anyway, it sounds great. Here’s an interesting fact: the name Tangerine Dream came from mishearing the lyrics of a Beatles song. The band was German and they thought “tangerine trees” was tangerine dreams (Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds).
Synergy:Electronc Realizations For Rock Orchestra Isao Tomita: The Firebird,Pictures At An Exhibition Michael Hoenig:Departure From The Northern Wasteland Heldon:Stand By Mike Oldfield:Crises Wavestar:Moonwind
I have over 130 Tangerine Dream albums (a mixture of vinyl records and CDs) in my collection and Phaedra is my No 1 all time favourite release. Sure, Rubycon and Ricochet are works of art but Phaedra is just sublime where it still makes the hairs on my arms and legs stand out every time I listen to it on vinyl.
So Phaedra is the more atonal of the two albums. So evocative it summons up strange alien landscapes and sits beautifully in that genre of progressive Rock. Falling somewhere between Kraftwerk and 69-72 Pink Floyd with a liberal dollop of Stockhausen, this was a track I just wanted to listen to over and over again each time discovering and understanding more. Haven’t heard your reaction yet - it might go Oxygène-positive or Providence-negative!! As always, remember that many of these sounds had not been heard before. The sonic adventure of this band was its main appeal - this is their Golden Period. Go back earlier and it’s more Avant-Garde. Go later and it’s more like bland Muzak, sadly. This was a good first album to really confront what they were about at their best.
I saw them perform this on my seventeenth birthday back in the mid-70s. The complete tediousness of watching three blokes sat behind synthesisers twiddling knobs for two hours was thankfully alleviated by an excellent lighting show. The music itself was a revelation at the time - hadn't heard anything like up to that point. Certainly a 'well that was something different' experience.
I'm happy you're getting your first taste of Tangerine Dream; they are one of my favorite electronic artists, along with Kitaro and Vangelis. Speaking of which, do you intend to listen to more of Vangelis? Excellent reaction, btw.
Love that Virgin label of a mirrored virgin and the Phaedragon. Good to hear this in a reaction environment, where I can listen with you for the first time, very cool. My first notice of Tangerine Dream was I think a small review in the back of some music mag for Stratosfear, maybe Rolling Stone, eeek. S’ll we had bra. I wanted it, bad. Next, I saw the movie Sorcerer with Roy Scheider, you should see it. Tangerine Dream soundtrack. Very tense music and movie. That made me seek and destroy, no, finally find Stratosfear. I love this album and play it periodically while painting or at work. I’m glad to hear anything before and after Stratosfear. Speaking of My Before And After, great song by Cotton Mather on Kontiki. BTW, XTC recorded at the Manor, and David Sylvian, your man crush. Peace and movie Music
I remember, in 1974 getting politely spoken to, like a child who obviously was in need of guidance, that I should be reading Creem as it was far better than Rolling Stone. This was from a co-worker with the Vancouver Parks Board who was working for the summer so he and his dog wouldn't have to live on the beach in the winter when the weather turned bad (which means similar to an English Summer if I understood correctly).
@@maruad7577 Yeah, Creem was around but harder to find. There was one head shop where I’d see it, would go in and smell the incense and go in the black light room. When I moved, it was to a less hip area and didn’t see Creem anymore. :(
@@-davidolivares lol. It figures. The only head shop I knew of was in Winnipeg and I was annoyed it was so expensive (it wasn't, I was cheap). As I was temporarily living in Vancouver, it didn't help either.
I like all the stuff they did from Phaedra to Tangram, including the live concerts, where you can appreciate their “imrpovisation” skills. I define their music a musical “ science-fiction journey “ 😎 The first album is so experimental that it is ok to listen it once to check how different it was from later TD work.
Tangerine Dream have always been involved in incorporating the latest technology into their music and even designed their own equipment set ups. There can’t be many bands capable of understanding the latest technology to the degree that they had. There are a number of great musicians like Steve Roach that were influenced by Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze and I am glad electronic music has still survived to this day.
Hey Justin… just discovering your channel, been listening to TD for almost 50 years… Phaedra was their first album with sequencers… which made it quite different from anything else and quite different from their previous albums… but I would say this album is their Yes Album… they found their voice but they would still reach much higher… from this period my favorite is probably Ricochet, with incredible sequence layers… they would change significantly in the late 70s when they become more song or composed theme oriented… in my personal pantheon, YES and TD are at the top… TD offers so much… peace and love
At the time, back in the '70s, I didn't know about the influence Terry Riley's music had on Tangerine Dream, Gong and others I was listening to. Now, in retrospect, it's obvious after rediscovering Terry's work through Eno and Bang on a Can. My suggestion for a reaction is to Bang on a Can's performance of Terry Riley's In C (version for chamber ensemble).
Thanks for switching me on to this. Never heard of Terry Riley before. Checked out a few articles and now have it on circulation on Spotify. At 52 it's seldom I find something undiscovered from the 60's that is genuinely a new experience. Cheers!
The beauty is, it's is something different to everyone. To me it's more like a flight through space..but maybe this is because I was listening to the music in the 70's and my mind was under influence of Starship Enterprise... I also loved "Oxygene" by Jean Michel Jarre. But the first record I listened to by Tangerine Dream was "Ricochet", another all time masterpiece by the group. I happened to attend a live concert by TD in Hamburg, Germany, in about 1980 or so. They had these huge Moog synthesizers and other huge boxes on stage and mastered it all so well. Today you might be able to reproduce these sounds from any modern keyboard but in those days electronics still happened to be in transition from tubes toward transistors, not yet mentioning integrated circuits. I believe TD, Jean Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze and Mike Oldfield had been the inventors and pioneers of modern technology music. They did music that never was done before using technology that wasn't considered for producing music like oscillators. Unfortunately nowadays they've been hugely forgotten so the more I do appreciate you reviewing them on your channel! Plus having the guts to do these long music pieces..just great! (And without interrupting the vibe with intermediate comments) Keep it up, cheers from Germany!
