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Vangelis - Heaven and Hell CD (album) cover

HEAVEN AND HELL

Vangelis

 

Prog Related

3.90 | 265 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars So long ago, so good

Released in 1975, "Heaven and Hell" finds Vangelis experimenting with a number of new (to him) styles and influences. Along with the more frontal nature of the electronics, we have operatic chorales and classical influences a-plenty. In retrospect, perhaps of more significance is the collaboration for the first time with Jon Anderson, the pair going on to find considerable success together as Jon and Vangelis. This though is very much a solo project, with Vangelis providing all the instrumentation and percussion himself. Anderson's contribution is restricted to vocals on one section.

The album is nominally divided into two sections, but in reality this merely reflects the limitations at the time of the LP medium, each section running to an LP side. Later releases sub-split the piece into smaller chunks, but it is an already well worn debate as to whether the album should be considered a complete piece, or a collection of individual tracks.

Musically, we enjoy a fine diversity of soft piano, mass choir, fanfare synths, organ, and many other sounds. Vangelis never dwells too long on a single theme, or resorts to repetition. Clearly, at this time he is bursting with ideas, and seeks to cram as many as possible into the 40 odd minute constraints of the period. We hear suggestions of the film themes such as "Chariots of fire" which will come along soon after, the synth arrangements here still being reasonably pioneering for the time. The section which features Jon Anderson ("So Long Ago, So Clear") is best compared with softer Yes pieces such as "Soon" from "Gates of Delirium" or the acoustic part of "The ancient". I would assume the lyrics are Anderson's.

Those coming to the album now and content to settle for a flippant, one listen review will undoubtedly fail to grasp either the significance of the album in a historical prog context, or indeed to absorb the complexity and great beauty of a finely composed and performed album from almost 40 years ago. Those however who are willing to let the album mature with them, will be rewarded by a set which is melodic, exciting and intriguing.

Easy Livin | 4/5 |

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