ENCORE (LIVE 1977)

A collection of TD "songs" which represent these sound experimentalists extraordinaire at their peak (and before Baumann's exit); I rank this LP right up there along side Rubycon, Phaedra, and Ricochet. I love the progression of songs, from the more minimalist "Cherokee Lane" [6/10], to the washed, layered, and sectioned "Monolight" [7/10], then peaking with Froese's nearly eleven minutes of searing guitar soloing over the pulsating synth work of "Coldwater Canyon" [8/10], then taking us out with the stark, sometimes eerie, often cheerless, and certainly unearthly 'space journey' of "Desert Dream" [6/10]. (Could these guys create dreamscapes or what!?) While the debate as to the "live-ness" of this album seems to pale in the shadow of its near perfect representation of the Froese/Franke/Baumann collaboration, thus rendering it an almost moot topic, if it is a true live album, how wonderful it would have been to have been in the audience. I've always kicked myself that I turned down several invites to attend TD concerts in France and Germany while living there in 1978-79-especially since I had already owned this wonderful collection from three of the leaders of electronic sound exploration. 7 out of 10. Make it a high 3 because it is now sounding a little dated.