Print Page | Close Window

Vangelis was progressive!

Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Proto-Prog and Prog-Related Lounge
Forum Description: Discuss bands and albums classified as Proto-Prog and Prog-Related
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=51807
Printed Date: December 23 2024 at 07:47
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Vangelis was progressive!
Posted By: Rocktopus
Subject: Vangelis was progressive!
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 13:16
He was actually so progressive back in the 70's he shouldn't be in just progrelated.

I think there's 8, maybe 9 really great albums on this list (I don't have China). I do love the most popular one: Heaven And Hell, but I have a soft spot for his two untypical 1971 releases the (avant)jazzy Hypothesis and the easternsounding and rocking The Dragon. They were the first two I got into. Funny that Vangelis didn't want any of them released.

My list:

 1  Hypothesis
 2  The Dragon
 3  Heaven And Hell
 4  Sex Power
 5  L' Apocalypse des Animaux
 6  Earth
 7  Albedo 0.39
 8  Beaubourg
 9  Spiral
10 Ignacio

What's your favorite?


-------------
Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me



Replies:
Posted By: febus
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 13:23
First of all,I don't know them all, thus making my selection not very objective as i have a weakness for ''Heaven and Hell'' Thumbs%20Upan album i have fond memories coming with when i grew up back then .
''L'apocalypse des animaux'' would be my second choice!


Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 13:40
Originally posted by febus febus wrote:

First of all,I don't know them all, thus making my selection not very objective as i have a weakness for ''Heaven and Hell'' Thumbs%20Upan album i have fond memories coming with when i grew up back then .
''L'apocalypse des animaux'' would be my second choice!


My two choices would be in reverse -- went with l'Apocalypse des Animaux....  That said, I still don't know enough Vangelis albums, and haven't listened to Vangelis in quite some years (I was biggest on Vangelis when I was really into "New Age" music -- Kitaro and Vangelis were my faves at one time).


-------------
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts


Posted By: Luke. J
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 13:42
I also don't know all, especially the "rare" records, but I'll go with China. One of the few albums by him I like more than "a bit". Actually, I think China is a masterpiece on it's own.


Posted By: memowakeman
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 13:49

Vangelis has released several great albums, though i don't know all of the list, i will vote for L' Apocalypse des Animaux which i personally adore and think it's one of his masterpieces.

Talking about post 80s, my favourite album is Mask!


-------------

Follow me on twitter @memowakeman


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 14:02
I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.

Somehow, contrary to J.M.Jarre, I believe a couple of albums in the mid 70s are Prog Electronic, even (sometimes) Electronic Rock.

As for the poll, my heart is with Heaven And Hell, Vangelis's most fantastic work for me.


-------------


Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 14:19
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.



First of all, that's no real reason, and second, its not really true. About half of these albums quite experimental, and not much here can be labelled commercial. I know he was commercial from the 80's and on, but so was almost every band who survived the 70's.

These specialists can't have heard Hypothesis, The Dragon or Beaubourg.


-------------
Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 14:22
Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.



First of all, that's no real reason, and second, its not really true. About half of these albums quite experimental, and not much here can be labelled commercial. I know he was commercial from the 80's and on, but so was almost every band who survived the 70's.

These specialists can't have heard Hypothesis, The Dragon or Beaubourg.


C'est la vie, I basically feel the same way.


-------------


Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 14:34
Been a long time since I've heard Beauborg.  Why hasn't anyone voted for that one?  LOL

Too commercial?  I think the closest he came to commercial was the Chariots Of Eggs soundtrack.

Here's my CDs (don't have LPs cataloged).

Albedo 0.39    1975
Heaven and Hell    1975
Spiral    1977
China    1979
Opera Sauvage    1979
Antarctica - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack    1983
Direct    1988
City, The    1990
Voices    1995
Oceanic    1996
El Greco    1998
Mythodea    2001

None of those are commercial, in fact the last two are arguably classical.


-------------
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 14:35
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:



C'est la vie, I basically feel the same way.


I guess both Vangelis and I will survive. But he sure sticks out among all the 70's hardrock, indiebands and progartists soloprojects surrounding him.


-------------
Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me


Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 14:44
Albedo 0.39 got my vote. I wore out a couple of copies of that one.

-------------
                


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:03
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:



Albedo 0.39    1975  progressive
Heaven and Hell    1975 progressive
Spiral    1977 progressive (the trilogy in fact)
China    1979 well, a sort of world electronic, but does contain some new-age/melodic too
Opera Sauvage    1979 bit new-age for me
Antarctica - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack    1983 commercial, actually, and simple-minded electronic/new-age
Direct    1988 digital/electric sound electronic, one of my faves!
City, The    1990 new-age!
Voices    1995 new-age! with vocals! (though I like it)
Oceanic    1996 new-age with ambient
El Greco    1998 classical/compositional (definitely one of Vangelis' best works!
Mythodea    2001 classical/new-age/electronic

None of those are commercial, in fact the last two are arguably classical.


I think Opera Sauvage, Antarctica, The City, Voices and Oceanic, out of these, are albums that can make up the reason for Vangelis' unprogressiveness and, in part, commercial approach.




-------------


Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:14
^ True. But the rules of the site specify that if one album from an artist is fully progressive, that artist should be included as progressive. Based on his earlier albums, I cannot work out why Vangelis is not an integral part of the progressive electronic sub-genre. A hundred bad, commercial albums (Pete Namlook or Rick Wakeman, anyone?) shouldn't negate one fully prog album.


Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:31
OK, on second thought I can buy Antarctica as being somewhat commercial. By the way, if anyone hasn't seen the movie, I liked it.  The first three in that list are my faves.  I wonder why? Big%20smile

-------------
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:34
Originally posted by russellk russellk wrote:

^ True. But the rules of the site specify that if one album from an artist is fully progressive, that artist should be included as progressive. Based on his earlier albums, I cannot work out why Vangelis is not an integral part of the progressive electronic sub-genre. A hundred bad, commercial albums (Pete Namlook or Rick Wakeman, anyone?) shouldn't negate one fully prog album.


I have to mention that I personally don't take that rule very serious, especially considering electronic artists that could write a prog song today and a chillout thing tomorrow. Besides, I haven't actually seen it as a rule, but more as a guideline some members/collaborators follow.

P.S.: Pete Namlook mainly wrote awful music with awful collaborators, in an awful reflex. Otherwise, his music is quite good. Rick Wakeman wrote mostly awful music from Rapsodies till Out There, but I'll let Iván tell you (in many sentences) why he's in Symphonic. Wink


-------------


Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:49
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.

 
Presumably a simplistic summary of the reasoning?Wink Where would that leave Genesis?Shocked


Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:56
If it was for Heaven & Hell, I would fight to add him to Symphonic, but sadly he made a lot of New Age and soundtracks.
 
Iván


-------------
            


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 15:58
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.

 
Presumably a simplistic summary of the reasoning?Wink Where would that leave Genesis?Shocked


Why do we always (or often) get to Genesis? LOLLOL

BTW, as a hater of experimental unmelodic music (aka Beaubourg), how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis? WinkBig%20smile


-------------


Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 16:57
I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 17:01
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Okay, got the part that it should be avoided and it's totally bad, but

how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis?

