Customer Reviews

White Eagle

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tangerine Dream's 1982 release "White Eagle" was the first to give Johannes Schmoelling the major compositional credit, shared mostly with Chris Franke, with Edgar Froese taking something a back-seat for once.

The 20-minute major work, `Mojave Plan', starts slowly as a series of loosely structured echoing clanks and electronic wailings until a burst of sequencer-driven percussion ushers in a wash of synthesised string sounds and a strengthening sequencer beat. The opening screams and isolated percussion crashes return throughout the piece, but in a more ordered manner, to decorate a series of delightful synthesiser melodies in a characteristically meticulously constructed number. A synthetic horn line introduces a more melancholy tone for a time, with dancing piano and guitar-like voices circling around it, before a percussion-led descent into sonic chaos throws things out of kilter for a time. It is not long before the drums restore order again, though, and another jolly synthesiser tune introduces another heavy sequencer-drive section. This turns very like "Ricochet", with its potent percussion, heavy beat and reverbed vocal splashes. The constantly changing mix of synthesiser voices, sequenced bass and haunting mellotron tones is classic Tangerine Dream at their very best, complete with huge closing string chords of almost orchestral quality (just about their last ever grand gesture of the old style, as it turned out).

Although rather less than 4 minutes in duration, `Midnight in Tula' is also very reminiscent of "Ricochet" with its massive reverbed sound, and emphasis on rich percussive voices and a fast, driving bass-synth and drum beat, overlaid with vocal stabs and slaps. The following `Convention of the 24' is moodier and more like the band's brooding soundtrack work for "Thief" or "Flashpoint". The lurching sequencer beat, with which it starts, sustains the track for almost a full ten minutes, pausing only briefly for a soft flute-like melody to play out its mournful message in the middle. The main beat rises again amidst a bright guitar voice to join an absolutely cracking rattling percussion figure which hammers its message home in a far from subtle manner, subverting all to its pulse before the end. The peaceful flute voice wins out eventually though, winding the track to a gentle conclusion amidst the singing of a heavenly mellotron choir.

The final 4-and-a-half minute title track plinks and plonks its sequencer-powered path through more dazzling (and resonating) honey-toned synthesiser playing, with more noisy percussion stabs and vocal stutterings and splutterings aplenty. This is all presented in a most exquisite fashion, of course, although to my mind, it seems to be no sooner underway properly than it fades to silence, leaving me at least hankering after more. At just 38 minutes overall, this disc is pitifully short, but the standard of the music-making on it cannot be faulted. Nor can the production quality of this remastered `Definitive Edition', with all of the major sections of `Mojave Plan' properly indexed: highly recommended.

White Eagle(1982). Tangerine Dream's 16th(?) album.

As a brief history, Germany-based-group Tangerine Dream started off in the late 60s as a sort of experimental rock 'n roll act. Very quickly they ditched the typical rock format in favor of a more instrumental, avant-garde, freeform approach to the music, using various instruments but gradually incorporating synthesizers into the mix. Aside from other early 70s electronic bands like Kraftwork, TD were among the first to heavily incorporate synthesizers and keyboards into the music as a main focus. As a result, they churned out many trippy, atmospheric albums throughout the decade and built up a solid fanbase. It's fun to listen to all the albums and hear how synthesizer technology has improved and changed over the years. Then once the 80s dawned upon the band, they began to (slightly) decrease the lengths of the songs and add rhythmic structures to them, thus helping to make their newer music more palatable to the public. They also started creating movie scores for famous films such as Risky Business, Thief, and Firestarter.

One interesting fact to note is that TD has more albums than probably ANYBODY in existence! They usually put out about 1-2 albums per year, so for as long as they've been around, that's like nearly 50 albums! Also of note is that their "live" albums all contain original material, and thus count as actual (out of the)studio albums in chronology.

Anyways, I first came across TD about a year ago when searching for soundtracks among famous musicians who create movie scores. One of these critically-hailed groups was none other than TD, so I figured that I should check them out in hopes of finding some great melodic instrumental work. So of all the albums, I randomly picked WE to be my starting point, in hopes that it would do TD's reputation as much justice as I have heard about.

In most ways, WE is a direct continuation of the 1981 release Exit's sound. A lot of the same keyboards and synthesizers were incorporated from that album and thus this album picks up right where Exit left off. It bears a strong keyboard reverb sound similar to the keyboards found in Rush's Signals album, which came out right around the same time. It's clearly different from their mid 70's era, so die-hard fans of those albums might not like this.

