RICOCHET

Part of the fun of TD was to see (or hear) them in concert as they differed quite a bit from their studio albums. They were quite a lot rockier than one could expect and they even outraged the Vatican by playing in the Reims Cathedral (TD was especially popular in France ) in 75-76. Another side of TD then is represented on this album and much rockier where the guitars and drums played loud and long. Somehow even twenty five years after this disc , I still think of Floyd but not as plagiarism but a vague influence/inspiration added with a sense of improvisation also. Please note that Peter Bauman is still on the drums and does quite a job and Chris Franke does most of the KB works because on these tracks Edgar Froese uses his guitars to the best effects doing great Gilmour inspired tirades but still quite inventive.

Once 'Phaedra' put TD on the map of international commercial success, the world was ready to openly receive their electronic-oriented krautrock offering and witness their transition through a road of progressively increasing finesse. This is where 'Ricochet' is situated, conceived as a two part suite to be played in some French and British churches during a mid '75 mini-tour. Part 1 kicks off with a few somber VCS3 chords and a hypnotic drum sequence that serves as a basis for the presentation for the main theme, a brief Arabic-like melodic line played on lead guitar, counter pointed by synth and mellotron, and balanced by lush organ layers and effective tribal rototom drumming: something very related (not derivative) to Ummagumma-PF and Agitation Free. After an interlude of synthetic stuff and taped monologues, the second section of Part 1 emerges as a frenetic reprise of the main theme, with Froese's guitar getting actually pretty Frippian (this is where TD remind me a bit of Heldon). The final result is quite epic, indeed - what a way to keep a listener hooked via the clever use of arrangements and variations on a not so complex but really catchy theme. Part 2 starts in a much calmer mood, with a Chopinesque grand piano intro on dialogue with a pastoral mellotron flute. Once the intro is over, here come lots of synthetic layers, harmonies and sequences that are soon to harbour mesmeric flows of mellotron and Frippian guitar, passing by and by again in full splendour. The final minutes are filled by a passage of dissonant flute mellotron at first, then a soft VCS3 sequence that ends it all quite tenuously. The crowd's ovation is nothing but a fair tribute to a great musical work that serves as a gigantic prelude to a masterpiece, 'Stratosfear': this one doesn't get that far, but pretty close, indeed.

Yes this is IMHO the best live album release next to Second's Out by Genesis and Yessongs by the illustrious Yes. Ricochet is made up of two parts, one and two. It is that simple really. The difference being that one is immersed in Chopin like themes, classical splendour and progressive rock like insinuations. This is no lie, I remember playing this to my grandfather ( a classical head freak) in 1978 and to my utmost disbelief he acknowledged TD as credible. Perhaps he alluded to the fact that narrow minded people always lose out, especially in modern musical cultures but also what he did reveal was that even the most inflexible minds can get won over occassionaly. Ricochet does and will continue to do so for many years to come.......bowl people over.

I we compare it to the previous album Rubycon, this one has a quite cleaner sound. The electronic beat has less bottom, it is more sophisticated, and it can reach quite higher frequencies. The songs are very long, and you have to listen them entirely to enjoy the progression. The beat is very sequenced. There are keyboards that make some melodies throughout. If you like this electronic album, then there is its clone: Michael Hoenig's "Departure from the Northern wasteland".

Rating: 3.5 stars

Heavenly and great atmospheric live album!

I am not an expert, not even a huge fan of electronic prog, and non prog electronic, i like some stuff , artists, bands etc, but that`s not really my true love, despite it, i can listen and enjoy electronic music whenever i wish, maybe i have to be in a good mood to stand it and not fall asleep, anyway there are some albums that i can really listen and enjoy and get invoved with, an example is Tangerine Dream`s Ricochet, which actually is my favorite album of them, despite being a Live and not Studio album .

As an electronic album, it doesn`t have vocals at all, and it has only 2 long songs on it, easily named Ricochet Parts 1 and 2, just to dont pay attention to the title, but to the music.

I can imagine people like me in a concert waiting for a performance of TD, strange because i have never experienced a concert with this kind of music, and maybe that reason makes me feel more enthusiastic and anxious to know about what it is , when i listen to Ricochet, my mind is cleared, this kind of albums which create such and atmospherical sound that comes immediately to your mind and takes out the noise surrounding you, and it clearly shows us a the more i listen to it, the more i like it and get involved with, deeper and deeper like if you were caugh or hypnotized i dont know, but the fact is that i love that kind of albums which make this to me.

It happens with Ricochet, but always, simply always that i listen to it, curiously i like a lot other TD albums, but it happens to me only with this, i can enjoy Atem or Sorcerer or Encore i can feel great with them, but not the same with this.

This is when i realize the quality of genius that Edgar Froese was in his best era, im sure he`s still a genious, but his music is not that great like then, the first part of Ricochet lasts 17 minutes, but i prepare my mind (or not prepared, i only leave it to the air`s desicion) to turn my memory and clear it to this album, since the first mnutes i can say that i love it, that crescendo and atmospheric sound, always brilliant, alwasy progressing, and added to the guitar and drums sound makes a great sound to my ears, the same thing happens with the second part of it, it caughts my attention at the grade that i cannot do anything more but listen to it, that`s the beauty of this kind of electronic albums.

So i think i have nothing more to say, i love it, i simply love it, 5 stars...

