L' APOCALYPSE DES ANIMAUX (OST)

This is one of the weaker VANGELIS albums I've heard, though it has some fine moments. But then again, it's the shortest (34:34) and also the oldest album I've heard (if the dreadful Dragon preceding this one is not counted: my friend played parts of it in '91 to my torture). So in that sense maybe I shouldn't use the word weak but to point out that I get less from this than from other Vangelis albums. It's a soundtrack to a Frederic Rossif film of the same name, a film I know absolutely nothing about, sadly. It seems interesting in the light of its music!

The melancholic track called 'La Petite Fille de la Mer' is often included on Vangelis tribute compilations (by Ed Starink for example) and it's the most melodic one here. The next track, 'La Singe Bleu', is another highlight, beautifully melancholic and calm tune with a breathy, soft trumpet sound. Also 'La Mort du Loup' is OK. The rest is pretty boring stuff. Nearly 10-minute unprogressive soundscape 'Creation du Monde' sounds nice but frankly three minutes of it would be enough.

One could give some extra merit for the album's acoustic nature - which was to change with the seminal Heaven and Hell album in 1975 - and against its time when New Age kind of music wasn't actually born yet. For a fan of VANGELIS it is therefore an album of some importance, but these facts aside, the enjoyment listening to this album remains too little.