The first couple minutes of 'Mojave Plan' are just aimless noises that should be skipped and clearly don't start the album off well, but once the 2:40 mark hits, the actual music picks up and takes you through several melody driven-movements done in different tempos. By the end of its 19+ minutes, I was already a fan. Next up is the high-energy 'Midnight In Tula', one of my all-time favorite short-TD tracks. It reminds me of a high-speed chase scene you would see in any 80s action movie complete with a really cool "siren" synthesizer effect in a couple of spots. Then, 'Convention Of The 24' is sort of a subtley intricate, yet repeating 7-minute outing that brings earlier TD to mind, most notably Tangram(1980). The title track was the only one to gain any sort of attention from the album (why??), as it is the lightest theme giving a slight look at TD's future outings. It's a pretty noteworthy and mandatory TD listen.

Replayability: Medium to low. Not as much as other 80s TD albums, but it does get played from time to time.

As awesome of an introduction as WE was to me, I'll have to take off a star for the fact that its brevity (4 tracks, less than 40 minutes) leaves one to believe that more music could have been made. Of course, there is nothing wrong with quality over quantity, it's just that its lack of length is more noticeable on WE than on other releases. It has its moments of brilliance among other places, and should not be skipped by fans. It may not be the best place to start for 80s TD (in that case, I'll point you in the direction of Exit(1981) and Underwater Sunlight(1986)), but if you like keyboards and synthesizers played out into a well-constructed instrumental score, then WE will not disappoint. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

80's TD fans should look into:
-Exit(1981), Thief(1981), Logos(1982), Hyperborea(1983), Holland(1984), Le Parc(1985), Underwater Sunlight(1986), Green Desert(1973), and Tyger(1987)

70's TD fans, if you don't like 80s TD's sound, then you should stay away and instead get:
-Phaedra(1974), Rubycon(1975), Stratosphere(1976), Encore(1977), Force Majure(1979), and Tangram(1980).

"White Eagle" is a particularly interesting TD release to review in the context of what came before and after. Indulge me :-) The previous year's studio release was "Exit" an album so bristling with new ideas, both sonically and compositionally that it must be seen as a blueprint for synth pop and electronic music from then on. (What was anyone else doing at the time? Jarre released "Magnetic Fields" which is similar in tempo but hopelessly niave in comparison; only Kraftwerk were in the same ballpark)

So along comes "White Eagle" and you could reasonably expect to get more new ideas, more new influences and yet more synthesizer innovation, but this is simply not the case. While I love the album, it's not nearly as forward thinking as "Exit" and instrumentally speaking, it's not as complex as the live set "Logos" that immediately followed. One would expect more without the technical limitations of live performance and the freedom of the studio environment...

But I digress; "Mojave Plan" is the longest piece here and I agree with one of my fellow reviewers, who touches on the similarities with "Ricochet"; particularly the trademark whispering towards the end of the track. Elsewhere there are some great sequences to enjoy, but the track is somewhat lacking in that ethereal mysticism that TD seem able to wash their music with.

"Midnight In Tula" sounds to me like a track written for soundtrack work; owners of "Antique Dreams" will recognise similar sounding tracks apparently for a German tv series and while it is catchy enough in it's own right I think it sounds out of place on this album.

"Convention Of The "24" is another masterful piece of sequencing; this was where the TD of the 80's stood tall; a catchy tune here, a throwaway melody there but with voicings so otherworldly that even the most mundane of compositions sounds strange and new. Owners of "Sohoman" the live set from Australia recently released will be slightly disappointed to find that the live version is virtually identical to the original studio work... still.

The finest track on this album is without doubt the title cut. "White Eagle" is sublime in it's simplicity; devastating in it's minimlism and astounding in it's delivery. I've heard Froese's re-worked version of this on the "Tangents" box set (thanks, Christian!) and it is a disgrace. My score would be three stars for the rest of the album and five for this moment of genius. Buy this album for this one track; the finest four and a half minutes of the Eighties.

