As we have noticed several times already, the thread originally dedicated to the box set Pilots Of Purple Twilight : The Virgin Recordings 1980-1983 has got a tendency to branch off into other band-related topics. Therefore I take up on the request for an all-purpose thread. This is it. And let's keep the topic really broad, there is so much to discover with and within the universe of Tangerine Dream. Any questions regarding band or solo releases, present and former band members, history and present, factchecking, et all. You want to discuss something, let this your space. But please, as usual, be kind and respectful. And let's not give the Gorts a reason to intervene. This may be our thread, but this is not our forum. Edit: Please abstain from discussions questioning the validity of Tangerine Dream post Froese. That is not ours to decide, therefore such a discussion leads nowhere.
I've posted in that other thread a few times with general TD content so it's good to have a better place to discuss it. So anyway I'm a huge music fan with a tendency to get really into bands with longevity and artistic development that go hand in hand. I grew up in the age when TD was marginalized for its soundtrack work and written off as "new age" (as mentioned in the other thread). Only after a few decades did I end up with a vinyl copy of Phaedra and it took me some time to familiarize myself with their work but when it finally hit, oh boy did it hit. I'm really enjoying my current TD kick and excited that I have a new band in my life. Also I love reading all the posts in the other thread so I hope this one can inspire some good conversation. Currently familiar with Alpha Centauri through Hyperborea and the mid-80s soundtrack work. I think their best work is likely Phaedra and Force Majeure, but I've got a soft spot for the early 80s stuff now too. As live albums go, Encore is wonderful, and oddly, Logos is really doing it for me. Soundtrack-wise thus far I like Thief. I expect to eventually find the music embarrassing but their massive catalog is so alluring. I've already nabbed copies of Le Parc and Underwater Sunlight on vinyl, oh Poland too. Looking forward to experiencing those but also kind of hesitant. Finally, not understanding why exactly Exit isn't better revered critically. It appears to be Edgar's own passion project, one of their most varied and textured albums, and really felt like a great new beginning for the 80s.
To get the discussion going, I'd like to suggest: What are the so called eras for TD, what do you think are the most significant for each? To answer the first question, let me reference a website that was kindly recommended within the depths of the Pilots thread: Voices In The Net - Home The sorting is from the above mentioned page, the descriptions are mine and I used Wikipedia's discography page that also describes the eras. Tangerine Dream discography - Wikipedia 'The Pink Years' 1970 - 1973 The first label that released TD was Ohr, which had a pink ear as a logo. This era os awailable as a nice little box "Pink Years Albums 1970-1973" containing the experimental first albums. 'The Virgin Years' 1974 - 1984 The second label to pick up the band was Virgin, best represented by the huge box sets "In Search For Hades : The Virgin Years 1974-1980" and the follow-up "Pilots Of Purple Twilight : The Virgin Years 1980-1983". Both sets have got long and informative dedicated threads in this very forum. 'The Blue Years' 1984 - 1988 Their next label, Jive Records, had a blue label, hence the name. There is also a small box for this era: "Blue Years Studio Albums 1984-1987". 'The Melrose Years' 1988 - 1990 Then the band switched to their member's own label located at Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles. 'The Seattle Years' 1991 - 1995 They switched to the Miramar label, located in Seattle. 'The TDI Years' 1996 - 2005 (Millenium Years) They switched to the Castle label, but the same year Edgar Froese created his very own label, TDI which makes this era's name pretty obvious. For obvious reasons it's also nicknamed "The Millenium Years". 'The Eastgate Years' 2005 - 2014 Edgar Froese decided to rename his label, which again started another era. 'The Quantum Years' 2014 - now This is the first era named by Edgar Froese himself and not by fans. He planned it as the culmination and final era. The first release was "Mala Kunia", unfortunately the only studio album of this era Edgar was still able to create himself. It was released in conjunction with this eras' first live event(s) and era kick-off, the band's concerts in Melbourne in 2014. These have been released as "Supernormal : The Australian Concerts 2014". This release happened already after Edgar Froese's "change of cosmic address", as he used to say. The band carries on, with "Quantum Gate" being the first proper album without Edgar's direct input. There was an edition that combined the album with the precursor "Quantum Key" EP. Both contain input based on sketches recorded by Froese.
