- Phaedra (album)
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Phaedra 
1974 LP album coverStudio album by Tangerine Dream Released 20 February 1974 Recorded December 1973, The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell Genre Electronic music
Krautrock
AmbientLength 37:33 Label Virgin Producer Edgar Froese Tangerine Dream chronology Atem
(1973)Phaedra
(1974)Rubycon
(1975)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
[1]"Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" Single by Tangerine Dream A-side "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" (excerpt) – 4:30 B-side "Phaedra" (excerpt) – 2:02 Released 1974 Format 7" vinyl Promo Label Virgin/Atlantic Phaedra (1974) is an album by the German electronic music group Tangerine Dream.
This is the first Tangerine Dream album to feature their now classic sequencer-driven sound, which kicked off the whole Berlin School genre. This album marked the beginning of the group's international success and was their first album released on the British Virgin records label. It achieved a six-figure sale in the UK, reaching No.15 in the charts in a 15-week run,[2] with virtually no air play, only by strong word-of-mouth. It also earned the group a gold disc in Australia, and yet amazingly in their native Germany it sold barely 6,000 units. Alpha Centauri outsold it by nearly four-to-one.[3]
The title track was originally based on an improvisation that happened to be recorded in the studio, and unintentionally exhibits one of the limitations of the analog equipment used at the time. As the equipment warmed up, some of the oscillators began to detune (they were highly temperature-sensitive), which was responsible for some of the changes in the music towards the end of the piece.
The title track and "Movements of a Visionary" rely on Christopher Franke's use of the Moog analog sequencer as a substitute for bass guitar. "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" features Edgar Froese soloing on a Mellotron which is treated to slowly sweeping filter effects. "Sequent C'" is a short but memorable piece by Peter Baumann on flute, with tape echo.
Phaedra is listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[4] In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came #38 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".[5]
Contents
Track listing
No. Title Length 1. "Phaedra" (Froese, Franke, Baumann) 17:39 2. "Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares" (Froese) 9:55 3. "Movements of a Visionary" (Froese, Franke, Baumann) 7:56 4. "Sequent C'" (Baumann) 2:13 Note: Some CD releases from 1995 and 2005 have slightly different lengths
Personnel
- Edgar Froese – producer, Mellotron, guitar, bass, VCS 3 synthesizer, organ
- Christopher Franke – Moog synthesizer, VCS 3 synthesizer
- Peter Baumann – Organ, electric piano, VCS 3 synthesizer, flute
Chart performance
Chart (1974) Peak
positionUK Albums Chart[2] 15 US Billboard 200[6] 196 References
- ^ Bush, John. "Phaedra > Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r108669/review. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Chart Stats - Tangerine Dream - Phaedra". http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=3392. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ Berling, Michael. "Phaedra". Voices in the Net. http://voices-in-the-net.de/phaedra.htm. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ Dimery, Robert (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. ISBN 0789313715. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/1001albums.htm. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
- ^ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
- ^ "Phaedra > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r108669/charts-awards. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
Tangerine Dream Current members - Edgar Froese (1967–present)
- Linda Spa (1990–present)
- Thorsten Quaeschning (2005–present)
Past members - Volker Hombach (1968–1969)
- Lanse Hapshash (1968–1969)
- Kurt Herkenberg (1968–1969)
- Charlie Prince (1969)
- Klaus Schulze (1969–1970)
- Conrad Schnitzler (1969–1971)
- Steve Schroyder (1971)
- Peter Baumann (1971–1977)
- Christopher Franke (1971–1987)
- Michael Hoenig (1975)
- Klaus Krüger (1978–1979)
- Steve Jolliffe (1969, 1978)
- Johannes Schmoelling (1980–1985)
- Paul Haslinger (1986–1990)
- Ralf Wadephul (1988)
- Jerome Froese (1990–2006)
Guest artists - Udo Dennebourg (1971)
- Roland Paulyck (1971)
- Florian Fricke (1972)
- Christian Vallbracht (1972)
- Jochen von Grumbcow (1972)
- Hans Joachim Brüne (1972)
- Johannes Lücke (1972)
- Eduard Meyer (1979)
- Susanne Pawlitzki (1985)
- Jocelyn Bernadette Smith (1987)
- Jacquie Virgil (1987)
- Diamond Ross (1987)
- Jerome Froese (1989)
- Hubert Waldner (1989–1990)
- Chi Coltrane (1991)
- Zlatko Perica (1992–2005)
- Enrico Fernandez (1992)
- Richi Wester (1992)
- Jayney Klimek (1993–2004)
- Roland Braunstein (1993)
- Julie Ocean (1993)
- Gisela Kloetzer (1994)
- Mark Hornby (1994–2002)
- Gerald Gradwohl (1994–2001)
- Emil Hachfeld (1997–1999)
- Vicki McClure (1998)
- Iris Camaa (2001–present)
- Barbara Kindermann (2001)
- Claire Foquet (2001)
- Jane Monet (2001)
- Bianca Acquaye (2001, 2005)
- Bry Gonzales (2001)
- Jack Liberty (2002, 2009)
- Lerk Andebracht (2002, 2009)
- Saskia Klumpp (2003, 2005)
- Tatjana Kouchev (2005)
- Fridolin Johann Harms (2005)
- Brandenburg Symphonic Orchestra (2005)
- Neuer Kammerchor Potsdam (2005)
- Christian Hausl (2006–2007)
- Claire Fouquet (2005)
- Barbara Kindermann (2005, 2008)
- Diane Miller (2005)
- Jane Monet (2005)
- Gynt Beator (2006
- Thomas Beator (2006)
- Bernhard Beibl (2006–present)
- Hetty Snell (2010)
- Zoe Marshall (2010)
- Stephanie Oade (2010)
- Rebecca J. Herman (2010)
Works - Tangerine Dream discography
- Tangerine Tree
- Tangerine Dream bootleg recordings
Categories:- 1974 albums
- Tangerine Dream albums
- Virgin Records albums
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