I can't decide whether Edgar Froese is basically insecure, a total perfectionist or just plain cavalier when it comes to revisiting the past achievements of Tangerine Dream. Perhaps it's a mix of all three? The "Tangents" boxed set of 5 CDs certainly demonstrates something of all of these attitudes.

The music on these disks is drawn from the period 1973-83, during which time Tangerine Dream were signed to Virgin Records. The set ignores only "Cyclone" of the 12 principal TD Virgin releases and incorporates a single passing nod to "Pergamon" (CDs 1-3). It also covers the main OST releases of the Virgin Years, "Sorcerer (1977 Film)", "Risky Business", "Thief", "Firestarter", "Wavelength" and "Flashpoint" (CD 4). The final CD presents some 10 tracks (1 hour) of previously unreleased material, supposedly from the same period, and mostly credited to Froese alone. In all, the set contains almost 6 hours of material. None of this music - not even that of the final disc, I suspect - is presented in its original form, however. It has all been subjected to "re-recording" or "remixing" by Edgar Froese. Modernised, some might say; pointlessly vandalised, would be a more apt phrase, to my mind! So, be warned! A sampler set this is not.

The alterations consist principally of the application of additional layers - usually lush synthesised orchestral or vocal washes - although some tracks have been completely re-recorded by Froese using new voicings. By and large, the overdubs seem to have been applied with little sensitivity to the inherent character of the originals - there are times, indeed, when the new layers fight quite badly with the earlier rhythmic or harmonic structures. This seems generally to be at its worst with older material and with that contributed by band members other than Froese, as though it is these that are most in need of obliteration, er, sorry, I mean updating. Light and delicate works have come off badly too, as though there was some deep underlying need for all ethereal or unsubstantial stuff to be beefed up. The effect is rather like listening to Mozart, say, played by a massive Romantic orchestra. The original beauty is still there to discern, but generally, one is left hankering for a more enlightened approach to it all.

The additions tend to be all much of a muchness, too, imposing a quite tiring uniformity on what was once a fairly disparate and varied series of sound worlds. The previously unreleased tracks (which mostly sound as though they have been extracted from concert sequences, or else are rejected film score material) have an over-riding similarity of sound, too, suggesting that they also have been tinkered with prior to release. Just how much you like this set will basically depend on how well you know, and how much you love or value the original works. If these were concert performances, I'd probably be quite keen on them. Similarly, if I'd come to the CDs without knowing the sources, I'd probably be raving about them - production standards are high and the sound quality is immaculate: clear and punchy. As it is, though, I find the overly bright uniformity of the result rather too taxing on the ears to summon up much enthusiasm for it, overall.

Collectors of the works of Froese and TD will simply have to have this set, of course, if only for disc 5 (although even that has lost much of its value since the release of the new remixed versions of much of that disc which feature in the Ambient Highway series). There is a nice thick booklet included, too, full of fun facts and pretty images. Equally, this collection would sit nicely alongside "Dream Roots Collection" for anyone who just wanted some chunks of not-too representative Tangerine Dream on hand, to listen to now and then. It doesn't beat having the originals, though. I'm prepared to give the set 5 stars for standard of presentation and sheer volume of content...

A must get for anyone who wants a 3 CD overview of the best of TD, a CD of their best movie music and a full CD of unreleased music (decent in its own right). Six hours of pure TD with some slight remixing by Edgar Froese.