Roger Dean designed the artwork on the disc for Virgin Records. And in case you don't know, Roger Dean is the same artist who did all those amazing Yes album covers. My favorite by him was his artwork for _Tales From Topographic Oceans._
I saw them perform at Expo 86 in Vancouver at the perfectly acoustically built amphitheater built for the fair. They were so good! I made my girlfriend at the time sit through the whole 2 hr performance ha ha. She was a good sport who put up with my musical taste..lol
Thanks JP for another great reaction video. TD are a difficult Band to get into but their innovations have deep influences in popular music . Around this time Edgar Froese was Ridiculed for suggesting that every popular recording would have electronic instrumentation . A visionary ! Cheers..
Label art on the CD is based on the Virgin Records LP label designed and drawn by Roger Dean. I really like the LP label Dean made for Vertigo Records.
NICE ENTRY, NICE INTRO AND A VÈRY NICE T-SHIRT . HAVE A NICE WEEK JUSTIN.THIS WAS THE FIRST LABEL FROM VIRGIN RECORDS (TUBULAR BELLS FIRST)IN VINYLS AND IN THIS CD.
JP, I wish I could do you the courtesy of being up to date with all your analysis & reactions But I’m trying man, I’m trying real hard! I don’t believe there’s anyone presenting who’s so tuned into the music I love, understands most of it and most of all enjoys it I’m new to this as and you’ve been quite the find! Keep em coming!
I must have heard this on an FM radio show called Music From The Hearts of Space, but it's hard to remember without a tune. That radio show played lots of Tangerine Dream - they're just called Hearts of Space now.
"Without the music of Tangerine Dream, life would be a mistake." - Quoting a hero who shall remain anonymous, who was able to word out this truth :D Even if Rubycon lost your poll, I would whole-heartedly urge you to embark on that spell-binding voyage as well, if you enjoyed this. It capitalizes on what Phaedra started.
The Virgin era tangerine dream was alot like this, phaedra and rubycon are both in similar vein that way. moving on a little to stratosfear things get a bit more structured i think but still has the same 'story' feel to it. TD got really huge in the 80s once they started to do soundtrack work. "Risky Business", "Theif", "Miracle Mile", "Sorcerer", "The Keep", "Firestarter", "Legend" and a bunch of others i cant remember. After the 80s they started to get very new-agey and i stopped paying attention, for me the 70s and early 80s material up until "Exit" is their best work
Also worth checking out is Aqua by Edgar Froese. It used what they called dummy head stereo technique (aka binaural) so it will sound exceptional on headphones.
I have always found Rubycon to be so much better than Phaedra, that I tend to forget how great this album really is! Still prefer Rubycon (and of course Ricochet) though.
My introduction to TD was Stratosfear. I saw later reviews that the album was more streamlined than e.g Rubycon. I don't know the pieces are shorter but certainly have their elements there, perhaps indeed shared to single pieces rather than continuous long piece with bridges.
Rubycon is a more cohesive album, far more emotional than Phaedra and my favourite. Edgar Froese's solo albums Aqua and Epsilon In Malaysian Pale, fit in nicely with Phaedra and Rubycon. N.B. I refer to Edgar's original versions. If the titles say Edgar W Froese. those are the later remixes and are truly awful !
@@hifismiffy If you already aren't aware of it, please search tube for Barok 3. It is a studio live performance of the classic line up. Enjoy the o - o - o - show. :)
I wasn't really enjoying this until the birds appeared. From that point on, it was a nice ride. I suggest you give a listen to "Electric Lion" by Tangerine Dream.
Hi. New subscriber here. I love a lot of the music you are reviewing! It's fantastic. I got into electronic music in the early seventies. Larry Fast was a pioneer. His project called Synergy is worth checking out. Try Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra. I used to blast it on my old Kenwood system. Also Klause Schultz Timewind is excellent. I am going through your videos and enjoying them very much. Especially Genesis and Bowie!
The video won’t play so I’ll try again tomorrow. At last, now it’s playing. White Eagle is my favorite album. Encore my favorite live album. In my teenage years, many decades ago, I was addicted to electronic music from Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Synergy, Gandalf etc. Rubicon and Phaedra were the first albums where they weren’t so experimental, like in the first albums, anymore but there came structures in their music. I like them but prefer the later albums like Stratosphere, Ricochet, Pergamon. You like this. I can recommend Klaus Schulze to you. Timewind Moondawn X Dune (inspired by the novel Dune by Frank Herbert) (one of the songs on X is called Frank Herbert) Digit
Very bold choice for a reaction video. TD not to everybody's taste. Just check out the discography for them, it's huge. Love the reactions, keep them coming !!
Ricochet, Poland, Logos, Live Miles, White Eagle, Hyperborea, Exit, Stratosfear.....TD is my favorite group so I know a thing or 2 about them, I own 98 albums and I'm missing a few lol....the albums above would be a good start for you. :)
Now that JP has been introduced to Tangerine Dream, I'm just waiting for the inevitable reaction to "Loved by the Sun" by Tangerine Dream and Jon Anderson of Yes, from the LEGEND soundtrack...heck, you might as well do it now. C'mon, JustJP, you know you want to... :D
Very atmospheric. This was a "Devils Lettuce" album in my youth (not that I ever inhaled, lol). At some point, you'll need to listen to "Loved by the Sun" with Jon Anderson on vocals from the Legend soundtrack.
i probably listen to more Tangerine Dream than most, I own over70 & that doesn't even scratch the surface of the material they have performed. All these generations later, they are still producing music with real flair even though the founder (Edgar Frose) passed in '15. It's been 50 years since this recording was released or damn near, they do NOT sound like this anymore. This represents their electronics THEN. I hear this now & kick myself for not playing what it sounds like in the past ten years when they perform this & they DO in the current era! A modern 'live' version' puts this one to shame & I like this one...t'd just rather hear what they sound like now, it's far superior. Thanx. (basic recap: Same song/same band with new members & updated equipment & studio gear.)
Your story is as good as any interpretation; it's a headphones record to get the max out of it. The cover always intrigued me. Is the cover a partial footprint in the snow? I think a child's face appears somewhere on the gatefold. One of the synth riffs reminds me of Bowie's Warzawa on Low. Good alternative suggestions below, I would put in a word for the more immediate Stratosfear. Some of their later material does use a drummer.
Darn it Justin!!!!!!! Are you aware Tangerine Dream provided the background music for the movie Risky Business? They also spent several months in the Grand Canyon along with film makers to produce an amazing video called Canyon Dreams where music is put to the scenery. I have it on VHS(yep I am old). I believe you will like them. Check out other stuff from them please. Well done young man and as always thanks. PS Check out the video called Canyon Dreams and watch it on as big a tv as you can with the best audio system you have. Are you going to start going down the New Age/Space Music path? If so , you need to journey into Kitaro, Deuter, and so many more.
