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1988, August 25 - 1988, September 28

North America Tour 1988


Details

Line-upEdgar Froese, Paul Haslinger, Ralf Wadephul


Dates

August 25Chicago Hoffman Estates Poplar Creek Music Center (USA)
August 26Milwaukee Riverside Theatre (USA)
August 28Pittsburg Benedum Theater (USA)
August 29Columbus Ohio Theater (USA)
August 30Cleveland Nautica Stage (USA)
August 31Detroit Pine Knob Theater (USA)
September 01Toronto Massey Hall (Canada)
September 02Montreal La Ronde (Canada)
September 03Quebec City L'Agora Theater (Canada)
September 06Somerville Somerville Theater (USA)
September 07New York City Radio City Music Hall (USA)
September 08Washington D.C. Kennedy Center (USA)
September 09New Haven Palace Theater (USA)
September 10Philadelphia Tower Theater (USA)
September 13Atlanta Center Stage Theater (USA)
September 14Sarasota Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (USA)
September 15Miami Cameo Theater (USA)
September 16New Orleans McAlistair Auditorium (USA)
September 17Houston Jones Hall (USA)
September 18Dallas Starplex Amphitheatre (USA)
September 21San Diego California Auditorium (USA)
September 22Los Angeles Wiltern Theater (USA)
September 23Los Angeles Wiltern Theater (USA)
September 24Berkeley Community Center (USA)
September 27Seattle Paramount Theater (USA)
September 28Vancouver Orpheum Theatre (Canada)


Set List

Main Set

Mothers Of Rain (4:45)
A pretty much faithful rendition of the Optical Race. The end is overlaid with the Legend "Pan Pipe" patch, in order to create a segue.
After The Call (5:30)
Again, pretty faithful to the Miracle Mile version, although there is an additional top line and other harmonic devices, and the percussion is arguably more forceful. The track was also sometimes played with an extra bass line. Towards the end there is a brass timbre which continues into the next track.
Tyger (5:00)
Harmonically richer than the studio version on Tyger, perhaps to compensate for the absence of vocals, but still close to the original, more so than the Berlin 1987 version.
Alchemy Of The Heart (4:00)
A compacted version of the studio release on Tyger. The first section is shortened to about one and a half minutes, the second to about two and a half minutes, and the remainder of the track is absent. There is a new ending (in order to finish the track early); this ending does not lead into the next piece.
Papyrus (Piano) (4:00)
This is a piano solo by Ralf Wadephul, and appears to be the same from show to show. The first minute is unreleased music (not improvised), and thereafter there are quotations from Canyon Voices, Ricochet, Part Two and Song Of The Whale, Part Two: ...To Dusk. After three minutes it returns to the original opening music.
Phaedra (4:30)
This is basically the Tangents version. The track Phaedra Of Nottingham on Antique Dreams is from this tour also; while the track was played in Nottingham in 1990, it was not followed then by Livemiles as it was during this tour.
Livemiles, Part One (10:00)
Sections 2 and 3 of this composition, more or less faithful to the original on Livemiles, with a few extra timbres at the end of Section 2, a new percussive sequence at the beginning of Section 3, and another throughout the bulk of Section 3. There is a different series of chords at the end here, enabling seamless segueing to the following track.
Logos Blue (6:00)
Originally this was performed during the 1982 Europe tour as featured on Logos Live, but this version is as appears on Tangents.
Parabola (13:30)
No studio version of this composition has been released so far. It consists of four distinguishable sections, starting with a slow, percussionless piece in the Optical Race vein, typified by the breathy samples that it utilises. This is a short piece, essentially devised as a bridge into the next section, which is more substantial. That second section has never been officially released (as it is missing on the Rockface album), but has a familiar sound to it. In many ways the track is most reminiscent of Jon And Vangelis' I Hear You Now. Both pieces are slow and in 4/4 time, with a similar melody and rhythm section. Naturally this section is based around Optical Race timbres and effects. Next comes a piece which opens with just a fast, high sequence (the staccato "ping" used ubiquitously on Optical Race), joined after one run-through by a bass line and side effects. High tempo stuff, which leads momentarily into a rhythmically syncopated short section, which then evolves into high-speed sequencer work ("ping" again) before returning to the initial motif. The last section is similar to the track Iguana that appears on i-Box (that was not played live). The live track consists of the opening part only (which is also reprised at the end). The track is sustained for four minutes by having an extra layer of sound added with each run-through of the melody, building up a wall of sound by the end. The remainder of Iguana does not come from this tour.
Table Bay (2:15)
A piano solo, this time by Paul Haslinger, but this one contains no references to earlier TD works. In fact, strictly this is not a solo, because other instruments join in during progress through the piece -- firstly a glockenspiel sound, creating a childlike quality, then some background chord padding and a bass line.
Nomad's Scale (8:45)
This piece, not released on any studio album, starts with no segue from the previous track, beginning with just soft percussion, chord padding and a sparse bass sequence. These then give way to standard 4/4 hard drumming and a guitar solo part. After 2:45 the time switches to 6/8, and there is the occasional fill with a descending staccato "ping" sequence. A minute of this and it is back to 4/4 for another two minutes, then back to 6/8 and more descending sequence fills for another minute or so. Finally the piece fades out to traffic noises which last for about a minute. These resolve into the "sucking" noise that begins the next track.
Cat Scan (5:30)
Pretty close to the released version on Optical Race, albeit with a couple of extra melodic lines for emphasis. The live version is about a minute shorter than the album version (excluding the bridge at the end). The link to the next track is a gong sound and some atmospheric chords, which last for about 45 seconds.
Atlas Eyes (4:00)
Quite similar to the album version on Optical Race, although there is some additional harpsichord backing in the introduction. The middle 'chorus' has an improvised line played on the top. A string sound bridges into the next track.
Marakesh (7:45)
Close to the Optical Race album version, though about half a minute shorter (taken, seemingly, from the end). During the middle section there is some rhythmic improvisation.
Eden's Gate (1:45)
An octapad (sort of electric bongo) solo. The last chord of the previous track holds on for a short while, in order to link, but that disappears after not long to leave the bongos on their own. The solo is, in fact, quite tight rhythmically, being quite disciplined in 4/4 time. It ends with echo on the last bongo tap.
Ghazal (Love Song) (4:45)
Faithful, though very slightly shorter than the released version on Optical Race. While the studio version is slowly faded out, the live rendition comes to a "natural end" with a short closing section that is not present on the studio album.

