POLAND - THE WARSAW CONCERT*

To my surprise I noticed that "Poland" wasn't reviewed yet on this wonderful site. So I will give it a try. This live album was recorded in 1983 in Poland in arctic conditions. The story goes that te roof of the concert hall almost collapsed of heavy snowfall, and that the temperature was so low, the guys (Froese, Franke, Schmoelling) had bowls of warm water to defrost their hands and fingers now and then. Also powerfailure was a major problem. This knowing, you can say that they did a remarkable job. The music is powerful and emotional, not cold or static. The first track is "Poland". It starts with the kind of sound we heard on the magnificent album "Hyperborea" of the same year, particularly the track "Sphinx Lightning". "Poland" builds up to a climax with great soloing to slow down into an ambient bridge. Then returning with a great melody and climaxing again after 20+ minutes. Second track is "Tangent". This one can be devided in three parts: the first part develops from a simple melody to an ambient structure with repeating rythms. Then they play two parts that could easily be put on "Logos" Nice but for me not very suitable on this album. Then te third one. This is my favourite track: "Barbakane" . Starting slowly, with a nice lead synth, Chris Franke shows his capabilities on the rhythmic side of the tracks. Well done!!! The last part is "Horizon". Again starting slowly, with similarities to Logos part 2, the melody and rhythms come in. The piece ends with a great sequencerpart. When you like TD in the 80's, this album is one of the highlights of that era. It was also their first album for a new record company (Jive Electro) after a 10 years deal with Virgin Records.

This double LP record has full of sequenced beat and rhythm. There are also loaded floating keyboards sounds at the same time or without the sequencers. We are talking here about ultra modern synthesizers. The music sounds very artificial, although the sound is very well recorded for a live album. The sequencers always enter progressively. Like on "Livemiles", the beat and sequencers often change, avoiding to fall into monotonous and repetitive patterns. I think "Poland" lacks a bit of originality; the 4 tracks nearly 20 minutes long are quite good, but it gives the listener a feeling of a bit deja vu, and they sound a bit the same. We feel Johannes Schmoelling is still very inspired, although his best years with Tangerine Dream are passed.

My favourite live TD album, this is the culmination of the Schmoelling,Froese and Franke line up.Johannes Schmoelling was to leave the band a year or so later.This shows just what this line up was capable up.Four expertly realised electronic peices.None is too long (or too short).Everything is developed with such skill and accuracy.A lovely sequencer ride that is perfect for your headphones.Enjoy!

This album was the first I ever heard by TD. Way back on it's release in 1984. From the opening of the first side I was immediately struck by the electrifying atmosphere created by the pounding electronic percussion and the powerful synth chords. The first side is in my opinion a masterclass of electronic music and at the time of recording was way ahead of it's time .

My favourite part of the whole album is on side 3 when the single release Warsaw in the Sun kicks in on the track Barbakane. This peice has a wonderful melody and beautiful rhythm. Poland is an album I can always return to and never fail to be amazed by the dynamic live performance b TD.

Probably their best live album and one well worth checking out if you like synth music in any form.

My first review omn PA.

The eighties represent a dramatic, agonising period for TD in term of musical creation and artistic originality. Their musical production declines constantly over the years to reach the degree zero of interest. With all the repsect I have for this legendary musical formation (The TD of the origins) I think that the trio Schmoelling / Froese / Franke didn't made any consistent albums, just a vast collection of mediocre, ephemeral essays with big electronic machines. The materials used in Poland is relatively similar to Exit / White Eagle. Poland belongs to these chaotic, sterile musical years, consequently the compositions are aseptic, mechanical (using to much electronic programs to cover the lack of genial intuitions), the synth parts are massive and sound terribly old dated, the floating e-guitar leads are in the mood of things ever developped in the previous official live Logos. The sequencers driven patterns are omnipresent and monolithic. The first track rises from the dark abyss with powerful synth chords but the improvisation that follows the introduction progressively falls into an insistent commercial synth exhibition with aweful electronic rhythms / sounds and false emotional melodies. This long epic electronic piece contains some nice, dark & dreamy-synth passages but the atmosphere is not organic, sensual, cerebral or physical and rather artificial, heartless and without reliefs. The last track Horizon has a certain charm with its voluminous spherical soundscape in the background but the leading theme which starts after a long introduction is expressively soft, generic. Poland is environemental new agey music. An easy, badly inspired music by a Froese who (a few years later) will definitely exchange his artistic career for a seat in the huge musical business, insulting our capacity of listening and our capacity of discernment.

