Tangerine Dream – Ricochet

#TangerineDreamTuesday Week 7: RICOCHET.

Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this December, it's the first live album from Tangerine Dream! Well, we say "live" - the truth is a little more complicated than that...

Purportedly taped on the 1975 European tour, Ricochet starts a long tradition of TD live albums turning out to be not very live at all. Part One, with ominous guitar riffs and live drums, was recorded entirely in The Manor; indeed, I don't think Froese had even brought his guitar this tour! This doom-laden first section is the first time in the Virgin Era that we've seen the guitar take centre stage - it certainly won't be the last. A third of the way through, the guitar fades out into blistering synth arpeggios but soon returns invigorated, returning the track full circle.

Part Two meanwhile was edited together from TD's performance in Croydon with additional parts in studio, like Froese's delicate piano opening. After its earlier prominence, the guitar shifts into the background amidst cascades of synth keys and the aid of Mellotron flute - an arrangement that, despite the exotic instruments involved, produces a surprisingly classical air. Both tracks on Ricochet take on a more insistent tone than the previous albums, but there's a majesty and a scale to Part Two specifically which ranks it amongst TD's best compositions. The track would later be included in full on TD's 1985 best-of compilation Dream Sequence, and deservedly so: live or not, it's an incredible piece of work. It's a sentiment that extends to the album as a whole. Is Ricochet an accurate representation of TD live in 1975? No, but it's fantastic anyway!

Regarding the date of this record, JEM records only started distributing Virgin records releases in the US in 1979. Prior to that Virgin was distributed by CBS and Atlantic. Therefore this release cannot be earlier than 1979

Mine is white label, machine etched matrix V 2044 A4 GM and V 2044 B3 GM. Cant find it on Discogs. etched HTM

Incredible sound and mastering from the Legendary George Piros. Many other Tangerine Dreams releases from this time benefit from his work. Das German ambient synth gurus weave tapestry’s of complex haunting sound on this. The mid 70’s yielding their most revered work.

I don’t have HuB in the runouts, but my cover matches the one that does.

Has anybody compared this George Piros cut to a Harry Moss cut? Curious about any significant difference.

BTW - Like others, I am skeptical about this being a 1981 US release. Mine says 1975 on the jacket, and it is still in the original shrink with a 'Jem Imports' hype sticker on the shrink.

There are better sounding pressings of this out there. Doesn't have the broad sounds soundstage and dynamic impact of earlier issues.

The pictured Virgin catalogue & the colored folded ? insert demand comment in the description! was that regular or only promo?

What a great album, love it. In my eyes, the best.

I believe this may be the original pressing from 1975; there are two other listed US pressings on Discogs (1975, 1981) that are duplicates with no runouts noted.