Tangerine Dream - Madcap's Flaming Duty
SKU
EGVP 106
"The album is dedicated to former Pink Floyd guitarist Syd Barrett who died in July 2006. The lyrics for each of the songs on the new album are adapted from English and American poets from 17th and 18th century literature by Bianca F. Acquaye. The music is written by Edgar Froese and Thorsten Quaeschning. This recording is dedicated to the influential spirit of a legendary musical mind, Syd Barrett, who had to end his present incarnation in summer 2006."
"...With masterpieces like Phaedra and Rubycon under their belt, sometimes it's just too easy to dismiss the rest of their work as uninspired product, ignoring quality work that doesn't fit the same mold. Occasionally TD does a "voice" album, and, truth be told, I tend to skip the lyrical songs when they crop up in my player. They aren't necessarily bad, but they're not what draws most people to TD. Imagine a well-known comedy actor doing a "serious" role and you more or less get the picture--even if it's done well, you can't help but think it's just wrong. However, with Madcap's Flaming Duty, I was shocked to find myself putting the album on repeat play. First off, the instrumental work here is impressive, but it's really the lyrics and the vocals that make this album work. The lead singer's voice complements the instrumentals rather than overpowering or distracting from it. Furthermore, the lyrics are some of the best I've heard (and yes, I know they're adapted from old poetry and literature). The album reminds me at times of some diverse groups, such as VNV Nation, Peter Schilling, later Depeche Mode, and Peter Murphy. It's soulful stuff that's quite inspirational, with only the occasional "muzak" flourish to make you wince (TD seems to struggle sometimes to avoid sounding like elevator music, especially when a saxophone is involved)."-Matthew D. Barton