Search - Christopher Franke :: Epic

Relaxing with staying power

Mike Martin | Riverside, CA USA | 05/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a Tangerine Dream fan for over 20 years, and when I found this CD a couple of years ago I was very interested, since Franke was with TD for a while. I was not disappointed.It is rather obvious that these tracks are a greatest hits compilation. There really isn't a "theme" to the album, it's just the hits. And boy, are they.I made a video tape for my parents 40th anniversary made up of a collection of old home movies interspersed with modern video and interviews. I used a couple of the tracks as background music with the old stuff. After a little while some family members finally asked, "Mike, what is this beautiful music you have in the background?" Why, its Chris Franke!Tracks 6 (Dancing Lesson) and 9 (Viciente) are two of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. They're the kind that you push the back button when they're done so you can hear them again.It's also a very romantic album. I've had some pretty nice interludes with this album. Sorry to be ungentlemanly, but its true. Guys, this album works. Trust me."

Not exciting, but... well... epic.

sauerkraut | 08/16/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tenchi the soundtrack may have that one flaw in track 21, "Alchemy of Love," but it is, on the whole, a little better than Epic. But not much. Epic has some of Chris' best stuff, and it is hella cool. This is music to listen to after the house burns down, you lose your job, your parents disown you and the divorce papers come in the mail. Even after all of that, chances are this CD will make you feel better. On the whole, it's pretty much Coolness and Contentment condensed into music. Notice that I didn't mention "Excitement." That's right, fellow B5 fans... this CD will not blow your brains halfway across the apartment for how action-packed it is. It's goal is to make your head stay firmly on your shoulders. Buy the B5 Shadow Dancing CD for that."

"Epic" is an epic and superb collection!

Distant Voyageur | Io | 03/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Christopher Franke is known as a former member of New Age/Electronica supergroup Tangerine from 1970 until 1988 as well as composing music for several movies and TV shows most notably Star Trek and Babylon 5 in the 1990s. Yet, it is his solo works that are far removed from the movie soundtracks that I think really shine the most yet are few and far between these days. "Epic" is an excellent introduction to Franke's solo compositions spanning eight years from 1991's solo debut "Pacific Coast Highway" to a couple of new(at the time) tracks exclusively for this album.



The collection opens with an enigmatic song entitled "A Radiant Band of Light" which begins with a haunting ambient drone and a didgeridoo-like instrumental before blossoming into a heavily spiritually moving piece with exotic percussion and haunting vocals."