This 80 minute live set attracts glowing reviews. I've listened to it a few times now, and I'm mystified as to why. Apart from the excellent 'Horizon', nothing here sparkles. It's merely yet another in the sequence of competent live TANGERINE DREAM performances: mindblowing, no doubt, for those who attend them, but inferior to their best studio work.

I say that, but in fact 'Poland' is an anachronism. By this point TANGERINE DREAM were immersed in a world of soundtracks and soundbites, mass-producing short mood pieces for numerous film directors around the world. So numerous were these pieces, it almost got to the stage where it was hard to find a film without a TANGERINE DREAM soundtrack. I exaggerate, of course.

'Poland' isn't like that. It is very much the child of previous live efforts, only this time a longer effort - a full 80 minutes. Or, if you're unlucky, slightly less: most versions of this have had a few minutes shaved off the end of 'Barbakane' to fit on a single CD format. Some, in fact, are also missing one entire track ('Tangent'). So be careful what you buy.

The fare here is the usual combination of carefully sequenced rhythms and overlaid melodies, some of which have been 'liberated' from previous albums. There's none of the energy of 'Ricochet' and certainly none of the experimentalism of their 1970s work. Safe, predictable and ultimately disposable, 'Poland' is the sort of album you buy if you're a fan or if you need yet another instrumental album to get you through a day's work.

At least it wasn't another soundtrack.

This is my twentieth TD review so far and it is quite amazing to have listened to so many good albums. Their very early days were not easily accessible but the only album I could hardly cope with was the much later "Cyclone" (two stars). Besides that one, I couldn't find any album rating with less than three stars. This is quite a remarkable achievement (their music I mean) whatever will come in the future.

What's even more attractive, is that even if there were five live albums in those twenty reviews, it all has to be considered as original work since the band always played new material during these recordings (some might say improvisations).

It is again the case with this double "Live In Warsaw". Now to honest, the first part of the opening number ("Poland") is quite hermetic to my ears: too much electro-beat-related sounds for a while but these sweetly slips towards the fine and spacey music we all know (by the way, TD music and alike were referred to space-rock in the seventies).

This is fortunately also the case for the moving "Tangent" which conveys a lot of tranquillity (which I highly need these days, for personal reasons). This is one of their most melodic songs. One doesn't know if he is being sent on the boundaries of the universe or deep down the bottoms of the sea (like during "Underwater Sunlight"). At least for the first ten minutes or so.

The music turns on to a more electro-pop mood after that even with a light reggae scent! Quite abrupt for a change, but not too bad even if it is not this TD aspect that I prefer. I wouldn't say either that "Barbacane" is their most brilliant track: it is much too repetitive therefore and sounds rather uninspired (at least during the first part). It leans more on the new age trends after that (and also becomes more pleasant).

As most of my colleagues, my fave is the closing "Horizon". A full length successful track (in comparison with some partial achievements as I have outlined). It is truly comparable to their great works from the seventies and raises the quality of the whole set quite substantially. You got it all here, really. A formidable kaleidoscope of their huge contribution to prog music.

My objective rating would be seven out of ten but since the PA rating is such as it is, I'll upgrade it to four stars thanks to "Horizon".

I just listened to this in its entirety - this is defining what electronic music is about. It is sweet, it is sour, it is week, and it has more power than one can imagine.

The final track (please get the whole thing if you can find a copy!) is absolutely perfect.