Conceived as a live but soundings as a studio album, « Ricochet » is a standard of TD's typical sequencer / synth music. Recording during their European tour in 1975, the music spontaneously developed is in the direct line of the two previous efforts, oscillating between Moog Synth, Mellotron enchanting lines with an addition of exhibited sequencer pulses & arpeggios (maybe too prominent for my ears, just as this basic endless structure makes up a lack of inspiration during the jamming). As usual the sound is very abstract and spacey. The opening track starts with a deep, moody, vibrant synth sound rapidly followed by repetitive electric lines and dynamic sequencer pulses. After more than 15 mn of perpetual, sometimes boring synth / sequencer passages the tune finishes as it started with an intense, powerful keyboard part. The second track features a calm, meditative piano line (in the introduction), Mellotron lines and off course sequencer pulse patterns (again and again). TD finally found their way in a more accessible, rhythmical approach of "cosmic" music. Less cerebral and complex than albums as "Zeit", "Alpha Centauri" or "Atem". A very representative album of the Virgin years.

There are certain bands which I simply can't describe their albums as I do with others. I can't go song by song and describe what goes on there etc. There are certain bands of which I can only vaguely explain what is their music like and mostly what it makes me feel. Tangerine Dream is one of those bands. Ricochet, performed live in autumn 1975 in France and Britain, is one of my favourite TD releases. For me, this release combines perfectly the compositional skills of TD, their ability to hypnotize me with their instruments, and their undeniable talent of performing live and making it sound as if it were a studio album. You could say that some parts of it are boring, but for me the whole album is a journey, a voyage to another place far away from the everyday life. This is why I prefer listening to TD alone at dusk without any interruptions. Their mesmerizing electronic sound compels me to drift away and start daydreaming. But it would not be enough if it were only this part of their music that existed. They take their music very seriously and don't just rely on simply giving you a standard electronic sound repeated over and over. They build on the foundations of the tune, more and more layers, adding new ideas into it, and creating mysterious and weird scenes and soundscapes. It may appear to be very simple tunes, but it is not the case at all. Listen to it and you will realize what they do in order to create this music. Other reviews here describe the music very well, and there is no need to repeat it. I will just say that both tracks are very good and stand apart from each other. Even though I am not fond of live shows, this is an album in which I made an exception, due to its remarkable qualities.

How many albums has Tangerine Dream released in their ongoing four-plus decade career? Dozens? Hundreds? The original T. Dreamer Edgar Froese himself may not even know the total, but this much is true: of all the music the band has produced over the years, this 1975 album is the one I would choose to bring with me into the afterlife.

"Ricochet" seamlessly condenses over 40 hours of live tapes from the classic mid-'70s formation of Froese, Chris Franke and Peter Baumann, back when the trio was (notoriously, in some instances) playing in cathedrals all around Europe. It may well be the quintessential Tangerine Dream experience, striking a near perfect balance between the raw electronic research and development of their earlier albums and the (relatively) more accessible efforts of later incarnations.

In concert, the band displayed more freedom and energy than on their more circumspect studio recordings. Never mind that the audience had nothing to look at except three Germans sitting immobile behind a wall of synthesizers, usually on a darkened stage. A TD gig was designed as more of a treat for the inner mind, which may explain why, unlike the live albums of other bands from the same era, this one plays so well on disc.

It opens with an ominous drone (of course), shifting gradually into something resembling a futuristic march, over which Froese plays his moody guitar riffs and Franke pounds some (acoustic) tom-toms: possibly overdubbed, but real drums nonetheless. Finally, almost eight minutes in, comes the moment of truth in any TD performance, when the sequencers begin to percolate out of the synthetic haze. As always in the lexicon of Tangerine Dream it's a point of high musical drama, and even more so here with the menacing echo of Edgar Froese's PINK FLOYD-inspired guitar wailing in the background.

"Part One" (no other titles are offered) ends ten minutes later on the same fading drone it began with: a nice touch of symmetry in an otherwise improvised set (of course it might have been a conscious afterthought at the mixing console, long after the actual performance). "Part Two" then opens in unexpected contrast, with a gentle piano interlude setting up another, more lyrical sequencer pattern, this time programmed with a definite European-classical sensibility, as opposed to the mundane, rockier workouts of their later Hollywood soundtracks.

Listening to the album again (for the first time in...well, more years than I care to admit) I'm again struck by the fascinating patterns created by the constant blending of overlapping sounds and sequences, often in contradicting time signatures. It's a style this band could have (and in retrospect maybe should have) legally patented. Add a section of industrial noise and rhythm (including a looped mantra of mechanical assembly-line voices), segue into an ethereal passage for mellotron flutes, reprise the opening sequencer theme in a quieter variation, and the result is a stunning musical experience not soon forgotten.

Altogether the album is only 38+ minutes long, meager even by the limited standards of a vinyl LP. But thirty years later it remains one of the uncontested pinnacles of a long and influential career, and even today stands up as a signpost toward more than one musical future.

.and I could have been listening to this masterpiece for the last 31 years!

I had the good fortune just yesterday (7th August, 2006) to spy a copy of Tangerine Dream's "Ricochet" in the record store when looking for something 'new' for my collection; I bought it (amazingly my first TD recording) and have played it end-to-end three times already as I try to make up for lost time after realising I have missed out on listening to this brilliant album for some 31 years.

Everything that needs to be said about the music on "Ricochet" has been said (and being no expert on the technical side of music I could probably do it not justice). What I can share with you is how good the music on this album makes me feel; the sense of calm that it instils in me; the feeling of being mesmerised and taken on a journey through space and time . an experience almost beyond words!

