Worst TD tracks

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Misterdance
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by Misterdance »

I am a fan since the melrose years. Those are the albums I like most ( 1988-2000 ). But worst TD tracks are the much older work of TD.

- Alpha Centauri is an album I don't like that much. But mostly I enjoy a lot of TD's music.
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Network23
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by Network23 »

Sfearical Sequence wrote:I just listened to these last week. I had completely forgotten how much of guitar-based album Tyranny of Beauty is. It's almost all guitar! That 's not a criticism, just an observation. The only tracks I would be likely to go back to, however, are "Catwalk" and "Stratosfear 95". "Living in a Fountain Pen" was a really painful listen. Ugh.
When Tyranny of Beauty first arrived, I felt it was a sizeable improvement over the previous three albums. "Bride in Cold Tears" is the best track, and "Stratosfear '95" is enjoyable though I prefer the '86 version to that (and the original is the best, anyway).
Sfearical Sequence wrote:[As for Turn of the Tides, "Firetongues" is pretty good, but other than that . . .
Sad but true. A very lackluster album.
Sfearical Sequence wrote:[Hell, I don't even own Rockoon or Goblin's Club. I have heard them a couple of times, and I can certainly live without them. Also wish I had never bought 220 Volt Live, although it had its use in that I later knew to skip over the Tangerine Tree material from that era.
Goblins' Club was another head scratcher upon its release, but I've since had a change of heart towards it. It's a decent listen, but the best tracks are what add up to the second half, which not coincidentally happen to be the ones Jerome had the least input on. :lol: "United Goblins Parade" is nearly an Edgar solo track with one of his signature lead guitar lead improvs. Easily the best thing on the album. "Elf June & The Midnight Patrol" is primarily composed by Linda (J isn't even on it), and Edgar plays acoustic guitar on that and the last track "Sad Merlin's Sunday." Tracks 5-8 make it a keeper for me.
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bigmoog
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by bigmoog »

There are no worst td tracks, just those not a stunning as those that are not as stunning :P
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rigel
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by rigel »

It's fascinating to read the varying opinions on these 90s albums. As others have noted, it's interesting how although we're all fans, some tracks/albums divide us.

I can honestly say that Turn of the Tides and Tyranny of Beauty disappointed me when they came out. I really wanted to like these albums. Great titles, cover designs, well produced, and I had no problem with the prominence of guitar - just a phase in TD's varied history. But I just felt the compositions generally weren't strong enough (on the whole). I think pieces like Little Blonde... and Bride in Cold Tears were greatly improved with the Dream Mixes treatment - that's just my opinion. I agree Firetongues is a great track. Goblin's Club was something of an improvement on these albums but still had some weak tracks. By the way, I much prefer the live version of Lamb With Radar Eyes that appears on one of Jerome Froese's EPs.

Basically the mid 1990s was not one of my favourite periods of TD's history, but then again reading some of the comments on here inspires me to perhaps listen to some of these albums again with a fresh ear all these years later.
PurpleTwilight
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by PurpleTwilight »

PurpleTwilight wrote:Over the years, I've grown to tolerate most of the songs I mentioned in this thread. It's becoming increasingly difficult to name another song I dislike, although there are possibly several that simply don't do much for me. I guess one example would be "Desert Train" from Melrose. It's not bad, but neither does it warrant a repeated listen. In that regard, I think it suffers from the same problems I sensed in "Rolling Down Cahuenga." If I had to plumb the depths of the track for positive points, I would consider the piano work to be a nice addition. Some of the quieter, atmospheric sections are good as well.
I just gave "Desert Train" another listen and my earlier thoughts still stand. There's no question that it's totally listenable, but it's also very pedestrian, and I kind of hoped for something more interesting for a 10-minute track. It also doesn't help that I generally like the rest of the tracks on Melrose, so this one sticks out in an unfavorable way.

Speaking of the Private Era, I'm glad that little extract from "Parabola" didn't make it onto Rockface. It's arguably the weakest part of the track, and I'm surprised whenever I see people grumbling about its exclusion from the CD.
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studio308
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by studio308 »

I don't listen to first 4 albums, some tries were enough. I rarely listen to 1974-1979. My favorite period of TD is 1980-1999, except for Turn of the Tides and Tyranny of Beauty, which are of less interest. Albums that I listen often and like in whole are those three of Private Years and Rockoon. To me they are perfect in the way they are formed with their rather long tracklists (comparing to classic albums of 2-3-4 tracks). I like the concept so much. Also Kyoto and Blue Dawn that are recorded in this period instantly became my favorites.

There were messages about Ambient Monkeys album and looks like nobody told anything about it. This one is a compilation of previous tracks with loud jungle sounds. Whole album is one continuous mix. Pretty strange one, because those jungle noises are too loud and interfere with music.

