MARS POLARIS

Inspired by the launching of a Nasa space probe to Mars (the Mars Polar Lander),"Mars Polaris" is one of the best recent TD albums. Many might see this as a continuation,or updating, of the "Alpha Centauri" album of the early 70's and the two albums share the same vision of space and cosmos but there the similarity ends. TD have long since shed the minimalist,experimental sound they stood for in the early part of their history and "Mars Polaris",while sharing the same thematic background as "Alpha Centauri",is a much lighter and melodious affair. The best tracks,as usual,are the longest. The opener "Comet's Figure Head" is a real cracker,laying the foundation for the spacy feel of the album's concept. "Pilots Of The Ether Belt" is the other outstanding track,heavy on beat but still full of space. The rest of the album doesn't quite match these two,not that this is a major problem since for me the most important aspect of any TD album is not the "tunes" (for want of a better word!) but the atmosphere. TD's music is to a very large extent mood music,the creation of atmosphere and ambiance is more important than melodic content and "Mars Polaris" carries the space atmosphere very nicely throughout the whole album.

That was the positive bit,now for the negative. While I as a seasoned veteran TD fan,familiar with all their albums from the very beginning,really like "Mars Polaris", I do think it would probably be rather heavygoing for a TD novice. For anyone who doesn't already have some grasp of TD and what they do,"Mars Polaris" will probably sound dense and even impenetrable in places,at 71 minutes it could be a bit too much to stomach for anyone but a dedicated fan of the band. For anyone wanting to check out what TD is all about and chances upon this album as their starting point might just be frightened off the band entirely since "Mars Polaris" lacks the immediacy of more accessible TD albums,it tests the patience of the listener to an extent that many might find offputting. So while I think it's a great TD album from the recent years,giving "Mars Polaris" a rating isn't easy. Eventually I settled for three stars,good but not essential since I really feel you have to be familiar with the band and it's history to really appreciate this album and that gives it more of a limited appeal than it otherwise might have had. Ratings can be tricky!