APHRODITE'S CHILD

When I originally heard about this album I was intrigued! A Greek progressive rock band with Vangelis as a member and on top of that it's a 80 minute concept album from 1972!

Surprisingly this album wasn't hard to find and I managed to get a mint copy in one of the big down town record stores. I also managed to get a copy of King Crimson - Discipline while I was there.

To tell you the truth the whole concept part of the album is something that I never bothered to understand. Maybe it's because it's so hard to distinguish after all it's one of the first concept album to be released under the progressive rock banner so I guess that I can cut it some slack for not getting it right the first time.

But how are the compositions? Well, they are quite different from the material released by other European bands at the time but I really enjoy the mix of melodic songs mixed with short avant-garde/acquired taste compositions. There are many clear indications of the style that Vangelis will undertake on his later works but here it's mixed into the rock band line-up. This is well exemplified by the long piece entitled All The Seats Were Occupied which takes up almost 1/4 of the entire album. It's basically a groovy jam composition with some atmospheric sections that finishes the album nicely before passing the torch to Break.

This album is definitely not for everyone but if you want to widen your symphonic prog horizons then it is worth checking out!

***** star songs: The System (0:23) Babylon (2:51) The Four Horsemen (5:57) The Lamb (4:34) Aegian Sea (5:25) The Battle Of The Locusts (0:56) Do It (1:45) Seven Trumpets (0:30) Break (2:55)

**** star songs: Loud, Loud, Loud (2:37) The Seventh Seal (1:30) Seven Bowls (1:25) The Wakening Beast (1:07) The Marching Beast (2:00) Tribulation (0:32) The Beast (2:33) Ofis (0:17) Altamont (4:45) The Wedding Of The Lamb (3:35) The Capture Of The Beast (2:15) Hic Et Nunc (3:00) All The Seats Were Occupied (19:27)

*** star songs: Lament (2:55)

** star songs: "Infinity" (5:16)

This collection consists of singles: A-sides and B-sides, especially taken from the era of Aphrodite's Child's first two albums, so this compilation doesn't show their most progressive collection of songs.

Still, this is a very good record, because Aphrodite's Child was an accomplished singles band. And more than that: even their B-sides are often worth a listen, and strangely enough they are not taking the level of the album down. Listen for instance to "Magic Mirror", the B-side of "I Want To Live": the song bursts out of energy, and has heavy rock playing with some definitive jazz playing as well. No filler at all. Still, even at moments where the A-sides do eclipse the B-sides in terms of composition, the album doesn't become dull. It is a joyful experience from A to Z.

What's Aphrodite's Child's strength? Strong keyboard playing by Vangelis, who was a keyboard wizard already in the late sixties, and on top of it a great production which is far ahead of its time. The sound is really mind boggling sometimes, so powerful! Vangelis is here still playing in service of three minutes songs, which is nice in addition to his later more free form albums.

Also a treat are the vocals of Demis Roussos, who is most known from his later non prog career, where he scored many hitsingles in the pop field. Demis is a sensitive singer, and he has a voice that you don't often hear. A bit lamenting, and to my ears (Western - European ears, I admit) there are elements of Greek folk singing in his singing.

And then... the songs themselves. AC were talented songwriters, though the melancholic songs are not to every progger's taste, I'm sure. Slow songs like Rain and Tears, Marie Jolie, Spring Summer Winter And Fall: I'm sure that many visitors of this site would find them either too melodramatic or to commercial sounding.

Demis Roussos would, in his early solo career, go not very far from early Aphrodite's Child in his songs, but what is extra in the music of this band is the magnificent production and the keyboards of Vangelis which are taking you like on a magic carpet ride. Therefore, even when this record is obviously more a pop than a prog record, it's the combination of Vangelis keyboard and studio wizardry and the variety in well written songs what make's this record (or another representative compilation) an excellent extra to any progger's collection.

Came across this album some years ago out of curiosity after hearing "The Four Horseman" for the first time. This is definitely a concept album with many different levels and musical diversity. It did take me a while to get into 666, initially I found I couldn't sit through the whole thing, and kept selecting various tracks only. Listened to it again recently from start to finish and have to say I throughly enjoyed the whole performance. If theres one track on this album that really gets me, its 'Aegian Sea'... This always sends a shiver down my spine. "All The Seats Were Occupied" is pretty full on. "Do It" reminds me of something Frank Zappa could have done.