First, I must confess a qualified Tangerine Dream bias. For years, I tried to gather every recording of the band's numerous incarnations, all the while avoiding other electronic music. In the 1990s, I lost interest in most of Tangerine Dream's continuing output, and despite a few pleasantly surprising releases, since then I've been a far less enthusiastic fan than I used to be. I have, however, branched out and begun to listen to lots of modern electronic music. So, in evaluating White Eagle, I try not to speak purely as another solicitous Tangerine Dream fan, but rather as a disillusioned fan of the band and a listener of electronic music in general.
With that said, White Eagle has become one of my favorite Tangerine Dream recordings, easily in the top five of a voluminous discography. If you are a fan of the Johannes Schmoelling era (roughly 1980 to 1985), then White Eagle is a CD you must own. In terms of style, equipment, and composition, it compares to Hyperborea and Exit. Logos sounds similar, though it is a longer and far more cohesive expression. As other reviewers have observed, White Eagle does not necessarily flow or fit together as does Logos, Tangram, or Rubycon for that matter. And, it is hardly a full length release at just over 38 minutes.
Yet, the opening track Mojave Plan continues to captivate me, even after countless spins. It starts slowly, building from seemingly random percussive notes and high pitched pads into a relentless sequence-driven melody--not too unlike the slow build in Poland, the opening track of the Warsaw Concert. Some of the drumming and high pitched synths sometimes seems gratuitous, but the melodies are irresistible. This continues into the 10 minute mark, when the listener is finally given a rest before another, briefer movement finishes the track. Again, a slow build to a dramatic and pleasing melody--perhaps at times too dramatic, but infectiously energetic.
If Mojave Plan is a comfortable double shot of espresso, then Midnight in Tula is a painful triple: the pep brings tremors. Just a twelve second build, reminiscent of the starting chime for Pole Position, prepares the listener for a nonstop sequence and fast-paced melody that exhausts itself within four minutes. As others have said, it would competently blanket a car chase scene. The next track, Convention of the 24, is much more mellow affair. It meanders around the same reverberating base sequence, with light pads, brighter sequences, and various sound effects coming and going. It reminds me most of Edgar Froese's contemporaneous solo efforts.
The last and title track, some have said, saves the album. While I disagree on the weakness of the opening song Mojave Plan, I concur that the song White Eagle is something special. A comparatively slow-paced sequence, the song served as a theme song to a German television program. It's the most contemplative song on the album, and perhaps the most thought provoking Tangerine Dream song of the early eighties. Few Tangerine Dream songs achieve for me at least, a balance between not being too intrusive and becoming irrelevant. Stated another way, almost all Tangerine Dream can fade into the background, but some tracks such as Mojave Plan demand all of my attention during critical listening. I am almost always analyzing what I hear on those songs, yet on the few tracks like White Eagle, I can listen critically and reflect beyond the music itself.
In conclusion, White Eagle is an overlooked studio recording from the peak of one of Tangerine Dream's arguably two greatest creative periods, the mid-1970s being the other. If you have heard Logos, Exit, Hyperborea, or even Tangram, and like the early -1980s Tangerine Dream sound, give White Eagle a chance; you won't be disappointed. Like me, you even may find it become one of your favorite Tangerine Dream recordings.

White Eagle was one of the first TD albums that I bought for myself when I first went to University in 1982 after listening to my older brother's recordings of Ricochet and Force Majeure. As such, it is probably the album I have most listened to over the years with the possible exceptions of Logos Live and Optical Race.

White Eagle beigns with superb Mojave Plan begining with a mysterious, dark introduction reminiscient of a sci-fi soundtrack before building up to the second movement. Here the pace picks up and the synth drum beat creates a real sense of motion, typical of many TD tracks. There's a constant ebb and flow of synth themes and melodies driven by an infectious pulse. The third movement of Mojave Plan is one of the best tracks produced during the Froese-Schmoelling-Franke era. Early examples of sampling are present showcasing the evolution of computer music at this time which has hardly be bettered. The final movement of Mojave Plan brings all of the elements of the previous 3 movements together, the drum rythyms, mysterious soundscapes, keyboard solos.

Midnight in Tula is a fast uptempo number with pre-hip hop style rythyms. It is reminiscient of a car chase. A very straightforward track.

Convention of the 24 is my least favourite track on the album. Anyone familiar with Edgar Froese's solo work will pick up his sequencer driven signature styles throughout.

The final Track, White Eagle, is light and spacious. It's the most laid back track here and is one to savour. The complex and ever changing sequences are a forerunner of the style exemplified in the album Optical Race. The track roars to a successful conclusion. Job well done.

