Back in the late 1980's and early 1990's I fell off the rails big time; a series of personal tragedies, failed business's and general hatred led me down a very dark path. One night having got drunk and smashed a window in the high street I was led by a gang of Weymouth's most prolific drug addicts to a squat; the plan was to get stoned and forget everything. (I'm not promoting the use of drugs, and actually with the exception of speed have led a drug free life) Upon entering this disgusting little squat I was greeted by a familiar piece of music.
Vangelis (pronounced Vangeli) began his career in Athens during the late 1960's. He experimented with conventional musical instruments; creating new prototype performance pieces. By 1973 not only was he using these new instruments to perform music but he was performing his own music. In Greece he had already become a legend; but now he needed to prove himself to the rest of the world. Vangelis moved to London where he had a series of musical collaborations; of which his best recognised collaboration was with the ultra annoying vocal squeaking's of Yes front man Jon Anderson. This collaboration lasted several years and the two turned out several albums. One of the best known tracks from this time was "State of Independence" (later rewritten by Vangelis and collaborated with Chrissie Hynde).
By 1979 he had reached a pinnacle of popularity with a mainly classical audience; and began working on movie soundtracks possibly his best known works from this era includes the soundtracks to Blade Runner, Chariots Of Fire and Missing. By the time Missing had hit the cinema's Vangelis power had waned and he was not considered bankable. But his one (what he considered to be his final) remaining soundtrack was yet to be heard.
His 1984 to the movie The Bounty soundtrack opened his performing style to a new audience; Drug Addicts. All over the world his audience and his bankability increased
as word was passed from person to person about the mix of Vangelis music and certain drugs. The combination of the two led a drug addicts to a new plane of thought. And as word spread casual users got in on the act too; his music sales suddenly increased and he gained his first top 10 album as a solo artist. Although his career has now again waned many drug users using during the 80's will be only too familiar with his work.
The Vangelis Style
Vangelis is basically a classical music composer however his music has an edge about it and is an inspiration to artists like Bond and Vanessa Mae. Vangelis uses electrical variants of classic instruments to achieve a "futuristic" sound. From traditional Chinese stringed instruments, to vocal chords; Vangelis will consider adapting any musical device. Most of his work is very calm and relaxed, Chilled if you like.
Vangelis Themes
At the height of his appeal to drug users; Vangelis agents decided to release Themes. Themes was an excuse to get two pieces of crucial music from The Bounty released; as previously the whole Bounty soundtrack had been scrapped from release. The Bounty was the soundtrack that appealed most to the drug influenced audience and word had travelled that the music from the Bounty could not be bought. So cleverly a best of album rectified this issue.
End Titles From Blade Runner: Swooshing electric synthesisers and loud banging drums feature for the main part of this piece. When you listen to it your fully aware that your in the future (or at least meant to be); this is possibly one of Vangelis most powerful oieces.
Main Theme From Missing: A mainly piano piece. The music was to accompany a movie called Missing this starred Sissy Spacek and Jack Lemmon as two people trying to locate a loved one during an uprising in South America during the 1970's. The movie was a tragic true story that ended with sadness; this piece of music is a soft piece that gives the impression of hope. Underneath the hope however is terrific despair; the illustration of this is reached at the centre of the track as the piece becomes more powerful, before a resigned exit.
L'Enfant: Plodding electrical mumbo jumbo; grand piano meets with electric synthesisers. You sense something epic in the music however; like you're going on a journey. If you listen to the music it's easy to envision great speed; although the music stays calm. It is reminiscent of the sort of music played at sporting awards ceremony.
Hymn: An oriental sounding piece; this features a series of ancient stringed instruments being given an electrical sound.
Chung Kuo: When listening to this piece its easy to imagine Chinese Junk boats leaving harbour and heading out towards the sun. Mainly stringed instruments and synthesisers are used to achieve this distinctly oriental sound.
The Tao Of Love: Another Oriental piece; featuring one stringed instrument and a piano. It's obviously a romantic piece; and is surprisingly similar to the music used with James Bond - The Man With The Golden Gun. As the music reaches its centre piece we reach a unique electrical wind instrument (I don't know which). The music develops in its power, volume and intensity to the finale.