Wink


-------------


Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 17:05
Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:



C'est la vie, I basically feel the same way.


I guess both Vangelis and I will survive. But he sure sticks out among all the 70's hardrock, indiebands and progartists soloprojects surrounding him.


I agree entirely.

Absolutely fantastic artist that I haven't heard in ages. I really should dig some out and vote in this soon. I have a few ideas of what I'd vote for already. Clap


-------------


Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 17:24
You all gotta check out his pre-Heaven and Hell albums. You're missing out on some exceptional stuff.

-------------
Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me


Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 17:24
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  ../Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Okay, got the part that it should be avoided and it's totally bad, but

how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis?

Wink


Been many years since I heard that one.  And since it was an excruciating experience and I'd have to dig out the LP and give it another listen to review it, I believe Easy Livin has written the definitive review of that one.  Difficult listening music at it's very "best". Say no more.  Other than I might have given it a 1.5 and rounded to 2.  LOL



-------------
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 17:31
Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

You all gotta check out his pre-Heaven and Hell albums. You're missing out on some exceptional stuff.


I actually have Earth and L' Apocalypse, so I'll have to re-hear those. I wasn't able to find/acquire any other pre-Heaven and Hell ones years back when I was collecting his material. What are your evaluations of them?


-------------


Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 17:51
Albedo mainly for melancholic reasons . But Friends of Mr.Cairo remains my all time fave Vangelis project

-------------
I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.


Posted By: Proggnat
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 18:31
OH yes Vangelis , i believe is a form of Prog rock...I remember listening to Vangelis's Heaven and hell  and listening to how hard and heavy it was at time and then how soft adn so musical.
 
Vangelis help change how synths are used in progressive rock..there are others that help carve it too. Plus he was related to prog cause he did work with Jon Anderson ( Yes).
 
Vangelis is hard to categorize where he is at in the Prog world but he's there


Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 19:17
Ah yes, the prog version of the kiss of death - he enjoyed commercial success Pig

-------------
"Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case.


Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 19:19
Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

If it was for Heaven & Hell, I would fight to addhim to Symphonic, but sadly he made a ot of New Age and soundtracks.
 
Iván
New Age is the poor cousin of Prog that the other relatives speak of in hushed tones as not to wake grandma Rock. New Age is a vague and unspecified tag that can be levelled at just about any piece of consonant, tonal music, and indeed it has been, with artists from Vangelis to Oldfield to Wakeman, from Jarre to Giltrap to Tangerine Dream, from Andy Summers to Michael Hedges to Brian Eno all being slapped with the New Age kipper at one time or another. New Age is not a genre, it is a rack in the record store where the staff put all the albums that have landscape pictures on the covers. New Age is much maligned, because of its association (valid or otherwise) with New Age philosophy, the pseudo-sciences and Mind-Body-Spirit spirituality, the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, of middle-age, middle-class wannabe hippies and scented candles and 'alternative' lifestyles, for whale-song, stolen world-music and Gregorian chants, for wind-chimes and lazy synthesised pads and drones; not elevated for it's roots in progressive rock, acoustic/folk, minimalism, musique concrete, textural ambient/electronic and contemporary jazz, nor for paring music down to the bone and reconstructing it from elemental tones and rhythms. New Age kept the secrets of Prog through the New Waves of the 80s, commercially more effectively, (so evidently more successfully), than the Neo Proggers who buried it underground; than the turncoats of the 70s that lept the sinking ship or the poor souls who went down with it.
 
Some New Age is Prog, some is even Post-Prog, some is Contemporary Jazz, and some is just a dire dirge, but then, so is some Prog.
 
So, yes, Vangelis made some New Age albums, they could still be Prog, I grant you - not Symphonic Prog or Progressive Electronic - but Prog never-the-less.
 
And Soundtracks can be prog - some of my favourite soundtracks can be found here, filed under Peter Gabriel (Crossover). Wink
 
In conclusion...
I'm happy with Vangelis's early work being Prog and his later work being New Age Prog and for three of the best movie soundtracks of all time (which could easily be Prog or New Age or Adult Contemporary). I'm also happy with him living in Prog Related since it would be impossible to place him comfortably anywhere else.
 


-------------
What?


Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 21:03
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.

Somehow, contrary to J.M.Jarre, I believe a couple of albums in the mid 70s are Prog Electronic, even (sometimes) Electronic Rock.

As for the poll, my heart is with Heaven And Hell, Vangelis's most fantastic work for me.
 
Good point! Bottom line he is here though thank goodness. In  the moment I chose Spiral.
Heaven and Hell probably his most progressive but China and L'Apocalypse... are snapping at  their heels too.
 
Now for his ultimate classic we have to go to the 90's but that ain't part of this poleSmile


-------------
<font color=Brown>Music - The Sound Librarian

...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR]


Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 21:22
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

New Age is the poor cousin of Prog that the other relatives speak of in hushed tones as not to wake grandma Rock. New Age is a vague and unspecified tag that can be levelled at just about any piece of consonant, tonal music, and indeed it has been, with artists from Vangelis to Oldfield to Wakeman, from Jarre to Giltrap to Tangerine Dream, from Andy Summers to Michael Hedges to Brian Eno all being slapped with the New Age kipper at one time or another. New Age is not a genre, it is a rack in the record store where the staff put all the albums that have landscape pictures on the covers. New Age is much maligned, because of its association (valid or otherwise) with New Age philosophy, the pseudo-sciences and Mind-Body-Spirit spirituality, the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, of middle-age, middle-class wannabe hippies and scented candles and 'alternative' lifestyles, for whale-song, stolen world-music and Gregorian chants, for wind-chimes and lazy synthesised pads and drones; not elevated for it's roots in progressive rock, acoustic/folk, minimalism, musique concrete, textural ambient/electronic and contemporary jazz, nor for paring music down to the bone and reconstructing it from elemental tones and rhythms. New Age kept the secrets of Prog through the New Waves of the 80s, commercially more effectively, (so evidently more successfully), than the Neo Proggers who buried it underground; than the turncoats of the 70s that lept the sinking ship or the poor souls who went down with it.
 
Some New Age is Prog, some is even Post-Prog, some is Contemporary Jazz, and some is just a dire dirge, but then, so is some Prog.
 
So, yes, Vangelis made some New Age albums, they could still be Prog, I grant you - not Symphonic Prog or Progressive Electronic - but Prog never-the-less.
 
And Soundtracks can be prog - some of my favourite soundtracks can be found here, filed under Peter Gabriel (Crossover). Wink
 
In conclusion...
I'm happy with Vangelis's early work being Prog and his later work being New Age Prog and for three of the best movie soundtracks of all time (which could easily be Prog or New Age or Adult Contemporary). I'm also happy with him living in Prog Related since it would be impossible to place him comfortably anywhere else.
 

