Force Majeure (Tangerine Dream album)

Force Majeure is the twelfth major release and 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.

Force Majeure
Studio album by Tangerine Dream
Released	February 1979
Recorded	August–September 1978 at Hansa Studios in Berlin
Genre	Electronic, progressive rock, space rock[1]
Length	40:14
Label	Virgin
Producer	Chris Franke, Edgar Froese
Tangerine Dream chronology
Cyclone (1978) Force Majeure (1979) Tangram (1980)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

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.

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

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.	Title	Length
1.	"Force Majeure"	18:17

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cloudburst Flight"	7:27
2.	"Thru Metamorphic Rocks"	14:30

A New CD version was issued in 2019 re-mastered from the original master tapes. It contained the extra bonus track 'Chimes and Chains'.

Personnel

Tangerine Dream

• Edgar Froese – keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars, effects
• Christopher Franke – keyboards, sequencers
• Klaus Krüger – drums, percussion

Guest

• Eduard Meyer – cello

Production

• Produced and mixed – Christopher Franke, Edgar Froese
• Engineered – Eduard Meyer
• Painting and cover design – Monica Froese.

Charts

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

References

1. 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.