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Force Majeure
Studio album by
Tangerine Dream
ReleasedFebruary 1979
RecordedAugust–September 1978
StudioHansa, West Berlin, Germany
GenreElectronic, progressive rock, space rock[1]
Length40:14
LabelVirgin
ProducerChris Franke, Edgar Froese
Tangerine Dream chronology
Cyclone
(1978) 		Force Majeure
(1979) 		Tangram
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Force Majeure is the ninth studio album by the German group Tangerine Dream. It was originally issued on transparent vinyl.[2][3] Following Stratosfear, the album developed Tangerine Dream's further evolution toward the more melodic sound they would adopt in the 1980s, with a heavier presence of guitars, drums and distinct musical suites in the tradition of progressive rock, rather than the band's 1970s output of Berlin School.

The distortion of the bass sequence on "Thru Metamorphic Rocks" was the result of a burnt-out transistor in the mixing desk. When the band heard the result, they decided to keep it.[citation needed]

Force Majeure is Tangerine Dream's fourth-biggest-selling album in the UK, reaching No. 26 and spending 7 weeks on the chart.

Monique Froese's rear cover artwork collage includes an image of a man's lower face, apparently a photograph of a sculpture, which looks extremely like classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven. His musical influence (heard particularly in some of the harmonic and melodic progressions in Tangerine Dream's music) may possibly be the 'force majeure' to which the album title refers.

Use in other media

Remixed excerpts of "Force Majeure" and "Cloudburst Flight" titled "Lana" and "Guido The Killer Pimp" respectively, were used on the film soundtrack of Risky Business while a remixed excerpt of "Thru Metamorphic Rocks" titled "Igneous" was used on the film Thief. A heavily remixed version was played live in 2003, and later released as "Meta Morph Magic" on the DM 4 album. In 1991, Christopher Franke played "Cloudburst Flight" as part of his solo London Concert.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Force Majeure"18:17
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Cloudburst Flight"7:27
2."Thru Metamorphic Rocks"14:30


A 2019 CD version, re-mastered from the original master tapes, includes a 1979 Christopher Franke solo recording, 'Chimes and Chains', as a bonus track.

Personnel

Tangerine Dream
Guest

Production

Charts

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 26
UK Albums (OCC)[5] 26

References

  1. ^ a b Kirby, Brian E. Force Majeure - Tangerine Dream at AllMusic
  2. ^ Berling, Michael (29 September 2016). "Force Majeure". Voices in the Net.
  3. ^ "Tangerine Dream – Force Majeure". Discogs. 2014.
  4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 304. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ^ "Force Majeure". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
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