Antarctis and China have a similar bombastic vibe to H&H, I'd recommend checking out those two first. Mask also has the same combination of choral singing + synths, but it's more subdued and spiritual. A lot of people rate Albedo 0.39 really high, but personally I think the proggy workouts that appear between minimal synth pop gems make that one less than great. If you dig Vangelis's keyboard chops, I'd recommend Opéra Sauvage, which is more moody and atmospheric than H&H, but almost as good, and it has "L'Enfant", which I think is the most beautiful tune Vangelis ever recorded.
Also, if you like the vocal bit in Heaven and Hell with Jon Anderson, do check out The Friends of Mr. Cairo by Jon & Vangelis... It's a bit uneven, but it has three absolutely brilliant prog-pop songs ("I'll Find My Way Home", "State of Independence", "The Friends of Mr. Cairo"), and the rest is not bad either. The other Jon & Vangelis albums are not essential, in my opinion.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 08:32 (1 year ago) Permalink
Sorry, the first album I mentioned is called Antarctica, not Antarctis.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 08:33 (1 year ago) Permalink
thanks Tuomas - definitely will check those out, though I'm kind of cautious about the Jon & Vangelis ones
― frogbs, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 13:44 (1 year ago) Permalink
Antarctica sounds very much like you would want a synthesizer album about Antarctica to sound.
But you wouldn't go wrong with any of the following:Opera Sauvage, Chariots of Fire soundtrack, Antarctica, or China.
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 13:55 (1 year ago) Permalink
The soundtrack to COSMOS wrecked me, in the best way possible. Went on a major Vangelis kick then (which led through high school). The was a time that I could have rattled off tracks from memory and filled a list out. As it stands, I'm just echoing what's been said above: HEAVEN AND HELL, SOIL FESTIVITIES, ALBEDO 0.39 and BLADE RUNNER (Esper) have something for everyone. But there was a time when Vangelis and Wendy Carlos ruled my world completely and utterly.
― Matt M., Tuesday, 8 May 2012 14:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
It's easier to make a short list of what to avoid:
OceanicVoicesDirectAlexander
Everything else is worth checking out, pretty much.
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 14:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
There's a great bootleg of that album I found online which has about three times the music. Alas, it died in the Great Crash of 2010.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 12:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
So i conjured the Esper Edition of Blade Runner last night and yeah, wow, I get it now. That is, I get why ppl are so obsessed with this particular score. Amazing.
― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Friday, 11 May 2012 19:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
For the French speakers here ...
― Lawanda Pageboy (Capitaine Jay Vee), Friday, 11 May 2012 20:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
I've been listening to this at work after everybody else leaves early:
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Friday, 11 May 2012 21:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
Has anyone heard Demis Roussos' solo LPs? I'm a little scared to dive into them but there's one that Vangelis co-wrote that sounds interesting...
― frogbs, Monday, 14 May 2012 16:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
Jaxon could probably answer that but I think he quit posting
Demis Roussos "I Dig You" is the Idjut Boys / Phantom Slasher song "Going Greek"
― dmr, Monday, 14 May 2012 16:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
which I just realized is almost the same as Odyssey - "Who" (which is arr. and prod. Vangelis)
― dmr, Monday, 14 May 2012 16:27 (1 year ago) Permalink
Still listening to this Blade Runner boot. So fucking great.
― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Monday, 14 May 2012 18:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
The Roussos solo stuff that Vangelis had a hand in is a bit heavy on the cheese for me. I would search for albums he produced for other folks in the 70s, especially Italian pop names like Patty Pravo, Riccardo (sp?) Cocciante and Claudio Baglioni. These are all big on the choirs and cavernous "Heaven & Hell" style synth armies. Then there's the lovely, more subdued record he did with Greek teen singer Mariangela. That one has more of an "Opera Sauvage" sound pallette going and is pretty special. All fave records of mine. Avoid most things he produced for others in the 80s I say bar a couple of things like the collabs with Irene Pappas and "Short Stories" with Jon Anderson.
― Lawanda Pageboy (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 14 May 2012 19:45 (1 year ago) Permalink
― Lawanda Pageboy (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 14 May 2012 20:03 (1 year ago) Permalink
I just cleaned up (hiss removal, added a little dynamics "oomph") two sort of hard to find concerts from 1978 & 1979 - Paris and London repsectively. Beautiful live improvs with piano, synths, percussion and other instruments. Incredible live versions of "Spiral" and others. Can up this week if anyone wants.
― A happenstance discovery of asynchronous lesbians (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6:14 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
*raises one paw pleadingly*
― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Monday, 14 May 2012 21:54 (1 year ago) Permalink
oof - misplaced the drive with these files recently during a big apt. renovation but I do have them stored somewhere. will dig them up and post asap.
― Lawanda Pageboy (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 14 May 2012 22:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 04:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
Here's an idea of the London one, though I cleaned it up a bit. Will dig for the concerts this weekend.
― Lawanda Pageboy (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 15 May 2012 13:30 (1 year ago) Permalink