Tangerine Dream, "Stratosfear" (Virgin, 1976)

By the mid-'70s, the synthesizer seemed destined to rule the musical landscape. The invention of Dr. Robert Moog first caught widespread attention with Walter (now Wendy) Carlos' exploration of classical music, "Switched-On Bach." The instrument's distinctive, other-worldly sound seemed to point the way directly toward the 21st century, and more artists started incorporating it into their work.

Today, the musical results seem mixed, at bests, and many historians tend to dismiss synthesizer-dominated material as somewhat banal and insipid. In some cases, they have ample reason to do so.

But that's not exactly fair, as some works from that era still make for worthwhile listening.

One is "Stratosfear," the American breakthrough offering by the German band Tangerine Dream. The textures and melodies, which the three members produced mainly on synthesizer, still sound fresh three decades later.

The album features four compositions, all containing distinctive and memorable themes. The highlight probably is the opening, title track, which hums along at a steady pace as the band members take turns contributing their variations until the piece culminates with some stunning guitar work by Edgar Froese (the sole constant in the nearly 40-year history of Tangerine Dream).

The other songs also are songs worthy of delivering on their intriguing titles: "The Big Sleep in Search of Hades," "Invisible Limits" and one of my all-time favorites, "3 AM at the Border of the Marsh from Okefenokee."

This album used to make for great listening in vinyl form back in the day, and of course, it's even better in the digital medium. One recommendation: Turn out the lights when you listen. It's that kind of music.