Stratosfear

Following closely in the direction first offered on Phaedra, Tangerine Dream released Rubycon and the live Ricochet in 1975; the former rose to No. 12 on the UK charts, the band's highest position yet. Both were excellent releases that featured one single composition split over each of the album's sides, again with heavy accents on mood and atmosphere. Stratosfear, however, reflects a paradigm shift for the band: Augmented by acoustic instruments, including harmonica, guitar, piano and harpsichord, Tangerine Dream's constructions now move toward actual composition. The title track is exceptionally rich, sporting a memorable melody; once it gears up though, it moves steadily over the swift, sequenced rhythm. "The Big Sleep in Search of Hades" is unassuming, yet features a colorful interior. Still, it's the second side's "3 Am at the Border of the Marsh from Okefenokee" that is truly classic. After a cinematic introduction, we're treated to a hypnotically slow sequence over which the band conducts their magic. "Invisible Limits" reaches even further over its 11 minutes, recapping the new territory the band has invaded. Tangerine Dream is more musical than ever here, and set on a new sonic course that would continue to evolve. One major criticism, though, is that the album is a mere 35 minutes long. Despite being a disaster to record-tales of equipment failure plagued the sessions (and reportedly a Nick Mason mix left on the shelf)-Stratosfear was moderately successful on the charts, reaching the UK Top 40. The band toured the US for the first time in early 1977, releasing the excellent live double-album Encore as evidence. Yet even more fortuitous was the band's highly successful soundtrack to William Friedkin's film Sorcerer, which also was released that year.