Well, put!  Can't add anything to that. Thumbs%20Up


-------------
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



Posted By: honganji
Date Posted: September 15 2008 at 22:28
Heaven And Hell Approve


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 01:58
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  ../Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Okay, got the part that it should be avoided and it's totally bad, but

how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis?

Wink


Been many years since I heard that one.  And since it was an excruciating experience and I'd have to dig out the LP and give it another listen to review it, I believe Easy Livin has written the definitive review of that one.  Difficult listening music at it's very "best". Say no more.  Other than I might have given it a 1.5 and rounded to 2.  LOL



Yeah, but I also might write the definite review of it (pumping it with lot of adjectives) and give it a 5, because that's how bloody cool it is for me and how bloody great it is in Vangelis' music.  Geek


-------------


Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 03:10
Originally posted by MovingPictures07 MovingPictures07 wrote:

Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

You all gotta check out his pre-Heaven and Hell albums. You're missing out on some exceptional stuff.


I actually have Earth and L' Apocalypse, so I'll have to re-hear those. I wasn't able to find/acquire any other pre-Heaven and Hell ones years back when I was collecting his material. What are your evaluations of them?


The energetic Earth sounds like a natural follow up to 666 by Aphrodite's Child. L'Apocalypse is mellow and very beautiful. Both the drone-and the light piano pieces are to tasteful and too interesting to be new age. Ambient, maybe.

But the best kept secrets are Hypothesis, The Dragon and Sex Power. Sex Power is one of my favorite soundtracks.Like the atmospheric parts of 666 with strong melodies. If the two first were released by a band more associated with driving avantjazzrock (Hypothesis) and groovy, easternsounding, folky drone-progock (The Dragon), I'm certain that these albums would have more fans and a lot higher ratings.

These albums seems to be regarded as unsuccessful transitional albums, but I think they are perfect in the genres they belong. Since these were the first Vangelis I got, I listened to the music without any real expectations. I believe they are musically stronger than all his signaturesounding albums (although some of them are really great too)

-------------
Over land and under ashes
In the sunlight, see - it flashes
Find a fly and eat his eye
But don't believe in me
Don't believe in me
Don't believe in me


Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 03:56
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Okay, got the part that it should be avoided and it's totally bad, but

how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis?

Wink
 
Given that one of my personal definitions of prog is that it contains discenrable music, I'd have to omit that one from my own list of prog albums. I guess the need for "discernable music" in prog is a whole debate in itself though.


Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 05:00
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Okay, got the part that it should be avoided and it's totally bad, but

how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis?

Wink
 
Given that one of my personal definitions of prog is that it contains discenrable music, I'd have to omit that one from my own list of prog albums. I guess the need for "discernable music" in prog is a whole debate in itself though.


Yeah, RIOers might contest that definition point. LOL


-------------


Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 14:15
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609


Okay, got the part that it should be avoided and it's totally bad, but

how would you rate, in terms of prog, that side of Vangelis?

Wink
 
Given that one of my personal definitions of prog is that it contains discenrable music, I'd have to omit that one from my own list of prog albums. I guess the need for "discernable music" in prog is a whole debate in itself though.


Yeah, RIOers might contest that definition point. LOL

I've seen some recent Tangerine Dream claim the same thing (Where's the song ???)


-------------
"Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case.


Posted By: Philip
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 14:40
Heaven and Hell


Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 14:54

Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

New Age is the poor cousin of Prog that the other relatives speak of in hushed tones as not to wake grandma Rock. New Age is a vague and unspecified tag that can be levelled at just about any piece of consonant, tonal music, and indeed it has been, with artists from Vangelis to Oldfield to Wakeman, from Jarre to Giltrap to Tangerine Dream, from Andy Summers to Michael Hedges to Brian Eno all being slapped with the New Age kipper at one time or another. New Age is not a genre, it is a rack in the record store where the staff put all the albums that have landscape pictures on the covers.

 

I disagree Dean:

 

1.      New Age is not the poor cousin, New Age was extremely popular mainly in two groups pf people, the Yuppies and the self proclaimed Gurus of spirituality and New Age philosophy, and as a fact was much more successful and economically profitable than Prog ever was.

2.      New Age is a genre, but a genre created for the exclusive purpose of relaxation, a genre that took all the Rock component of Prog for a generation of the 80’s obsessed with healthy food, Jane Fonda's aerobics and healthy music.

Quote New Age music is peaceful music of various styles that is intended to create relaxation and positive feelings. Some but not all new age music is associated with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age - - yoga , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massage - - meditation , reading, as a method of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_management - - [1] or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments.

The harmonies in new age music are generally http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_mode - modal , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonance_and_dissonance - consonant , or include a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedal_point - drone bass. The melodies are often repetitive, to create a hypnotic feeling, and sometimes recordings of nature sounds are used as an introduction to a track or throughout the piece. Songs of up to 30 minutes duration are common.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music
No author mentioned

It’s clear, thoise characteristics are enough to call it a genre.

 

New Age is much maligned, because of its association (valid or otherwise) with New Age philosophy, the pseudo-sciences and Mind-Body-Spirit spirituality, the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, of middle-age, middle-class wannabe hippies and scented candles and 'alternative' lifestyles, for whale-song, stolen world-music and Gregorian chants, for wind-chimes and lazy synthesised pads and drones; not elevated for it's roots in progressive rock, acoustic/folk, minimalism, musique concrete, textural ambient/electronic and contemporary jazz, nor for paring music down to the bone and reconstructing it from elemental tones and rhythms. New Age kept the secrets of Prog through the New Waves of the 80s, commercially more effectively, (so evidently more successfully), than the Neo Proggers who buried it underground; than the turncoats of the 70s that lept the sinking ship or the poor souls who went down with it.

 

Again I disagree, New Age is maligned because it’s boring, lame and harmless, without the risk of Classic Rock and the adventurous component of Prog.

 

As I said before, New Age was mainly listened by:

 

1.      Yuppies: A generation of young technocrats who based all their intellectuality in profit and success, they felt too intelligent for top 40’s stuff but at the same time were too mechanized for Prog, which they didn’t understood. They required music to relax after a hard day in the stock market. I remember the older brothers of some of my friends who were managers at the age of 25 (Most of them fired at the age of 26 because their lack of experience) listening Yanni, Vollenweider (however is written) and Kitaro, as if it was music for intellectuals, because they believed they were the intellectuals of the decade.

2.      Relaxation and New Age gurus, who used 30 minutes of whales or waves sounds to guide the innocent through a spiritual journey that lasted as long as their pockets could afford it.

       

But the real problem were the bands, usually competent musicians who sold themselves and their art, in some cases like Rick Wakeman, because their early contracts were so bad that they required to survive, and in others just because they didn’t liked Rock.

 

Some New Age is Prog, some is even Post-Prog, some is Contemporary Jazz, and some is just a dire dirge, but then, so is some Prog.

 

I don’t believe so, IMO there is not Prog without Rock, Jazz or Metal, and this guys avoided this genres.

 

So, yes, Vangelis made some New Age albums, they could still be Prog, I grant you - not Symphonic Prog or Progressive Electronic - but Prog never-the-less.