If you are not a fan of live albums do not be put off this album by the live album tag. There is only polite applause at the beginning of "Part One" and the end of "Part Two" to give the listener any idea at all that this is a live recording. Beyond that "Ricochet" sounds like it could have come straight out of a studio.

I am listening to "Ricochet" again right now and it is, without doubt, a five-star masterpiece of progressive music . 5/5

The fact that this is a live recording increased my interest towards this album, as improvisational music done on stage is a phenomenon which fascinates me. Starting on the first side of the LP, what i don't like here very much is the used electronic drum sound, nor the exact symmetrical shapes of sequenced melody loops, but despite these factors the overall music is good still with very fascinating movements. These elements were already present in their previous studio album "Rubycon", which I appreciate extremely much. There are also some very similar themes heard here, but compared to that studio record, there isn't similar brilliant construction in the overall music, and the music isn't as sophisticated and exact as recorded in the studio in my opinion. That is also quite understandable on live improvisations, though I admit that I don't know how pre-defined the musical pieces on this album are. The first suite makes up a nice listening, but I prefer the aesthetics of the very early records of this band more though. On the B-side of the LP moods fit much better on my taste, romantic acoustic piano over lush flute sounds and shadowy synths create a pastoral like abstract realm where one can rest his or her troubled mind. Sadly this won't last very long, until the mechanical sequencers get back to business. There are also some processed voices here, which sounded little irritating to me. The end of the album is again marvelously pretty and moving, but the overall performance was bit unbalanced i think, most probably due my regards towards some aesthetic elements. Technically the record is great.

There are many reviews raving about "Rick O'Shea" and there is little reason to upset the trend, as it's a shimmering effort from the get go and an excellent musical illustration of what electronic prog is all about. In my opinion, the reason why so many TDream fans revere this stunning recording lies within the memorable and haunting melody on one hand and the abundance of electric guitar leads throughout this live event. Rarely before, and almost never after, has Edgar Froese unleashed so many 6 string forays searing so deeply into the fleshy aural tapestries this German group is justly so famous for. This album has therefore a clashing theme, where robotic (almost Kraftwerkian) sequence-heavy rhythms, courtesy of Herr Franke, slash through the more organic electric guitar eruptions, dueling with sweeping sweet synthesizer colorations painted by Herr Baumann. The harmonious canvas strives toward various rich atmospheres, thrusting deep into the furthermost perspective of space, constantly on the move and never passive. This is definitely not ambient music where contemplation is the key but rather a propellant form of electronica where holding on for dear life to the Canada Arm seems way more appropriate! Even in the quietest moments (hey, that's a Supertramp title!) of the beginning of Part 2, it's just a brief respite from the fury, as the pulsating synthetic beat inexorably grows in stature, hinting at an imminent event horizon, a moment where patience of the build up is rewarded by noble crescendos of tonal bliss. When the synths cascade with limpid and crystalline abandon, the suddenly sublime enters the deepest recesses of the receiving mind, exploring those pleasure regions that you never thought ever existed. Many true fans of the Dream understand the almost spiritual essence of their highly crafted improvisations and the profound effect it had made on them, no wonder that many of their future albums would pale grossly by comparison. In the dozen years between Phaedra and Pergamon, the Tangerine "mannschaft" were not only on top of the world, they were way, way beyond. "Ricochet" is not only a must have for any Prog collector but certainly a pertinent case study for those ravers who actually believe that history began with their birth, now how arrogant is that? I have subdued quite a few with sonic auditions of TDream, Tim Blake, Ashra and Klaus Schulze, mostly by playing this full blast while driving in a snowy blizzard. The sound of jaws hitting the frozen ground was worth the hassle. Respect is the name of the game. 5 echoes, natürlich!

'Ricochet' finally brings all elements of the definitive TANGERINE DREAM sound to the table. Some of the avant-garde sounds still remain, shrill squeals, random rattles and rumbling bass punctuating the music. The record is drenched in synths, warming the music and creating an organic base upon which the machine-like sequencer pulses and arpeggios rise and fall, mutating all the while. And on top of that heady mix come the Gilmouresque bent-note guitar and freight-train percussion, giving this putatively 'live' album a rockier punch than anything they'd done before.

Side 1, enjoyable in itself, is the warm-up act for the splendid Side 2, which begins with a gorgeous piano and flute motif. At 2:40 the synths and pulses come in and the drama begins. This is a TD special, an instantly memorable and recognisable tune. There's more bottom end here than on 'Rubycon', and many more layers in which to lose oneself. The pulsing bass remakes itself regularly, and is never less than fully engaging. To round the package off, the whole thing gradually builds until the spectacular sfx, after which the album is named, signal the album's high point. This record sees TANGERINE DREAM at the peak of their powers. They would make better music, in my opinion, but it would never again be so easy.

This would have been some live concert. However, it is only when one listens to the unembellished concert (available as part of Vol. 1 of their official bootleg box set) that one realises just how much this has been altered in the studio. It's not really a live album, more a studio album based on a live performance. This is really the only disappointing aspect of an otherwise excellent recording.

If I had to recommend one TANGERINE DREAM album which captures their trademark sound, this would be it.

4.5 stars. Recorded live autumn 1975 in France and Britain. This would be TANGERINE DREAM's first live record, and this was also my first ever exposure to Electronic-Progressive music. We have two side long suites.