@@stephaniethurmer5370 Nice! I had to look those speakers up. They got very good reviews. I have Proac Response 2.5 for my towers. I have it set up as 5.1 as I watch movies with that sound system as well. I got rid of my VHS though. I should try to buy Canyon Dreams on blu-ray. I have very fond memories of that video. Thank you for reminding me.
Phaedra, to my mind, is Tangerine Dream's "Meddle", in that this is album is where they found their distinctive voice and entered their classic period. The albums that followed were more focused musically, especially Rubycon, Ricochet, and Encore. These four albums are, in my opinion, the essential Tangerine Dream albums to have in one's collection. I'm glad you've taken the plunge into Tangerine Dream's sound world, and I've no doubt you'll enjoy exploring them. You just can't go wrong with mellotrons and sequencers.
By the way, I'd always associated the title to Plato's book Phaedra (or is Aristotle?), and never heard the myth of Phaedra until now. It certainly makes more sense now that I know it. so thanks for the illumination!
Spot on observation. I concur.
That makes Stratosfear, Animals… I can see that.
Yup. And Encore is their number 1 live album, with Poland a close number 2. Such a good 4 albums
@@MrSinnerBOFHI prefer Logos to Encore.
Phaedra is one of Tangerine Dream's early experimental electronic albums. The sound was performed primarily on Moog modular, Mellotron and VCS 3 analog synthesizer units. Black Mountain Transmitter (Black Goat Of The Woods) sounds similar to Phaedra and early Tangerine Dream as well, more darker and ambient.
The art on the disc is the original paper " middle " from the first virgin record label pressings... Original Tubular Bells LP owner here (Yes, I know, I'm ancient...) on a connected note, try Richocet by the Tangs... Side 2 especially... Stay well and thanks a lot for all the fun.
Designed by Roger Dean, no less.
Yes! You see that on a bunch of the old Virgin Records' records
Richocet is brilliant
Now having heard your reaction, your response was very interesting because this IS the standard TD approach and you seemed to like it.
The way in which their music evokes imagination and allows each individual to build their own story is pretty unique and in that is certainly their attraction to me.
Now you are prepared for the experience and know the sort of thing that you are in for, I suspect you will be able to pick your time for listening and hence begin to enjoy their music more and more.
I think you may be the only reactor who would take on more of TD so I really hope that you can find space for some more on the channel.
If not I am sure you will listen to more in your own time and that you will enjoy it.
Ty scifi, im definitely up for more!🍊😴
Tangerine Dream.. one of my personal "trinity" in electronic music..
A huge amount of music to listen to... Each decade of their music is different, for my perception, this is not a "band" much more a "collective".
One, but not the only one of my favorite is "white eagle".
Enjoy !
I heard this when it was first released in 1974. After hearing it I bought it on Vinyl (and still have it) , along with the CD.
Arguable, Echoes got me started on Ambient, but this is what really got me into Ambient and Electronic music. Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Robert Rich and especially Steve Roach.
Well done Justin; this is pure gold.
P.S. yes, it's just you Justin that's freaked out by the kids playing in the hall.
First heard this via John Peel late night BBC radio show... pivotal in my music influence. Just remember it is 50 years old! Magnificent stuff...
That was a great and really interesting analysis. Your comments about the sacred aspect and reference to cathedrals was very incisive given that Tangerine Dream have actually played in a number of cathedrals for their acoustic properties. Whenever I listen to them it's usually lying down on my bed in a darkened room, eyes closed and the music taking my mind and imagination where they will.
Ty!
I have two Tangerine Dream albums, Rubycon and Stratosfear, which I would recommend and have a similar structure of alternating ambient and rhythmic sections. However, I've never gotten round to listening to their other albums (too much music, too little time), so thanks for this, Justin. I would say that TD are best listened to laying down in the dark. They are the audio equivalent of an isolation tank - in a good way.
Those Monkeys always sounded like seagulls to me. I was more excited to hear you react to this than any of the subscriber goal recordings. Tangerine Dream doesn't always sound like this, their music goes through different phases at different parts of their career, I personally like Phaedra and Rubycon best. Their early material (Alpha Centauri, Zeit, Atem) is I think more experimental and atmospheric, then this period with the sequencing for a few albums (Phaedra and Rubycon), then it starts to get more structured and there are some great album from the next phase Tangram, White Eagle and Force Majeure, Edgar Froese was the one member that remained throughout. The later albums are kind of more conventional but I like a lot of them too.
But with Phaedra and Rubycon I thought Tangerine Dream took electronic music in a direction that no one else has been able to do, it feels organic and has it's own logic, but doesn't sound like regular music, it's fluid and has direction, it's dark and mysterious but also has a luminosity a kind of mystical quality. I feel if Tangerine Dream hadn't made this music something would be missing from the world. This music has retained my fascination for many decades, I love it.
Yup, definitely birds - not monkeys. For monkeys, try Epsilon In Malaysian Pale side one by Edgar.
Was lucky enough to be at the Logos Live 1982 Dominion Theatre recording. Amazing band. Always loved them but actually enjoy the 1980's output very much.
I saw them play this in Leicester De Montfort Hall in 1975. The whole of the back of the stage consisted of three massive patch panels full of parch leads and these three guys sitting in front of them at their keyboards with their backs to the audience. They played for over an hour then got up, bowed and left the stage for a break. The second half was over an hour and a half plus a couple of encores.
It took the audience a few seconds to come out of their trance, every time that they stopped playing.
It was an ethereal experience.
I am so disappointed that a couple of years ago, I couldn’t get tickets for them in Coventry Cathedral.
I agree with you Justin I saw this album cover and thought of a snow storm and sounds like a journey. This album and the song Phaedra is Ambient but still electronic but Id Say Rubycon is more electronic. Stratosfear is also a great album
Yes, give some love for Stratosfear.
Glad you're finally getting to Tangerine Dream. My favorite is Rubycon followed by Stratosfear. The artwork on the disk is fairly standard for early Virgin releases (the two virgins). Of course it isn't traditional rock music. It is more meditative music. You need to commit yourself to the experience. Less pop than Kraftwerk or Silver Apples. To really know early electronic music you need to listen to Silver Apples. I bought that on vinyl in about 1969 ( a year after it was released).
