Vangelis Albums (29)
What The Critics Say
Academy Award-winning composer Vangelis fills Oliver Stone's epic rendering of the story of Alexander with such victorious bombast, that it may as well be a Jerry Bruckheimer production. What begins as a Blade Runner-esque wash of atmospheric, keyboard-driven subtlety quickly deteriorates into a thick wall of stock heroic motifs, swelling brass, and thunderous percussion. Alexander's main theme is like a testosterone-charged update of Chariots of Fire; it's stirring in an over-the-top, destined-to-achieve-cult-status kind of way, but leaves the listener far too exhausted to warrant repeated listens. Vangelis goes the Hans Zimmer Gladiator route on the soundtrack's quieter moments, occasionally showing hints of the quiet grandeur he achieved on 1992's 1492: Conquest of Paradise, but Alexander is buried beneath far too many musical bodies to be heard as anything but future background music for Michael Bay trailers. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
'Mythodea: Music for the NASA Mission -- 2001 Mars Odyssey'
Release Date 10/15/2001
Tracks 11
Label Sony Classical
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Mythodea is subtitled "Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey," and it's certainly an epic work. If its aspirations were any higher, it wouldn't even need NASA to break earth's gravity. In essence, it's the focus of Vangelis' symphonic ambitions, utilizing not only an orchestra, but two sopranos and a full choir to go alongside his banks of keyboards. With an everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink attitude, "Movement 1" shows its Mars intentions by borrowing the 5/4 rhythm from Holst's "Mars" and overlaying it with symphonic stabs of melody and voices galore. Synth space noises, pomp, and afew circumstances. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Voices is a deep and engaging album from an e-music legend, Vangelis. This CD predates his regular use of symphony orchestras to augment his synths. His synths are, however, very symphonic. He creates broad atmospheres and dramatic soundscapes with synth hooks, chant vocals, and samples. Vangelis also adds some experimental textures and smooth melodies to cap his soundscapes. This is an exciting CD. Vangelis is in a league with few peers. In terms of stature and emotional response, this disc will appeal to fans of Enya and Yanni. ~ Jim Brenholts, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Arriving 12 years after the release of the film, Vangelis' soundtrack to the 1982 futuristic noir detective thriller Blade Runner is as bleak and electronically chilling as the film itself. By subtly interspersing clips of dialogue and sounds from the film, Vangelis creates haunting soundscapes with whispered subtexts and sweeping revelations, drawing inspiration from Middle Eastern textures and evoking neo-classical structures. Often cold and forlorn, the listener can almost hear the indifferent winds blowing through the neon and metal cityscapes of Los Angeles in 2019. The sultry, saxophone-driven "Love Theme" has since gone on as one of the composer's most recognized pieces and stands alone as one of the few warm refuges on an otherwise darkly cold (but beautiful) score. An unfortunate inclusion of the 1930s-inspired ballad "One More Kiss, Dear" interrupts the futuristic synthesized flow of the album with a muted trumpet and Rudy Vallée-style croon. However well done (and appropriate in the movie), a forlorn love song that sounds as if it is playing on a distant Philco radio in The Waltons' living room jarringly breaks the mood of the album momentarily (although with CD technology, this distraction is easily bypassed). Fans of Ridley Scott's groundbreaking film (as well as those interested in the evolution of electronic music) will warmly take this recording into their plastic-carbide-alloy hearts. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
'1492: Conquest of Paradise'
Release Date 1/1/1992
Tracks 12
Label Atlantic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Suitably grand in scale and far-reaching in its scope, this soundtrack is the first new music from Vangelis since 1990's The City. 1492 stands up well next to Vangelis's classic Chariots of Fire, due to his innate ability to get right inside the material and provide an integral part of the film itself. Vangelis succeeds in capturing the 15th-century mood, mixing rich choral portions with modern elements, and portraying the larger than life character of Columbus, complete with full-range, dynamic sound. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a day in the life of a city, its denizens shaking off sleep and moving through the busy streets and promenades only to return home and (presumably) start the process all over again. Vangelis' city is cosmopolitan, tastefully blending exotic sounds and disembodied voices, at once futuristic yet reassuringly familiar. Where Direct was remote, The City is almost sensual; swiftly coursing rhythms and bursts of sensation create a tactile quality. As program music, it succeeds at connecting events seamlessly for the first half of the disc. You can actually see the weak morning light dissipate the darkness on "Dawn" and watch the characters shuffle through their morning ministrations on "Morning Papers." The day starts in earnest on "Nerve Centre," an internal clock implied in the music's mechanized movement, but listeners are soon granted a midday reprieve with a pleasant stroll along "Side Streets." The City does sag slightly in the middle, lapsing into new age amenity on "Good to See You" and "Twilight," but the composer quickly recaptures his muse on the contagious carnival atmosphere of "Red Lights." "Procession" sums things up with a typically poignant melody from Vangelis, where the events of the day wash over listeners in reflection. True, there are some gaps in The City where key events seem to be missing, but Vangelis clearly had the beginning and the end of a good idea here. The rich, full sound of The City makes it easy for listeners to immerse themselves in the music. This is the work of a master sound painter, one whose wide musical travelogue reappears in a composite creation that challenges the composer to create new pictures from past experiences. Moreso, it's a disc that listeners will want to revisit often. ~ Dave Connolly, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The CD release of Direct includes bonus material -- which fits the flow of this intense and dramatic offering -- not included on the cassette or vinyl releases. Like most Vangelis, this defies categorization. It has strong elements of rock & roll, symphonic synth ambience, and new age instrumental aspects. At the same time, the bold synthesizer strokes and washes fit the Berlin school of electronica. Given Vangelis' proclivity for soundtrack work, it is no surprise that this disc sounds like great film music. It is a great CD that will appeal to many different audiences. Fans of Kitaro, Deuter, and Constance Demby will like this disc. ~ Jim Brenholts, All Music Guide