I wish that I could have been there for this. Although, I must admit that I was one of the lucky ones that got to see Tangerine Dream live during their 1986/87? tour...they were stunning. We all went, knowing it would be special, but I believe all of us went away with a feeling of peace and spiritual release that we didn't expect.

The Warsaw Concert is an absolute must for any lovers of the genre, and of beauty and power being expressed so eloquently.

By the year this album was made, Tangerine Dream, (TD) has been a well known band in movie industry. Their contribution in many movie soundtracks has quite significantly change their musical direction, from a very experimental - full of haunting sound in their 70s album, to a more straightforward dynamic sound. This 1984 live album is one of their landmark in terms of commercial success and fame.

Opened by 'Poland', a 22 minutes song first introduced by an announcer speaks in Polish. Then the audience applause marks the beginning of a very catchy sequence generated loop. For me the song actually made its climax halfway through it, when a dynamic sequence of the loop merges with Edgar Froese's guitar. Afterwards, the song abruptly halts and and moves to a solemn end.

'Tangent' starts with another catchy heroic bass sequence, before a punchy bass line that would probably kick off the the whole audience. Stunning. As in 'Poland', the second part of the song differs from the first one. In 'Tangent', this is marked by a light jazzy popular melodies, their 80's trademark.

Third track, 'Barbakane' is quite easy to forget, because i just sense that it's like listening to a movie soundtrack. But, this album is beautifully finalized by another lengthy piece 'Horizon'. This crafty 20-minute epic starts with abstract sounds, before some touches of beautiful melodies enters the passage. Then, halfway through the song, it moves to another lovely haunting melodies, before climaxing in their stylishly famous 70s bass sequence. Definitely, this track is stunning!

Above all, this is a another great live album from TD, after Ricochet and Encore. If 'Horizon' is the only song in this album, I would probably give 5 stars, but because I couldn't enjoy 'Barbakane' and only halves of 'Tangent' and 'Poland', then 4 stars is fair enough.

The dreary and instantly forgettable sleeve of 'Poland' seems to depict a negative photographic image of ice blanketed members of TD in a similar depiction of Jack Nicholson at the end of 'The Shining' as he screams - "I'm comin' for ya DANNY!".

Get the Relativity 2CD edition if you can. It's the complete version. I bought this on cassette in 1988 which was about 20 minutes longer than the cd version I purchased some years later. I felt cheated and deceived. Can you believe that out of twelve different CD releases, only two have the complete album, all the others are either missing 'Tangent' or have a shortened version of 'Barbakane'.

How annoying...

Apart from the introductory speech, 'Poland' doesn't sound live at all. According to Chris Franke, ideas were used on 'Poland' from their soundtrack 'The Keep' recorded the previous year.

Sitting for 85 minutes in a venue in extreme cold during a Polish winter listening to this with icicles hanging off my face and boots stuck frozen to the ground isn't my idea of a good night out. So I cheer myself up safe in the knowledge that there are people more agitated than me, who suffered these conditions AND missed the 19 minute absent track when buying the cd in the late 90's.

Some pretty good ice cold drum machines, a wide array of keyboards and sequencers are utilised. Some parts go on a bit too long - as if Froese is wondering where to go next - which separates this from the masterful 'Ricochet' which was far more precise. However 'Poland' has its moments and is a far better album than its predecessors 'Exit', White Eagle' and 'Hyperborea'

During 1984 TD were well into their descent of mediocrity. Thankfully they gave themselves a good kick up the pants for this double album AND the superior 'Underwater Sunlight' from '86 which truly was their last great moment. I'm Still a bit annoyed after 20 years that I don't have the absent 'Tangent'.

I can't even remember how it sounds dammit.

Between a soundtrack and another, in the 80s TD have found some spare time to tour and release this very good live album.

It contains four side long tracks, i could say "as usual", and even if all of them contain reminds to studio tracks they are all previously unreleased as in all the TD lives up to now.

