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Review Summary: An atypical TD album. Perhaps their less electronic and most prog work. “Cyclone” is the ninth studio album of Tangerine Dream that was released in 1978. The line up on the album is Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Steve Jollife and Klaus Kruger.
Tangerine Dream was formed in 1967 by Edgar Froese, a musician who tried to convey to the music the impressionism of Salvador Dali’s painting, of which he was a collaborator and a personal friend. It started out as a Pink Floyd’s style band, gradually starting to venture into hype with the newly emerged electronic music with the invention of the Moog synthesizers. We are obviously talking about music that is played by human hands on electronic instruments and not contemporary programmed music. Their music is mainly instrumental and environmental, not having a commercial success, although they reached the top 10 in England with their album “Phaedra”, actually a landmark of electronic music. The electronic music invented by them would quickly evolve into the more techno style of bands like Kraftwerk.
Tangerine Dream is one of the most influential electronic groups of all time and their influence can be felt even today. Their music has made an immeasurable impact on ambient, new age, techno, trance, and prog rock, as well as modern film score composition. But, it was only in their musical period known as “The Virgin Years” that Tangerine Dream became to be more known with some of their best works, namely, “Phaedra”, “Rubycon”, “Ricochet”, “Stratosfear”, “Encore” and “Force Majeure”. It’s of this phase too the album that will be reviewed today, “Cyclone”, released in 1978.
“Cyclone” is an album on which Tangerine Dream began to explore the possibilities of the first digital sequencers, even more secure and accurate, immune to the voltage fluctuations that so compromised in live performances, disrupting the programmed rhythms. After the departure of Peter Bauman, “Cyclone” brought other changes, with the recruiting of the drummer Klaus Kruger and the multi-instrumentalist Steve Joliffe, who had previously been in the band for a brief period in 1969. Jolliffe, in addition to his skills as a musician, also offered to the fluid equation of the Tangerine Dream his services as a vocalist, an idea much debated between Edgar Froese and Richard Branson of Virgin, certainly reflecting a strategy to enhance the commercial potential of the group. The improvisation continued to be a constant, but the music was a bit more structured and from the interaction of Kruger’s drums and Franke’s sequencers a more pronounced rhythmic dimension emerged, perhaps even more “rock”, with the group wanting to grab a part of the prog audience that flowed to see concerts like those of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, Genesis or Yes, for instance.
The album begins with the thirteen minute “Bent Cold Sidewalk”. It starts with synthesizers, followed by Joliffe’s flutes. Soon vocals appear which mischaracterize the band’s music. In the second part there are electronic vocals and flutes in Jethro Tull’s best style amid layers of synthesizers. It sounds similar to Pink Floyd’s earlier works. “Rising Runner Missed By Endless Sender” is too short, when we are talking about Tangerine Dream. It’s based on their characteristic synthesizers. The use of vocals makes it a bit more dynamic, reminding me of a lot of prog bands of the 80’s like Pallas. The “Madrigal Meridian” suite closes the album and covers the entire B side of the old vinyl for more than twenty minutes. It’s based on the classic style of the group. Keyboards in the background with organ give a perfect climax as if we were in a suspense film. The song has several nuances and tempo changes, with the entry of synths in the middle of the drums played in a simple way and with many electronic effects. The guitar incursions make the theme even more complete, which continues to grow more and more, being enriched by the use of sax, Moogs and synthesizers. It doesn’t have vocals, but the use of other instruments left the more prog and psychedelic side of the group exacerbated, bringing them closer to some other bands, twisting the nose of the most purist fans of the band. So, the band became closer to the English prog sound, leaving aside the more electronic and characteristic German sound.