A great prog album, highly recommended!

In 1970 Vangelis started working on his 3rd album under the name of Aphrodite's Child and for this he visioned a grand concept album. To help Vangelis create this epic album he borrow the talents of Demis Roussos, drummer Lukas Sideras and guitarist Argyris "Silver" Koulouris. Due to the scale of this album the entire writing and recording took just over a year to complete and when it was finally released the band has already split up!. Musically this epic and continuous suite is a brilliant mix of Psychedelic and Progressive rock. This band and this recording are both definitely way under appreciated! Instrumentally "666" blends Vangelis' vast array of vintage keyboards and sound effects with Roussos' Vocals and bass, Sideras drumming and Koulouris amazing guitar playing. Musically this album paints the story of the New Testament and utilizes a vast array of sonic, musical and cultural inspirations to convery this epic story. If you do not have this recording then go out and pick it up....you will be amazed !

The System - alright as a intro, short enough not to annoy. Babylon - brillant high energy song, catchy as hell with some bang up vocals. Addicting track: you'll find yourself listening to this randomly when you have some empty minutes. Loud, Loud, Loud - your setting up the concept, I get that, but does the narration have to be so dull and uninspired. The Four Horsemen - collosal track, the song that first attracts most people to this band and rightfully so. Everything about this song is well done. Addicting track: you'll find yourself listening to this randomly when you have some empty minutes. The Lamb - a fantastic mix up of music. Addicting track: you'll find yourself listening to this randomly when you have some empty minutes. The Seventh Seal - much more interesting narration. Being a two disc album with 24 songs, with 10 being at or under the 2 minute mark, there is a lot of filler right here, in the middle of the album (forget that isn't split). This is not to say there isn't a lot of fine music on these smaller filler tracks but it does seem like they are dragging out and breaking aparat what could be a much more compact album. Crunching some of the tracks from The Wakening Beast through Ofis together would make this album more effective in my opinion. The Beast is an exception as it is solid enough to stand on its own. Seven Trumpets - spoken intro to the second disc. Altamont - another dynamic and musically creative song, both with instrumentals and vocals, that sets up the more somber tone of this second disc. The Wedding Of The Lamb and The Capture Of The Beast - while the instrumental play here is still well done these two tracks always disappointed me because instead of working out lyrics or even narrations a voice simply breaks in to tell you the song titles of each track. This is, for lack of a better word, lame. Infinity - a stripped down track featuring mostly percussion along with the wild, hyperventilating vocals that are able to hold onto your interest despite the repetition. Hic Et Nunc - are cheery little diddy that ties back into the first disc. All The Seats Were Occupied - the albums 19+ minute epic starts off slowly, bringing more and more elements in as it goes, along with bits of previous tracks (parts of The Four Horsemen are brought back notably well). The whole track acts, more or less, as a summary track of the entire album bringing together all the different elements and moods exquisitely. I find it impressive how well this song is able to take bits from what has come before and melt them into it without becoming the least bit choppy. It is perfectly paced and nothing is out of place. Break - lovely uplifting song to say goodbye. This album should be in everyones symphonic prog collection but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. Your judgement of this album will depend on how you view of its short filler, or I suppose on a concept album you could call them bridge (or something like that), tracks. How did you like The Wall? Anyway, for its brilliant tracks, some addicting, and consistently exceptional instrumentals on this album give it a 4 star rating.

It is hard to be a fan of prog without an interest in the wierd and unusual, but this album is certainly something special. While I am not usually a big fan of this type of experimentally outrageous music, this album is worth your time. Aphrodite's Child scored a wonder with 666 even if the album was a driving force in the band's demise.

It's a bit difficult to be objective with an album that I enjoy so much, but here we go. The two songs that generally attract the most attention are The Four Horsemen and Break. They are the closest thing to a radio hit off the album and it's no suprise. They are probably the easiest tracks to swallow by themselves. But, within the theme of this masterpiece, there are songs like Altamont and All The Seats Were Occupied that just blow me away. Throughout the album there are several very small (less than a minute) tracks that do a great job of seperating the music and making it easier to absorb at once. The other short tracks (appox. two minutes) like The Beast, Do It, Babylon, and Hic Et Nunc really have some incredible pieces to them.