 

Vangelis was a Prog artist in his youth, Aphrodite’s Child was released despite the protests of a more conservative Roussos, and albums like Heaven & Hell were masterpieces of Symphonic or Electronic as Albedo.

 

But as soon as his youth ended and his pockets were empty, he went for cheesy soundtracks as “Chariots of Fire” or “The Conquest of Paradise” and New Age music because it was profitable.

 

And Soundtracks can be prog - some of my favourite soundtracks can be found here, filed under Peter Gabriel (Crossover).

 

Some of them, for example in the case of Vangelis, Blade Runner was Prog but Chariots of Fire was pure Cheese.

 

In conclusion...

I'm happy with Vangelis's early work being Prog and his later work being New Age Prog and for three of the best movie soundtracks of all time (which could easily be Prog or New Age or Adult Contemporary). I'm also happy with him living in Prog Related since it would be impossible to place him comfortably anywhere else.

 

Well, I believe his first albums were Prog but his soundtracks except Blade Runner, not.

 

The call is on Phillippe, because Vangelis can’t be in other place, and he has the last word, with whom I agree BTW, too uch New Age and Cheese to be included as totally Prog.

 
Iván

 



-------------
            


Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 15:24
you are free to disagree Iván, (as I knew you would Wink), but there is more than one camp of New Age music, and it is not all listened to by the narrow demographic you highlighted, nor (as I pointed out) is it all cheese, whales and wind-chimes - labels like Windham Hill, ECM and Coda did not release albums of relaxation music for psuedo-pagan yuppies, they were pushing the boudaries of jazz, folk and world music and happened to get lumped into the New Age section of the record shops by default.
 
Quote
  • Music which is found in the New Age section of the record store. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music#cite_note-NAV-1 - [2] This is largely a definition of practicality, given the breadth of music that is classified as "new age" by retailers who are often less interested in finely-grained distinctions between musical styles than are fans of those styles. Music which falls into this definition is usually music which cannot be easily classified into other, more common definitions, but often includes well-defined music such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldbeat - Worldbeat and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco - Flamenco guitar. ... It also includes expressly spiritual New Age music as a subset.  
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music

    No author mentioned

     



    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
    Date Posted: September 16 2008 at 16:36
    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    you are free to disagree Iván, (as I knew you would Wink), but there is more than one camp of New Age music, and it is not all listened to by the narrow demographic you highlighted, nor (as I pointed out) is it all cheese, whales and wind-chimes - labels like Windham Hill, ECM and Coda did not release albums of relaxation music for psuedo-pagan yuppies, they were pushing the boudaries of jazz, folk and world music and happened to get lumped into the New Age section of the record shops by default.
     
    Quote
  • Music which is found in the New Age section of the record store. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music#cite_note-NAV-1 - [2] This is largely a definition of practicality, given the breadth of music that is classified as "new age" by retailers who are often less interested in finely-grained distinctions between musical styles than are fans of those styles. Music which falls into this definition is usually music which cannot be easily classified into other, more common definitions, but often includes well-defined music such as Worldbeat and Flamenco guitar. ... It also includes expressly spiritual New Age music as a subset.  
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_music

    No author mentioned

     Of course there were variations Dean, everybody jumps to the winner car, and New Age was the winner car on those days.

    But most of it was wrongly catalogued as New Age, it was just a softer version of other genres.
     
    New Age is ESSENTIALLY related to NEW AGE PHILOSOPHY, you can't have one without the other, it's like saying Avant without the Avant Garde component or Symphonic without the classical, one goes with the other.
     
    New Age is essentially the expression of New Age Philosophy and way of life, all the others are just soft variations of Jazz, Rock, Folk and whatever that jumped on the New Age moniker because the profit was there.
     
    The article you quote says clearly: "Music which is found in the New Age section of the record stores" the quote is clear, they are not talking about REAL New Age, they are talking about MUSIC THAT WAS IN THE NEW AGE SECTION OF THE STORES, which is not the same.
     
    You will find Boston or Rio Speedwagon in the Prog section of some stores, that doesn't make them Prog, in the same way having some soft Flamenco in the New Age section of a store that wants to sell what is popular, doesn't make it New Age.
     
    Iván.
     
     


    -------------
                


    Posted By: soundsweird
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 00:07
    I was just happy to see Vangelis' albums added to PA (no matter what the category), and wrote the first review for several of his albums.  I won't try to choose a favorite from the list, because there are too many favorites (some favorites aren't listed). I guess I have a total of about 15 Vangelis CD's, plus a couple of Jon & Vangelis CD's, plus an LP (the second album he did with Irene Papas, "Rhapsodies"), plus Aphrodite's Child ("666" &  "Best Of")....  Don't think that I love everything he's done; I've bought a lot of his albums that I sooner or later sold, and I haven't heard anything new I liked in years.


    Posted By: Slartibartfast
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 01:09
    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    you are free to disagree Iván, (as I knew you would Wink), but there is more than one camp of New Age music, and it is not all listened to by the narrow demographic you highlighted, nor (as I pointed out) is it all cheese, whales and wind-chimes - labels like Windham Hill, ECM and Coda did not release albums of relaxation music for psuedo-pagan yuppies, they were pushing the boudaries of jazz, folk and world music and happened to get lumped into the New Age section of the record shops by default.
     


    Yes, judge not the music by the record bin it's dumped into.  Guess, I'm going to have to go and check out Coda.  Very well familiar with Windham Hill and ECM though.  By the way I hadn't checked, but has there been any movement towards adding Shadowfax for doing Watercourse Way (I turned Iván on to that one) and Dreams Of Children?  For me there is a healthy intersection between prog and new age.  Of course there's a lot of stuff under the new age umbrella I wouldn't touch with somebody else's ten-foot pole.  Too much more worthy music out there for your listening enjoyment even if you want something mild and relaxing.


    -------------
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



    Posted By: MovingPictures07
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 07:31
    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by MovingPictures07 MovingPictures07 wrote:

    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    You all gotta check out his pre-Heaven and Hell albums. You're missing out on some exceptional stuff.


    I actually have Earth and L' Apocalypse, so I'll have to re-hear those. I wasn't able to find/acquire any other pre-Heaven and Hell ones years back when I was collecting his material. What are your evaluations of them?


    The energetic Earth sounds like a natural follow up to 666 by Aphrodite's Child. L'Apocalypse is mellow and very beautiful. Both the drone-and the light piano pieces are to tasteful and too interesting to be new age. Ambient, maybe.

    But the best kept secrets are Hypothesis, The Dragon and Sex Power. Sex Power is one of my favorite soundtracks.Like the atmospheric parts of 666 with strong melodies. If the two first were released by a band more associated with driving avantjazzrock (Hypothesis) and groovy, easternsounding, folky drone-progock (The Dragon), I'm certain that these albums would have more fans and a lot higher ratings.

