THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

This collection is not really the complete, as it only has about half of 666, but is otherwise the best and most complete collection of their recordings. Aphrodite's Child is unusual in all respects: here was a group of young Greek men living in London playing prog-rock music in the late 1960s. There is a definite European sound that is unlike anything else I have heard. The vocals of Demis Roussos contribute to that, as does the keyboard mastery of Vangelis. Virtually unknown in the U.S., this band had a number of hits in Great Britain and the continent. Before they settled in London, they worked in Paris. Two recordings are sung in Italian. The organ tones are typical of the era, as is the occasional guitar. The group was meant to be a four piece outfit, but their guitarist, Silver Kolouris, had to perform mandatory military service. So Vangelis pretty much takes on all the leads as well as providing atmosphere. The band is incredibly tight and all the parts work together beautifully. Most of the songs were designed for the popular market, but this was at time ('67 ? '72) when experimentation could lead to success. The music had to be unique, catchy, and of high musicianship. All of these came together in Aphrodite's Child. I have only heard of their few hits by reading up on them in the insert and online so I can say nothing about the impact of their music. What I can say is that I enjoy it very much. There is much diversity in their sound and the collection never gets tedious because of it. The collection comprises two disks that are both long ? more than 70 minutes each. A lot of music there. Some songs rock, some are soft and gentle, some are avant-garde. High drama is frequent, again largely due to the intensity of Demis Roussos' voice.

It is tempting to identify this band as nothing more than an early vehicle for Vangelis, but that is simply not true. The others contributed much to the sound and quality of this band. Demis Roussos also went on to a huge career in the 70's and 80's; he and Vangelis had also collaborated on occasion. No one else has this sound, and no one else will. Uniqueness does not always equal quality, but in this case it does. I highly recommend this collection to the connoisseur of fine progressive rock.