BEAUBOURG

Vangelis

Prog Related

2.61 | 105 ratings

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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Bore-bourg

"Beaubourg" must surely rate as Vangelis' least accessible work. The music here is best described as avant garde, having much more in common with the likes of ENO, than the Jean Michel Jarre similarities of the bulk of his work.

Released in 1978, this album came as something of a shock to those expecting to hear "Spiral, part 2". There are just 2 tracks here, there could well have been one but for the break demanded by the limitations of vinyl. There is no music in the compositional sense, this is an album of noises and sounds. It is highly experimental, and no doubt some will find pleasure in the rambling noodling of the keyboards virtuoso. For me though, I am afraid I can find nothing of merit here whatsoever. To put it bluntly, the whole album is complete drivel. When one bears in mind the wonderful music Vangelis had committed to album by this point, "Beauborg" stands as nothing more than a huge kick in the teeth for those who supported him.

This was Vangelis last album for RCA. In a classic case of did he fall or was he pushed, I have no idea whether he was dropped by the label because of the album, or whether this is a contractual obligation album which effectively puts two fingers up to his erstwhile paymasters. One thing is for sure, when the label heard what he had come up with, they must have felt mightily relieved that he was going elsewhere.

I am afraid that for me there is not one redeeming feature about this album. If Vangelis was making a point at all, it is that you can record virtually anything, and someone will think it is the best thing you have ever done. My advice, steer well clear.

Easy Livin | 1/5 | 2007-6-4

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