    These albums seems to be regarded as unsuccessful transitional albums, but I think they are perfect in the genres they belong. Since these were the first Vangelis I got, I listened to the music without any real expectations. I believe they are musically stronger than all his signaturesounding albums (although some of them are really great too)


    Oh, awesome. It sounds like I should definitely try to find those then. Thanks! Big%20smile

    Clap


    -------------


    Posted By: Alberto Muńoz
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 11:10
    Earth for meWink

    -------------






    Posted By: Slartibartfast
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 13:02
    It's kind of weird being a fan since the late '70's and having had and heard some of his more obscure stuff, that people are recommending more stuff I need to check out.  Not complaining, of course.

    -------------
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



    Posted By: MovingPictures07
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 18:01
    Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

    It's kind of weird being a fan since the late '70's and having had and heard some of his more obscure stuff, that people are recommending more stuff I need to check out.  Not complaining, of course.


    That's what I love about PA. No matter how much you know about music, there's some guy with no life that knows more. LOL


    -------------


    Posted By: Slartibartfast
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 18:43
    Hey!  Often times that guy is me.Tongue

    -------------
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



    Posted By: trackstoni
    Date Posted: September 17 2008 at 21:28
          some albums are missing in this poll , specially four of the best , Mask , and the City  , Direct and El Grecco . But never mind , for those listed above , China have more progressive elements then any other Vangelis works , except  Heaven & Hell , but more satisfying to my taste as prog .

    -------------
    Tracking Tracks of Rock


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: September 18 2008 at 02:37
    Originally posted by trackstoni trackstoni wrote:

          some albums are missing in this poll , specially four of the best , Mask , and the City  , Direct and El Grecco . But never mind , for those listed above , China have more progressive elements then any other Vangelis works , except  Heaven & Hell , but more satisfying to my taste as prog .


    No, no albums are missing. Not from 69-79, which is the period I'm asking what your favorite is (its the poll question), and the period I'm interested in looking at. 

    I chose to stick to his (classic) period because its a ten years run of pretty consistent and strong progressive albums. More than enough to be considered more than than just related to prog. I wanted to avoid the whole new age/cheese thing (The thread still ended up being mostly about that. I really don't mind, but it was the opposite of my intention), and that's not really present until the 80's starts.


    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 09:37
    A composer unable to write on a pentagram. He never studied. He's titally self-instructed and for this reason totally passionate. I remember him during a TV studio session with Aphrodite child. There was a piano in the studio and while the interviewer was tryong to ask something to Demis, he couldn't stop playing piano....Why should Vangelis wonder about being prog or new age or anything else?
    He's just passionate for music.
    For me, there's nothing that can't be defined progressive in Heaven or in Albedo. Keep the soundtracks out of the discussion. Flash Gordon and A kind of magic are not the same as A night at the opera. Obscured by clouds is not Wish you were here.  Looking at more recent years, isn't The city pure prog?


    Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 09:46
    Welll, I have to stay with Heaven & Hell, IMO the best and at the same time onl Symphonic album.
     
    When I got this masterpiece, asked my parents who were in USA, (in th eld LP days no Prog album could be found in Lima, except some Yes, ELP, Pink Floyd and a couple more) to bring me all the availlable albums, and all were a disappointment for me.
     
    They even brought me the Jon & Vangelis albums, which I found cheesy (specially "The friends of Mr Cairo").
     
    Iván
     
     
     
     


    -------------
                


    Posted By: Dean
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 11:33
    Cheesy?!?!?!?!? Angry 
     
     
    Mr Cairo is a magnificent album, The Mayflower is probably my favourite Anderson lyric after Time and A Word Approve


    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 11:40
    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    Cheesy?!?!?!?!? Angry 
     
     
    Mr Cairo is a magnificent album, The Mayflower is probably my favourite Anderson lyric after Time and A Word Approve
     
    It's a matter of taste Dean.
     
    Maybe because I can't stand Anderson lyrics neither vocal range.
     
    Iván


    -------------
                


    Posted By: Dean
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 11:45
    Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    Cheesy?!?!?!?!? Angry 
     
     
    Mr Cairo is a magnificent album, The Mayflower is probably my favourite Anderson lyric after Time and A Word Approve
     
    It's a matter of taste Dean.
     
    Maybe because I can't stand Anderson lyrics neither vocal range.
     
    Iván
    I accept taste and Anderson doesn't appeal to everyone, but "cheesy" ... I can't get that Confused And Vangelis's music isn't cheesy by any stretch - the middle section of the title track is sublime.


    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 11:46
    Being the post about Vangelis, let's forget Ian and Mr Cairo. What do you think about Nucleogenesis part 1 and 2 ? Not very Cheesy isn't it?
    And the 1st movement of "the Mask? The whole Ignacio?
    For me Vangelis is prog. And even if he's not, I like it (including Mr Anderson and his new-age-Castaneda-flower-power lyrics)


    Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 12:07
    Since this started, I got my old LP's and turntable and started to listen some of Vangelis stuff.
     
    1.- Had forgotten what a delicate work  Albedo 0.39 is, simply outstanding, Pulstar and both parts of Nucleogenesis are simply brilliant.
     
    2.- China still bores me
     
    3.- Now, heard again Friends of Mr Cairo and still the title song sounds like a soundtrack for a B class detective movie and also listened Short Stories, really too acute for my taste, sorry but it's still cheddar for me, starting with The Bird Song . 
     
    Iván


    -------------
                


    Posted By: Vibrationbaby
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 12:31
    Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

    I'm afraid my review was rather predictable!Embarrassed  http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=124609
    Beaubourg  is the album that I  put on during long 6 hour drives tothe cottage with too many women talking in the car ( I think I gave it a three ). 

    The resurgence of this thread inspired me throw one of  my favourite space records on my record player.I think my review was very nice as well. 

    http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=79221 - www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=79221




    -------------
                    


    Posted By: Slartibartfast
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 16:05
    I'm going to have to side with Iván about Cairo being cheesy in parts.  Short Stories is a different matter for me.  I remember when it first came out.  Jon and Vangelis doing a whole album togethere!!!  Blew me away.  I was of course a total Yes fan at the time and loves the Vangelis stuff that got used on Cosmos.

    -------------
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 19 2009 at 16:54

    Mr Cairo sounds like a Bclas gangster movie because this is what the two wanted to represent. Go to the end of the album and listen to Mayflower, instead. There's absolutely no cheese there. I don't want to say that everything he did is outstanding. I have rated 1 star "see you later". But also on that album there's  the original version of "Memories of green". However, all this cheese is giving me the opportunity to remind an author that I have loved a lot in my 20s. Thanks for that. I've seen Yanni mentioned. Please don't. He's totally new age. Not bad, but not prog.



    Posted By: stonebeard
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 02:21
    Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

    I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.

    Somehow, contrary to J.M.Jarre, I believe a couple of albums in the mid 70s are Prog Electronic, even (sometimes) Electronic Rock.

    As for the poll, my heart is with Heaven And Hell, Vangelis's most fantastic work for me.
     
    1) Phillipe? I want a name, mister! Wink
     
    2) Jarre not prog in the 70s!?!
     
