Customer Reviews

The Hollywood Years, Vol. 1, Tangerine Dream

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"The Hollywood Years" collection, released in 1998, contains previously unreleased soundtrack music from the 1990s. It's a shame, really, for both volumes were released by TDI at the same time, as two different CDs, for which you had to pay a double price, and a high one at that. The sleeve information claims that this is an ongoing project, and thus we should expect additions to the series in future. If so, then why did the first two volumes appear at the same time for a double price pray tell? That is nothing. Two years later, Froese tried to sell us a remixed version of "The Keep", a soundtrack recorded in 1983, and never released - for a mere 180 bucks. Yes, you heard me - a limited edition of one hundred and eighty green bucks per CD. What does it say about their system of values?

The first volume of "The Hollywood Years" obviously contains uneven music, since various pieces were composed in different years. However, among boring muzak and elevator music resembling their recent releases, we can find some worthy tracks here. The first two tracks are forgettable. The third one, 'Goldhunter', contains a nice vibrating background as if taken from "Oasis", but with a superimposed cheesy foreground as if stolen from their 1988 soundtrack, "Miracle Mile". It's much like a teaspoonful of sugar and salt mixed together. The fourth track, Law Paradiso, is simply horrible, like the worst moments of "Transsiberia", or the whole album of "Zoning". Fortunately, the fifth track, 'La Petite Rue Noire', is a sweet little composition with atmosphere resembling that of "Oasis", again. 'Propeller Beach' is another techno theme, virtually ripped from "Transsiberia". I have an impression that it's identical to the one featured on that CD. Skipping the infantile 'Autumn in Sonoma', which is a reheated version of a track from "Goblins Club", we move to 'Chamber of Hope'. With a decent arpeggiated main theme, the track does not evolve into anything. The theme stays the same, implying that Froese simply unearthed an old sample, and superimposed his bland synthesizer riffs over. The salt and sugar comment applies again. 'The Quiet Gambler' is a filler good enough for shopping mall. 'The Principle Source' features a nice drumbeat, but then again, nothing happens for a few minutes. Bing. Bang. Bong.

Fortunately, after that we arrive at the main lost pearl of a composition, 'Labeo'. It's as if taken from the times of "Green Desert". An excellent composition, which after is a variation on a theme known from "Hyperborea". Meditative, syncopated, superb. I can't believe that it was recorded in the 90s. Nothing else in their output from the 90s sounds like 'Labeo', and I have reasons to believe that Froese slyly took this track from his archive of the 80s and sqeezed it in here, not telling anyone. Fine with me, at least my money can be cosidered well-spent. For this track only, I give the whole album three stars.

Almost nothing happens for the rest of the album, though. 'Escape from Shadow Land' is another proof that the Froeses have artist's block. So is 'Chronos Mile'. Thrown in, just like on a few of their other albums from the decade, is 'Sonata' by Jan Sebastian Bach. Computerized. Heartless. Boppy. Uninteresting. The album ends with 'Fairfax', a simple tune which might have been recorded by a beginner with a mediocre MIDI keyboard set. In summary, buy this CD only for the ingenious track, 'Labeo'.

it seems like scattered ideas, but it still has a place in my collection