"Part One" opens with the roar of the crowd as the band then starts to slowly paint soundscapes.Then 2 minutes in we start to get this pulsating beat with guitar to follow. Mellotron joins in. A fuller sound at 3 1/2 minutes as it continues to build. Some crazy vocal samples arrive 6 1/2 minutes in, very psychedelic. A new soundscape builds before 8 minutes as guitar and drums eventually join in. Great sound after 10 1/2 minutes as there is so much going on. Check out the drumming 13 1/2 minutes in. An almost haunting soundscape with mellotron 16 minutes in to end it.

"Part Two" opens with piano as mellotron flutes then a spacey sound take over. The tempo picks up before 3 minutes. I'm reminded of PINK FLOYD from 9 1/2 minutes to 13 minutes especially, mostly because of the synth work and guitar. Vocal sounds 13 1/2 minutes in. It gets kind of spooky before 14 1/2 minutes before kicking back into gear a minute later. Mellotron comes in late, check it out before 20 minutes ! Nice way to end the song as the crowd roars their approval.

''Tangerine Dream''. Live !

I was quite hooked with the band in the mid seventies starting with ''Phaedra''. After my purchase of ''Ricochet'', I attended one of their concert at the Brussels university (Paul Emile Janson Auditorium). It was on a cold winter evening: February 9, 1976.

What I discovered that night was quite different than what I could imagine. Most of the concert was almost pure improvisation and fantasy. I could hardly recognize parts of the musical pieces proposed. I remember that I had quite a mixed feeling at the time, because even if I spent some wonderful moments, I was quite unaware of such a ''jamming'' attitude.

For the ones who know the configuration of that auditorium (only old Belgian freaks can know that - hi Hughes), it was first intended for students who attended their lectures. So, there were longs rows of chairs (fixed in the ground), and in front of these a long desk to allow the students to take notes.

The evening of the concert, I can tell you that the atmosphere was quite ''foggy'' and that most of the audience had their heads on the desks and were probably tripping very, very high. Since I never took any substance (so far), I was looking at the band and listening to it in a crystal clear state of mind (but we were not many in this situation).

This is why ''Ricochet'' has a special meaning to me. It reminds me of this concert and a special period of my life (the best ones since I was a teenager).

In terms of music, I have to say that I prefer the wonderful ''Rubycon'' to this one. It was more ''organized'', more melodic and expressed more beauty. More feeling.

I have to confess that I consider side one of ''Ricochet'' only as good, no more. But hell! Side two is truly wonderful and do compete with the best works from this band. The TD essence is there, the magical spacey sounds are there. In one word: the great ''Tangerine Dream'' is there.

If I had to base my review on the pure music, I would rate it as a four star album; but there are so many souvenirs linked to this piece of music that I will add one more emotional star.

A TANGERINE DREAM live recording is not a conventional live recording in every sense. Firstly, it contains little immediate "presence" like a typical in concert disk. Secondly, the audience is on a "trip" and doesn't punctuate the performance with applause. Thirdly, the material is all original, not having appeared or yet to appear on studio albums. And fourthly, but not necessarily finally, improvisation appears to be the name of the game, as the artists feed off each other for ongoing inspiration and the music develops and envelopes. This was less the case when I finally saw them in a live setting in 1988, but the occasion was nonetheless transformational.

A lovely, sparse and eerie cover, 2 long tracks with bubbling percussion of multicultural origins, morose lead guitar phrasings, reflective piano solos, sound effects, Arabic phrasings, gently recurrent themes and ample hints of the direction the group would take on subsequent studio albums all make this an intriguing listen. Yet I fear that, without having experienced the album in the concert hall, or in the context of its time or at least in the proper chronological order, I cannot regard it as highly as most of what followed. As progenitor of their new found and perversely accessible style, it's of tremendous historic value, but I am more likely to bounce off "Stratosfear" or "Force Majeure" when on a haphazard collision course with mid to late 1970s Tangerine Dream.

Thoughtful Electronic Music

Being my first Tangerine Dream album, I was expecting from it what Ashra(not Ash Ra Tempel) offered on their first two albums: stellar spacey electronic music which leaves your mind blank for a couple of hours. Well, Ricochet, or simply Tangerine Dream, offer a not quite different style of electronic music, but sufficiently different so as to not produce the same effect that Ashra produces.

Already opening with a dark enwrapping synth you'll know that this album will not give you good dreams. While it later evolves to the typical electronic pattern, unlike Ashra's electronic patterns which are only made by a sequencer, Tangerine Dream adds the mellotron for a deeper and more atmpospheric soundscape which as a result makes the music a whole lot darker and less pleasing, that is if you're looking for chilling spacey moods. Also the addition of a gentle, early Nick Mason-esque, persistent percussion plus an odd melody played by the guitar which reminds me of ancient Egypt, just makes you think of the music even more which is not what you want for a chilling spacey experience. However that's just the first half of the first part of Ricochet, after that it abruptly changes to the more straight-forward electronic you expect with pretty frenetic keyboards. Even if it still presents a pretty creepy soundscape overall, it pretty much takes your mind elsewhere.

The second part of Ricochet fortunately continues in the vein of the second half from the first part. While it introduces itself with some simple piano, which is pretty awkward, it then develops into a fantastic dreamy ambience which is full of intricating synth cascades and echoey guitars, and as a result creating an incredible electronic masterpiece. As for the creepy feature from the first part, this part also presents it but it acts in a superficial way fortunately, meaning that while you can still listen to pretty creepy resoundings it just works for the flow of the music itself unlike in the first part which was the main feature.