    3) I have Heaven and Hell, and it's progressive. I have Soil Festivities and it's progressive. I have Blade Runner and it's kinda progressive and totally excellent. He's prog to me.


    -------------
    http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want!


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 04:18

    Too commercial? I've never heard Nucleogenesis in a disco. I heard Owner of a lonely heart and another brick in the wall, instead.



    Posted By: Dean
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 04:28
    Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

    I'm going to have to side with Iván about Cairo being cheesy in parts.  Short Stories is a different matter for me.  I remember when it first came out.  Jon and Vangelis doing a whole album togethere!!!  Blew me away.  I was of course a total Yes fan at the time and loves the Vangelis stuff that got used on Cosmos.
    Iván didn't say 'cheesy in parts', he said 'Jon & Vangelis albums, which I found cheesy (specially "The friends of Mr Cairo")' .. he then goes on to say 'still the title song sounds like a soundtrack for a B class detective movie' ...
     
    How is that cheesy? Does it sport a mullet? Wear shoulder pads and spandex pants? Open its shirt to the navel to show-off its hairy chest and gold medalion? Sing power ballards about dead pet dogs? Build a City on Rock'n'Roll? String together tired cliches to make a lyric? Drip enough schmaltzy syrup to power a Pancake house for a month? Does it try too hard to be trendy and cred? Does it go on tour with Michael Bolton and Celine Dion? Does it display so much kitschy lack of taste that it makes garden gnomes look cool?
     
    'Back To School' is disposible pop, but it isn't cheese. 'Inside of This' is sentimental but is too understated to be schmaltz. 'Believe' - okay I'll give you that one... in a Neil Morse kind of way. 'State of Independance' ... even the Donna Summer disco version doesn't make it onto the cheese scale.
     
     
    The Vangelis stuff used on Cosmos was from Heaven and Hell, which Anderson provided lyrics for.
     


    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: Slartibartfast
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 06:16
    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

    I'm going to have to side with Iván about Cairo being cheesy in parts.  Short Stories is a different matter for me.  I remember when it first came out.  Jon and Vangelis doing a whole album togethere!!!  Blew me away.  I was of course a total Yes fan at the time and loves the Vangelis stuff that got used on Cosmos.
    Iván didn't say 'cheesy in parts', he said 'Jon & Vangelis albums, which I found cheesy (specially "The friends of Mr Cairo")' .. he then goes on to say 'still the title song sounds like a soundtrack for a B class detective movie' ...
     
    How is that cheesy? Does it sport a mullet? Wear shoulder pads and spandex pants? Open its shirt to the navel to show-off its hairy chest and gold medalion? Sing power ballards about dead pet dogs? Build a City on Rock'n'Roll? String together tired cliches to make a lyric? Drip enough schmaltzy syrup to power a Pancake house for a month? Does it try too hard to be trendy and cred? Does it go on tour with Michael Bolton and Celine Dion? Does it display so much kitschy lack of taste that it makes garden gnomes look cool?
     
    'Back To School' is disposible pop, but it isn't cheese. 'Inside of This' is sentimental but is too understated to be schmaltz. 'Believe' - okay I'll give you that one... in a Neil Morse kind of way. 'State of Independance' ... even the Donna Summer disco version doesn't make it onto the cheese scale.
     
     
    The Vangelis stuff used on Cosmos was from Heaven and Hell, which Anderson provided lyrics for.
     

    That's why I conditionally sided with him. LOL
    Be it resolved that Friends was corny instead of cheesy on the tracks Back To School and Friends Of Mr. Cairo.  I've never been one to dis prog when it's gets cheesy, corny, campy or however you'd characterize some of it's less serious moments.  Part of the charm for me actually.  Benny The Bouncer, Cannibal Surf Babe, pretty much all of the Residents, Whodunnit, Hocus Pocus, etc. Big smile

    I do believe Albedo was also in the Cosmos soundtrack.  Jon's brief contribution to Heaven and Hell was very nice.  Just the mention of it and the music comes into my head. Big smile


    Posted By: Dean
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 06:19
    Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

    That's why I conditionally sided with him. LOL
    Be it resolved that Friends was corny instead of cheesy on the tracks Back To School and Friends Of Mr. Cairo.  I've never been one to dis prog when it's gets cheesy, corny, campy or however you'd characterize some of it's less serious moments.  Part of the charm for me actually.  Benny The Bouncer, Cannibal Surf Babe, etc. Big smile
    Corny lyrics are the corner-stone of Prog (given the latest http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63696 - Good Lyrics in prog thread) Wink


    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: Tuzvihar
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 07:57
    Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

    I doubt Vangelis will be moved back to Prog Electronic, the lead Specialist of the genre thinks his music was too commercial.



    First of all, that's no real reason, and second, its not really true. About half of these albums quite experimental, and not much here can be labelled commercial. I know he was commercial from the 80's and on, but so was almost every band who survived the 70's.

    These specialists can't have heard Hypothesis, The Dragon or Beaubourg.


    C'est la vie, I basically feel the same way.


    I'm in no way an expert in Vangelis (in fact I only heard his "Conquest of Paradise" soundtrack a long time ago) but I agree we shouldn't depend on one person's tastes. He may think whatever he wants but if majority feels otherwise... I also think that a genre team should consist of at least three members to be able to outvote such intransigent person.


    -------------
    "Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent."

    Charles Bukowski


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 08:34

    Hey, if one thinks that Vangelis is cheesy he has the right to think so. We are discussing about feelings and tastes not about Truth. I'm enjoying this forum and since when I replied first, I have been back to listen to Vangelis. There's a lot of musicians that I don't like, and mentioning them may create a "scandal". I hate Phil Collins, just to mention one.

     


    Posted By: Dean
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 08:38
    Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

    Hey, if one thinks that Vangelis is cheesy he has the right to think so. We are discussing about feelings and tastes not about Truth. I'm enjoying this forum and since when I replied first, I have been back to listen to Vangelis. There's a lot of musicians that I don't like, and mentioning them may create a "scandal". I hate Phil Collins, just to mention one.

     
    I don't question anyone's right to call it cheesy, or their personal tastes, I just think that if negativisms are thrown they have the right to be challenged Wink

    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 11:01
    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

    Hey, if one thinks that Vangelis is cheesy he has the right to think so. We are discussing about feelings and tastes not about Truth. I'm enjoying this forum and since when I replied first, I have been back to listen to Vangelis. There's a lot of musicians that I don't like, and mentioning them may create a "scandal". I hate Phil Collins, just to mention one.

     
    I don't question anyone's right to call it cheesy, or their personal tastes, I just think that if negativisms are thrown they have the right to be challenged Wink
     
    Of course Dean, if we all agreed, this would be a terribly boring forum.
     
    But I insist, I find Jon & Vangelis, specially Friends of Mr Cairo and The Bird Song, extremely cheesy (as for example Circus of Heaven, Don't Kill the Whale  and Arriving UFO by Yes...mostly because Join Anderson lyrics).
     
    BTW: Not negativism, it's my taste, negativism is to say ELP is crap, and I read it thousands of times.
     
