And part of the reason is that all three tracks are mini-epics with about eight different parts, sequences and melodies. It's not like you're picking "the one w/ the groove I like."
Which is why I don't like it! Preferred TD when they used to turn up at the studio; the engineer switched the tape recorder on; Edgar Froese fell asleep on the mellotron, the other guys set up the sequencer; went down the pub for a few hours; came back; woke up Edgar... voila, new album!
― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 March 2009 10:16 (fifteen years ago) link
tom d doesn't dance
― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 19 March 2009 10:46 (fifteen years ago) link
... you dance to Tangerine Dream?
― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 March 2009 10:49 (fifteen years ago) link
you can dance to almost anything if you want
― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 19 March 2009 11:39 (fifteen years ago) link
Easier with the older, more repetitive Tangs than this period though
― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 March 2009 11:41 (fifteen years ago) link
you know from experience of dancing to them? Have you ever seen TD live?
― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 19 March 2009 11:54 (fifteen years ago) link
No. No.
― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 March 2009 11:55 (fifteen years ago) link
the only album they did after this one that really followed up on the promise of tunes & melodies was 'Le Parc' in 1985. the production is often a little square, but some of the melodies on that one are still with me. after that one, things get scary in a big way.
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:20 (fifteen years ago) link
& as per Naive's post, absent the chance to vote for Force Majeure Part 3 I voted for Through Metamorphic Rocks, though I had to edit the first 4 minutes and 29 seconds off my version. A long long time ago when purging CDs I made a highlights disc with those two bits from Force Majeure, the first two tracks of Hyperborea, the nearly Zoviet-France-ish breathing & factory loops from Ricochet & some bits from Sorcerer. But every time Edgar picks up the guitar, everything likable about this band goes out the window.
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:27 (fifteen years ago) link
OTM!!!!! Peter Baumann period was best.
― Sacco, Vanzetti, Passantino... (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:30 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Friday, 20 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
I listened to this today for the first time and definitely would have voted for the third track. Has anyone else noted how the initial theme was kinda ripped off by Moroder on Irene's Theme from the Cat People soundtrack? So good. Thanks Herman!!!
― Nate Carson, Friday, 20 March 2009 10:33 (fifteen years ago) link
Glad you enjoyed it. I thought the title track would walk it. It's a great album though.
― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 20 March 2009 14:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Even if tom d wont dance to it
― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Friday, 20 March 2009 20:09 (fifteen years ago) link
Cat People was made 5 years later than FM.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 26 April 2010 13:34 (fourteen years ago) link
Enough ideas and hooks on this album for like 5 albums but man is this perfectly sequenced and arranged.
― windjammer voyage (blank), Monday, 16 July 2012 10:03 (eleven years ago) link
its perfect
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Monday, 16 July 2012 10:08 (eleven years ago) link
every time Edgar picks up the guitar, everything likable about this band goes out the window.
My thoughts exactly
― SomeTwat from Tring (Tom D.), Monday, 16 July 2012 10:30 (eleven years ago) link
no way
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Monday, 16 July 2012 10:35 (eleven years ago) link
What you actually like that shit sub-sub-sub-David Gilmour stuff he churns out?
― SomeTwat from Tring (Tom D.), Monday, 16 July 2012 10:43 (eleven years ago) link
yes.
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Monday, 16 July 2012 10:47 (eleven years ago) link
better than any dave gilmour floyd
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Monday, 16 July 2012 10:48 (eleven years ago) link
Yes, and Robin Trower is better than Jimi Hendrix. It's only because I like TD so much that his guitar playing annoys me so much, it just isn't good enough.
― SomeTwat from Tring (Tom D.), Monday, 16 July 2012 10:50 (eleven years ago) link
yeah the guitar is not my favourite aspect of TD
― no bongs tomorrow (electricsound), Monday, 16 July 2012 10:54 (eleven years ago) link
Whilst I quite like "Force Majeure", every time I listen to it I'm reminded of late 70s schools TV shows like "Words and pictures" and "The boy from space", because it was at the same point the BBC radiophonic workshop did pretty much the same thing, which means TD stopped being ahead of the curve of music technology, and lost some magic along the way. Nice album, but not a favourite. Live drums didn't work for TD imo.
