On record, Poland was split into four side-long tracks, with the second side encore Rare Bird occasionally split out into its own track on releases such as this one. First up is the album's title track, establishing a hypnotic pattern very much in keeping with Hyperborea tracks like No Man's Land and featuring some great solos, before moving into a slow section that eventually gets into gear with its sequencers. Tangent is similarly multi-faceted (as are all the tracks, in fact), including the catchy third section that was excerpted for a 12" single release as Polish Dance, as was the short track Rare Bird.
From side three of the original vinyl, Barbakane is in three sections, with the first and third being starker, spacier pieces, and in the middle is the beautifully melodic Warsaw In The Sun, which headed up the aformentioned 12" single. Last but not least is Horizon, that initially harks back the most to the ambient, gaseous TD of old. It too picks up after four minutes though (and those sequencers in the final section are absolutely ferocious!), to remind us that we're in the slick, rhythmically-driven Schmoelling era - for my money, the very best of Tangerine Dream.
Disc 1 link
Disc 2 link
pw: sgtg
Previously posted at SGTG:
Phaedra (scroll past main post)
Phaedra (scroll past main post)
The original sides 2 and 3 of this have always seemed a little slapdash to me in terms of how they put it together in the end. The 12" Parts I & II versions of "Warsaw In The Sun" are definitely the best way to hear that section.
ReplyDeleteBut sides 1 and 4 were and are the bomb. That last section of "Horizon" is probably the meanest, most aggressive thing they did during the Schmoelling years.
2 & 3 are just shorter pieces bracketed together under a single title as if they were one unified piece.
DeleteThe opening section of 'Horizon' is a stunning bit of distant Winter forest imagery that made me wish they'd delved more into abstraction at this level during the period.
Thanks for the TD. How about some of their solo works. Thanks again for the TD
ReplyDeletemmm, good point. Pretty much covered Froese's main solo works here, so could be time to add some Schmoelling and Baumann to my to-do list.
DeleteThis was such an important record from my childhood. One of only a couple of TD on my parents shelves, but the opening notes and the voice introducing the band is instant warm nostalgia. It's nice to have it attached to a record which stands up so well.
ReplyDeleteYou are making me feel my age. I bought it on vinyl the week it came out. That dramatic opening chord (from 'Sphinx Lightning' IIRC) is one of those "I've got to hear the whole bloody thing now" triggers.
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