Romance '76

While still a member of Tangerine Dream, Peter Baumann released his first solo album, Romance '76. It's not far removed from the music that TD was making at the time -- in fact, references to Rubycon, Ricochet, and Stratosfear pop up in various places -- but Baumann's arrangements have an added clarity and directness. On a song like "Phase by Phase," the results can seem circumspect, and too much open space allows the listener's attention to seep out through the cracks. But the rest of the record finds Baumann expertly controlling what he wants the listener to hear. For example, "Romance" introduces new sounds carefully and for calculated effect, a style that would reappear on the Baumann-produced Grosses Wasser by Cluster. This and the opening "Bicentennial Present" are remarkably accessible for electronic music from the '70s -- the latter especially feels like the best parts of "Stratosfear" distilled -- but never at the expense of sounding trite. Baumann shows off different styles o