LA FÊTE SAUVAGE

Another soundtrack for a French nature documentary, La Fete Sauvage begins with a series of percussion-heavy pieces performed by African artists. In the midst of these is a soft beautiful flute passage, (possibly performed on keys) with exquisite tonality, while the melody is simple and moving, one of Vangelis' true fortes. The second half revolves around a gauzy melody played largely on electric piano and vocal chords. This tune is reminiscent of a lullaby only much more complex. Melodic variation keeps this soft piece moving along. Just when it seems the album is resolving, there is a final piece, reminiscent of the spaceyness found on Heaven and Hell. Like most of his releases from this time, the album is split into two sections, each very different from one another. The thing is, ALL of these sections in all of the albums are different from one another, which demonstrates a remarkable variety of musical styles. Vangelis is developing into a true composer, not merely a songwriter or musician. As such, there is a certain amount of experimentation in all his recordings so far. Time will show that this adventurousness has never diminished in his work, even though there are some techniques and styles he utilizes frequently. Get pumped up with the percussive first half and then let yourself float on the pretty second half. Time well spent.