On to the third of four albums making up Tangerine Dream's 'pink years' on the Ohr label, and we land on their first double album, and possibly the most audacious experiment of their career: a "Largo in four movements", each one taking up a side of vinyl. The classic trio lineup of Froese, Franke and Baumann is now in place, but the Berlin School sequences are still a couple of years away. Far from being ambient music that floats pleasantly in space, this is dark, heavy sound with enough gravitational pull to suck in planets (I thought for ages that album art was meant to represent a black hole, before figuring out it's just an eclipse, but it still looks great for the sounds within).
Joining the core lineup for Zeit were Steve Schroyder, making his final appearance on organ, and Popol Vuh's Florian Fricke, bringing his giant modular Moog as he was one of only a couple of German owners of the beast of an instrument at the time. Fricke is featured on all tracks except the second movement. Four cellists were also invited along, creating the memorable drone that introduces the album. The resulting double-LP wasn't particularly well received, Ohr unsure how to market such a behemoth - but the right people were listening, including John Peel in England, who would become an even more important figure with the release of Zeit's follow-up.
pw: sgtg
Previously posted at SGTG:
Best wishes & welcome to ...: https://lianahelas.blogspot.com/2022/01/z-z-xxviii-daily-sirens-1971-2021.html
ReplyDeleteThank-you!
ReplyDeleteWhat the youth used to call Hard Filed, but I remember struggling with it when I first heard it 1980 or so. Now it's close to being my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the TD
ReplyDeleteYou know what always just baffles/infuriates me is when people describe this as having no "melody" or "pulse". Are they skipping the last several minutes of "Birth Of Liquid Pleiades", or the opening to "Origin Of Supernatural Probabilities",. to name just two (of several) sections which consist of both?
ReplyDeleteExactly. Zeit might require a bit of perseverance compared to most other TD, but it contains just as many delights.
DeleteThis blog has increased my knowledge and appreciation of Tangerine Dream's music so much. Many thanks Alan!
DeleteSomehow I have never heard this!!? That ends now. Many thanks!
DeleteBrian