My conclusion is that Tangerine Dream while probably the epitome of Prog Electronic at it's finest, it's also at its most adventurous way, which as a whole it's not the easiest way to get into the genre. I, for one, prefer a rather more simplistic kind of electronic which doesn't make you think, that is based solely in spacey atmospheres which barely features dark moods or odd melodies, clear examples of this is either New Age of Earth by Ashra or Oxygene by Jean-Michel Jarre.

4 stars: excellent adventurous prog electronic, but probably will be my last of that style for now.

It seems that Tangerine Dream weren't satisfied to just be the pioneers of electronic music and decided to push the envelope even further by taking their show on the road! Of course it's unfair of me to state that Tangerine Dream was the first band to perform an electronic music show to a live audience. Instead it can be argued that Edgar Froese and his band managed to show that electronic music could be equally as good if not even better when experienced in a live setting.

Ricochet is the first of the two live albums featuring the now classical Tangerine Dream lineup of Froese, Baumann and Franke playing the music that they became renowned for thanks the success of the previous two studio recordings. The style of Ricochet relies on the combination of synthesizer and sequencer sound that creates another dense ambient experience that we can expect from that stage in band's development. Still there are a few new additions to the soundscape in the shape of additional percussion, electronic guitar and a slightly more melodic approach which make the composition sound almost like early electronic rock music show.

It's difficult for me to compare the material on Ricochet to either Phaedra or Rubycon since the early live recording sound might have taken a toll on the production values, but I can reassure everyone who enjoyed those albums will surely find a great deal of enjoyment in this material since it's basically a slightly new spin on the same formula. It's arguable that Richochet has more in common with Rubycon than Phaedra for a numerous different reasons like the new direction that Tangerine Dream were slowly moving towards ever since Phaedra or just the basic fact that it features the exact same track layout as its studio predecessor. Either way, to me Richochet comes closer to the smooth style that I completely loved on Rubycon than the more experimental and rough sounds of Phaedra.

Allow me to summarize by stating that this album sounds like the logical continuation of Tangerine Dream's direction ever since the release of Phaedra. Everyone who enjoyed Phaedra and/or Rubycon is bound to uncover something satisfying on this recording, which to me sounds like an album well worth an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection rating!

***** star songs: Ricochet Pt. 1 (17:00)

**** star songs: Ricochet Pt. 2 (21:06)

The first live record released by Tangerine Dream is one of their best releases ever. Ricochet wasn't previously released as studio album and it's likely that it's the result of a live jamming.

It followed Phaedra, but it's closer to the pink period than to the new electronic deal. Keyboards, guitar and drums for a suite which has an oriental or north-african flavour, I see a parallel with Agitation Free's Malesh even when after 7 minutes drums and spacey sounds transform it. The rhythm is hypnotic. Just one minute more it drastically changes. It's a totally different track, more electronic and closer to Phaedra. Froese makes a good guitar work, but what matters is the ensemble. Even in the most improvised moments the music flows without breaks. There's then a crescendo full of square waves as usual in TD music. What's unusual is the drumming: something TD have often given up to. The last three minutes are a harmonic sequence of bass keyboard chords, then the side A is gone.

Side B starts with a reverbed piano. Another thing quite unusual for TD at this time. Electronic flutes create quite a newage piece which sounds far eastern. I can see chinese mountains, even when the rhythmic part starts. How much should Alan Parsons pay them for this rhythmic use of keyboards?

In this part the electronic sax sounds a bit jazzy, too. Froese places some guitar slided notes while the keyboards are filling the music. The oriental flavour is gone and now the music is a bit darker and mittel-european. Even if the pink period is considered closed after Atem, Ricochet is one of the most floydian things released by TD. At approx half of the B side it turns into spacey with voices, loops and various electronic noises, then Franke plays a tune that as on other albums reminds me for a while to the Hungarian composer Gyorg Ligety, Just one minute and it restarts with keyboards and percussions. This is the right moment to look at the cover sleeve. That image fits very well with the music, maybe because that Mediterranean environment is used to inspire Vangelis, and there are various contact points between him and TD in the middle of the 70s.

Only the applauses at the end can bring us back to Earth.

If TD are essential for prog this album is essential for TD so I have to rate it with 5 stars.

The first and perhaps best live album from Tangerine Dream. Recorded during the trio's European tour of 1975, the sound is very good. However, the good sound may be a giveaway that there were some studio overdubs added later. Most live albums in the 1970s had stuff added in the studio later; the ones that seemingly did not are the same ones that get criticized for having bad sound. For the first time since Atem TD uses drums here. Most likely played by Franke, these in fact might be a studio addition. I'm not an expert on live TD, but I don't think they toured with a drumkit at this point in their career. Another thing is that sometimes you can hear two Mellotrons at the same time; as far as I know they only used one live, usually played by Froese.

Regardless of overdubs or not, this is still a great album full of great music. When TD played a concert (sometimes in places like cathedrals), they would just improvise. So their live albums generally feature all new music. The music here is similar to both Rubycon and Stratosfear. Being a live recording the sequencers are all in C minor, because supposedly the synths they were using could only be programmed with that chord in real time. Froese makes good use of his guitar playing on the album. Peter Baumann seems to be the only one stuck with just keyboards.