Their album Ricochet is still an all time favorite of mine.
Great album saw them live in the mid 70’s accompanied with the laser show from the Hayden planetarium in NYC, it was a truly mind bending experience.
Lucky you 👍
Thanks for the great review Justin. Their music creates different mind games in everyone who listens to it. I saw Tangerine Dream in concert in Leicester, England around the time they released Phaedra in 1974 and promptly bought the vinyl LP! The sheer volume of their experimental music in the venue and the quadrophonic sound was mind-numbing, something that has traveled with me ever since! P.S. I believe the seagull sounds in the second half were inspired by Echoes by Pink Floyd :-)
Ah! The original Virgin label (designed by Roger Dean of course) - it was once my ambition to own the first 50 Virgin LPs with that as the centre. I must have about 20 on vinyl and another dozen on CD though they don't have the label. The music is peerless - I remember tuning in as a 15 year old to a late night radio station in what must have been 1974 and being captivated by the other-worldliness of what I was hearing. One of maybe half a dozen LPs of the time that cemented prog (and it is prog) as my music of choice.
So much of Tangerine Dream's early music is perfect for colder weather and settling into a 'zone' and mood for being creative (painting, especially, from my experience). I thought your initial impression of icy wilderness isolation was spot on. Of course, a lot of early electronic music was somewhat cold in it's nature, but TD instill a thread of warmth in everything they do with the melodies.
Excellent comment. The first 5 albums are 'cold weather' works - they begin to heat up with Ricochet.
Perfect soundtrack for programming long hours.
Rubycon is definitely a winter album.
I saw Tangerine Dream in 1976 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. One of the first laser light shows I had seen. We were in the nosebleed seats, absolutely last row against the back wall where the beams landed, making odd patterns. Very cool. Peace.
1977 tour
@@AndyKing1963 You're right. I found my ticket stub. I was wrong about the venue, as well. I saw Tangerine Dream (with Laserium) at Ford Auditorium in Detroit (not Windsor, Ontario) on March 31, 1977. $2.99 was the cost for those nosebleed seats.
@@donthomasdunigan7004 DETROIT FREE PRESS March 20, 1977: There’s no escape from a
TANGERINE DREAM
WABX Presents
In Concert
Tangerine Dream,
Appearing live in concert
With Laserium - the first
Time this live-laser-beam
Light show has ever gone
On tour
It could be the most dangerous
concert you’ll ever attend.
Tangerine Dream: Three sorcerers of synthesizer
Who already have all Europe under their spell.
Now they’re brining this unique music to America
With their new album, “Stratosfear” and their
Incredible stage show
Thurs., March 31 - 8 P.M.
FORD AUDITORIUM
Tickets: $2.99-$3.99 avail at
Hudson’s, Wards & Ford Aud. B.O.
@@donthomasdunigan7004 you were one of 3,022 in the hall - according to PERFORMANCE magazine
Somber psychedelic sounds for a somber, sobering Saturday, September 11th. All alliteration aside, R.I.P. Evan and all the souls lost to violence, thanks to Justin for a dream on a nightmare kinda day. Peace to all, the sun always rises on the nights' fall.
Tangerine Dream has gotten grammys and Oscars for they did alot of music for the movies.
If you like Pheadra, TD founding member Edgar Froese has some great solo albums, I particularly like "Epsilon in Malaysian Pale". David Bowie said of that album, "It was the soundtrack of my life when I lived in Berlin"
Epsilon... is still the classic "ambient" album for me.
Edgar's solo albums Aqua and Epsilon In Malaysian Pale are superb - the Virgin originals, that is. Should the name on the albums read Edgar W Froese, AVOID !! These were remixed titles and are truly horrible !
@@hifismiffy Absolutely must go for the originals!
Wow, I love this album! I've been listening to this for decades. It never gets old. I know every note and yet it's fresh every time.
Love Tangerine Dream. It’s not for the casual music listener. Very ambient and dream-like. Their StratosFear album is more accessible.
Tangerine Dream! You made my day! You dived right in too. This is why I love this channel, you're not afraid to try music like this. I love Tangerine Dream. Thanks JP. Excellent review. They have music with more "beat".
Thank you Jim :D Hope your weekend is going well!
@@JustJP a lot better with a JP Tangerine Dream review. 😊
Because of what is missing in this album, I love Poland so much,... as it is more accessable with somewhat of a rhythm what of course it needs with a live performance.
Hey Justin ~ Well, you've done it now. Welcome to the absolutely amazing world of Tangerine Dream! They are the pioneers of surreal ambient electronica. Because I was already into Electronic and Progressive music, Tangerine Dream was a gold mine of ever more beautiful musical textures and landscapes for me. They created some of the VERY best head phone music ever. With their ability to use so many different types of "regular" and electronic instruments, and a very real and deep abiding desire to explore music and sound to it's fullest, they have given us not only some truly awe inspiring albums (Exit is my second favorite, right behind Phaedra), but also some the greatest movie soundtracks ever recorded. I would refer you to Thief, Legend (along with Jon Anderson on vocals!!) The Keep and Sorcerer as my favs of their soundtrack work. Everyone who does EDM and modern trance owes everything to TD. Without them, they would probably not exist. I can hear the Dream's influence in bands like Swedish House Mafia, quite easily. It was a sad day indeed when Edgar Froese died. What a genius! Your reaction was wonderful. I am very glad that you are allowing yourself to expand into this direction, as it's certainly NOT for everyone. You are going on journey now. Get your space suit prepared! =)
👨🚀
0:15 - Justin, nothing is absolutely happening, because for something to be absolute it has to be without any trace of it's contrary; and for something to be "happening" it has be both "actually being what it is" and "potentially being something other than what it is", which means if it's absolute it can't be happening. Just answering your question, that's all : )
Okay, I'm excited to actually watch this video now x)
Ohhh my gosh your first time listening to Tangerine Dream!!! ahhhhhh here we go this is gonna be good, this is gonna be fun
21:57 - The description you give from your story is great! That definitely captures a similar feeling I feel. It's not even so much how /far/ you are from civilization--altho you do seem to be far--but how you're in this one tiny little sheltered place in a desolate area, surrounded by choas. You have this little slice of peace - but like you said, it's undetermined, you can't just stay there. You have that temporary reprieve, but you know you're gonna have to trek forward any time now, your peace is only temporary, so get your rest, but you need to be up for adventure. I love it!
