Originally recorded in 1973,
Green Desert did not see the light of day until it was remixed and released as part of the In the Beginning box set in 1986, then as its own album later the same year. It is difficult to ascertain how radical this release is from the original recording, but as it stands, it is a logical step between the rawer-produced
Atem to the ambient/sequencer-driven style of
Phaedra. A key element of this is attributable to
Edgar Froese's guitar playing on the title track, an unhurried solo that lasts only about five minutes in the nearly 20-minute piece, yet is easily the most memorable part of the entire song. None of the three shorter songs are as dynamic as the first, each containing a keyboard melody played over synthesized noises and the rhythms of drums, sequencers, or a series of chords. While it is historically vital to the progress of the band, and will definitely be of interest to its fans and those interested in the roots of modern ambient music, it probably will not be as necessary to those outside the genre. ~ Brian E. Kirby