    Iván
     
     


    -------------
                


    Posted By: Vibrationbaby
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 11:12
    I think this discussion is keeping the world in sync. 

    If only someone over in Copenhagen would stand up and say " Well what about that Jon & Vangelis' Friends Of Mr. Ciaro record , I don't know about you guys but I really think it's kinda cheesy". 


    -------------
                    


    Posted By: Dean
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 11:46
    Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

    BTW: Not negativism, it's my taste, negativism is to say ELP is crap, and I read it thousands of times.
     
    Iván
    "cheesy" is a positivism?? Perhaps in a kitsch so-bad-it's-good kind of way... LOL


    -------------
    What?


    Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 11:51
    Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

    Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

    BTW: Not negativism, it's my taste, negativism is to say ELP is crap, and I read it thousands of times.
     
    Iván
    "cheesy" is a positivism?? Perhaps in a kitsch so-bad-it's-good kind of way... LOL
     
    Some cheese once in a while is good.
     
    I find some songs from Spartacus (T-Rat) a bit cheesy, but still one of my all time favorite albums.
     
    Arthur on Ice by Rick Wakeman is pure Gouda, but I would had loved to be there.
     
    Iván


    -------------
                


    Posted By: Tony R
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 12:31
    I don't think you could ever put a positive spin on calling anything "cheesy" unless it was cheese... Wink


    Posted By: CPicard
    Date Posted: December 20 2009 at 13:33
    Originally posted by Tony R Tony R wrote:

    I don't think you could ever put a positive spin on calling anything "cheesy" unless it was cheese... Wink



    And it would depend of which cheese we're talking about.


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 21 2009 at 04:36
    Heaven & Hell is my fav album ; this is my fav Vangelis soundtrack , though:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5ps__SqQM - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS5ps__SqQM


    Posted By: jammun
    Date Posted: December 21 2009 at 23:06
    As FZ said,
     
    Cheesy Cheesy
    This is a song about vegetables...
    They keep you regular...
     


    -------------
    Can you tell me where we're headin'?
    Lincoln County Road or Armageddon.


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: December 22 2009 at 02:54
    Lame title, great track:



    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: philippe
    Date Posted: December 22 2009 at 03:28
    Vangelis plays easy listening-functional-radiophonic-mainstream synth music which features just a few memorable proggy moments...that's the reason why I moved it from electronic prog to Prog related years ago. I did the same with J.M Jarre, but for the last I think he doesn't deserve a place in a website devoted to prog rock, whatever the subgenres. In France Jean Michel Jarre is compared to the most cheesy-old fashioned commercial artists we have. It's clear that Vangelis deserves a better mention than Jarre, but prog related is just what his music sounds like. 

    -------------


    Posted By: Vibrationbaby
    Date Posted: December 22 2009 at 07:41
    Vangelis is cheddar cheese. Jarre is Venezualan beaver cheese.

    -------------
                    


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 22 2009 at 08:53

    So "Horizon", "Entends, tu le chiens aboyer", "Ignacio", "Soil Festivities" are prog related only while  "Sussudio", "Big generator", "Remote Romance" and "Heartbreaker" are prog?



    Posted By: Slartibartfast
    Date Posted: December 22 2009 at 09:57
    Originally posted by Vibrationbaby Vibrationbaby wrote:

    Vangelis is cheddar cheese. Jarre is Venezualan beaver cheese.

    Fortunately, as far as I know, neither one has the bouquet of an aborigine's armpit. Tongue

    Would someone please shut the bloody bouzouki LOL music off!!

    Thanks to Roctopus for that link to the Dragon song.  I hadn't heard it in years.  May still actually have the LP undamaged by the flood.


    -------------
    Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



    Posted By: friso
    Date Posted: December 24 2009 at 05:37
    Hypothesis is by far his best record. This strange space/free-jazz record is amazingly atmospheric and odd. I like it very much!


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 27 2009 at 03:58
    Originally posted by kingfriso kingfriso wrote:

    Hypothesis is by far his best record. This strange space/free-jazz record is amazingly atmospheric and odd. I like it very much!
    A great album, but, its doesnt fall in that unique style what people recognized as Vangelis music as well.
    There are tons of  nice albums like Hypothesis, by so many artists.


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: December 27 2009 at 14:14
    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Originally posted by kingfriso kingfriso wrote:

    Hypothesis is by far his best record. This strange space/free-jazz record is amazingly atmospheric and odd. I like it very much!
    A great album, but, its doesnt fall in that unique style what people recognized as Vangelis music as well.
    There are tons of  nice albums like Hypothesis, by so many artists.


    Hm, I sort of agree, but I do know tons of strange space/free-jazz records, and still feel Hypothesis (which is also my Vangelis favorite) sticks out as rather unique.

    Could you name some of those tons of nice albums by so many artists? Maybe there's some I shoukd know about?


    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 27 2009 at 15:29
    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Originally posted by kingfriso kingfriso wrote:

    Hypothesis is by far his best record. This strange space/free-jazz record is amazingly atmospheric and odd. I like it very much!
    A great album, but, its doesnt fall in that unique style what people recognized as Vangelis music as well.
    There are tons of  nice albums like Hypothesis, by so many artists.


    Hm, I sort of agree, but I do know tons of strange space/free-jazz records, and still feel Hypothesis (which is also my Vangelis favorite) sticks out as rather unique.

    Could you name some of those tons of nice albums by so many artists? Maybe there's some I shoukd know about?
    Of course i can not listed *covers* of Hypothesis LOL  but I can make a list of a lot of *strange space/free-jazz* albums - much better than Hypothesis. I presume that yu're able to listed them by yourself too- please don't tell me that Hypothesis is THE best album of that strange space / free - jazz > WHAT IS HUGE AS AN OCEAN!LOL 
     
    It was not easy to make an unique style in that electronic music as Vangelis did do aswell; "cheesy" or not, Vangelis is miles above better and more unique than others of the same genre.
     
    ps Ok. i gonna to name a few albums of *strange space/ free -jazz*: Miles' On The Corner Sessions, Rypdal's Odyssey,  Julien Priester' Love Love, or Weather Report's I Sing A Body Electric - those everybody knows.


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: December 28 2009 at 05:08
    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Originally posted by kingfriso kingfriso wrote:

    Hypothesis is by far his best record. This strange space/free-jazz record is amazingly atmospheric and odd. I like it very much!
    A great album, but, its doesnt fall in that unique style what people recognized as Vangelis music as well.
    There are tons of  nice albums like Hypothesis, by so many artists.


    Hm, I sort of agree, but I do know tons of strange space/free-jazz records, and still feel Hypothesis (which is also my Vangelis favorite) sticks out as rather unique.