Is this their usual sound you ask? It is and it isn't!
Brave reaction Justin as TD is not an easy band to absorb on a first listen let alone ‘like’. This is not catchy music with a sing along hook, but music to immerse yourself in like a warm bath. It creates a mood, a soundscape which varies album to album- relaxing , tense, disturbing, spaced out etc Phaedra is not so accessible as some of the later work like say ‘Ricochet ‘ ( my personal favourite) or ‘ Tangram’ so it will be interesting to get to the end of this reaction to see what your initial take is.
...or a cold bath, then a warm bath, then some sawdust, then some treacle.
Thank you for finally coming to Tangerine Dream. Good analysis, Not quite an outlier, but probably one of the last gasps of the more 'meditative' sound from them. I prefer Ricochet ( next album ), when they began to bring more rhythm and then with the album after THAT ( Stratosphere ) TD began to go for shorter ( less than a full album side ) pieces. Their soundtrack albums ( Sorcerer, Thief, Risky ( 'Love on a Real Train' ) Business, etc. ) brought their sound to a much wider audience. I have their entire discography up through Melrose, when I finally couldn't keep up. The oscillator detuning or up-pitching was a problem / feature that artists of early electronic instruments learned to adapt into their works ( Dick Hyman comments on this in the liner notes to "The Electric Eclectics" ). Speaking of Hyman, 'Kolumbo' would be a good track to add to your electronic list.
1988, in Gwrych Castle, nr. Abergele, North Wales. Spent an evening talking to Mandy Cantrell, whilst listening to this. Thank you Tangerine Dream. Mandy liked them too...and me.
I love how you introduce soooo much new music to us. These guys could put you to sleep or cause you to appreciate what all goes into this. Complex effort to mellow you out. A little Pink Floydish or ELP on anti-anxiety meds. Very talented, but so mellow.
Please try Brian Augers Oblivion Express “ Straight Ahead “ album. Kinda (jazz fusion prog). You and your family of listeners will love it. Straight Ahead, Change, You’ll Stay in My Heart are amazing as well as other side 2 long pieces
This is another one I was hoping would appear on your videos
I first heard this when I saw a copy in a library while stationed in Berlin Germany. I, at first wasn't sure what to think. Within a few months it was high up on my list of must own and was soon buying their albums on sight. I have al of them through Live Miles (1987) except a couple of soundtracks. One cool thing is that all the live albums up to at least the 80s are different pieces of music and therefore quite necessary for fans. Later albums like "Encore" and "Force Majoure" showcase more guitar (by Froese). Only one of my TD albums has vocal tracks. Looking forward to more of their tracks. Stratosfear is another gem of an album. Enjoy.
Brilliant TD live albums: Encore, Poland, Ricochet, Pergamon
@@MrSinnerBOFH I like all those (plus Logos). Encore and Ricochet are my favorite live ones. Ricochet has had additional studio instrumentation added. The original live version can be heard on the Bootleg box set vol 1.
Phaedra is the very beginning of 'Berlin school of electronic music'. Later pieces are more developed and maybe more accessible though all core elements of the genre like galloping sequencers and abstract 'atmospheres' already here.
Just now clicked on the video, and had to stop it to make this comment...
I am so happy the shirt fits! I didn't expect to see it until you did a review of Équinoxe.
Wow!! ♥️ TD.. 😊 Phaedra.
Very atmospheric Justin. 👍 This takes me back to my late Twenties butty. 😊
Over the moon you're doing Tangerine Dream Justin. Great soundscapes, dreamlike... A journey like no other butty!! ♥️
Cracking review Justin. 👍
Just beautiful material.
❤️ Cant wait for S2 butty. What a wonderful surprise on a Saturday afternoon.
Wait for Rubyicon..😊 ❤️.
Me thinks rabbit hole Justin.
Ty Neil!!
I bought this book called, _The Keyboard & Synthesiser Handbook_ by David Crombie. I bought it because it indicated many different chords, and the notes that they consisted of in C.
In the book was all kinds of keyboards, synthesisers, replay and sampling keyboards, but also, everyone who played a keyboard from the Ragtime era, through rock ‘n’ roll, the early electronics, and to that present day.
The author even separated the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, etc. from the “synth pop” bands, which I think is right.
In amongst those “elite composers”, as I call them, was this band that I had never heard before at that time: Tangerine Dream.
It mentioned that they used “cathedral acoustics” for their sound, and it also mentioned an album as an example: _Phaedra._
So, on 25-05-1987, I went to the Virgin Record shop in Southampton, UK, and asked the man to play it for me.
He said, “I will play it further in the piece as they are slow starters.”
He started playing it a few moments before the sequencer gains volume and the Mellotron choirs start to come in.
Even after having collected Jean-Michel Jarre’s albums, _Oxygène_ to _Rendezvous_ to that date, I was eerily blown away in a way that I had never experienced before or since!
Something though was very familiar with what I was feeling and hearing, and it wasn’t until I saw a photograph of Edgar Froese with Salvador Dalí in a book that it all fell into place, since I had already been to Dalí’s birthplace museum in Figueras.
I have now approaching 70 albums to date, and I am by no means have the greatest quantity of albums of Tangerine Dream amongst “Dreamers” around the planet!
This is the music of my dreams. Word for word. It describes exactly the feeling when as a child I had fever and saw unexplained dreams in a fuzzy condition. I had this LP back then and liked it a lot.
Thats a great and succinct way of putting it!
Hi Justin, well you did it jumped into TD Phaedra. Of course I like TD and first listened to this album back in 1975. You might be surprised to know it was in the top 50 albums of that year for us. So TD is not completely obscure. What was more interesting was watching your reaction to yet another different genre out of the 70s. The UK gave us prog rock and the Germans gave us electronic music. You are right TD music is structured very differently but that is a good thing and is part of music journey you are on. This is immersion music, for me it was always a space adventure but I first listened to back in the space race era as a teenager. But still it is immersion and drifting off music. I always liked the children playing at the end because that was a way to bring you back to Earth and the normal condition and also I thought it was a statement to approach this music with a childlike open mind. Great reaction and really a tough one for a first listen of TD while recording.