"Poland" has, I think, a strong connection to Vangelis. If you put this track on without telling me who they are, I would likely make this mistake. There are of course elements that can help in identifying them, the track's length is one, but this track sounds a lot like the 80s works of the Greek keyboardist. It's only in the last minutes when the percussions (electronic of course) become compulsive that the TD trademark is really evident. In the most relaxing moments, starting from about the minute 11, the spacey soundscape is very close to the slow moments of albums like China or even Chariots of Fire.

"Tangent" starts slow and dark. It can remind to L'Opera Sauvage initially but soon the usual square waves come to re-establish the trademark. Now the rhythmic base is not too dissimilar from Jarre's Oxygene, then it goes darker. The main theme is the same but the rhythm is like a military march. It stops when a helicopter comes, then wind...and the spacey section starts. A sort of return to the pink period for a while. The second jalf is totally different. Too 80s, it appears to be influenced by the soundtracks thing. There are some seconds of silence at minute 16 that are followed by applauses, then TD restarts playing. The mood is still the 80s soundtracks, but it's a different theme, like "don't give a title to those three minutes".

"Barbakane" is not the best TD track ever but at least it doesn't sound like a soundtrack. It's mainly made of major chords and when the percussions are over at minute 6, it's very reminding of Vangelis again. It turns to minor chords and makes me think to "Blade Runner Blues". The keyboard and drums crescendo at minute 9 is even more reminding of the Greek man. Only in the final, with the usual square waves, they can be recognized. Not bad, anyway.

"Horizon" is simply beautiful, instead. It has the spacey mood of the best TD things and it's like a return to the past. Not properly the pink period but enough to have the same appeal of their best moments. This track is enough to make this album a worth listen. Considering that the other three are absolutely not bad, I round up the rating to 4 stars. Without Horizon they would have been three.

Tangerine Dream's Poland the Warszawa Concert is part of the double whammy live behind the Iron Curtain releases that also encompasses the stellar Pergamon which was performed in East Germany (DDR). In the mid-80s, East Bloc societies where quietly in shuffle mode, as their geriatric politburos where quickly tiring of trying to expunge any and all western influences. The revolution would not be that far away as by 1989 all had crumbled thankfully into the ashes of history, liberating 28 countries from one party oppression. Tangerine Dream never had to worry about censorship as they have no lyrics to dissect for some hidden neo-capitalist message of subversion. It was uniquely the music that made them seditious, seductive, inspiring and free of any bonds. The announcer describes their music as "electronic rock", a perfect description if there ever was one, nothing new age or syrupy here , lads except for hard-edged electronic rock that pulses, vibrates, careens and swooshes with unabashed ardor. The massive opener "Poland" is a glimmering tribute to a land that has always feared its neighbors (the Germans to the West and the Russians to the East) and rightly so, historically speaking, except that these Berliners come armed with a synthesized panzer army of peace and musical panacea. Froese lets loose some blistering guitar forages that tremble effusively in the synthesized mélange, reminding us that Edgar can rock with the best of them. The scintillating "Tangent" is one of my all-time fave TDream tracks, a desperately romantic yet robotic procession, a true collision of tangents that subliminally offers hope and salvation. From serene isolation to polyrhythmic sizzle, this venerable track contains all the elements to astound, including some calypso-like melodies on the lead synth that are uniquely genius, bringing a sunny disposition to an otherwise very grey People's Republic. "Rare Bird" suggests a little more than just sarcasm in its title and boatloads of feverish freedom in its execution. Cd2 reveals the equally sexy "Barbakane", a dreamy caravan of sound, overcoming dunes and ravines, with Chris Franke getting highly creative on his rhythmic synths, a fact that many seem to forget, he was the "rock foundation" on which Froese, Baumann and Schmölling could improvise and flutter. Edgar tosses in some Floydian licks on his Gibson electric that will make one shudder with delight. The hypnotic mid-section gets hot and heavy, propping up blazing sequencers and colossal binary booms, shuddering melodies of substance and form throughout. "Horizon" could have been sub-titled "Omen", a glimpse of what would happen 5 years later with the collapse of the ZOMOs (polish communist riot police) state , sinuously experimentally minimalist at first , suddenly morphing into a simmering bloom of future delivery and rapture. The delicate synthesized ornaments are propelled by a portentous beat that grows in stature, a wave of imminent social change within grasp. Classy T Dream at its finest