I've read the whole topic and didn't saw Quinoa mentioned that is originally from 1992. This one is something between Rockoon and Melrose. I like it a lot.

For me the worst tracks of current years are those based on sampled vocals singing some nonsense like in Two Drunken Angels at Trafalgar Square and Transition tracks. There are many tracks with these samples. Many tracks from 2000s sound like versions of each other, such a template instrumentation, lack of experiment. Some tracks are stunningly great, but around 70% are average tracks with no individuality.

I'd tell that this is as bad as some of TD soundtracks that use same parts that were somewhere else on albums or concerts, like in Wavelength. This is recycled material, absolutely commercial. There are great unique soundtracks like Zoning and Oasis, which contain long full-length tracks. Soundtracks with short pieces are not TDs guilt though, because it is known that they are released without TD approval by studios themselves from video cut material and not original master recordings.
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TheXFactor
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by TheXFactor »

Pretty much everything from 1989 up to and including whatever came out just before MALA KUNIA (with the exception of PURPLE DILUVIAL). Things started turning around with both MALA KUNIA and QUANTUM KEY however.
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T4N63R1N3 DR34M
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by T4N63R1N3 DR34M »

TheXFactor wrote:Pretty much everything from 1989 up to and including whatever came out just before MALA KUNIA (with the exception of PURPLE DILUVIAL). Things started turning around with both MALA KUNIA and QUANTUM KEY however.
I know it's only your opinion, but that's the stupidest statement on here for a long, long time.
TheXFactor
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by TheXFactor »

T4N63R1N3 DR34M wrote:I know it's only your opinion, but that's the stupidest statement on here for a long, long time.

By their very definition, as far as opinions go one is as good another- even if they're exactly opposite. Because- you know- it's an opinion. More to the point though, why are you hating on the two releases from The Quantum Years so much? MALA KUNIA and QUANTUM KEY? Stupid?? Seriously???
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T4N63R1N3 DR34M
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by T4N63R1N3 DR34M »

TheXFactor wrote:
T4N63R1N3 DR34M wrote:I know it's only your opinion, but that's the stupidest statement on here for a long, long time.

By their very definition, as far as opinions go one is as good another- even if they're exactly opposite. Because- you know- it's an opinion. More to the point though, why are you hating on the two releases from The Quantum Years so much? MALA KUNIA and QUANTUM KEY? Stupid?? Seriously???
?? :?: :?: Where do I hate on the Quantum Years releases ? When I said 'stupid', I was referring to the first part of the statement.

Mala Kunia and ESPECIALLY Quantum Key are excellent releases....like some of the other stuff you seem to have overlooked (Finnegan's Wake, Franz Kafka, Sorcerer 2015, GTA V to name just a few)

Opinions DO differ, however at least we agree on MK and QK :)

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exit81
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by exit81 »

I wouldn't say I hate any TD music, but there's plenty of tracks that don't do a thing for me, so I simply don't listen to them often. I'll try them again once in a while to see if my opinion has changed, but it rarely does! But TD have released so many albums down the years that it's inevitable that the quality has been variable sometimes. There's been a fair share of dull album fodder over the last 10 years, but plenty of great tracks too. I'd say the weakest regular albums they've piut out are Turn Of The Tides and Tyranny Of Beauty, but things like Great Wall Of China and Seven Letters From Tibet are fairly unmemorable too. But like I say, the ups and down in quality, and the changes in style and sound in TD's output, are all part of the great ride they've given us over 40 years.
PurpleTwilight
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by PurpleTwilight »