Justin...great review!!
I am amazed that you took on TD...not an easy task. (clap clap)
You are correct. It is amazing what the artists had to deal with back in the day to create sounds. In many ways it led to wonderful creativity. TD have many great albums that thru time changed and evolved. Probably good you started here. I love soooo much of their work but would think that Stratofer is the easiest to digest for those outside of the TD listening realm.
Note: glad to get back to you after awhile. I now watch you on my tv but have to use my phone to react. Before I was exclusively on my phone.
Keep it going!!
Oh and Thank You!!
🌴🙂
As others may've already said, the artwork of the young girl on the cd was the original Virgin Records logo called Gemini or The Twins, and was designed by the famous Roger Dean. :)
Ohh, song choices.. Easy listening. Swept away, Rendezvous by the so underrated Christopher Cross. .. Album.. Nude.. And Breathless by the mighty Camel. All the best Justin.
Amazing album…the opening minutes to the title track are powerful, and love the swaths of mellotron goodness that is “Mysterious Strands”
Phaedra got into the Top 10 in the UK based on word of mouth ie no airplay on any radio stations. A DJ called John Peel on Radio 1 recommended them to his audience.
I'd forgotten how hauntingly hypnotic this album is. Where you heard monkeys, I;ve always heard gulls calling from above a grey ocean. Great musi to meditate to.
Nice choice JP.
I still have my original vinyl I bought back in the day.
My first Virgin Record was, of course, Tubular Bells which I bought in 1974 without ever hearing a single note. After that I was hooked: Tangerine Dream’s Phaedra, Rubycon, Stratosfear, and Cyclone; Edgar Froese’s Aqua; Krause Schulze’s Timewind; Jean Michel Jarre’s Equinoxe and Oxygene; Pekka’s Mathematician’s Air Display; David Bedford’s Star’s End, The Odyssey, and Instructions for Angels; and every single Mike Oldfield release.
A few months ago there was a Record Store Day release of Tangerine Dream’s Live in Reims Cathedral, recorded I believe in 1974, a double vinyl album with each side a different design and color replica of the stained glass windows. The recording is infamous due to the Vatican forbade concerts in cathedrals afterwards due to what they believed was desecration of the cathedral. Apparently there weren’t enough restrooms so what would they expect? Anyway, it sounds great.
Here’s an interesting fact: the name Tangerine Dream came from mishearing the lyrics of a Beatles song. The band was German and they thought “tangerine trees” was tangerine dreams (Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds).
Synergy:Electronc Realizations For Rock Orchestra
Isao Tomita: The Firebird,Pictures At An Exhibition
Michael Hoenig:Departure From The Northern Wasteland
Heldon:Stand By
Mike Oldfield:Crises
Wavestar:Moonwind
Larry Fast (Synergy) was also a member of Peter Gabriel's band.
@@WTFungus yes and Nektar. Seen him 3 times.
Nektar(1975)
Peter Gabriel (1977,1982)
I have over 130 Tangerine Dream albums (a mixture of vinyl records and CDs) in my collection and Phaedra is my No 1 all time favourite release. Sure, Rubycon and Ricochet are works of art but Phaedra is just sublime where it still makes the hairs on my arms and legs stand out every time I listen to it on vinyl.
I had this, and their 2-record live album. Sounds better than ever. Thanks man.
Just pinged! So excited to hear this with you at last. Starting now…comments later!
So Phaedra is the more atonal of the two albums. So evocative it summons up strange alien landscapes and sits beautifully in that genre of progressive Rock. Falling somewhere between Kraftwerk and 69-72 Pink Floyd with a liberal dollop of Stockhausen, this was a track I just wanted to listen to over and over again each time discovering and understanding more. Haven’t heard your reaction yet - it might go Oxygène-positive or Providence-negative!!
As always, remember that many of these sounds had not been heard before. The sonic adventure of this band was its main appeal - this is their Golden Period. Go back earlier and it’s more Avant-Garde. Go later and it’s more like bland Muzak, sadly. This was a good first album to really confront what they were about at their best.
I saw them perform this on my seventeenth birthday back in the mid-70s. The complete tediousness of watching three blokes sat behind synthesisers twiddling knobs for two hours was thankfully alleviated by an excellent lighting show. The music itself was a revelation at the time - hadn't heard anything like up to that point. Certainly a 'well that was something different' experience.
I think you and I were at the same show NYC town hall auditorium with the laser light show from the Hayden planetarium.
@@32ndBrother Not quite. I was across the pond in a small seaside town called Paignton! However, it was quite possibly a laser show that so impressed.
I'm happy you're getting your first taste of Tangerine Dream; they are one of my favorite electronic artists, along with Kitaro and Vangelis. Speaking of which, do you intend to listen to more of Vangelis? Excellent reaction, btw.
Ty! I don't have any immediate plans, but I can't imagine not listening to more from him :D
you really should check out some Ozrick Tentacles....electronic but with real bass and drums rhythm section...great stuff!
We have a Tangerine Dream album. It's years since I heard it. This has reminded me. Very spacey.
Love that Virgin label of a mirrored virgin and the Phaedragon.
Good to hear this in a reaction environment, where I can listen with you for the first time, very cool.
My first notice of Tangerine Dream was I think a small review in the back of some music mag for Stratosfear, maybe Rolling Stone, eeek. S’ll we had bra.
I wanted it, bad.
Next, I saw the movie Sorcerer with Roy Scheider, you should see it. Tangerine Dream soundtrack. Very tense music and movie.
That made me seek and destroy, no, finally find Stratosfear. I love this album and play it periodically while painting or at work.
I’m glad to hear anything before and after Stratosfear.
Speaking of My Before And After, great song by Cotton Mather on Kontiki.
BTW, XTC recorded at the Manor, and David Sylvian, your man crush.
Peace and movie Music
I agree. "Sorcerer" is one of their best. The movie is really good and the music just oozes from each scene.
I remember, in 1974 getting politely spoken to, like a child who obviously was in need of guidance, that I should be reading Creem as it was far better than Rolling Stone. This was from a co-worker with the Vancouver Parks Board who was working for the summer so he and his dog wouldn't have to live on the beach in the winter when the weather turned bad (which means similar to an English Summer if I understood correctly).
