Artist: Aphrodite's Child
Label: Vertigo Records
Released: 1971
Rating: 4.3/5
Aphrodite’s Child made a name for themselves after leaving Greece mainly with pretty, kitschy pop ballads that get stuck in your ear fast. Especially successful was Rain And Tears, which you can still catch on the radio every now and then. So, on their first two albums these Greeks put out songs that sold well but didn’t exactly win them a ton of love from the critics. All of that changed with the magnificent album that followed. 666 (The Apocalypse of John. 13/18) took this lineup away from pop and right in among the prog rock legends.
You can hear Vangelis’ unmistakable sound on the album right away, even though he doesn’t play any synthesizers. His lines are almost classical, with plenty of Balkan (Greek) motifs. You can pick up the influence of symphonic rock, as well as the folk music of his homeland. There are some leftovers of pop too, but not the bad kind they were playing before. Vangelis and company often wander into more avant-garde waters, too, where all sorts of rattling and noise add up to a proper sonic cacophony that really does conjure up the feeling of hell. On one track (∞) they even bring the famous actress Irene Papas to orgasm.
The most striking thing on the album is, of course, the talent of Vangelis, who only later became better known for all kinds of film music (Chariots of Fire, 1492, Bladerunner). His keyboards set up the sonic backdrop the rest of the members can lean on. The contributions of the other members are very solid too. I was honestly surprised at how likable Demis Roussos’s voice is. He later became better known as a singer of syrupy ballads, which went over especially well in Germany. Silver Koulouris has a few good hard rock solos on guitar, but frankly, his style clashes a bit with Vangelis. I get the feeling they needed a more refined guitarist. The drummer also has some interesting bits, and a couple of times he even steps up to the mic. His voice is much lower than Roussos’s and makes a really nice contrast. Besides these four official members, there are a few guests contributing saxophone, trombone, vocals and narration. On top of the keyboards, Vangelis also handles the superb percussion and flute. The percussion is especially important for creating the “hellish” atmospheres.
666 is an album that every connoisseur of progressive music should hear. It’s one of the most innovative and imaginative pieces of work out there, mixing a huge number of influences: psychedelia, symphonic rock, folk, avant-garde, pop and a bit of this and that. I admit it’s not among my personal favorites, but I still respect the vision of Mr. Vangelis, who firmly took over the reins of Aphrodite’s Child’s music. The pop they played on the previous two releases is almost unnoticeable, with only a couple of songs being more accessible, and even those aren’t kitschy, just simpler. What amazes me is how a band that played such annoying music could completely change its style in such a short time and make such a leap forward. Aphrodite’s Child aren’t a unique case in that respect, though; in our own neck of the woods there were a few similar ones (Korni Grupa, Indexi,…).
After this album the band fell apart. Apparently the others weren’t happy with Vangelis’ vision for their future. The most notable names after the breakup were Vangelis and Roussos, each in their own way. Roussos slid into horrible kitschy pop, while Vangelis kept going for a while with excellent ideas (Heaven And Hell, Beaubourg, Albedo,…) and, until recently, was still putting out very high-quality work (Bladerunner). 666 is an album that bears witness to the talent of the band’s main man, but it would still take a few more years to reach true perfection.
Lineup
Vangelis Papthanassiou: organ, piano, flute, drums, percussion, backing vocals
Demis Roussos: bass, vocals;
Silver Koulouris: guitar, percussion;
Lucas Sideras: drums, vocals;
guests: Costas Ferris: lyrics; Harris Halkitis: bass, saxophone, congas, vocals; Michel Ripoche: trombone, saxophone; Irene Papas: vocals; John Force: narration; Yannis Tasrouchis: Greek lyrics
Production
Vangelis Papthanassiou
Track list
CD 1: 36:35
1. The System — 0:23
2. Babylon — 2:47
3. Loud, Loud, Loud — 2:42
4. The Four Horsemen — 5:54
5. The Lamb — 4:33
6. The Seventh Seal — 1:30
7. Aegian Sea — 5:22
8. Seven Bowls — 1:29
9. The Wakening Beast — 1:11
10. Lament — 2:45
11. The Marching Beast — 2:00
12. The Battle of the Locusts — 0:56
13. Do It — 1:44
14. Tribulation — 0:32
15. The Beast — 2:26
16. Ofis — 0:14
CD2: 41:35
1. Seven Trumpets — 0:35
2. Altamont — 4:33
3. The Wedding of the Lamb — 3:38
4. The Capture of the Beast — 2:17
5. ∞ — 5:15
6. Hic and Nunc — 2:55
7. All the Seats Were Occupied — 19:19
8. Break — 2:58
Total running time: 78:10