The concert was greeted by joyous exuberance, almost civil disobedience with colossal balloons bouncing within the crowd, and agonizing cries of "More! More!" from the delirious fans. Reports indicate that the militia did everything to turn the event ugly and isolating the autograph seekers completely, so the atmosphere was thick with tension and barely disguised effervescence. This exaltation is reflected in the music, a whirlwind of insurgency against classic rock formula, iconoclastic musicians playing rebellious instruments to a mutinous crowd. The energy must have been breathtaking to witness, especially in a "Room 101" universe of denial and prohibition, all of this seeping through in the recording of the performance.

Andy King's liner notes from the 2011 re-issue is historically poignant, and I quote" However over the decades since its first release in 1984, the reputation of Poland as a key album in the band's repertoire has grown steadily ?both as a firm favorite with hard-core fans and as an enduring snapshot of T Dream's breakthrough into Eastern Europe, the music alternating between darkness and light , glacial ambiance and human warmth , brutal force and melting tenderness- so suggestive of Poland's transition from the old order to eventual new freedom"

I fondly remember the number of times I have driven in the night in a rain or snow storm listening to this masterpiece and finding myself in an altered state of deep relaxation and mellow contentment!

5 tumbling bricks in the wall

An absolute bore, a rip-off.

I admit to having a love-hate relationship with this band. When they are good, they are sensational, but most of the time they are rather mediocre - if not even below that. I am in the process of re-visiting my substantial collection of their works. Some may get a rating only, others I choose to touch on with a few words. The reasons may differ.

Firstly, a bit of history to put things in context. In 1984 Polish people led by Lech Walesa's Solidarity were engaged in a mortal confrontation with the henchmen of the occupying Soviet forces. Eventually, their struggle led to the liberation of all East-European countries (I hail from one of those).

At that time West Berlin (home of Tangerine Dream) was an enclave surrounded by The Wall and hostile forces. Safe travel in and out was possible by aeroplane only and the residents there were living under constant fear, bordering on paranoia.

The "Berlin School" of escapism through Electronic, Space, Ambient expressions was realized under such circumstances. Meanwhile, grossly overweight African-American soldiers in their airlifted Pontiac Firebirds were scoring underage girls and boys outside McDonalds joints with the lure of tax-free goods (jeans, alcohol, tobacco, etc.) they had access to.

Poland had a very lively Jazz and Prog scene then with numerous home-grown, world class talents, something that assisted general appreciation for quality performances. Enter TD with recent, credible works like "Tangram", "Force Majeure", even "Logos" under their belts to perform this absolute flop for their Polish fans.

The first tune is a non-event. A turn on the sequencer and go for a beer, popcorn music. An insult to those who could barely scrape the money together to attend.

30 minutes later and half-way through the second tune the band is starting to wake up - if on;y to demonstrate that they are actually present and deliver a lustless and watered down interpretation of "Choronzon" from the album "Exit". A rather poor cousin compared to the studio version, devoid of dynamics and drive.

"Barbakane" almost gets it up for a while, but before it could develop into anything of substance, it too fades into nothing.

"Horizon" is probably the only notable piece here. Within over 20 mins the band manages to deliver two short - but rather underdeveloped - bits of some interest that could have been part of "Logos", but discarded for good reasons.

Overall, this performance is a let-down and an insult to the Polish fans, especially in 1984 when they would have needed and benefited from heartfelt, artistic support, hence the history lesson above. Berlin and Germany are now united and a free democracy. TD owes Poland a big thanks and at least a free open-air performance to make up for this insulting and ignorant delivery.