My introduction to Tangerine Dream was this album: Tangerine Dream (a/k/a Quichotte). Recorded live at the Palast Der Republik in East Berlin, GDR, January 1980. Originally released on Amiga Records in 1981. I got it on vinyl four or five years ago with a bunch of other LPs that an old friend gave me. It's the second pressing (blue label). I immediately loved what I heard on this record. So I started to explore more of the group not long after that. Forum fellows here recommended me the two multi CD sets of the Virgin Years, so I bought those. Really great stuff in there. Later on I checked out some of TD's soundtracks, Tangerine Tree bootlegs, some of Edgar Froese's solo work (Aqua is my favorite here) and some of the newer stuff from the post-Froese lineup. I also have the very limited release of TD's soundtrack to the video game GTA V and the amazing box set In Search Of Hades. So, most definitely I also gonna buy the Pilots Of Purple Twilight box set soon. Next to the Amiga LP I mentioned earlier, my other favorite TD albums now are Zeit, Rubycon, Ricochet, Stratosfear, Force Majeure, Exit, Logos Live and maybe also the very long concert in Warsaw 2001 (from the Tangerine Tree series). I still go back to Quichotte very often though. After listening to many of their albums I think this is still my most favorite TD record. Because... (IMO) this a historically important recording. Recorded in a venue and country that doesn't exist anymore since many many years. Maybe it's just me but the music and sound on this album also reflects the atmosphere of what was going on in East and West Germany at the time the concert happened. Or the Cold War in general. The sound of tension and hope maybe. Next to that, it's the very beginning of TD's Schmoelling years, possibly my most favorite band period (although I also admire the Froese/Franke/Baumann line-up). Previously, Quichotte is the only TD album where I have several release versions of it: - Amiga - two LPs: second pressing 1981 and third pressing 1987 - Amiga - cassette 1981 - Pergamon - Virgin/Caroline CD, 1986 digital master - Pergamon - Tadream/Castle Music CD, 1995 remaster ...plus the full and non-overdubbed concert on The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 CD 3+4 The first pressing (with the red label) is still on my to-buy list.^^
I never knew where the 'Pink Years' and 'Blue Years' names came from before. I'd like to think I have a rather large knowledge of TD, but clearly I can still learn more. Regards, Dave
I found a used copy of the big "DREAM DICE" box set a few years back.....it was missing the 8 page booklet but it had the bonus slipcase c.d.i wasn't able to locate this box on discogs as I was curious about it's value.was it a limited edition release.....is it considered valuable in terms of fidelity?
That's very impressive! Pergamon is one of my faves too. Part 2 is great to listen to in the car if you want a speeding ticket. There's another version of the album, which happens to be the one I have - Released on Relativity records in 1992. Regards, Dave
Dream Dice as a set is rare, but the albums contained within are not (with very minor differences). The single is rare but the songs can be found scattered on different compilations. Regards, Dave
Thanks dave.....yes I found this box on the cheap.....I enjoy the music quite abit but I've never seen it in the wild since I am more of a VDGG fan.....CRIMSON Fan but T.D. is a whole different ball of wax.....I like them.
Nice to see a thread here about these guys. Long time fan. A friend of mine had an extra ticket to see them in 1980 and so I went and bought the Thief album the next day. hahah For me the Franke/Schmoelling/Froese is my favorite lineup, although I love some of those 70 albums, Ricochet being a favorite. I really like the post-Edgar lineup also, Quantum years I guess this would be called. Look forward to seeing stuff here.
OK, I do have some questions: Pink Years - I've got Alpha Centauri and Atem as a double vinyl on Virgin. I also have Zeit and Atem on Castle CD, Alpha Centauri on Relativity. Are there different CD masterings for these albums? e.g. Are the Castles better than the Relativity releases, or is the all-encompassing Pink Years box a significant upgrade? Blue Years - Similar question. There's a Blue Years box set, or I can hunt down original US CDs on Relativity. Different masters? Quichotte - Isn't it a bootleg? Why wasn't it released by Virgin? Soundtracks - I have Sorcerer, Thief, Firestarter, Flashpoint, Wavelength, Heartbreakers all on LP. And of course I know the Risky Business tracks. But I'd really like a rundown from those in the know of the soundtracks that really should be considered essential TD listening alongside the albums.
