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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Sunrise In The Third System |
| 2. Fly And Collision Of Comas Sola |
| 3. Alpha Centauri |
| 4. Ozillator Planet Concert (Live) |
| 5. Ultima Thule Part One |
| 6. Ultima Thule Part Two |
Product Description
CD Description
New Remastered Cd Release For This Classic
Tangerine Dream Album Originally Released In 1971
Booklet With Restored Artwork, Photos & Liner
Notes
With Three Rare Bonus Tracks, One Previously
Unreleased On Cd.
Tangerine Dream Album Originally Released In 1971
Booklet With Restored Artwork, Photos & Liner
Notes
With Three Rare Bonus Tracks, One Previously
Unreleased On Cd.
Esoteric recordings are pleased to announce the release of
a newly remastered and expanded edition of Tangerine
Dream s classic 1971 album Alpha Centauri .
Recorded at the Dierks Studio in Stommeln, the album
featured a line up of Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Steve
Schroyder with guests Udo Dennebourg (flute) and Roland
Pualyck (synthesiser). Released in Germany on the OHR
label, the influence of the album was immense, with the
band creating imaginative sound-scapes previously unheard
on record.
This Esoteric Reactive edition is newly re-mastered and
includes three bonus tracks: Ozillator Planet Concert has
never been released on CD and was issued as part of the
1971 double album Ossiach Live . Also included are both
sides of the classic Ultima Thule single issued in Germany
in 1971.
The release fully restores the original album artwork and
includes a lavishly illustrated booklet with new essay.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
ESOTERIC/REACTIVE Remaster 2011:
This, the latest reissue of the early Tangerine Dream classic goes the extra nine yards and blows all previous issues out of the water by virtue of sound quality, artwork, sleevenotes and bonus material. There is of course only so much which can be done with tapes which are 40 years old, but to my ears this sounds cleaner and brighter than any previous issues, so much so that it really is like listening to it with fresh ears. The artwork is fully restored from the original OHR release, with much attention to detail, like the fact that the band's name did not actually appear on the front sleeve. The 16 page booklet contains all the elements of the original release, along with session photographs and much more besides. Framing this is a very well informed and fascinating essay by TD expert Andy King, a man who really knows his history. There is much information here which was new to me and really helps immerse one in the spirit of the times.
Bonus material consists of the 8 minute `Ozillator Planet Concert' from the long lost `Ossiach Live' album, and both sides of the legendary `Ultima Thule' single presented in chronological order, and in better quality than ever before.
The original album itself sees the first appearance of Christoph Franke, alongside once only member Steve Schroeder and guests Udo Dennebourg and Roland Paulyck, all of whom add to the density and mystery of the music under the leadership of mainstay Edgar Froese. It sees TD using synthesizers for the first time, albeit in a very primitive way. The main sound textures are generated by Froese's glissando guitar, organ and in perhaps the most exciting section of the first side, Chris Franke's excellent post-Nick Mason drumming. The debt to Pink Floyd and in particular `A Saucerful Of Secrets' is obvious, but that was a starting point for much of the `Kosmische' music of the time.
`Sunrise In The Third System' acts as a short prelude to `Fly And Collision Of Comas Sola' which builds from stately organ chords and flute, gathers momentum with Franke's powerhouse drumming to reach a sudden ending (the collison presumably). The old side two is fully occupied with a journey even deeper into static darkness with flute augmenting the glissando guitar and organ, before ending with a hymn to space recited by Dennebourg against a backdrop of pre Mellotron DIY choir by the band themselves.
It is the rough edges which give this album it's timeless charm...the sound of musicians striving to describe space, and the loneliest star, with what were basically rock instruments, it represents a milestone in the German music of the early seventies, blending the churchy, glacial elements of Pink Floyd's Rick Wright's echoed organ stylings with influences from Stockhausen, all topped off with Edgar Froese's magnificent cover painting. They would take this ethos a step further with the magnificently minimal `Zeit', but `Alpha' represents a wonderful starting point on this journey, and with this latest reissue has never sounded so good.
This, the latest reissue of the early Tangerine Dream classic goes the extra nine yards and blows all previous issues out of the water by virtue of sound quality, artwork, sleevenotes and bonus material. There is of course only so much which can be done with tapes which are 40 years old, but to my ears this sounds cleaner and brighter than any previous issues, so much so that it really is like listening to it with fresh ears. The artwork is fully restored from the original OHR release, with much attention to detail, like the fact that the band's name did not actually appear on the front sleeve. The 16 page booklet contains all the elements of the original release, along with session photographs and much more besides. Framing this is a very well informed and fascinating essay by TD expert Andy King, a man who really knows his history. There is much information here which was new to me and really helps immerse one in the spirit of the times.