My goodness...has it been that long since I registered for this site??? Anyway, despite things being awfully quiet in here right now, please allow me to respond to some of my earlier critiques on TD's music.
To this day, I still consider Tangram a big disappointment.
I definitely like Tangram a whole lot more now, but I still think the album peaked in the opening minutes of Set 1. That’s not an indictment of the rest of the music, which is very good, but I simply enjoy that first section way more than the rest. Other notable standouts include Set 1's ambient outro (later known as “Leaving The Masters For Good”) and the opening minutes of Set 2, which are excellent. Overall, I feel that Force Majeure is the more cohesive album (for my personal tastes, at least).
I've always felt very similarly about 'Sphinx Lightning,' which never really appealed to me.
It’s crazy how perspectives change! What originally turned me off (besides the track’s length) was those thunderous bells in the opening minutes. I’d always find them unsettling, so I rarely ever let the track progress to its better moments. I also recall not liking that ambient part at 9:00; I found the whistle-like lead voice kind of wimpy. I don’t know what happened, but I eventually grew to enjoy the entire track. It’s probably the result of becoming even more familiar with TD’s catalog, especially Poland and the early Virgin Years albums. Nowadays, I love when the loud bells give way to the longform sequencer, and I credit classics like “Horizon” with helping me appreciate the final climactic section.
To be honest, I'm not really fond of the vocal sfx on Views From A Red Train.
All these years later, I’m still very lukewarm about those vocal samples (or whatever they are). I can live with them, but I’ve heard better elsewhere. The same applies to other releases like Autumn In Hiroshima and Josephine The Mouse Singer, although I rate those samples slightly higher. In all applicable cases, so long as I enjoy the tracks they appear in, it’s not a big deal.
I'm not too fond of 'Girls On Broadway' from Rockoon
This one grew on me a lot, and ironically, I have Tournado to thank for that. I always greatly preferred the warmer, minor-keyed, oftentimes guitar-laden tracks from Rockoon and 220 Volt Live, but “Girls On Broadway” is a neat little excursion off the beaten path. Coincidentally, I’m surprised I never complained about “Body Corporate”, which could possibly be my least favorite sax track after “Hitchhiker’s Point” (which at least had more going for it compositionally). I’ll listen to it without skipping, but it’s one of the few Seattle Years tracks I wouldn’t repeat in one sitting.
Can't say I'm fond of "Turning Off The Wheel" / "The Golden Horn" at all. [...] It's not awful, but I'd need to be in the right mood to appreciate it.
Now I like both. I binge-listened to an ungodly amount of TD during my final few years of university coursework, and that included Transsiberia. For a while, I would switch to another album as soon as “Russian Soul” was about to end, but I eventually gave “The Golden Horn” airplay. You know, it wasn’t that bad after all. That allowed me to listen to “Turning Off The Wheel” with new ears, and my goodness, I think that track is brilliant. It may be no melodic tour de force like “Sun Gate” or “Mothers Of Rain”, but it’s so cleverly crafted and layered. This is sadly belated, but masterfully done, Edgar.
All this time, I forgot to mention "Storm Seekers" and "Cool Shibuya". I always skip them.
Wow, I’ve come a long way. I may not put either track anywhere near my Top 50 or even 100, but both are really quite decent. They each have their individual strengths too. “Cool Shibuya” is a bit more interesting with its meshwork of sequencer and everything else going on, but the slightly more percussive “Storm Seekers” isn’t half bad either. It took me many years, but I can finally acknowledge both tracks’ merits.
one incredibly disappointing one would be 'Rolling Down Cahuenga' from Melrose. It starts off promising, with a nice 'Enjoy The Silence'-esque bassline, but quickly loses focus and starts meandering for several minutes. I don't usually skip tracks I dislike, but I tire of this one too quickly.
I owe a lot to Arizona ‘92 for helping me appreciate the bulk of the track even more. I still contend that the first 2:25 minutes are its most focused section, and I recall not liking its subsequent twists and turns nearly as much. In particular, I thought the track was getting ridiculous by 4:00 and especially 4:52. Those deviations no longer bug me; I just take them as the ebb and flow of the musical journey. As a longtime fan of Depeche Mode and other mainstream acts, it’s no surprise that it took me a while to find some enjoyment in these more tangential sections.
there are possibly several that simply don't do much for me. I guess one example would be "Desert Train" from Melrose. It's not bad, but neither does it warrant a repeated listen. [...] I just gave "Desert Train" another listen and my earlier thoughts still stand. There's no question that it's totally listenable, but it's also very pedestrian, and I kind of hoped for something more interesting for a 10-minute track. It also doesn't help that I generally like the rest of the tracks on Melrose, so this one sticks out in an unfavorable way.
In another unexpected turn of events, I’ve come around on “Desert Train” too. Some of its melodies and voicings aren’t anything special and it does meander quite a bit, but I still consider it an enjoyable ride. I once found it to be out of place on Melrose, but nowadays, I think it’s fine.
I'm glad that little extract from "Parabola" didn't make it onto Rockface. It's arguably the weakest part of the track, and I'm surprised whenever I see people grumbling about its exclusion from the CD.
I almost forgot about this one. It’s definitely one of TD’s fluffier segments (except for that brief, cinematic breakdown after the 4:20 mark in Section 2, which is rather lovely), but at least I find it listenable now.

Needless to say, I've changed my mind quite a lot over the years. I was initially very high on Jerome's contributions to the band during the '90s, and while that's still true, I've also come to greatly appreciate Edgar's composition style during the more divisive periods of TD's existence. Once I was able to find value in those tracks, I ended up with a more accepting attitude towards tracks and musical passages I previously disliked. I'm sure there'll still be the occasional rough spot, particularly in the vast realm of TD soundtracks, but I'm glad I was able to revise some of my past negativity.
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71 dB
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Re: Worst TD tracks

Post by 71 dB »

Isn't Shy Shila the official worst track by Tangerine Dream? Ironically the track wouldn't be bad at all if the repeating riff was removed. That makes the track the worst: It could have been much better so easily.
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