TIMEWIND

This album was my introduction to Klaus Schulze back in 1975. I hadn't seen any of his LP's in record stores before this release, even in the import sections. I think the success of Tangerine Dream helped his popularity in the United States. Anyway, this album was enough to get me to purchase several of his earlier (and later) albums. "Bayreuth Return" is the big draw here. "Wahnfried 1883" is pleasant but too static, and just never gets going. The reason the album gets only three stars? I would have to say that the music hasn't aged that well, because of all the "competition" that came after it. Schulze was in a class by himself at the time, but from the perspective of the present, there are elements that bring down the overall quality of his music. His love of long, slowly-developing tracks, using the same types of sequencer patterns over and over (album after album) leads to "listener's fatigue", to put it nicely. Every once in awhile, I'll see a used copy of a KS album I haven't heard, and give it a listen. Each time it's the same thing: all the old tricks he's been using for eons. Not to mention how prolific the guy is!! I feel sorry for the KS completist....