@@maruad7577
Yeah, Creem was around but harder to find. There was one head shop where I’d see it, would go in and smell the incense and go in the black light room. When I moved, it was to a less hip area and didn’t see Creem anymore. :(
@@-davidolivares lol. It figures. The only head shop I knew of was in Winnipeg and I was annoyed it was so expensive (it wasn't, I was cheap). As I was temporarily living in Vancouver, it didn't help either.
I like all the stuff they did from Phaedra to Tangram, including the live concerts, where you can appreciate their “imrpovisation” skills. I define their music a musical “ science-fiction journey “ 😎 The first album is so experimental that it is ok to listen it once to check how different it was from later TD work.
Tangerine Dream have always been involved in incorporating the latest technology into their music and even designed their own equipment set ups. There can’t be many bands capable of understanding the latest technology to the degree that they had.
There are a number of great musicians like Steve Roach that were influenced by Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze and I am glad electronic music has still survived to this day.
Great,great,great piece of art soooooooo mysterious.the final part Is soooooo dreaming
Tangram and Logos, Force majeure are Classics.
Hey Justin… just discovering your channel, been listening to TD for almost 50 years… Phaedra was their first album with sequencers… which made it quite different from anything else and quite different from their previous albums… but I would say this album is their Yes Album… they found their voice but they would still reach much higher… from this period my favorite is probably Ricochet, with incredible sequence layers… they would change significantly in the late 70s when they become more song or composed theme oriented… in my personal pantheon, YES and TD are at the top… TD offers so much… peace and love
At the time, back in the '70s, I didn't know about the influence Terry Riley's music had on Tangerine Dream, Gong and others I was listening to. Now, in retrospect, it's obvious after rediscovering Terry's work through Eno and Bang on a Can. My suggestion for a reaction is to Bang on a Can's performance of Terry Riley's In C (version for chamber ensemble).
It’s a wonderful rendition of ‘In C’.
Thanks for switching me on to this. Never heard of Terry Riley before. Checked out a few articles and now have it on circulation on Spotify. At 52 it's seldom I find something undiscovered from the 60's that is genuinely a new experience. Cheers!
@@Grimread Rainbow in Curved Air and The Lisbon Concert are both superb.
@@ganazby Thanks for the pointers. I've already listened to the concert and Rainbow's going to be next.
@@Grimread You’re well on your way. Happy hunting.
The beauty is, it's is something different to everyone. To me it's more like a flight through space..but maybe this is because I was listening to the music in the 70's and my mind was under influence of Starship Enterprise...
I also loved "Oxygene" by Jean Michel Jarre. But the first record I listened to by Tangerine Dream was "Ricochet", another all time masterpiece by the group.
I happened to attend a live concert by TD in Hamburg, Germany, in about 1980 or so. They had these huge Moog synthesizers and other huge boxes on stage and mastered it all so well. Today you might be able to reproduce these sounds from any modern keyboard but in those days electronics still happened to be in transition from tubes toward transistors, not yet mentioning integrated circuits.
I believe TD, Jean Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze and Mike Oldfield had been the inventors and pioneers of modern technology music. They did music that never was done before using technology that wasn't considered for producing music like oscillators. Unfortunately nowadays they've been hugely forgotten so the more I do appreciate you reviewing them on your channel!
Plus having the guts to do these long music pieces..just great!
(And without interrupting the vibe with intermediate comments)
Keep it up, cheers from Germany!
Roger Dean designed the artwork on the disc for Virgin Records. And in case you don't know, Roger Dean is the same artist who did all those amazing Yes album covers. My favorite by him was his artwork for _Tales From Topographic Oceans._
Makes a lot of sense; love his art!
Yes ;) and some Uriah Heep album covers !!
I saw them perform at Expo 86 in Vancouver at the perfectly acoustically built amphitheater built for the fair. They were so good! I made my girlfriend at the time sit through the whole 2 hr performance ha ha. She was a good sport who put up with my musical taste..lol
Rubycon is my favorite.
Rubicon the ecstasy of sequencer
Thanks JP for another great reaction video. TD are a difficult Band to get into but their innovations have deep influences in popular music . Around this time Edgar Froese was Ridiculed for suggesting that every popular recording would have electronic instrumentation . A visionary ! Cheers..
Label art on the CD is based on the Virgin Records LP label designed and drawn by Roger Dean. I really like the LP label Dean made for Vertigo Records.
NICE ENTRY, NICE INTRO AND A VÈRY NICE T-SHIRT . HAVE A NICE WEEK JUSTIN.THIS WAS THE FIRST LABEL FROM VIRGIN RECORDS (TUBULAR BELLS FIRST)IN VINYLS AND IN THIS CD.
Lol!
JP, I wish I could do you the courtesy of being up to date with all your analysis & reactions
But I’m trying man, I’m trying real hard!
I don’t believe there’s anyone presenting who’s so tuned into the music I love, understands most of it and most of all enjoys it
I’m new to this as and you’ve been quite the find!
Keep em coming!
Ty so much FD! Its much appreciated
I must have heard this on an FM radio show called Music From The Hearts of Space, but it's hard to remember without a tune. That radio show played lots of Tangerine Dream - they're just called Hearts of Space now.
Great choice! An absolutely seminal work, a cornerstone of modern electronica and ambient. I predict that you will be blown away by side two!
We'll find out next week :D
"Without the music of Tangerine Dream, life would be a mistake." - Quoting a hero who shall remain anonymous, who was able to word out this truth :D Even if Rubycon lost your poll, I would whole-heartedly urge you to embark on that spell-binding voyage as well, if you enjoyed this. It capitalizes on what Phaedra started.
The Virgin era tangerine dream was alot like this, phaedra and rubycon are both in similar vein that way.
moving on a little to stratosfear things get a bit more structured i think but still has the same 'story' feel to it.
TD got really huge in the 80s once they started to do soundtrack work.
"Risky Business", "Theif", "Miracle Mile", "Sorcerer", "The Keep", "Firestarter", "Legend" and a bunch of others i cant remember.
After the 80s they started to get very new-agey and i stopped paying attention, for me the 70s and early 80s material up until "Exit" is their best work
This Is a great,great,great piece of art
It's easy to forget how mind blowing this and Rubycon were in the '70s. Check out the live album Encore.
