LE PARC

Three stars max! It was obvious at the time this album came out that Tangerine Dream were past their prime, although I do agree that's somewhat debatable. This album is very different from say Pheadra and a polar opposite to Zeit. While those two albums were more experimental and elaborate, this album is, on the other hand, full of short, quirky, and somewhat catchy tracks, each named after a certain park (hence the title of the album).

The most memorable tracks here are "Central Park," a very upbeat techno piece, "Hyde Park," and "Yellowstone Park." "Central Park" sounds like it could have easily been used on the Risky Business soundtrack. "Hyde Park" is probably my favorite track on the album; the techno influence is obviously there, but this track actually keeps my attention more than any of the other's, as it is incredibly catchy and pretty epic, considering the length. "Yellowstone Park" is probably the favorite for most; it closes the album off quite nicely with the elegant voice of Clare Torry.

I may sound a bit harsh in my review, but in all honesty, Tangerine Dream have produced MUCH better work than this. This isn't a good album to start out with as it would give the listener a wrong impression of what Tangerine Dream really could pull off. There are some nice pieces here, and they are catchy, so if you like catchy, rythmic, electronica which is on the verge of New Age at times, you'll most likely enjoy this album. However, as a Tangerine Dream album I can only award it three stars, and that's being generous in my eyes. I look forward to hearing their next studio album, Underwater Sunlight, as it is supposed to be an improvement on this release.