Overall, a fine effort. Probably the most polished TD album up to that date. Not the most complex or the most emotional, but most certainly a technological triumph.

It depends, of course, on your personal interpretation. This project sounds like both at times. Like flying through vast galaxies, or exploring the abysmal depths of the human soul. Five stars for one of the most listenable albums ever made. This CD retains the mysticism and eerie feeling that has been (until now) the trademark of the TD music. Unfortunately, this awesome feeling was at this point soon to become extinct, since TD soon took their music to a totally different direction. This one sounds more like space music in the same format as some earlier staff, but on a closer listening, it appears to be inner space or soul-travel, if you prefer. An excellent choice for late night meditation. Sonically, it's got an amazingly clear sound, and uses (but not abuses) a lot of latest tachnology. 'Mojave Plan', 20 min. plus long, starts with an impressive 'eagle' sound, and develops into a perfectly crafted electronic composition. Intricate melodies and structures develop here, dancing on elegiac scales and drifting into mysterious paths that reveal outworldly soundscapes. Surprisingly, this is also great drive music, especially the fast and punchy 'Midnight in Tula'. The 10 min. long 'Convention of the 24' is original in theme and structure, and it is truly hypnotic. The sound here is unique! This piece alone is worthy buying this CD. And if it was not enough, here comes the surprise, the closing title track, a short, catchy impressionistic gem that leaves you wanting. In short, this is a collection of subtle, carefully crafted songs and sounds that reveal something new with any new listening. It is true, of course, that TD does not break any ground here, and it is true that 'Exit' was more innovative, dynamic and adventurous than 'White Eagle'. I wouldn't rush to say, though, that one project is better than the other, in fact, I like both CDs the same and they do have a lot in common. 'Convention of the 24', in particular sounds like the twin of 'Remote Viewing'.
This is one of the last truly great albums of Tangerine Dream. A must!

In 1982 when I asked my audio equipment dealer for some good "space" music, he pulled out a TD album called "White Eagle" and said "try this". 17 years later and I still can't get enough! If you want to blast into the great unknown for the best musical space flight of your life, get this CD. It is just as good as the original LP album. And if you're a big TD fan, you will love the hyper- intensity and thrust of this album.

I already have some kind of orientation in Tangerine Dream outings, having only 5 albums. Most often I hear that they were at their most creative in the seventies, creating creepy music with longich melancholic trakcs, which sounded like a soundtrack to some fantastic films. "White Eagle" from 1982 is still a good electronica album, yet this is not THE Tangerine Dream I loved on the albums "Phaedra" and "Rubycon" (1974 and 1975). It seems like Vangelis was making such music few years earlier, so TD's electronic-rock style is nothing new. With throbbing bass lines (not the ones you had on Rubycon though) and simpler synthesizer melody lines this album is likeable (I admit I listen to it quite often), but, well, it's not very... sophisticated. The music is much simpler and generally made to be enjoyed (is it bad?). The heavy and noisy "Midnight in Tula" would make an excellent single, while the best known track here is definitely the title 4-and-half-minute-long new age track.
The 20-minute-long "Mojave Plan" is great and the a bit shorter "Convention of the 24" is mesmerizing and it makes me think of the creepy suites from TD's glourious past. Altogether a nice album, but defnitely TD had better albums, which hang like a shadow over their newer outings...

This was my first TD LP ever, I bought it at a second-hand shop for 1 DM (this is about 50 cents). I was really impressed by the complexity and experimental character of the music. Meanwhile, as I know TD's entire discography, I think "White eagle" is only a mediocre but still decent album. "Mojave plan", composed as soundtrack for a desert drive, is not among TD's best extended pieces. It sounds as if Froese & Co. just had bought new equipment and were fooling around with pushing buttons and checking out sound effects now. It's somehow chaotic, blatant, and hardly memorable, not as consistent and well-flowing as TD classics like "Phaedra" and "Ricochet". "Midnight in Tula" is a nice pop song with an uptempo, almost danceable rhythm. "Convention of the 24" is a bit boring, and "White eagle" has been played to death: The title track is featured on so many new age compilations that I can't listen to it any more... After all, I don't think "White eagle" is an essential buy, but it reflects a both commercially and artistically successful phase in TD's career.

...from 1983. IMHO, Tangerine Dream was the best from the 'Tangram' (1990) to this LP. Unfortunately, after this they started to repeat themself. The 'White Eagle' track on this LP/CD is one of the best TaDream.