Don't worry about ∞ either. Hearing Irene Papas chant in the throes of hysteria is not really a highlight of the album, but it carries with it a certain amount of charm (really not the proper word, but I don't know what is) that will have you listening to it more than you expect.

This unique blend of Greek culture and folk, experimentation, and creativity make this album worth every minute. The very nature of the work can be a bit much to take in one sitting, but push through and you will be pleased. It is certainly no wonder why John Anderson approached Vangelis to join Yes shortly after this release.

This is an album that every prog lover should try at least once.

Well, I suppose many people will find it hard to listen and I don't blame them for that. It's not a classic prog sound almost at all. The experimentations are too many and sometimes very weird, even for prog music. Then why would I give it 5 stars?

The thing we should all should focus, I think, on is the concept of this double album. It is about the Apocalypse, the Seven Seals and the arrival of the Beast... and the musical approach to this suject is at least brilliant! I could never imagine a Revelation more revolutionary than this! Vangelis is doing an excellent job here surely among the finest of his whole career. I like much all this sound effects that create this sometimes very chilly atmosphere to the concept, which sometimes you are thinking it must be really happening now.

What a pity AC broke after this album, I was sure many amazig works could have followed.

A very interesting pop rock album that hints very few things that were to come (like their conceptual 666). Actually Aphordite´s Child showed quite some personality and uniqueness by uniting their obvious british pop rock/´psychodelic influences with greek folk music overtones here and there. The songwriting may be too straightforward for some progheads, but Vangelis keyboards and arrangements are far from common place. In fact, I found them to be quite bold for the time and being their first major efford as a group. Songs like The Grass Is No Green and Day Of The Fool are hardly what you call ´radio friendly´and were to be further developed on 666.

Not essential by any means, but a valid statement, specially if you are a Vangelis fan (keyboards dominate this album from beginning to end). And I like very much Demis Roussos voice.

I'd like to point out certain aspects of this album that make it rise above almost all others in its genre in rockandroll history, 1st: this is a psychadelic album that probably requires the use of hallucingens to truly appreciate all the nuances on the album, 2nd: when it was an album only product, those of us of certain age remember those days, what was great about it was that you could put on a side of the lp and space out to it and if you weren't quick enough to get up and change the side, the music of 666 was so densely ahead of it's time that you could listen to each side over and over again and find new things that would jump out at you each time, the final track ALL THE SEATS WERE OCCUPPIED, epitomizes this. This is a track that encompasses cool spacey and ethnic intrumentation, a lot of dub experimentation, and the way that all the pieces come together around the steady drumbeats towards a primeaval conclusion, there was one night in particular back in my college days, that we sat back and must have listened to that side of the album at least a dozen times in row! I still think it is that good a track that I can listen to it and find new things to admire each time out, I glad that this album has had so many reviews on this blog, it deserves. 666 is still one of my top ten desert island classics. I would recommend starting from ALL THE SEATS WERE OCCUPPIED and working your way backwards through the album to appreciate what I'm talking about. 5 stars absolutely, one of the reasons the cd format was created to preserve the genius of albums like this for other generations to discover and admire.

I was really disappointed with this one after all the praising I hear during many years before I actually listened to the album. Ok, sure, it is progressive, it is bold, the musicians involved are very talented. etc. But all this does not necessarely translates into good music. And good music is not what you get in 666. Considering the group´s pop past I wonder the impact this album might have had at the time. And it is no surprise it did not have a follow up. It is almost completely experimental, with very few memorable melodies, almost any at all.

Not much to say. It seems this album has some historical importance, I guess, as one of the first conceptual prog albums or something like that. But it did not age well. it sounds like a lot of LPs that were released at the time: pop groups trying to get som respect from critics doing something unusal, different or just crazy. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. To my ears, this group failed to come up with something that was new, original and still quite enjoyable. You better check this out before buying the CD. Just for the hardocre and collectors, definitly.