Conclusion: Atypical is the best adjective that can define “Cyclone”. At the time, Tangerine Dream was a renowned electronic prog group formed by Baumann, Froese and Franke. With Baumann’s departure, Froese and Franke decided to innovate, bringing Joliffe to take care of wind instruments and vocals. This change was considered heresy by many of the band’s followers who didn’t understand the new proposal presented. Many negative reviews have been written about Steve’s vocals, especially that his singing style did not match the sound presented. But to say that his voice is bad is close to exaggeration. The album’s poor acceptance led the redirection of the band again, which culminated in Jolliffe’s departure and the return to the electronics in the following year with the aforementioned “Force Majeure”. But, if you like prog rock with elements of electronic and psychedelic music, “Cyclone” is a highly recommended album.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
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Album Rating: 4.0
This is a kind of a strange album in the discography of the band because it was their first album with vocals, a heresy for many of their fans at the time and maybe even today. But somehow it was a transitional work in the band's career. It was the first album without the presence of Baumann, an album where Froese was probably looking for a new path to TD.
Personally, I have no problem with this album. In my book, it isn't a masterpiece, but it remains a very original, strong and interesting work of the band.
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your comment alone has me interested because i care not if there are vocals, I had no real expectations from Tangerine Dream in that sense
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Interesting. The vocals are the reason why some aren't great fans of this album. In my opinion it's a pity. The album is good enough to can be checked by all TD fans.
Thanks for your comment, pal.
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It’s a good album, the vocals don’t bother me too much but overall instrumentally this is probably their weakest album from the 70’s. Great review pos’d. Madrigal Meridian is a great song.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks, RVAHC13. Maybe you're right and this is their weakest effort from the 70's. But maybe I prefer this one to their debut. Maybe because it's a different work, more in the Krautrock vein.
Nice to talk with you, dude.
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You too sir. The debut isn’t that much better now that I think about it lol. I should give both another listen. Funny enough David Bowie was in Berlin when he was recording Low and used to visit TD in the studio while they were recording Cyclone. I read somewhere that he made some off comment about the singing and that might’ve been the start of them not recording vocals much after that.
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Great review, but I've always struggled with this one. Not against them trying, but the vocal styles just don't quite gel with the music.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I didn't know that Bowie visited TD in Berlin when he was recording Low of his Berlin trilogy, RVAHC13. Very interesting and curious thing. Maybe it was one of the reasons why they stoped vocals on their works, despite the negative acceptance of some of their fans and critics. However, from what I know, The band made a second attempt at bringing vocals into TD's music on their album Tyger from 1987. This time with female vocals. But, honestely, I never checked that album till now. So, I cannot know if it was a sucessful thing or not, but I'm very curious about that. I think one of these days I'll check it.
Cheers, buddy.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Nice, trickert. It seems you are one of those who dislike the use of vocals on TD's albums. And I can see your point. Even for me I must confess that it was a very strange thing to listen to the album at the first time. But, with time I became used with it and I didn't dislike.
By the way, in relation to my previous comment with RVAHC13. Have you listened already Tyger? If yes, tell me what you think.
Thanks, my friend.
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I haven't listened to Tyger, e. Although now I'm curious. A female vocalist might be a step in the right direction. They needed someone like, I dunno, a Lisa Gerrard or Elizabeth Frasier, but with even greater gifts for melding with the ambient TD drive. But maybe even that wouldn't work out? Just not sure.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
When we both check Tyger, we'll see trickert.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
For some time I intend to listen to this TD album. I am very curious about it. It is now time to do so. Thanks e21.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I hope that you can like it too, Intruder.
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Always love an e review. Don’t know this album by them but it sounds cool, I’ll add it to the list!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks, norma. I'm very flattered with your praise. Check it and maybe you like it, despite be a different beast.
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this was definitely different coming from Phaedra and the film scores for me. I can hear why those vocals would've been divisive but it still mostly works if you ignore the artist name and The Madrigal Suite is fantastic
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I absolutely agree with you, mate. It was the same with me and I also love that suite.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
This is a nice surprise. Strange but a nice. I have no problems with vocals. Nice review too. Pos.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Agreed. A strange nice surprise is a good way to put it.
Thanks, Intruder.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Shout out for reviewing this. Still give this a listen every few years.
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