“Another TD compilation which aims at fans who didn't get EP's and Cup-Disc”
CD1 54:33
1 One Night in Space 6:57
2 Hyper Sphinx 14:20
3 Metaphor Part One 5:03
4 Metaphor Part Two 5:03
5 The Greek Mirror 7:39
6 Lady Monk 4:51
7 I Could Hear it When the Moon Collapsed on Broadway 5:21
8 Logos 5:18
CD2 57:59
9 Tangram Chin Part 7:25
10 Sleeping Watches Snoring in
Silence 6:00
11 Tangines on and Running 4:46
12 All Thirsty Angels Pass 7:23
13 World Away from Gagaland 7:00
14 Big Sur and the Oranges from Hieronymus Bosch 6:03
15 Ça Va - Ça Marche - Ça Ira Encore 4:56
16 Bells of Accra 14:27
Eastgate – 024 CD
(2CD/DDL 122:27) (V.F.)
(E-Rock Melodic New Age)
Another compilation? And do we really need to talk about it? I think so, because BOOSTER is a different collection than what TDI (the K-Tel side of the Dream?) used to offer us. A double cd that has a certain appeal for Tangerine Dream collectors. And God knows there are at least 500 to 600 of them. A rather short double cd where there was room for more material, like putting in the full Ça Va - Ça Marche - Ça Ira Encore, Space Flight Orange, 40 Years Roadmap to Music or Metaphor. But that's the skinflint side of Edgar Froese and the management of his creative ship. Always give less to justify a next compilation. But I write this, and I write nothing in the end because I don't have any of these EPs, singles and whatever. One in fact and it's 40 Years Roadmap to Music and when I see that the selected track is the poor Tangines on and Running while the other two tracks were superior to it, I question the judgment of those who imagined this compilation. Well...! Let's be fair! I have to admit that this BOOSTER is an honest compilation. Except that when greed takes over the rational, it gives compilations that look like con's traps.
Because we are far from being in the kingdom of great music here. It's TD of the most contemporary that is cold, artificial and devoid of sound creativity. Edgar is definitely a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of the contemporary music, because there is a whole world of difference between the two opuses of Nagasaki, the EPs and remixes as well as the unreleased ones that we find on this compilation. There are 3 complete discontinued EP's that are selling at gold prices on EBay; One Night in Space, Bells of Accra and Sleeping Watches Snoring in Silence. We will hear samples from Metaphor, 40 Years Roadmap to Music, Space Flight Orange, Ça Va - Ça Marche - Ça Ira Encore. The remixes and new releases seem to have been created on artificial emotions and are not worth the expense at all. These novelties are All Thirsty Angels Pass and World Away from Gagaland, two tracks with soft and very New Age structures that have nothing to do with the heavy rhythms with technoïd tendencies that the Dream pushes in our ears with tracks like Lady Monk. Big Sur and the Oranges from Hieronymus Bosch can be interesting if you liked Goblins Club or Tyranny of Beauty. A track with vaporous atmospheres, light rhythm and muffled guitar. Logos is slightly modified with more hammering percussions whereas Tangram (Chin Part) could have made its way on a Dream Mixe. On the other hand, if you don't own the mentioned EPs, I think that buying BOOSTER is a solution and not a must have. There are good tracks like Bells of Accra where Edgar finds a breath of creativity, Hyper Sphinx (yes, yes I like the honeyed guitar) and Metaphor which is however incomplete.
BOOSTER is another Tangerine Dream compilation that is particularly aimed at fans of Edgar's band who didn't have the opportunity to get EP's and Cup-Disc. It's obvious that fans of the first hours have no business here, unless they want to catch up or hear where this mythical band is at in terms of creativity. The marketing side is very condescending, which makes me think that some fans should buy a spinal column instead of this BOOSTER.
Sylvain Lupari (January 16th, 2008) ***¾**
Available at Groove nl