Theme From Antarctica: More electrical plodding; but it's a piece that is obviously discovery based. It has peaks and troughs throughout as if to illustrate amazing sights and visions. It's quite a mediocre piece on the whole, and would easily be a movie soundtrack (but its not).
Love Theme From Blade Runner: Another tragedy piece performed with synthesizers and a jazz orchestra. In the film Blade Runner Deckard (Harrison Ford) is finally getting round to seducing his female ally Rachel; in the movie he realises that he has found love with a "replicant" an android with only a limited life span. So the piece is both touching but resigned because ultimately whatever love he has found is doomed. This is a great piece of music; with warmth, romance and of course passion.
Opening Titles to The Bounty: If you have got this far with the CD you'll appreciate his style by now and this is a powerful and emotional piece. A slow piece of synthesised piano work gently plods along in the background as other instruments become involved one of which is a sea shell being blown. Although it's a very futuristic sounding piece it manages to stay firmly in the past and you can associate the piece of music with both sailing and discovery. A drug user explained to me that this was the entrance, to whatever world they were heading for. And in the movie the same thing applied except the travellers were really travelling. As the track continues the temp picks up; but the music still has a calm distinct style to it.
Closing Titles To The Bounty: In the movie the crew put there past behind them and focus on the future. This piece illustrates the same; what has past is gone. This is mainly a piano piece, with synthesisers distorting the music. You get a feeling of travel and new worlds; but you also sense hope.
Memories Of Green: A haunting piece; this is taken from Blade Runner. In the movie Deckard is going through a replicants possessions. The replicants are given false memories to make them seem more human. This is clearly displayed in the music for this number; what begins as a haunting piece of music ends as a piece of music clearly showing an element of deceit, this is shown by the continuous electrical beeping. I'd not advise listening to this if you're depressed.
La Petite Fille De La Mer: Something about this piece of music reminds me of childhood. Not helped by the fact that the sound is obviously supposed to emulate a musical trinket box. As the piece continues more instruments are included to take you from a dimension of innocence and childhood; to an area of adult passion while still showing naivety.
Five Circles: An electrical piece; this is quite awful in my eyes anyway. There seems to be no method to the music and very little structure. While one piece plods along in the centre with the same 10 or 12 bars around it is a wrap of noise. To me this is an experimental piece; which should have stayed experimental.
Chariots Of Fire: The piece of music that most of us will be familiar with. Always associated with running; and possibly the most prominent part of the movie of the same name. You can clearly see the two leads running in your mind as you hear this. Mainly a piano piece it starts out calm, but with a distinct beat to it. As each verse continues it builds in power and intensity to illustrate the fact that success is only a heartbeat away.
The most annoying thing about this album is the inlay and cover design is dreadfully flawed. Lots of misleading information and complete fallacies dominate the covers. The titles for many of the tracks are incorrect; and even some of the music is incorrectly associated with wrong albums. For example Memories Of Green is stated as being from one album; when in fact it is not and comes from the Blade Runner album. The album it states it's from is not even a Vangelis album. So poor marks go to the cover designers on this.
I'm not advocating the purchase of this album as it's not everyone's cup of tea; in fact today was the first time I have played it in possibly 10 years. Having just watched The Bounty however it inspired me to write this. While Vangelis is not everyone's cup of tea it's amazing exactly whom it is appealing to.
Themes is available to purchase new on CD from Ebay at around 50p.
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sounds lovely spence, fab review x sausage man x x x
krazykat2005 30.04.2006 14:46
I really enjoyed reading your review. I felt it gave me a really good picture of what to expect from this CD, especially the track by track descriptions. Kat x
dempsey_review 28.04.2006 16:20
Oh thank god, sometimes your movies do really stink (not ya reviews, the movies you watched itself) But it does seem you have some taste at last with music anyway. Certain music reminds me of situations as well. We have more in common than you know lol. Have an E, great review, Demps :-)
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