After some synths and a sequencer pattern is set up at the beginning of Part One, Froese begins to play some guitar. Not long after Franke starts playing drums. His drumming here is somwhat similar to the kind of drumming you hear on some of Klaus Schulze's '70s albums. Froese switches between guitar and keyboards. At 6 1/2 minutes is tape effects of voices. Halfway the sequencers start becoming more important. Later the music gets more intense with the sequencers, drums and guitar playing together. The sequencer after 13 minutes is interesting but brief. Last few minutes are just synth drones.

Some CD versions have the first few seconds of background noise that starts Part Two edited out. The actual music starts with some lovely piano playing; one of TD's best musical moments. Some mellotron joins the piano. The piano dies out and it sounds like two Mellotrons duetting before they stop and a sequencer pattern begins. Other keys appear and a little bit of drum machine here and there. The sequencers get very piano- sounding while the soloing synths are more spacey and ethereal. Later some guitar.

Over halfway the first sequencer pattern gets reprised. The drum machine patterns at this point are quite hypnotic. Around 13 minutes starts some metallic sounding sequencers before some looped voices go back and forth; one of the best parts of the album. Some eerie yet beautiful Mellotron plays overtop then plays by itself. The first sequencer pattern gets reprised yet again. Later on some interesting sequencer patterns and synth playing. Ends with some modified Mellotron choir sounds then applause.

This could be a good introduction to TD but Phaedra and Rubycon will sound a little different if you hear this first. In concert, at least in the '70s and early '80s, the music these guys came up with was just as good as almost anything on their studio albums. For something recorded in 1975, this still holds up well after all these years. Certainly less dated sounding than a lot of what TD did in the '80s and '90s. I'll give this 4 stars.

Ricochet is a live Tangerine Dream album that might very well be some of their most accessible work, as each of the two parts prominently feature electric guitar and steady percussion as the moogs and mellotron soar through the spacey atmosphere comprehensively. It seems that this album is a perfect in-between from Rubycon to Stratosfear, featuring both the spacey, full, and sometimes empty atmosphere in addition to the steady beats that are more prominent on their later works.

The sound of this album is terrific for a live album, and it almost sounds entirely studio recorded. From what I understand, Tangerine Dream's live albums are later manipulated in the studio after they are recorded, but that might not be true. This live album is decent, although I'm not a huge fan of the guitars and acoustic drums mixed with the space sound (they'd perfect this style on Cyclone and Force Majeure). But, most fans of Phaedra and Stratosfear should enjoy this album quite a bit.

Guitar and percussion make a return to this Tangerine Dream album, which shows the influence of some of Klaus Schulze's work from Cyborg onwards. Moving away from the ethereal, Mellotron-dominated sound of Phaedra and Rubycon, the group explore electronic realms which point the way towards their bland, soulless soundtrack work of the 1980s. Though doubtless innovative at the time, Ricochet has been rehashed so often by other artists (and by Tangerine Dream themselves) that it's begun to sound cliche, despite the creative breakthrough that it is between the ethereal realms of Phaedra and Rubycon and the cyberpunk future. Still, it's hard to deny the technical capabilities of the band, and it's a cut above a lot of its imitators, so four stars seems fair.

Tangerine Dream claim this is a live album, but unless I'm much mistaken this has had a complete overhaul using overdubs.

Sounding every bit like a studio LP 'Ricochet' sits comfortably between 'Rubycon' and 'Stratosfear'. It's more accessible than any of it's predecessors and unusually for them, side one has a guitar present! A heavily treated one right enough, but a guitar playing a tune nonetheless. Would you believe it?. This 17 minute track is not bad, but is quite a departure from 'Phaedra' and 'Rubycon', sounding less purely electronic than usual.

Side two is a masterpiece. Quite possibly the best recording they ever made. A beautiful solo piano sequence opens the track before being joined by a floating flute. Things really get going when the trademark arpeggiated keyboards kick in. From here the tune gradually builds to an electronic crescendo before dissipating into some weird vocal loops which eventually peter out as those slightly effected flutes reappear to be accompanied by some very nice sequenced keyboards once again. A wonderful track and one of my all time favourite individual pieces of music.

Only side one prevents the maximum 5 stars here.

RICOCHET recorded live in France and Britain in the Autumn of 1975, suffers the "overshadowed twin brother syndrome". When too many things happen at once people get either ultra-picky or mere suspicious.

To explain it quickly, "Ricochet" was born the same year his world wide, would be famous twin brother "Rubycon". By the way, I was 13 at the time, and had the privilege of witnessing these marvels at the time of their release.

Those were the days when Tangerine Dream was still not wealthy nor famous enough to release double albums, but it could have been an obvious choice.

The Berlin School's MASTERS structure "RICOCHET' the same way as "RUBYCON", two long metamorphical tracks and their electronic music composition talents at their peak. This "live" release explores the many different alternatives their self-acquired electronic music language offered and the many (emotional) directions it could expand to, therefore, to be close to the actual facts, this release covers ground, that at the time, was still unexplored territory, as such, by these same creators ans less by other electronic acts. (As it can be clearly seen in the evolution of their musical language through their discography. The same as with the other electronic composers.)

Ricochet establishes alongside its twin brother an enormous precedent in electronic music composition, in general far beyond the borders of Prog alone. They became epitomes, as composers, in Electronic Music history, which up to these days feeds zillions of imitators therefore has made happy lots of uncultured audiences.

Sadly not even the TDs themselves could follow the act of such extraordinary unrepeatable, groundbreaking and unique to the bone MASTERPIECES.

