Customer Reviews

Pacific Coast Highway

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marvellous sound pictures. (My wife lived not far from the real-life PCH.) Forget the stupid "New age" label in this case: this is just very colorful and accessible electronic music, at least as good as anything he ever did with Tangerine Dream and a good deal more tuneful. The best parts in "The London Concert" and most of "Enchanting Nature" are actually live versions/repackaging of this album. If you're going to buy one Chris Franke album, this is it. If you can't get it, buy "Enchanting Nature" which has most of the good tracks from PCH, or "The London Concert" as a last resort.

This 1991 release was Chris Franke's first CD as a solo musician, after splitting from Tangerine Dream in 1988. I have to say that each time I hear it, I continue to be disappointed by it. It is easy to see why Chris Franke went his own way, if this was the direction he was trying to pull the band.

"Pacific Coast Highway" is far lighter in both tone and texture than anything you'll hear from the TD stable. Gone are the powerful sequencer and synthesiser arpeggios and driving drum-machine rhythms characteristic of Franke's work with Tangerine Dream. Gone, indeed, is everything that might be categorised as electronic. Instead, we have lilting piano and (synthesised) acoustic guitar lines, over an innocuous (and often tedious) percussion kit `swish'. And while there is nothing at all unpleasant about the album, it definitely lacks the creative energy and variety - or even just plain sparkle - that might be expected from such an accomplished performer and composer.

The album starts out harmlessly enough but after a while my ears started to crave something more varied. This is eventually supplied towards the end of the album, when Franke's own Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra steps in to lend a hand relieve the monotony. Unfortunately, the effect of this is terribly hackneyed, with both textures and harmonies straight out of the Hollywood Film-score Writers' Handbook. Even the more hopefully titled `Electric Becomes Eclectic' ultimately fails to deliver anything much out of the ordinary. Maybe this is the how the scenery around the Pacific Coast Highway actually is but if it really does offer nothing more interesting than this, I'm afraid I'll be staying home, thanks all the same.

This album is poles apart from the material that Tangerine Dream were releasing round about the same time, so if you absolutely hate the heavy rock route that TD's music took, you may well like what's on offer here. It is certainly no worse than post-Franke TD at their particular nadir ("Rockoon", released the same year as this) but neither, in all honesty, can it be said to be any better. It is merely different. And it certainly cannot hold a candle to the material produced by the remnants of Tangerine Dream immediately beforehand on "Optical Race", "Lily on the Beach" or even "Miracle Mile".

In summary, then, this may be worth a listen if you're an old-style Tang fan looking for an alternative to what that band has been producing over the last ten years or so. But don't expect anything too stunning.

Recorded in January 1991, "Pacific Coast Highway" is the first studio album of Christopher Franke solo. Exactly at that time, Tangerine Dream burned out as an ensemble, and Franke has already tasted freedom from the band, having scored a few films on his own with the help of Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra he founded. A studio album was due, and Chris was full of ideas as to where he might travel in the sound space. He was always associated with the heavier touch within Tangerine Dream - he was the man behind the rhythmic section, he operated the sequencers, he provided the arpeggiated pulsating background, and did much of the underlying compositional work in the 80s. Thus I am not exactly surprised that for his first album, an album by which he would be judged, he chose something completely different, undertook a different musical path - the lightness of touch. Indeed, "Pacific Coast Highway" is a very light album, almost easy listening, one might say. With an ossacional guitar and orchestral touch, this album is mostly a selection of light electric piano songs. Every song has its own soul, and is perfectly executed, and let's face it - pleasurable to listen to. Millions of Tangerine Dream fans bought this album either expecting him to continue where he broke off at Tangerine Dream (and thus failed in their assumption), or expecting him to create something new, explore new lands with his music; take a step further. "Pacific Coast Highway" does just that. It's a small beautiful album, which to this day is a sweet collection of light songs that brighten my life so much. It bears the compositional stigma of Christopher Franke, and yet it's completely new. When I first heard this album, and the following live album, "The London Concert", I felt close to getting wet. Great music is alive again.

