Tangerine Dream Vault 4

Brighton ' 86 Live / Double CD / 7 + 9 tracks / 39.33 + 52.04 mins

Long anticipated and finally here, it's great to see that the "official" soundboard releases are starting to go far enough back in time to cover some of TD's halcyon days. Two concerts are presented here, Brighton 25th March 1986 and Cleveland June 24th 1986. Just to clear up any confusion, these are soundboard recordings despite being catalogued as Bootmon's 006 and 007. Packaging is best described as adequate rather than the mine of information that these archive recordings richly deserve. The two CDs are presented together with an outer cardboard sleeve, blank other than the simplest of stickers stating "Vault IV – Tangerine Dream Classic Gold Recording". Somehow it doesn't feel like these have been packaged by a person with much appreciation for TD's illustrious past.

Enough said about the packaging, what about the sound quality? Well, it's certainly pristine and very clean with few imperfections, just one or two uneven volume levels and moments of distortion, but all things considered every bit as good as we'd hoped for. About the only criticism is that perhaps it's a bit bass shy, but that can be swiftly adjusted. On to the music, and what a fine period this was as we get a helping of tracks from the likes of 'Exit', 'Le Parc', 'Flashpoint', 'Legend', and a major portion of 'Underwater Sunlight'. But why have they packaged together two such similar concerts? Sure they're not identical, but the track listings are very similar – as you'd expect from that period by which time their approach had become a lot more structured and less improvised.

Anyway, I'll start with the Cleveland set first 'cause that's catalogued as Bootmon006 despite it actually being the later concert! Enthusiastic applause heralds the opener 'Pilots of Purple Twilight' from 'Exit'. Initially the keyboard ephemera which open the track are very different to the album, but then the track settles into its strangely alluring staccato rhythmic style. A superb bridging section follows, uncredited on the track listing therefore taking up the last two minutes of 'Pilots'. Then the unmistakable refrains of 'Stratosfear 86' kick in. The sequencing still sounds as innovative today as it always did. Though I don't mind this newer version, it can occasionally sound a bit of a dog's breakfast when compared with the purity of the original, however it is very different to the studio piece which is one of the major attractions of the live variant. Another atmospheric bridge takes up the first few minutes of 'Akash Deep' which has been featured on a smattering of boots, trees and leaves as well as the i-Box - finally we hear it in its full glory and true context. The stabby flutes and percussives, which were very characteristic of the boys' '86 sound, are there in abundance. It gathers rhythmic pace and seems very much a kindred spirit to parts of 'Underwater Sunlight', and the dreamy synth playing which features is fine indeed. 'Beneath the Waves' similarly has never seen a true pristine release until now, and is another welcome episode. 'Zen Garden' from 'Le Parc' chugs into view next, again with enough subtle variation from the original to hold interest. 'Scuba Scuba' maintains the choppy rhythmic feel, and it is notable how TD of this period really threw every conceivable sound into the percussive mix to create a very unique brew. 'Coloured Rain' ends disc 1, another track exclusive to the '86 tour but having featured so many times on boots/trees now almost like an old friend. The liquid treatments are fascinating, a subtle sequence breaks through in the background rather reminiscent of 'Risky Business' It's a great piece to mark the midpoint.

The much-loved 'Piano Medley' opens CD2, for me a highlight of the disc. 'Ricochet' refrains bring a lump to the throat, and the other melodies are now so familiar it's a sonic feast of nostalgia. The only thing missing for me is the occasional audience participation, such a feature of this part of the concert – but of course that's what you get with soundboard quality! Then the thumping rhythm of 'Dolphin Dance' cascades onto the scene. What a corker this track is, a benchmark of the period really. This version initially is remarkably similar to the studio version however it soon takes its own path especially the wonderful improvised guitar synth soloing around the midpoint, superior to the studio offering in my opinion. The white noise splash heralds the "false end" to the track, as it takes off again just as you think it's winding down. Overall it's a very extended and different track to the album. We go straight into 'The Velvet Garden' which is basically just a hangover of the momentum generated by 'Dolphin Dance' but it's still fantastic, especially the alien sounds which remind me of the Predator movies. 'Ride on the Ray' exhibits more of their choppy rhythmic style, a live stalwart which gets a healthy 11 minute thrashing here thanks to the obligatory guitar pyrotechnics. The last couple of minutes of the piece are again not specifically credited, but they should be! A wonderfully understated bridging piece, gossamer delicacy full of feeling. The impressive 'Going West' from 'Flashpoint' follows. They grapple with the recording levels for a moment or two before the piece really takes shape, but what a majestic live outing this track makes. Ominous chords then greet the totally wonderful 'Yellowstone Park', fair to say the stand-out track from 'Le Parc'. The "flutey synth" may sound rather clichιd now but it still sounds mighty impressive. And *that* rising motif – well what can I say? Even the momentary distortion can't detract from an epic track. 'Underwater Twilight' completes a quartet of tracks to be featured from 'Underwater Sunlight' but this one is very different to the studio piece and can be considered an alternative take. To close the main set we get the mammoth 'Legend leftover'. What an epic and foreboding piece this is, totally top drawer and it evokes the imagery from the film remarkably well.