***** 5 FULL (could be 10, but there is not such a thing here..) PA stars.

Tangerine Dream - Ricochet (1975)

Electronic progressive music has never been one of my most cherished genres, but I must admit I like to listen to the few records I have in my collection. Last week I bought a vinyl of this celebrated live album of Germany's biggest electronic act, Tangerine Dream. I must say I like it a lot.

Seventies electronic music is often a mix of minimal electronic loops, some drums and some psychedelic or atmospheric effects. Here you'll find nothing to shocking - perhaps some electric guitar notes - yet both sides seem to have a great atmosphere and a fresh & inspired feel. The charm is the mysterious non-human sound, which is enriched by the feeling of this being a live concert. The recording quality is great.

I'v been thinking abou this, but there's not a lot to say actually, four stars. Recommended to fans of electronic music and the German progressive scene.

Music from another world

First official live release of TANGERINE DREAM during its "golden" era, "Ricochet" is simply their best album from this period, as well as a magisterial tour de force. A noticeable fact is that, during the 70's concerts, as many other electronic bands, the German pioneers didn't play their studio compositions but instead offered a new entirely improvised performance every time.

For this record, extracts from the 1975 tour in France and England were selected among nearly 50 hours of recording. Some parts have been edited and others added in a studio, in order to propose the best quality and sound possible. This will become a recurrent method on TANGERINE DREAM live albums. However, the result often justifies the mean. Compared to their studio works such as "Rubycon" and "Phaedra", the music is much more melodic and accessible, but this is not pejorative or less interesting here.

Supposedly recorded in France, Part 1 is my favorite. Its spacey beginning unveils a middle-eastern guitar melody supported by a majestic drumming. You're lost in the desert, looking for an ancient legendary temple. Then powerful hypnotic sequences weave a splendid whirling maelstrom of trippy sequences. This unbelievable meditative pre-trance passage may well be the spaciest ever in the history of synthesizer music! You are now projected into another dimension. The ending then reuses the theme from the beginning. These epic 17 minutes are one of the best TD compositions, and simply one of the greatest achievements of the progressive electronic genre.

Part 2 is an extract from a Croydon concert at Fairfield Hall, October 23th 1975. The complete performance has now been remastered and released on the Bootleg Box Set 1 in 2003. Less structured, softer, this second track is more a long improvisation. The beautiful melancholic piano and flute opening melody was added in at the Manor Studio. Then trippy synthesizer loops display a far away magic landscape. This musical theme will become a favorite leitmotiv at concerts. Froese's guitar appear, and after a short passage with strange voices and flute, reminiscent of "Atem", the main theme comes back, however with a little different sequence and atmosphere. The keyboards sometimes sound a little jazzy.

What parts precisely have been recorded live or studio? We're surely never know. But the most important is that "Ricochet" is a diamond in the history of electronic music. Ahead of its time, this live album is also the first TD record truly accessible by newcomers, and good entry point if you want to discover the band. Furthermore, the sound quality is very good.

An essential masterpiece, best live TANGERINE DREAM album, and perhaps best TANGERINE DREAM album ever. If you had to choose only one disc from Froese and co., choose this one. "Ricochet" will transport you to another world...

An appropriate development with obvious refinement. This "Ricochet" was performed and recorded on a TANGERINE DREAM stage in front of the enthusiastic audience. As for the whole performance of Ricochet Suite, their soundscape and atmospheric construction can be felt superb and surrealistic, both of which could give dreamy philosophical views and vibes to the audience. Their repetitive convoluted sound structure should be really too well-calculated and strictly-planned for other electronic followers to copy or imitate so easily methinks.

The first phase of this suite would get positive steadiness in a more polished and more ethnic manner than previously. The percussion / drumming launching a bunch of tribal mood obviously gets intensified with more German psychedelic movements, and multi- dimensional electronic components let us feel more strongly elegant palpitation. Simple repetition of musical phrases can be felt stretched solid and mystically melodic, and notify us they would have developed musically and digitally, electronically. Simultaneously, they would keep their 'dramatic' Krautrock essence as something cynical and distorting here and there ... it's exactly our pleasure.

The latter phase sounds more and more delightful and fashionable especially in the beginning, but do not be deceived, they discharged weirder and darker atmosphere just in the middle part, as if they might have shouted they never forget such a texture as their musical basis ... this bizarre might be in the similar vein of their first shot "Electronic Meditation" (a reviewer said "Electronic Meditation" could never be thought as their electronic roots but who believes?). They might keep this complicated method as a trauma I imagine ... could not avoid at all. However, they played their novel (but a tad tinged with previous flavour) clear identity perfectly on the stage, that could gain lots of cheers from the audience. In natural, let me say.

"Ricochet" is one of the greatest progressive electronic works we can say, without any suspicion. Cheers from me too.

Tangerine Dream are in full force on "Ricochet" and after being entranced and in the end having my senses dulled to a mindless halt by their droner "Zeit" I will admit to approaching this live album with a certain degree of trepidation. I like some rhythm to my music listening and at least some semblance of melody and "Zeit" threw me for a loop. I am also not a massive fan of the much heralded "Phaedra" as that takes an eternity to develop also. I much prefer "Rubycon" or "Stratosfear" as the sequencers are a delight and it paints some gorgeous soundscapes in my conscious. "Ricochet" does all that and more. In fact it is the best thing I have heard from TD without a doubt. There is something strangely compelling about the way it draws you in with its spacey power, and it refuses to let go. I love how it does not stay on one idea for too long, which is where "Zeit" and "Phaedra" lose my interest. One does not have to have infinite patience to enjoy "Ricochet" and it is one album you can return to comfortably knowing that you are in for a treat on every listen.