'Black Garden View' provides a short overview of the garden where Franke roams with his musical ideas. Excited, we move to 'Mountain Heights', which with a light touch of basso continuo, introduces us to the mysteries of the green land. The third composition, 'Lontano Mystery', is one of the most beautiful electronic ballads ever composed. Harpsichord-like oscillating melody, pulsating, but delicate bass, and electric violin synthesizer. 'Big Sur Romance' is a miniature for piano. Just piano. And I have always thought that only Schmoelling can compose small pearls for piano... I strongly associate this music with America - perhaps this was intended? Driving into Blue is another, syncopated piano tune, this time more cheerful and more dynamic, a classic Franke composition, which hints at his later exploration on "The Celestine Prophecy" of 1996. The sixth track, 'Purple Waves' is a comeback to the times of heavier compositions. In his concert later in the year, Purple Waves was expanded and augmented with a long dynamic arpeggio which tore at our hearts, and convinced the reich of Tangerine Dream fans that the music is alive, that Franke is in fact the sole carrier of Tangerine Dream tradition. 'Malibu Avenue' is another piano song, with electric flutes providing the rhythm. Franke is fond of dynamic piano songs, where like a butterfly, the sounds vibrate in the sunny air. 'Cinnamon City Cliff', recorded with the help of his orchestra, is a sad composition, which hints at his later soundtrack work (at the time we were unaware of his continuing efforts in this arena). Violins provide the desired suspense, and then the bass metronome measures the remaining time to the finale, just like on "Force Majeure" or "Near Dark". After that brief adventure with orchestration and the past, Franke delivers 'Wheels on Beach Park', another light piano song, this time accompanied by the delicate percussion rhythm. After two minutes of a dreaming variation on a theme, 'Sunset Destination', we are treated to 'Crystal Tree', a classic Franke composition, as it later turned out. This track summarizes what "Pacific Coast Highway" is about, and what Franke mostly wanted to achieve. Hinting at his electronic roots, not forgetting his inspirations of the past, he created something completely new, a concept album with a very bearable lightness of being, so to speak. A fascinating collection for summer listening. The album ends with 'Electric Becomes Eclectic', where a misty flute melody waves us goodbye, much like on Tangerine Dream's 1973 album "Phaedra". Goodbye, and see you soon!

I'm one of many people who believe that when Chris Franke left Tangerine Dream, that was pretty much it for the band. While they did produce some nice tracks on Optical Race in his absence, nothing they ever created again would be what they had done with him.

After leaving his former band he took a long pause and began work on this album. One could easily see that he was heading a direction his former band was not, as this album contains none of the highly synthesized sounds and driving rhythms that earned him the nickname "Mr. Sequencer" when with TD. This album instead is a very lush, half-acoustic, adult contemporary instrumental recording of very pleasant sounding tracks. Looking back to that time, I'd venture to guess that Franke and his label were actually a little ahead of the game, anticipating a widespread acceptance of this type of music that would arrive some five years or so after this CD's release, with artists like Yanni or John Tesh or Michael Allen Harrison becoming perhaps more well known names or visible artists in the wake.

I suppose the bottom line on this album is to ask yourself what you are expecting? If you're looking for the Tangerine Dream sound that was gone from the band, you're not going to find it here, at all really. But if you listen to some of the preview tracks here and think this style of music fits your interest, you're likely to like this album quite a bit. It's expertly produced, and makes for beautiful music to listen to on it's own, or in the background.

Franke would go on to score many films in Hollywood and shows for Television, much of it with a traditional orchestra, and it's kind of a shame he never revisited this sound again.

"Pacific Coast Highway" was recorded in January of 1991 and was released shortly thereafter. Those who enjoyed his music with Tangerine Dream can forget about getting any of the dynamics. Instead, expect a very beautiful adventure with haunting, almost romantic sounds ranging from the sunny Pacific Mood of "Wheels on The Beach Park", "Big Sur Romance" and "Driving Into Blue". On the other hand, the album takes a much more dramatic direction with "Lontano Mystery", "Black Garden View" and "Cinnamon Park".

This album though was re-issued a few years later as "Enchanting Nature" with some of the tracks moved there and others altered, and the remaining actually unchanged except in their titles. If you have "Enchanting Nature", you decide if it is necessary to purchase "Pacific Coast Highway". I happen to have both and have no regrets about it then again it may as well be more of a completist mentality on my part.

1. Black Garden View
2. Mountain Heights
3. Lontano Mystery
4. Big Sur Romance
5. Driving Into Blue
6. Purple Waves
7. Malibu Avenue
8. Cinnamon City Cliff
9. Wheels on Beach Park
10. Sunset Destination
11. Crystal Tree
12. Electric Become Eclectic

This is to me the most complete album he or any new age artist has ever manufactured. There are all kinds of moods to experience on this magical disc. This album is the real stuff. "Black Garden View" is the most relaxing and elegant song ever created...PERIOD!

This has quite simply got to be one of the best new age recordings ever made. Chris Franke's experience working with Tangerine Dream until 1987 is very evident in this album. But, that is not to take away the credit for all the extraordinary compositions. Purple Waves is without doubt the best track on this CD. Others are equally impressive. It's high time that Chris forgets his film work & returns to some quality studio work. A sequel to this album would be ideal in the 21st century.