Also worth checking out is Aqua by Edgar Froese. It used what they called dummy head stereo technique (aka binaural) so it will sound exceptional on headphones.
Ahh, you got to Tangerine Dream! Awesome. :D
Two Tangerine Dream albums you MUST hear, Justin: "Rubycon" (1975) and "Quichotte" (1980). I'm sure you'll love them.
I like the lyrics.
Not to mention the drum solos !!
I have always found Rubycon to be so much better than Phaedra, that I tend to forget how great this album really is! Still prefer Rubycon (and of course Ricochet) though.
My introduction to TD was Stratosfear. I saw later reviews that the album was more streamlined than e.g Rubycon. I don't know the pieces are shorter but certainly have their elements there, perhaps indeed shared to single pieces rather than continuous long piece with bridges.
Rubycon is a more cohesive album, far more emotional than Phaedra and my favourite. Edgar Froese's solo albums Aqua and Epsilon In Malaysian Pale, fit in nicely with Phaedra and Rubycon. N.B. I refer to Edgar's original versions. If the titles say Edgar W Froese. those are the later remixes and are truly awful !
@@hifismiffy If you already aren't aware of it, please search tube for Barok 3. It is a studio live performance of the classic line up. Enjoy the o - o - o - show. :)
This is my go to background music to meditate to.
Definitely a good one!🧛🏻
oh boy oh boy oh boy!!!
I wasn't really enjoying this until the birds appeared. From that point on, it was a nice ride. I suggest you give a listen to "Electric Lion" by Tangerine Dream.
Hi. New subscriber here. I love a lot of the music you are reviewing! It's fantastic. I got into electronic music in the early seventies. Larry Fast was a pioneer. His project called Synergy is worth checking out.
Try Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra. I used to blast it on my old Kenwood system. Also Klause Schultz Timewind is excellent. I am going through your videos and enjoying them very much. Especially Genesis and Bowie!
Ty so much Deborah!
The video won’t play so I’ll try again tomorrow.
At last, now it’s playing.
White Eagle is my favorite album. Encore my favorite live album.
In my teenage years, many decades ago, I was addicted to electronic music from Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Synergy, Gandalf etc.
Rubicon and Phaedra were the first albums where they weren’t so experimental, like in the first albums, anymore but there came structures in their music. I like them but prefer the later albums like Stratosphere, Ricochet, Pergamon.
You like this. I can recommend Klaus Schulze to you.
Timewind
Moondawn
X
Dune (inspired by the novel Dune by Frank Herbert) (one of the songs on X is called Frank Herbert)
Digit
Very bold choice for a reaction video. TD not to everybody's taste. Just check out the discography for them, it's huge. Love the reactions, keep them coming !!
Ty Jeremy!
Ricochet, Poland, Logos, Live Miles, White Eagle, Hyperborea, Exit, Stratosfear.....TD is my favorite group so I know a thing or 2 about them, I own 98 albums and I'm missing a few lol....the albums above would be a good start for you. :)
Now that JP has been introduced to Tangerine Dream, I'm just waiting for the inevitable reaction to "Loved by the Sun" by Tangerine Dream and Jon Anderson of Yes, from the LEGEND soundtrack...heck, you might as well do it now. C'mon, JustJP, you know you want to... :D
Loooooooove this album
6:28...waiting for the drop.....
art on he disc is by Roger Dean. YES, Gentle Giant, others.
Very atmospheric. This was a "Devils Lettuce" album in my youth (not that I ever inhaled, lol).
At some point, you'll need to listen to "Loved by the Sun" with Jon Anderson on vocals from the Legend soundtrack.
I think you’d love the album The Pavilion of Dreams by Harold Budd. It’s a jazzier kind of ambient. Very smooth, meditative and warm.
The only kind of psychedelic electronic music I can listen to.
Justin, I think Force Majeure would be more to your taste
Dude! Ricochet. I've been begging for Ricochet 😁 Cheers.
Justin, I like the T shirt. I like TD's version of Tyger.
Ty💀🌏
I love the poetry of Blake, and other than TD, I don't know any groups that have set it to music. _Tyger_ is just wonderful.
i probably listen to more Tangerine Dream than most, I own over70 & that doesn't even scratch the surface of the material they have performed. All these generations later, they are still producing music with real flair even though the founder (Edgar Frose) passed in '15. It's been 50 years since this recording was released or damn near, they do NOT sound like this anymore. This represents their electronics THEN. I hear this now & kick myself for not playing what it sounds like in the past ten years when they perform this & they DO in the current era! A modern 'live' version' puts this one to shame & I like this one...t'd just rather hear what they sound like now, it's far superior. Thanx. (basic recap: Same song/same band with new members & updated equipment & studio gear.)
ruclips.net/video/ou_bvJlm3rs/видео.html
Your story is as good as any interpretation; it's a headphones record to get the max out of it. The cover always intrigued me. Is the cover a partial footprint in the snow? I think a child's face appears somewhere on the gatefold. One of the synth riffs reminds me of Bowie's Warzawa on Low. Good alternative suggestions below, I would put in a word for the more immediate Stratosfear. Some of their later material does use a drummer.
Darn it Justin!!!!!!! Are you aware Tangerine Dream provided the background music for the movie Risky Business? They also spent several months in the Grand Canyon along with film makers to produce an amazing video called Canyon Dreams where music is put to the scenery. I have it on VHS(yep I am old). I believe you will like them. Check out other stuff from them please. Well done young man and as always thanks. PS Check out the video called Canyon Dreams and watch it on as big a tv as you can with the best audio system you have. Are you going to start going down the New Age/Space Music path? If so , you need to journey into Kitaro, Deuter, and so many more.
Ty Steph! Never seen Risky Business🤭
I had Canyon Dreams on VHS as well. LOVED that video.
@@jimschroeder1176 I still do and it sounds amazing coming out of a pair of vintage DCM Time Window speakers
@@stephaniethurmer5370 Nice! I had to look those speakers up. They got very good reviews. I have Proac Response 2.5 for my towers. I have it set up as 5.1 as I watch movies with that sound system as well. I got rid of my VHS though. I should try to buy Canyon Dreams on blu-ray. I have very fond memories of that video. Thank you for reminding me.