― Rob M Revisited, Monday, 16 July 2012 12:18 (eleven years ago) link
Oh man, i love the drums. Synth Floyd
― windjammer voyage (blank), Monday, 16 July 2012 12:23 (eleven years ago) link
Not the style of the drums, just their presence creates this whole thing like what if Pink Floyd got really into synths and also listened to more classical music.
― windjammer voyage (blank), Monday, 16 July 2012 12:24 (eleven years ago) link
I love this prog period they had for a few albums, apart from Steve Joliffe's godawful vocals on "Cyclone". Stratosfear / Force Majeure / Cyclone (side 2) might be my favourite TD era, I can only take so much of the sequencer noodling which is probably why I never bothered with the live box sets.
― don't slip in mud (Matt #2), Monday, 16 July 2012 14:52 (eleven years ago) link
every time Edgar picks up the guitar, everything likable about this band goes out the window.My thoughts exactly― SomeTwat from Tring (Tom D.), Monday, July 16, 2012 6:30 AM (9 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― SomeTwat from Tring (Tom D.), Monday, July 16, 2012 6:30 AM (9 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think as a rule I can sympathize with this, but have a hard time understanding that on this album.
How can you like TD but not like the part on the title track (part 2?) with the descending piano riff, disco-ish drum groove and guitar? These guys have never been about virtuosity. And the drums alternating between the motorik beat and open hats is totally thrilling stuff and it's by no means the wanky soloing on "Cloudburst Flight" (which is being played over such a mightily awesome synth bass riff I don't really care).
And while the synth arpeggios on "Thru Metamorphic Rocks" are indeed insane (and the soundtrack to the awesome heist scene in Michael Mann's Thief), the heroic melodic stuff in the second section achieves some kind of weird stately beauty.
I love this album unconditionally.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 00:01 (eleven years ago) link
Boy should I not post when I'm watching my kids.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 00:57 (eleven years ago) link
did you lose one?
― controversial vegan pregnancy (contenderizer), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 01:32 (eleven years ago) link
check under the sofa
Put another way, Milton is dead wrong.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 03:29 (eleven years ago) link
I think as a rule I can sympathize with this, but have a hard time understanding that on this album.How can you like TD but not like the part on the title track (part 2?) with the descending piano riff, disco-ish drum groove and guitar? These guys have never been about virtuosity. And the drums alternating between the motorik beat and open hats is totally thrilling stuff and it's by no means the wanky soloing on "Cloudburst Flight" (which is being played over such a mightily awesome synth bass riff I don't really care).And while the synth arpeggios on "Thru Metamorphic Rocks" are indeed insane (and the soundtrack to the awesome heist scene in Michael Mann's Thief), the heroic melodic stuff in the second section achieves some kind of weird stately beauty.I love this album unconditionally.― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, May 7, 2013 8:01 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, May 7, 2013 8:01 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I stand by this poorly written post unconditionally.
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 2 July 2013 02:52 (ten years ago) link
I’m back to agree with myself yet again.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 7 July 2018 17:57 (five years ago) link
I'll agree with both of you
― Scam jam, thank you ma’am (Sparkle Motion), Saturday, 7 July 2018 18:10 (five years ago) link
This is notably the start of their descent into unnecessariness, sorry.
― he's one of our pwn (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 7 July 2018 18:21 (five years ago) link
I still think Big Edgar was a crappy guitarist.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 July 2018 18:22 (five years ago) link
They still had like 5 albums after this!
― Scam jam, thank you ma’am (Sparkle Motion), Saturday, 7 July 2018 19:20 (five years ago) link
More like 50.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 July 2018 19:38 (five years ago) link
Sorry I meant to say 5 good albums!
― Scam jam, thank you ma’am (Sparkle Motion), Saturday, 7 July 2018 20:06 (five years ago) link
Ha, yes, more like it.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 July 2018 20:06 (five years ago) link