Tangerine Dream Rockface

Well, well. This recording has been doing the rounds for a good many years now on the bootleg front, notable for the relatively good sound quality. Here at last it gets an official release and the sound quality is very good - a soundboard recording I presume. Not quite up to 'Logos' standard but not far off, they've done their best to clean up the recording sympathetically.

I've seen others comment about this concert that "in 1988 TD still had a hint of magic left" and I do feel inclined to agree. This concert catches them with the fleeting Froese / Haslinger / Wadephul lineup so it's interesting as a record of that short lived combo which gleaned 'Optical Race' in the studio. The concert opens with 'Mothers of Rain' and what a piece to start with! This is one of the great tracks from 'Optical Race' and it's a fantastic piece to open any show, diving straight in with massive chords and restrained power. I'm not sure if the next piece 'After the Call' has appeared on an official release, either way it's a bit of a non descript bridge which flatters to deceive with busy percussives but soul is lacking.

On to 'Tyger', here presented without vocals which will please many. I actually find myself re-inserting the vocals but at least in your imagination they can match the quality of the music. Actually though, time has done 'Tyger' no favours and though the melody is still alluring it does seem to plod a little more than it used to. 'Alchemy of the Heart' fares little better, akin to "a bit of classical music on electronic acid" it bustles along at a fair pace and represents to me all that midi-fication had to offer in those days - ultimate precision but warmth and soul took a back seat.

Next up is one of the highlights of the album, a beautiful piano section (played by Haslinger I'd suspect). Many of the themes will be familiar from past albums and the way it's put together is a delight.

Now just read the agenda of tracks which follow - 'Phaedra 88', 'Live Miles', 'Logos 88' - great on paper and great in reality. 'Phaedra' motors along with a great modern interpretation, the 'Livemiles' section is not the best chosen and nigh on identical to the album but still delivers, however the star is 'Logos 88' which is the closing 'Keep' section from 'Part 2' and is re-interpreted brilliantly. Such is the stature of the original that I still prefer it, but the way it's been reworked here is perfect.

To close CD1 we get a lengthy 11 minute new piece called 'Parabola' which is totally contemporary with their style at the time, plenty of stabby synths and changes in direction. What transcends this largely fair-to-middling piece though is the final 3 minutes. I think there's an art to closing an album (or disc in this case), I like music which imparts closure and acts as a summation which all that's gone before. This is as good a piece in this respect that I've ever heard. Massive stabbing chords, a melody which is sheer perfection, the poise of a grand master. Brilliant.

On to CD 2 and another new piece, the short but sweet 'Table Bay' which is a poignant piano/synth piece. 'Nomad's Scale' follows, a stirring guitar led piece of anthemic proportions which must have got the crowd really rocking. We then dive into 'Optical Race' territory with a vengeance, with 4 of the next 5 tracks from that album. 'Cat Scan', 'Atlas Eyes', Marakesh' and 'Ghazal' are all delivered in style but you'd be hard pressed to distinguish them from the album versions. There's a short percussive bridge section called 'Eden's Gate' spliced in between. Next we get 4 encores, 'Alexander Square' which does its job well, a short piano piece 'The Silent League', 'Canyon voices' and finally 'Optical Race'.