STRATOSFEAR

This is the third album from Tangerine Dream's Virgin days, which most people would easily say were their best years. This is actually a somewhat lighter album, especially compared to the previous two Tangerine Dream albums, Phaedra and Rubycon. It's also one of

1. Stratosfear - Opens very melodically and uplifting before some synths enter that make me think of human voices in a strange way. Right away it's very noticeable that this album is going to be way different from their previous two, very dark releases. This song is very, very uplifting and gives me an "on top of the world" feeling, which is something that is very, very different from most Tangerine Dream. The section with the manic drumming and various electronic sounds is absolutely astounding. A great song with lots of great movements in it. 10+/10

2. The Big Sleep in Search of Hades - This song opens with dark keyboards and flute and is a bit darker than the previous song. However, after the mood of the previous song, this one almost feels like a downer to me, although it certainly is a good song. Might be my least favorite track on here though, while still fairly enjoyable. 7/10

3. 3A.M. At The Border Of The Marsh From Okefenokee - Starts with an almost Western feel to it punctuated with repeated notes from some keyboards. It makes me picture something of a cross between science fiction and space cowboys. Like the previous song, this is a bit darker than the title track. Unlike the previous track however, I feel this one builds in a much better way. It gets pretty creepy in the second half of the song, and I enjoy the creepiness here because it has a much better fit to it than before. The song ends with some mouth organ courtesy of Froese that takes us back to the theme presented at the beginning of the song of a "Cowboy of the Old West" feel. 9/10

4. Invisible Limits - This song opens very minimalisticly on first appearance, but it builds fairly quickly and becomes very multi-layered. Around 3 minutes we get a weird buzzing noise with a drum build before a neat chime-like sound. And like the title track this song is much more upbeat for Tangerine Dream's standards. The section around 5 minutes has a very awesome, funky feeling to it with emphasis on the "funk" part. This is followed by some nice noodling/soloing. A great song, but I honestly think the title track is still the best song on the whole album. 9/10

A very good Tangerine Dream album, but I wouldn't say it's one of their best, especially in comparison to the two albums before it. If you're interested in Tangerine Dream or already like them, give Phaedra, Rubycon, and Force Majeure a try before you pick up this one. Still a very worthwhile album to have and essential if you're a Tangerine Dream fan. 4/5 stars.