Tangerine Dream-Encore (1977)

Tangerine Dream's career is divided into several periods. The first, known as "The Pink Years", was characterized by a sound clearly inspired by early Pink Floyd, with a distinctly psychedelic feel where keyboards and sound effects were the common denominator of their style. From this era, the albums "Alpha Centauri" (1971), "Zeit" (1972), and "Atem" (1973) stand out, all works brimming with an electronic, spacey symphony that even included some tribal elements and bordered on the progressive krautrock scene. The second stage, known as "The Virgin Years", spanning from 1974 to 1983, is considered the group's peak. This period marked a radical shift in Tangerine Dream's sound, returning to long suites but acquiring its own identity, making greater and more effective use of keyboards and synthesizers, and adopting a more accessible approach, though still remaining experimental. From this period stand out the monumental albums “Phaedra” (1974), “Rubycon” and “Ricochet”, both from 1975, “Stratosfear” (1976), “Encore” (1977), and “Force Majeure” (1979). During the second half of the seventies, Tangerine Dream's live concerts were unique and spectacular. Due to the limitations of analog equipment, the German trio improvised a new show each night, adopting the main features of long concerts where sequential fury supported the ferocity of the synthesizers, keyboards, and Mellotron, as well as Froese's rock-oriented guitar work. “Encore” is surely one of the best examples of this. “Encore” was Tangerine Dream's second live album. This time, it's a double album recorded during the band's North American tour, from March to April 1977. But unlike their previous live album, "Ricochet", which is technically a live recording without an audience, "Encore" features the audience's presence at certain moments, giving the recording a proper live feel. Composed of four long tracks, this double album begins with "Cherokee Lane", undoubtedly the most conservative of the four in terms of replicating their earlier work. Mellotrons are everywhere, creating that hauntingly beautiful and mystical mood. The following track, "Monolight", provides the most complex moment, weaving together major and minor keys with the main melody based on the mini-moogs. "Coldwater Canyon" is the title track where Edgar Froese shines. An intense, upbeat, and rocking suite, it showcases Froese in top form on electric guitar, displaying his skill and improvisational prowess. Even though it's an avant-garde track, it departs from the band's usual repertoire. The final track, "Desert Dream", encloses the album in a purely atmospheric style, moving from dark and experimental passages to beautiful and ethereal parts with tons of mellotrons and an oriental touch that fits the track's title, which ends reminiscent of the vaporous sounds of "Invisible Limits" from "Stratosfear".