Encores

The compositions during the encores varied from show to show, both in number and sequence.
Alexander Square (5:00)
Indistinguishable from the released (LP) version on Destination Berlin, and almost precisely the same length, down to the second.
The Silent League (1:30)
The full title of the piano piece is Beethoven - Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique".
Canyon Voices (4:45)
Slightly different from the album version on Canyon Dreams. Firstly, the track opens with the harpsichord patch playing the melody and a bass note playing on the on-beats only. After running through the melodic phrase once the background sequences enter. Secondly, the track ends by the sequences fading out quickly and a final thumping bass note.
Sun Gate (4:30)
There is a new "pan pipe" effect, amongst others, but otherwise it sticks quite closely to the album version on Optical Race.
The Midnight Trail (3:45)
The version played live is about half the length of the album version on Optical Race.
House Of The Rising Sun (4:45)
Optical Race (4:00)
Appears to be the same as the album, including the length.

(All times rounded to nearest 15 seconds and include bridges following song, if any.)

Large parts of this section have been taken from the site What Dreams Are Made Of by kind permission of the authors John A. Burek and Mark Schaffer.


Notes

For their North America tour Tangerine Dream teamed up with a new band member, after Chris Franke had left in 1987. The new man on board was Ralf Wadephul.
 

 

In an 1995 interview with Christopher Lawless and Michael Darnell for Beyond The Horizon Paul Haslinger remembers: "It was all one working project as far as I remember. We started at the beginning of '88 to work on Optical Race, and we finished it sometime in April I believe. Then we went straight into tour preparation which lasted into July, and then we went over and started the tour. I remember doing the last programming and rehearsals in Austria, and I was actually fainting I was so exhausted! I was basically working away for half a year without ever interrupting, but it was so fascinating and so great to work on that I just never thought about it. But in July it caught me, and during the preparation in the US I was actually sick for the whole time. They took me to some doctors, but we really didn't know what was wrong. Fortunately the body seems to have a function that kicks in as soon as you go on tour, because when we went to the first show in Chicago my sickness was gone. And then I was perfect for the whole rest of the tour. Ralf came in during the last stages of the the Optical Race production. We were not certain about whether we should involve a third member -- Edgar wanted to have a third member on tour, but it was back and forth the whole time. But we finally decided to give it a shot and take him on tour. It was pretty much the same situation like with me on the '86 UK tour -- give it a try and see how it works out. And it did work out great. Ralf was great to work with, great in collaboration and everything. The one thing that he could not establish over that time was a very specific profile of himself inside the band -- in other words, what musically is Ralf Wadephul. But then he didn't have enough time to do that, either. Apart from that, there were some other issues between Edgar and him that I don't want to go into, which played a role in this whole development. From the outside it must have looked pretty curious -- here was this guy coming in for a tour, contributing one piece to Optical Race, and then he was gone. But I understand that he's mentioned in the Tangents credits, so who knows -- maybe they'll work on something again in the future."
 

 

In fact, in 2006 Edgar Froese and Ralf Wadephul together released the album Blue Dawn, consisting (partially) of material that was composed during the 1988 tour but not subsequently released -- most probably as Wadephul left the band a short time after the tour.
 

 

 
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