“Sorcerer 2014 is much more a big surprise than a new version without soul which freshen a solid EM album that I had forgot on the counter of time”
CD 1 1 Search (4:17
2 The Call (4:52
3 Creation (8:03 4 Vengeance (6:05
5 The Journey (4:45 6 Grind (6:38
7 Abyss (7:49
8 Mountain Road (5:44
9 Impression of Sorcerer (6:04
10 Sorcerer Theme (3:49
CD 2
1 Approaching the Danger 5:44 2 Servant of Misery 4:48 3 Rain and Thunder 7:44 4 In the Mist of the Night 5:50 5 Nebulous Jungle Path 7:20 6 Distance and Hope 7:03
7 Jungle on Fire 8:32 8 Crash at Dawn 6:08
9 Fast Ride to Disaster 6:49
Eastgate 068 (CD 118:54)
(Electronic Rock, OST)
There are lot of things going on in the temple of Eastgate in a little more than one year. Good albums, others more doubtful, albums in concert otherwise rehearsals of concert, a farewell tour on the theme of Phaedra and finally this new edition of Sorcerer that was played live Vienna on April 3rd 2014 (notice here that the album went out hardly 2 weeks after) in the presence of the movie director William Friedkin. The reason? Except the fact that Edgar, he has all the rights to do it, tries to get a fair sharing of his rights on old TD albums (we do remember those poor tangerinization editions of Hyperboria and Tangram on 2008?), SORCERER 2014 would also be a new Eastgate series entitled Virtual Eastgate Music & Arts where a very contemporary Tangerine Dream would play in concert some complete works of the vintage TD. To say the least, this is what I understood when rummaging the Eastgate site which, faithful to its habit, always remains rather vague. This epic work of the Froese/Franke/Baumann trio is totally played for the very first time in its integrity with six musicians who have cemented the group on tour since 2012. And I have to admit that the result spreads a balm of freshness on a work that I had forgotten on the counter of time. The sequences, percussions are more aggressive while the guitar is very incisive, so giving a surprising relief as well as a very rich ambience to a work which stood out for a whole generation of cinemaniacs and music lovers of moods weaved of black threads. This all new SORCERER 2014 also hides about one hour of new music which would be connected with the original music of William Friedkin's movie. On this point, allow me to doubt it! With all these bootlegs which flooded the career of the Dream, in particular the soundtracks; it would be very surprising that Edgar's vaults would have hide new music which too often has absolutely nothing in common with the original music of the movie. We forget the dark and spectral atmospheres of the Main Title and we rush straight towards the very sequenced hymn of Search. Evidently, everything is but in heavier there. And it knocks I have to admit it. Needs to understand; 6 musicians and a plead of very modern instruments versus 3 musicians with very limited equipment back in 1978. The sonic battle is uneven. The musical wealth becomes then enormous. So each track is splendidly played and the ambiences are clearly more emphasised, so giving more relief to the original work. I adored this remodelled version with its some additional 15 minutes of rhythms and moods so heavy and intense as the movie itself. Now, is it a good initiative? As for myself, I believe that Edgar has all the rights on his music and as long as it is well done; why not! And SORCERER 2014 is very well made. A DVD would be the cherry on the sundae.
Now regarding the CD 2! In spite of the music which is rather good, we don't really have the impression that it belongs to this era. There are pretty good tracks which get closer like Approaching the Danger and the very good Jungle on Fire which sounds like the best of Edgar since moons as well as Fast Ride to Disaster which steals the driven sequencing approach of Search. One would actually believe that it is taken out of the Sorcerer sessions. I like the ambiences filled of suspense of the very dark In the Mist of the Night as well as the motionless rhythm with the flickering sequences and the slamming percussions of Crash at Dawn which also surrenders a nice misty solo of guitar, but it sounds so very contemporary. The soft foggy ballad Servant of Misery seems to come from the Sonic Poem Series. Other tracks gurgling of weak rhythms as Rain and Thunder and its haunting cello, the very ordinary Nebulous Jungle Path and the very redundant and endless Distance and Hope add nothing more to the original work. Brief, SORCERER 2014 is much more a big happening than a new version without soul. I doubt that it's a real live album. I would rather say on the other hand that it's studio album replayed with the same programmed structure of the April 2014 concert. A concert in studio retouched? I would opt much more for it; so much everything sounds and fits to perfection… As in a studio album! But this should not matter! The universe of Tangerine Dream will always swim in controversies since Edgar decided to make of it a machine that would produce pocket money. He has all the rights to do so. Sometimes the results are good, as with this SORCERER 2014. I already look forward to a possible DVD of the real concert in Vienna. Sylvain Lupari (June 4th, 2014) *****