I can answer this one. TD signed a deal as part of performing in East Berlin that the album had be released there first. After the allotted time the band released it to the rest of the world as 'Pergamon'. While TD was with Virgin when it was recorded, they were with Jive when it was released. Regards, Dave
Well, to continue with the introductions, my path into the TD cosmos is long and with quite slow paced. During the late 90s I was introduced by a friend to the Amiga LP. Got it from the library then, loved it and at some later time I bought it somewhere I don't remember. Then I caught Froese's Ages double album at a flea market and loved Metropolis. The problem was, I loved it so much that I did not get into the rest of the album. I still find the track a bit gimmicky and lightweight, but I can't help it, I love it. A few other random purchases have found their way into my collection, such as Phaedra definite edition, Melrose Place, Live Miles and a best of, whatever I may have thought when I got that. I don't like best ofs, I think they are mostly random and pointles. I prefer the albums, it's rare I opt for them. Still the only album I really liked was the Amiga one. Sometimes I visited their website and tried to make sense of their output and find some structure and entry points. I did not succeed. But obviously I subscribed to the newsletter, as I remember vividly the excitement when Edgar's autobiography was announced. I was in a workshop, so I quickly went to the toilet to order. I did not want to miss out on the early bird special autographed edition. We all know that was not to be anyway. I love Melbourne, so I instantly got Mala Kunia and later Supernormal. But still ... I knew I'd like that band, but it did not click. Except for the Amiga LP, which I upgraded to a Pergamon download from Qobuz and still lived it. Then came the Bootleg Series Vol. 2 with the Berlin concert in full. Marvelous. Then came the autobiography and I really started listening chronologically. I did not get far, but I began enjoying what I heard. I liked parts of Electronic Meditation, after I heard it's feature in that outstanding Kraftwerk And The Electronic Revolution documentary that also focuses a lot on the musical context of the times, TD, Cluster, Can ... an excellent introduction not only to Kraftwerk. Fast forward to Hades, and that really was an ear opener for me, I started listening, diving into that TD cosmos and I loved it. Got the Pink Years, Blue Years, those cheap Virgin Years (just for the fun), Froese's solo albums box. And then came Pilots, another tool to drag me in deeper and deeper. I've already got a few more albums, including the now sadly OOP Quantum Gate / Quantum Key joint edition. All in all I cannot overstate the importance of the two box sets. They are just outstanding, it's just sad they won't be available forever, but still there's the download option. I still have not listened to all of the boxes. I still have got so much to discover. And then there's the other part of their discography. Enter the rabbit hole, it's far too late. TD, I'm in.
But it was mentioned in the thread that a general Tangerine Dream thread already exists. Tangerine Dream: The Discussion Thread
Good grief! I don't know how I missed that one. I try to use the search function to check myself... Regards, Dave
Well, that's not the one. I checked. It's 'Melrose'. I don't remember if I ever really listened to the album. The only thing I am sure of is that it must have been from a bargain bin. When I checked these days I was quite surprized, how many TD CDs I've had already before seriously beginnning to enjoy them. @tdcrjeff But now I know someone's actually read my ramblings.
It actually got a rerelease a few years ago so you might be able to find it without too much difficulty. Regards, Dave
Question/opinions sought for the TD experts: I now have both the Hades and Purple boxes. Is there any critical reason to hang on to the two Virgin Years fatboy sets? Are you? I have a tendency to err on the side of completism and they are easier to access than the beautiful but bulky boxes but I can’t help but wonder if the two older Virgin sets shouldn’t go to a better home.
I don't have the two aforementioned Virgin sets, but I do have all of the separate CDs. The Hades and Pilots sets are only for home listening for me. I'll play the older separate CDs when I'm in the car, office, etc. I want to keep the boxes as safe as possible. Regards, Dave
I think you should add Legend, Near Dark and Miracle Mile as essential. All good soundtracks, and some of my all around favorite movies too. Unfortunately they're criminally out of print. Regards, Dave