Tangerine Dream's magnum opus Zeit was one of the first Krautrock albums I got into: a dream- dipped exodus through an empty, haunted wasteland that manages to both exhaust and exhilarate. This live album was recorded twelve years later and shows that Edgar Froese and colleagues were by no means stuck in the introspective 70s. While there are plenty of live TD albums to choose from (7 official releases plus a clutch from their archive), there is an energy and momentum here that belies the extensive history of this seminal electronic band. As is the case for any long-running artist, many fans of long standing will find later music that differs from what they fell in love with dispensable (at best) or rubbish (at least generous). That observation definitely applies here: an experienced fan is unlikely to swap Poland for Pergamon, for instance, yet this concert does excite - albeit in an grooving automotive sort of way. The long tracks (only one side has more than a single title) build and develop with repetitive musical themes and insistent rhythms. The liner notes suggest the trio were rather worried about the impact of the sub-zero temperatures on instruments and musicians alike but they needn't have worried. This concert generates its own heat. www.vinylconnection.com.au

TANGERINE DREAM's best live of the 80's

As an instrumental band, TD were one of the few western bands allowed to play in Eastern Europe. This double CD is a compilation of two concerts in Warsaw during winter 1983. "Poland" consists in four 20 minutes pieces featuring previously unreleased material. Although the weather was very cold, the trio offered here a magistral performance.

The title track is the highlight of the record and simply one of TD's best epic from the 80's, with "Mojave Plan" and "Tangram Set 1". Less melodic than the other tracks, "Poland" marks the return of meditative long sequences that take time to progress, like in the 70's with Peter Baumann. It can be divided in two parts, both are equally excellent and have a cosmic finale. The sound is similar to their last studio epic, "Sphix Lightning", but the interest is much superior. A mystical soundtrack to explore an ancient pyramid on an alien planet. Timeless.

"Tangent" sounds like an assembly of 4 different short tracks. Part 1 is rather slow and melancholic. Part 2 is an unusual interesting TD composition, as the sequenced synth evoke an old broken machine, while unveiling a soft melody. Part 3 is a more catchy, robotic tune with spacey guitar. Part 4, known as "Rare Bird", is a poppy melodic encore. A quite heterogeneous track with various ambiances, but that nicely surprises the listener as each part has a good structured progression.

"Barbakane" may be less remarkable, but is nonetheless good and brings a different atmosphere. A piece of the delicate synth theme from the beginning will be remixed by 90's ambient band PLONE. It is followed by an ambient passage with strange sounds and oriental bits. Similitudes can be found with "Convention of the 24", on the "White Eagle" album. The middle section is more melodic and dynamic, while the final section is more experimental. In fact, this last part does not sound like it was recorded in the 80's. It may have influenced modern ambient/IDM bands. This passage was cut down in the single CD edition, but this does not really matter.

The final track "Horizon" is comparable to the final track from "Encore", "Desert Dream". They share the same structure: an alternation of mysterious, atmospheric phases and electronic sequenced melodies. However, the balance is much better than on "Encore". The final part is a reinterpretation of the "Diamond Diary" theme from the "Thief" soundtrack, which had become a concert favorite with its frenetic galloping loop.

One the best lives from TANGERINE DREAM with "Ricochet", "Poland" is a progressive electronic masterpiece. Highly recommended. Unfortunately, it's also the last great release by the german pioneers.

Poland - The Warsaw Concert captures the well-regarded Froese-Franke-Schmoelling lineup of Tangerine Dream towards the end of its run, at a time when Tangerine Dream's studio work was dominated by soundtracks. This live excursion behind the still-extant Iron Curtain finds them turning out four sides of electronic exploration which do for their chilly, cybernetic style of electronic 1980s mood music what Zeit did for their early psych-Krautrock style, stretching the compositions out into long sagas for the listener to immerse themselves in. Quite possibly the last truly iconic Tangerine Dream live album, and I'd even go so far as to say it's one of the best releases this particular lineup of the group ever produced.