Views From a Red Train is a curious entry to the Tangerine Dream canon for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it began life as an Edgar Froese solo album (and was even announced as such months before it came out.) By the time of its release in early 2008, not only had it become a TD record, but it featured four other TD musicians. Thus is became one of the very few latter-day TD albums to be based largely around group recordings, rather than members' solo tracks. Secondly, it marks the first time in the group's career that they made a stylistic turn backwards.The overall production, sound and composition of the album isn't too far away from much of the music of the preceding few years - certainly many of the synth sounds will be overly familiar to anybody who's listened to more than a couple of albums from Mars Polaris onwards. Similarly, it largely features the same lengthy, meandering pieces that Edgar has become comfortably composing over time. What stops it sounding like 'just another '00s TD album' is the presence of electric guitar. Other than the ambient 'Passing All Signs', everything here features one or more electric guitar solos. Edgar's chorus-laden guitar has become a familiar staple of Tangerine Dream's sound over the years, but it is when Bernhard Beibl takes over that things really begin to look backwards: at times it's hard not to hear some of these tracks as successors to the group's early '90s albums - in particular the questionable pairing of Turn of the Tides and Tyranny of Beauty.Thankfully the production on display here gives many of the tracks a boost, and the record is certainly less tiresome than those two records frequently are. The dynamic electronic rhythms give plenty of the tracks the kind of upbeat energy that such solos need; furthermore, several pieces have catchy enough elements that they don't give the impression that they are merely backing tracks to endless soloing. Opener 'Carmel Calif', 'Leviathan', 'Fire Mountains' and a re-recording of 'One Night in Space' are all storming tracks that show Tangerine Dream can be a great rock band when they really try. 'Sound of a Shell' closes the record in introspective fashion, featuring beautiful acoustic guitar work.Sadly, despite liner notes highlighting admirable inspiration behind the tracks - Edgar's position as outside, questioning politicians, royalty, hunting and existence itself made him an endearing figure to the end - the remaining tracks on the album begin to get a bit bogged down by what can only be described as a 'sameyness'. Utilising the same synth sounds time after time, coupled with guitar solos on every track, gives the album a formulaic sound as it continues. Running at 77 minutes, Viewed From a Red Train is the first TD record in a while that suffers from being over-long (something else that ties it in with the band's '90s era.) The biggest of fans will no doubt enjoy the album, and those who appreciate virtuoso guitar playing will find lots to love. For those who are more selective in their Tangerine Dream listening, the album is disappointing after the previous year's two fantastic 'Nagasaki' albums. Reasonable, but inessential.