Tangerine Dream - 220 Volt Live (1993)

Germany's Tangerine Dream (along with fellow countrymen Kraftwerk) either pioneered or directly influenced a slew of genres including electronica, new wave, new age, techno, and dance. By the early '90s, founding guitarist/keyboardist Edgar Froese had revamped the incredibly prolific group's lineup and brought his son, guitarist/keyboardist Jerome Froese, on board as his musical partner and pursued a more rock-oriented direction. The fascinating 1993 album 220 Volt Live, featuring ten all-new songs and one cover, was recorded on Tangerine Dream's 1992 North American tour and it was the band's first live album in five years. Guitarist Zlatko Perica and saxophonist/keyboardist Linda Spa joined as touring members, and their work is a vitally important part of the 220 Volt Live sound. The hypnotic overall feel of the music is enhanced by energetic rhythm tracks, the lengthy guitar solos from Perica, Edgar Froese, and Jerome Froese (often verging on hard rock and heavy metal in both tone and execution), and Spa's floating saxophone lines. "Oriental Haze," "Two Bunch Palms," "220 Volt," "Sundance Kid," "Backstreet Hero," "Hamlet," and "Dreamtime" are the best fresh songs. The lone cover is the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Purple Haze." Although Tangerine Dream's fine interpretation was nominated for a best rock instrumental Grammy, its appearance as one of the encores is abrupt and jarring; mood-wise it feels conspicuously out of place amidst the flow of new material. 220 Volt Live is the companion to the VHS and laser disc home video titled Three Phase.~220 Volt Live Review by Bret Adams