KLAUS DOLDINGER/PASSPORT — Oceanliner (review)

KLAUS DOLDINGER/PASSPORT — Oceanliner album cover Album · 1980 · Pop/Art Song/Folk Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
js
Passport's albums always reflect the time in which they were released. Since 'Oceanliner' came out in 1980, they are already working with two strikes against them. Most of this album is made up of early 80s pop/dance music with jazz and funk overtones, and very little of it is memorable. Side one opens with a couple of bouncy Euro synth-pop numbers that feature Doldinger playing the Lyricon, a synth-horn instrument that was new at the time and doesn't sound near as good as his saxophone. 'Ancient Saga' is an instrumental 80s metal hair ballad complete with a "soaring" guitar solo, to his credit Kevin Mulligan is a very good guitarist. Side one closes with 'Oceanliner', a funk-dance number that almost redeems this side except for the trendy vocoder vocals. This song features a nice solo on the tenor sax from Klaus.

Side two opens with another vocoder driven dance number that features the considerable skills of bassist Dieter Petereit. Its too bad Pasport didn't have Dieter back when they were playing fusion, he would have been a big asset. This song is followed by a bland AOR vocal ballad and then things finally get interesting as the band makes a sharp left turn for the rest of the album. 'Bassride' is a mellow spacey jazz number that features a lengthy Jacoesque solo from Dieter. 'Scope' opens with some odd synth or Lyricon and then heads for an Ornette Coleman style wandering melody free-jazz jam that is actually pretty good. The album closes with 'Seaside', which is a pleasant pop reggae tune that sounds fresh after the big freakout on 'Scope'.

If you actually like early 80s dance music then you might stand a chance of enjoying this album. If there had been more songs on here like 'Scope', this would have been a classic.
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