Even though Baumann joined Tangerine Dream in 1973, he was still only 23 when he embarked on his first solo album. It was Edgar Froese who encouraged him to pursue other creative paths, and Baumann basically setup right where T Dream did. A few years ago I had noted in my review of Edgar Froese's Macula Transfer, that he had diverted a bit from the standard Tangerine Dream sound. That is to say, Macula Transfer was not his interpretation of Stratosfear. Instead, we get Baumann's interpretation of Stratosfear. Side 1 is unmistakably the sounds, themes, and sequences that define one of Tangerine Dream's landmark albums. Which is telling, in that it demonstrates how much influence Baumann had by then on TD's overall sound. Side 2 however is a bit different. Primarily in that he chucked the mellotron and hired his old man - he himself a mover and shaker in the more formal areas of music - to secure a choir and orchestra for his son. So in effect Baumann went Jean-Claude Vannier here. Why bother with a sampling tool when one can just have the real thing? Once the ears adjust, the composition style emerges somewhat the same, minus the electronic equipment. 'Meadow of Infinty' Part 2 confirms this for us, as Baumann was back in the studio with his trusty synths and mellotron, and closes the album in a similar fashion to how it started. Overall an excellent album in the Berlin School tradition, but not one that strayed too far from the script after all.
Personal collection
CD: 2016 Bureau B
LP: 1976 Virgin (USA)
A common album on LP, and was released domestically here in the States, where I first picked up a copy during my original Tangerine Dream discovery phase while still in high school (early 80s). CD's however is a different story, with only the afterthought Virgin release from 1990 going OOP and staying that way for years. It wasn't until 2016 that not only one, but 2 CDs appeared on the market. I picked up the Bureau B version, which comes in a digi-pak, and features excellent sound and informative liner notes.
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