    Could you name some of those tons of nice albums by so many artists? Maybe there's some I shoukd know about?
    Of course i can not listed *covers* of Hypothesis LOL  but I can make a list of a lot of *strange space/free-jazz* albums - much better than Hypothesis. I presume that yu're able to listed them by yourself too- please don't tell me that Hypothesis is THE best album of that strange space / free - jazz > WHAT IS HUGE AS AN OCEAN!LOL 
     
    It was not easy to make an unique style in that electronic music as Vangelis did do aswell; "cheesy" or not, Vangelis is miles above better and more unique than others of the same genre.
     
    ps Ok. i gonna to name a few albums of *strange space/ free -jazz*: Miles' On The Corner Sessions, Rypdal's Odyssey,  Julien Priester' Love Love, or Weather Report's I Sing A Body Electric - those everybody knows.


    I just wrote rather unique, not best. Don't know where you got that from.

    I know (and love) all the titles you name, and think Hypothesis sound no more (less, really) like them than Vangelis' electronic stuff does compared t the other big names of electronic music. Do you think Vangelis is miles above better and more unique than Klaus Schulze (or Tangerine Dream etc)?


    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 01:57

    To me, Vangelis is one serious composer of 20th century. One of the most important, if you like. He did do alot of great things, and he did it with that electronic music. Who did for the genre more than him anyway? Tangerine Dream and Klause Schulze,(I like them, btw)  or Jarre (i hate him with a passion), couldnt be in Vangelis' range.

    p.s. Blade Runner is one of two or three the best SF movies ever produced - those are  Rachel's Song and Memories of Green from the soundrack by Vangelis (sorry, but above mentioned guys never did something like that!):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5wJyLFnxNk - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5wJyLFnxNk  
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw63J1-oYHc - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw63J1-oYHc
     
    p.s.s. Vangelis live (really epic):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg7OQyUBP1k - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg7OQyUBP1k
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKn9pB8YzKI - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKn9pB8YzKI
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63vxBU5kkfE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63vxBU5kkfE


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:06
    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    To me, Vangelis is one serious composer of 20th century. One of the most important, if you like.



    Oh, I see. Well he's certainly nothing like that to me. I enjoy him as a fine artist among many with a relation to the progressive "rock" movement of the 70's. Seeing him as a serious composer of the 20th century and one of the most important, sounds.... well... seriously uninformed.


    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:16
    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    To me, Vangelis is one serious composer of 20th century. One of the most important, if you like.



    Oh, I see. Well he's certainly nothing like that to me. I enjoy him as a fine artist among many with a relation to the progressive "rock" movement of the 70's. Seeing him as a serious composer of the 20th century and one of the most important, sounds.... well... seriously uninformed.
    Actually, I don't care about unlistenable modern composers!


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:25
    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Actually, I don't care about unlistenable modern composers!


    This also sound.... well... seriously uninformed.


    Since its written this obviously looks more uninformed than it sounds.


    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:35
    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Actually, I don't care about unlistenable modern composers!


    This also sound.... well... seriously uninformed.


    Since its written this obviously looks more uninformed than it sounds.
    Please tell me some names in your choice?


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:35
    who is an unlistenable modern composer, as example?


    Posted By: paganinio
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:53

    The movie Blade Runner is undoubtedly an all-time classic. The atmosphere is so memorable, that almost every adventure game with urban or sci-fi settings will remind me of Blade Runner.

    I have the Blade Runner trilogy (film soundtrack) by Vangelis, which is probably considered to be his best work (according to RYM).



    Posted By: paganinio
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 03:56

    Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

    who is an unlistenable modern composer, as example?

    I guess he meant the musicians who make experimental noise, dark ambient, minimal techno music and such. Discordant music.

    Rite of Spring was not a modern work but it was pretty unlistenable to me.Wink



    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 04:09

    I thought he was meaning guys like Stockhausen or Arvo Part...(The second might be "prog related" I think). Calling them unlistenable means that he never listened to them with enough attention. Try the 2001 Odyssey original soundtrack for a first approach.  Back to Vangelis, he has done an experimant in that direction with the album "Invisible connections" recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, that's a Classical music label. But if Vangelis is noise, dark ambient and so on, what should we say of Magma, Soft Machine or Bevis Frond? Is the middle section of "saucerful of secrets" NOISE?



    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 04:35
    Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

    I thought he was meaning guys like Stockhausen or Arvo Part...(The second might be "prog related" I think). Calling them unlistenable means that he never listened to them with enough attention. Try the 2001 Odyssey original soundtrack for a first approach.  Back to Vangelis, he has done an experimant in that direction with the album "Invisible connections" recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, that's a Classical music label. But if Vangelis is noise, dark ambient and so on, what should we say of Magma, Soft Machine or Bevis Frond? Is the middle section of "saucerful of secrets" NOISE?

    I like Arvo Part. Tabula Rasa is one of my fav ECM albums ever. Also, I like Steve Reich's ECM albums (Tehillim is my fav one). Same with Ligeti's Lux Aeterna. Yu're right 100% about Stockhausen, though.


    Posted By: Rocktopus
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 04:37
    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Please tell me some names in your choice?


    Some of my faves among 20th century composers:

    Dimitri Shostakovich
    Bela Bartok
    Giacinto Scelsi
    Krzysztof Penderecki
    Morton Feldman
    Kaija Saariaho
    Maurice Ravel
    Claude Debussy

    I don't mind if you prefer Vangelis to these and the rest of the big names of 20th century. But stating that he is one of the most important is just silly and wrong.

    -------------
    Over land and under ashes
    In the sunlight, see - it flashes
    Find a fly and eat his eye
    But don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me
    Don't believe in me


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 04:42
    Originally posted by Rocktopus Rocktopus wrote:

    Originally posted by ko ko wrote:

    Please tell me some names in your choice?


    Some of my faves among 20th century composers:

    Dimitri Shostakovich
    Bela Bartok
    Giacinto Scelsi
    Krzysztof Penderecki
    Morton Feldman
    Kaija Saariaho
    Maurice Ravel
    Claude Debussy

    I don't mind if you prefer Vangelis to these and the rest of the big names of 20th century. But stating that he is one of the most important is just silly and wrong.
    Aha. Thank you.


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 04:53
    Sorry for the misunderstanding. I like contemporary music and Part is one of my favourites. I don't compare Vangeluis with any of the musicians that you have mentioned above. They are different. Also Invisible connections can't be compared.  However I still don't know what was the meaning of "unlistenable".
    Finally, I think that prog music has a lot of contact points with the contemporary classic, unless we speak of Genesis clones (and sometimes the original ones, too).    


    Posted By: ko
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 05:30
    Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

    ........ However I still don't know what was the meaning of "unlistenable".
    ...   
    When I said unlistenable modern composers, I meant of that music I'v been listening once and never get to listening again. Stockhausen is the perfect example. So it means unlistenable to me. lol, I'm not a superhuman!


    Posted By: octopus-4
    Date Posted: December 29 2009 at 10:30
    It's a good idea for another post: What do you think is unlistenable? (only one name and possibly present on progarchives).
    My one is "Acid Mother Temple".
     
    About Stockhausen, give him another try when you are in the right mood for that kind of music. Wink



    Print Page | Close Window

    Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
    Copyright ©2001-2014 Web Wiz Ltd. - http://www.webwiz.co.uk