We hear the crowd at the beginning and end but nothing during the concert. I believe it is common knowledge now that the band indulged in overdubs of studio sounds and additions to perfect the sound but, overdubs or not, this is still a transfixing ride. The music takes you on a journey of some otherworldy locale, maybe you may feel as though you were floating in space, or perhaps in the Command Module of some craft as it orbits Jupiter; trapped like spam in a can. There are some dark passages that may conjure images to freeze the soul, though nothing as disturbing as on "Zeit".

I adore the sequencers how they bounce off one another at times out of sync and off time but still totally in union with the synths. The addition of the guitars is a welcome relief but I am more enamoured by the percussion, as a drummer myself I can appreciate the complexity and ingenuity of the patterns and syncopated tempo. It is an outstanding album, ahead of its time, inspirational, spacey to the max, and certainly took me by surprise. I am inspired to listen to more TD after this.

Review Nº 410

Tangerine Dream is unquestionably one of the most influential electronic groups of all time. Their music has made an immeasurable impact in many different styles of music, mainly in the progressive rock, as well as in modern film score composition. Founded as a psychedelic rock group, they were initially associated with the German Krautrock scene.

Tangerine Dream was founded in 1967 by the pioneer German musician Edgar Froese who was born in Berlin. So, he was one of the first electronic music pioneers. Over the years, the band went through many personnel changes with Froese being the only stable factor all over the years until his death in 2015. Even the drummer and composer electronic pioneer Klaus Schulze had once been a band member shortly, participating only on the debut studio work of Tangerine Dream, "Electronic Meditation" from 1970. He continued his musical career as a solo artist making the same kind of electronic music. Schulze and Tangerine Dream are often described as being part of the so-called Berlin School.

"Ricochet" is the debut live album of Tangerine Dream and was released in 1975. It consists of two long compositions "Ricochet Part 1" and "Ricochet Part 2" mixed from taped recordings of the concerts they gave in England and France during their European live tour of 1975. The sound of the album is similar to the other group's studio releases, namely "Phaedra" and "Rubycon", and is heavily based upon synthesizers and sequencers producing some dense and ambient soundscapes. On the other hand "Ricochet" contains a bit more percussion and electronic guitar than the previous Virgin releases. As a curiosity and information for those who may be are interested, some of the music of "Ricochet" was used for the soundtrack that was shot for their DVD "Live At Coventry Cathedral" released in 1975.

So, for "Ricochet", Tangerine Dream embraces their equipment and takes their audience on an actual journey through that two part showcase recorded live. Featuring the early and memorable lineup of Chris Franke, Edgar Froese, and Peter Baumann, "Ricochet" continuously evolves to the next plateau of pulsing experimentation without getting lost or over indulgent like other bands of the genre. This album finds the three at a time when they knew exactly what they were doing, rocking without the drums, and looking to make sure that the audience was enjoying their live concert.

The two pieces, each of which had a record side on the vinyl edition, are very different in their atmosphere despite a similar musical structure. It's perhaps hard to imagine, but even the electronic music of Tangerine Dream sounds rougher and less polished live than what they did in studio. The band didn't use a mixing-desk live, so the volume pretty much lived a life of its own during the concerts. This can clearly be heard on the sequenced part of the first side that occasionally sounds extremely loud. It's characterized by somber sounds with dark electronic melody arches build up, driven by wild electronic drums and Edgar Froese's electric guitar gives it a certain space feeling. A short freeform passage with strange scraps of voice in the middle part of the piece once again points to the "cosmic music" of previous albums. Here you also can hear Froese use the guitar to play an actual melody for the first time, and not just as an atmospheric effect. It also introduced the use of electronic percussions and not at least the Mellotron-brass, a sound that would be used quite a lot on several of their albums from the second half of the 70's. Side 2 has a lighter mood, is calmer and more relaxed, more melancholic than dark. It opens surprisingly with some gentle grand piano passages that introduce the piece that gets surrounded and finally overtaken by the ethereal Mellotron's flute. The sequenced rhythms that appear right afterward are soft and dreamy, leading into a great theme played on Mellotron-brass that is being improvised around for the rest of the track. In the further course, the same ingredients are used as in the first part with sequence-generated sound patterns form the rhythmic basis of the piece, melodic synth passages, electronic percussion, but somewhat more reserved than in the first part. Nevertheless, not just an infusion is supplied here. We could consider the two pieces as variations of a theme. There are some weird voice effects toward the end, but it all builds up and return to the main idea again for the finale. The cover fits perfectly well with the mood of the music.

Conclusion: "Ricochet" could just easily have been an excellent studio album. I find it remarkable how well Tangerine Dream was able to implement their studio compatible concepts' live. "Ricochet" is one of the definitive Tangerine Dream's albums and is indispensable for lovers of the electronic music. If you want to experience the beginnings of electronic music, you cannot avoid this album. "Ricochet", "Phaedra" and "Rubycon", are the three classic albums of Tangerine Dream that no prog music fan can avoid. Considering the fact that "Rubycon" Froese's "Ypsilon In Malaysian Pale" and Klaus Schulze's "Timewind" were also released in the same year, "Ricochet" was the final jewel in the crown that turned 1975 into the very best year in Tangerine Dream's related history and in the prog electronic music as well.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)