- 666 (album)
Infobox Album |
Name = 666 (The Apocalypse of John, 13/18)
Type =Album
Artist =Aphrodite's Child
Released = 1972
Genre =Progressive rock
Length = 77:58
Label = Vertigo
Producer = Vangelis Papathanassiou
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:e0ogtq3ztu46 link]
Last album = "It's Five O'Clock "
(1969)
This album = "666"
(1972)"666 (The Apocalypse of John, 13/18)" is a
double album by psychedelic/progressiveart rock groupAphrodite's Child . It is one of the early cult albums in rock history, and is still popular among fans today. It was published in 1972, and was the primary vehicle/effort for theVangelis project. It had a minor Album Oriented Radio hit in "The Four Horsemen," and a nearly pop hit with "Break." The album was ostensibly an adaptation of Biblical passages from the book of the same name, but was also very experimental in lyrics and composition, including a curious piece ofperformance art in which Greek actressIrene Papas is struggling to chant a mantra while in the throes of hysteria and climax.Essentially, "666" was Vangelis' concept, created with an outside lyricist, Costas Ferris. The music that Vangelis was creating for "666" was much more psychedelic and progressive rock oriented than anything the band had done before. The music itself was an impressive display of Vangelis' abilities, combining psychedelic and progressive rock with ethnic instruments, choral chanting, recitations, and very advanced use of
synthesizer s and keyboards for the time. In time the album became recognized as one of the most important early progressive rock works, and a defining example of theconcept album . "666" also made Vangelis an underground name to watch, and in 1974 earned him an offer fromJon Anderson to join Yes following the departure ofRick Wakeman .Just before the release of the album Vangelis engaged in a long fight with
Mercury Records over the content of the album. The record company, in particular, objected to the song "∞" ("infinity"), which they considered obscene. It consisted of Irene Papas chanting the words "I was, I am, I am to come" over and over again in various stages of hysteria, while Vangelis accompanied her on a maelstrom ofpercussion (the five-minute finished track was reportedly edited down from a 39-minute piece recorded in a single take). However, the double-album length of "666" and the musical experimentation, as well as the subject matter, also exacerbated Mercury's ire. Another bone of contention was the sleeve note stating "This album was recorded under the influence ofSahlep ." This was at first suspected to be either a drug or some form of occult ritual; in fact it is a drink popular around the eastern Mediterranean and made from the dried powdered roots of a type of orchid. After Roussos and Sideras had already released their first solo albums, Mercury finally agreed to release "666" one year after completion and two years after Roussos, Sideras and Koulouris had finished their parts in it, and it came out in1972 , as did a single taken from it - "Break".Current fans and critics typically rate "666" as the group's finest effort;
Allmusic gives it 4½ stars (although their review does say "the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through").Track listing
Disc one
#"The System" - 0:23
#"Babylon" - 2:47
#"Loud, Loud, Loud" - 2:42
#"The Four Horsemen" - 5:53
#"The Lamb" - 4:34
#"The Seventh Seal" - 1:30
#"Aegian Sea" - 5:22
#"Seven Bowls" - 1:28
#"The Wakening Beast" - 1:11
#"Lament" - 2:45
#"The Marching Beast" - 2:00
#"The Battle Of The Locusts" - 0:56
#"Do It" - 1:44
#"Tribulation" - 0:32
#"The Beast" - 2:26
#"Ofis" - 0:14Disc two
#"Seven Trumpets" - 0:35
#"Altamont" - 4:33
#"The Wedding of the Lamb" - 3:38
#"The Capture of the Beast" - 2:17
#"∞" - 5:15
#"Hic et Nunc" - 2:55
#"All the Seats Were Occupied" - 19:21
#"Break" - 2:59External links
* [http://www.engelen.demon.nl/666.htm "666" lyrics]
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