For the encore we get the seminal 'Unicorn Theme', for many a "holy grail" of tracks which has seen its best and most complete renditions on the live stage – here it's presented for a healthy 6 mins 20 secs but the fade suggests it lasted longer and I've heard some very disappointed mutterings to this effect. But it is such a stunning piece that I can only wonder at the beauty. The closing refrains are as close to melodic perfection as you are likely to hear. At this moment the focal points of Ridley Scott, Tangerine Dream, Bladerunner, and Legend all coincide along a lay-line which leads straight to EM/SciFi Heaven!

Anyway, enough of my blathering, we have another 2 full CDs to digest. We sail back across the Atlantic, and a few months back in time, to the Brighton Dome on 25th March. Forgive me if I don't point out every nuance that is different from the Cleveland set, I'll just highlight the major differences. Which start immediately with a piece titled 'Intro UK 86' which replaces 'Pilots'. I can't recall ever hearing this section before, a flute dominated atmospheric outing which initially contains all manner of effects. Tension then is then built with elongated pads and percussive snippets which hint at the 'Stratosfear 86' track that follows. For the rest of CD1 the track listing is identical to 'Cleveland'. CD2 again opens with the 'Piano Medley' which by its very nature is unique to each concert and again here it is simply wonderful, being more understated than the 'Cleveland' version. 'Dolphin Dance' then appears as per the 'Cleveland' set, but then we have another difference with 'Northern Lights' which is a bit nondescript to be fair. Not bad by any means, but it feels like they are simply treading water prior to the magnificence ahead – that magnificence being 'Cool Breeze of Brighton', a track which has already featured on 'Antique Dreams' and is a sort of hybrid between 'Scrap Yard' and Chris Franke's 'Vermilion Sands' but with much added sequencing and guitar pyrotechnics – a real ten and a half minute roller-coaster ride! The only other difference is the encore which is 'Rare Bird', a piece from 'Poland' but here it is front-ended with more Haslinger piano refrains in a classical mode.

So there you have it. Had two such prime cuts of live TD been released 10 or even 5 years ago people would be revelling in the excitement. Perhaps the Trees, Leaves, Bootleg Boxes and Bootmons have taken the edge off the mystique, but no-one should be blase about this release - it's what we've all been waiting for. And even better, unless they scratch around the relatively barren '83 / '84 period, the next release may well find us at the beginning of the 80's. My first vote goes to the early '81 European tour – but I'd settle for a full 'Logos' initially – if they insisted! Has anticipation ever been greater? (GG)

Second Opinion...

This release, of (allegedly) the complete concerts from Brighton and Cleveland from their 1986 World Tour, has been heavily trumpeted on the Tangerine Dream website for some weeks now. I suspect that many of you will have been expecting to receive TDI release number 40, so I am somewhat surprised to report that in fact this is a Bootmoon release – numbered 6 and 7 respectively.

Readers will be pleased to note that there is little resemblance between this and the rather shoddy Bootmoon releases that appeared last year, save that it will reopen the seemingly endless debates about those CD's that have appeared on the TD website and elsewhere.

A quick word though about the packaging. It redefines the concept of minimal. Each CD contains absolutely no credits whatsoever. The Brighton CD has 3 back and white pictures of Froese, Franke and Haslinger, and the Cleveland one has four – of which I notice that Franke appears in only one!

The first CD is Part one of the Cleveland concert – recorded on the 24th June 1986. It has seven tracks with a running time of 43:05. It certainly sounds very impressive, and is a considerable improvement on the earlier Bootmoon releases. The music itself, with the exception of "Stratosfear 86", consists mainly of faithful "versions" of tracks from Exit, Le Parc, and Underwater Sunlight. I have to report that they are very good indeed.

The second CD in this package has a further nine tracks on it, with a running time of 51:32. Again the tracks are taken mainly from three albums mentioned above with three extra tracks taken from the soundtracks Flashpoint and Legend, including a track called Legend Leftover, which due to the running time was missed off the original soundtrack.

There is a nice piece called Piano Medley, which opens the CD and one encore, and is at this point that I begin to wonder if indeed the whole concert is on this CD. I saw them twice on the UK leg of this tour, and although that is now nearly 20 years ago, I am sure that that the concerts were at least 2 hours long.

Unfortunately the next CD set, that of the Brighton gig recorded on the 25th March 1986, is even shorter, with a total running time of just over 1.5 hours. Again I cannot fault the quality of this production. The tracks on the first CD are virtually identical with Intro 86 appearing instead of Pilots of Purple Twilight.

The second CD again opens up with the Piano Medley, and again has one encore – Rare Bird as opposed to Unicorn Theme. However this CD contains what I suspect for many was the highlight of the gig – Cool Breeze of Brighton. A 10 minute sequencer barrage, with Froese and Haslinger going mad on guitars. A "version" of this appeared on the Antique Dreams set released back in 2000, but it is good to hear it in its context. It sounds every bit as fantastic as I remember it.