Bonus material consists of the 8 minute `Ozillator Planet Concert' from the long lost `Ossiach Live' album, and both sides of the legendary `Ultima Thule' single presented in chronological order, and in better quality than ever before.
The original album itself sees the first appearance of Christoph Franke, alongside once only member Steve Schroeder and guests Udo Dennebourg and Roland Paulyck, all of whom add to the density and mystery of the music under the leadership of mainstay Edgar Froese. It sees TD using synthesizers for the first time, albeit in a very primitive way. The main sound textures are generated by Froese's glissando guitar, organ and in perhaps the most exciting section of the first side, Chris Franke's excellent post-Nick Mason drumming. The debt to Pink Floyd and in particular `A Saucerful Of Secrets' is obvious, but that was a starting point for much of the `Kosmische' music of the time.
`Sunrise In The Third System' acts as a short prelude to `Fly And Collision Of Comas Sola' which builds from stately organ chords and flute, gathers momentum with Franke's powerhouse drumming to reach a sudden ending (the collison presumably). The old side two is fully occupied with a journey even deeper into static darkness with flute augmenting the glissando guitar and organ, before ending with a hymn to space recited by Dennebourg against a backdrop of pre Mellotron DIY choir by the band themselves.
It is the rough edges which give this album it's timeless charm...the sound of musicians striving to describe space, and the loneliest star, with what were basically rock instruments, it represents a milestone in the German music of the early seventies, blending the churchy, glacial elements of Pink Floyd's Rick Wright's echoed organ stylings with influences from Stockhausen, all topped off with Edgar Froese's magnificent cover painting. They would take this ethos a step further with the magnificently minimal `Zeit', but `Alpha' represents a wonderful starting point on this journey, and with this latest reissue has never sounded so good.
Amazon Verified Purchase
Another good quality Tangerine Dream re-issue courtesy of Reactive/Esoteric.
As fans of the band will doubtless already be aware, this was their second album, and saw them moving beyond the guitar-based psychedelic scragglings of previous work, incorporating EMS synthesizers for the first time, thus adding a whole new sonic dimension to the proceedings.
The CD packaging is very nice, with all the original artwork restored, more archive photos, and an intelligent essay.
The remastering of the album itself seems well handled - comparing with the sound on the mid-80s Jive Electro CD I owned, it's been beefed and warmed up a bit and sounds less brittle and tinny.
Also included are three bonus tracks: both sides of the rare 1971 Ultima Thule single (a kind of sub-Hawkwindy workout, featuring Froese's first use of the mellotron) and 'Oscillator Planet Conzert' from a rare 1971 Austrian compilation album. Whilst these tracks are a treat for completists, claims that they are "appearing on CD for the first time" and somewhat questionable: they sound very much to my ears as if they've been re-mastered from vinyl copies, rather than the original master tapes. You can clearly hear the the tell-tale periodic sound of a needle rustling in the grove as the record spins round, and associated crackles and pops and general tinny top end. Ultima Thule part one is the most noticeable in this respect. However, if the original master tapes are no longer in existence, I guess it can't be helped! And they're still perfectly listenable, and if they weren't included we'd all be complaining :)
As fans of the band will doubtless already be aware, this was their second album, and saw them moving beyond the guitar-based psychedelic scragglings of previous work, incorporating EMS synthesizers for the first time, thus adding a whole new sonic dimension to the proceedings.
The CD packaging is very nice, with all the original artwork restored, more archive photos, and an intelligent essay.
The remastering of the album itself seems well handled - comparing with the sound on the mid-80s Jive Electro CD I owned, it's been beefed and warmed up a bit and sounds less brittle and tinny.
Also included are three bonus tracks: both sides of the rare 1971 Ultima Thule single (a kind of sub-Hawkwindy workout, featuring Froese's first use of the mellotron) and 'Oscillator Planet Conzert' from a rare 1971 Austrian compilation album. Whilst these tracks are a treat for completists, claims that they are "appearing on CD for the first time" and somewhat questionable: they sound very much to my ears as if they've been re-mastered from vinyl copies, rather than the original master tapes. You can clearly hear the the tell-tale periodic sound of a needle rustling in the grove as the record spins round, and associated crackles and pops and general tinny top end. Ultima Thule part one is the most noticeable in this respect. However, if the original master tapes are no longer in existence, I guess it can't be helped! And they're still perfectly listenable, and if they weren't included we'd all be complaining :)
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