Virgin Records
1994
Tangents: 1973-1983
About This Album
When it comes to compiling retrospective overviews of any long-standing performer or group, it's difficult to know what to include and what to leave out, what to polish up and what to leave in the raw. Even if the choices are narrowed to a segment of the artist's career (as here), there are problems galore. Providing the best possible presentation of a range of material is one way to handle things; if there's room, salting in a few outtakes, live cuts and alternate versions is always a good idea.

Tangents has been approached on a slightly different vector, with results that will intrigue some and annoy others. There is, for example, an entire disc of outtakes - TD fans tend to be very specific about what constitutes the band's best material, so this provides listeners with a way of totally ignoring material they may find inferior. Another disc, meanwhile, is devoted entirely to music for films, a Tangerine Dream side trip that provided some of their best and most atmospheric music. All of the cuts here are remixed, and some have additional work from TD founder Edgar Froese.

It's this remodeling approach that may have some long-time TD fans looking askance at this 5-CD collection.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,6 and 9)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 3 and 7)

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Disc 3 (try track 1)

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Disc 4 (try tracks 2,8,11,13,15 and 16)

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Disc 5

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