"...Mysterious Semblance..."
I can vividly
remember the early spring of 1974 and seeing the strangely beautiful gatefold
sleeve of V 2010 in all the hipper Dublin record shops and wondering what
gurgling VCS3 layers lay within its blue-tinted innards? Was it indeed
"Music That Melts" as the Virgin adverts cleverly put it in the
magazine of the day – phone, radio, and turntable – all slithering off tables
in a river of melted New Age plastic?
And when I got it
home and slapped on that gorgeous Two Virgins colour label we’d all become so
intrigued by since March 1973’s “Tubular Bells” and watched it turn at 33 1/3
on to my trusty Garrard SP 25 (with Dustbuster accompaniment) - indeed the
beast that is "Phaedra" was dripping and flanging and generally Kraut
Rock bubbling all over our nice middle-class carpet. I hadn’t been exposed to
this much knob twiddling since my days with a Meccano Industrial Digger Set…
Like most fans –
Tangerine Dream’s fifth LP "Phaedra" and sixth (1975's
"Rubycon") were our intro to the German New Age Synth Instrumental
Prog Rock Band - our Electronic appetites wetted by Can and Amon Düül II over
on United Artists and that laugh-a-minute road-cone mob Kraftwerk over on
Vertigo. But does it stand up in 2020? If I'm truthful, what was thrilling back
then has slightly faded now – this is for devotees only with (if you’ll forgive
the pun) electronic virgins wondering why all the fuss, legend and even the
five-star reviews.
But there is no
doubt at all in my mind about the Audio - leaps above the vinyl that always
felt too lo-fi and the subsequent CD reissues - too underwhelming. This 2019
"The Virgin Recordings" version from "In Search Of Hades"
Box Set is ethereal and the Two Bonus Steven Wilson Remixes are a full-on muscular
revelation that will surely make many fans weep a wee Proggy tear and love 1974
all over again. Let's get to the Mysterious Semblance man...
UK released 14
June 2019 - "Phaedra" by TANGERINE DREAM on Universal/Virgin 774
695-8 (Barcode 602577469589) is part of The Virgin Recordings CD
Reissue Series offering the 4-Track 1974 LP with Two Bonus Tracks (Remixed by
Steven Wilson from original tapes in 2019) that plays out as follows (57:53
minutes):
1. Phaedra (17:36
minutes) [Side 1]
2. Mysterious Semblance
At The Strand Of Nightmares (9:41 minutes) [Side 2]
3. Movements Of A
Visionary (7:55 minutes)
4. Sequent C' (2:18 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 4 are
their fifth album "Phaedra" – released 20 February 1974 in the UK on
Virgin V 2010 and June 1974 in the USA on Virgin VR 13-108. Produced by EDGAR
FROESE – it peaked at No. 15 on the UK LP charts and No. 196 in the USA.
BONUS TRACKS:
5. Phaedra
(Steven Wilson 2018 Stereo Remix, 17:37 minutes)
6. Sequent C'
(Steven Wilson 2018 Stereo Remix, 2:21 minutes)
TANGERINE DREAM
was:
EDGAR FROESE –
Mellotron, Guitar-Bass, VCS3 Synthesizer and Flute
CHRISTAPH FRANKE
– Moog Synthesizer, Keyboards, VCS3 Synthesizer
PETER BAUMANN –
Organ, Electric Piano, VSC3 Synthesizer and Flute
The 12-page
booklet features the original gorgeous silver gatefold artwork (a wee bit
diminished by size it has to be said), period photos, concert tickets and the
usual reissue credits. It's a damn shame (despite what the sticker says) there
are no illuminating liner notes - but the BEN WISEMAN Remaster of the original
album and the STEVE WILSON Remix Bonus Tracks more than make up for any lack of
words. And nowadays (April 2020), it can be bought for under six quid.
I'd forgotten how
lovely "Sequent C'" is and that pumping rhythm as "Phaedra"
gathers pace about five minutes in. The
swish and swirl of "Mysterious Semblance..." floats out of your
speakers in waves of Mellotron and VCS3 Synth sounds - our drowning-in-keyboards
trio creating huge pallets of mystery. And those echoed twiddles as
"Movements Of A Visionary" builds to an electronic rhythm that
hypnotizes (always been the best track for me). But I can't quite get over how
good the Steve Wilson Remix of the Side 1 "Phaedra" is - more oomph,
more meat, utterly brilliant.
As you peruse the
concert adverts for artists like Kevin Ayers, Supertramp, Osibisa and Tangerine
Dream - you can't help think - them was the days - and this superb CD Remaster
will help you revisit them...
