CHARIOTS OF FIRE (OST)

Well, recently, I have acquired over ten Vangelis albums and have decided I would review most or all of them. I decided to choose this album as the first. Chariots of Fire contains the most well known Vangelis composition, "Title." I have never seen the movie, nor do I really care to, but I have to say, while I wasn't blown away by this album, it still made for an enjoyable listen and actually surpassed my expectations.

Like I said before, everyone knows the first piece on this album, whether they want to or not. It's very accessible and catchy, but after repeated listens, it doesn't hold up compared to most other Vangelis tunes. The rest of the tracks on side one (bar "Jerusalem," a choral piece, which most people know as well) have there moments, but are pretty forgettable when it comes down to it. "Jerusalem," on the other hand, is absolutely grand! It's truly a stunning version of the famous choral work.

The title track, which had nothing to do with the money as far as I can tell, is where the real magic is. It starts slow, but gradually gains power and majesticness. Some of the themes from tracks on side one are redone her in a sort of theme and variation format. It's an excellent symphonic, electronic, Prog epic, not to be confused with new age!

Side one would get 2 stars, while I would give side two 4 stars, thus three stars is pretty accurate, while an easy and accessible listen, this is definitely not the best Vangelis album.