Heaven and Hell (Vangelis album)
Encyclopedia
Heaven and Hell, released in 1975, is the fifth solo album by Greek
electronic composer and artist Vangelis
. It got worldwide recognition through the use of "Movement 3" as the theme for the television documentary series Cosmos
.
The album has classical overtones, in contrast with the progressive rock
on both the previous and the following albums, Earth (1973) and Albedo 0.39
(1976) respectively. Vangelis would return to classical style work ten years later, on Mask (1985).Vangelis dabbles with choral sections joined with his now typical electronic washes of sound, a concept he would return to in the nineties with his Conquest of Paradise and Mythodea
. By now, Vangelis had left behind his electronic-progressive-rock forays. In fact, this album constitutes the first album where Vangelis establishes himself as one of the main figures in the growing musical genre of electronic instrumental and new age, creating a web of sound linking several simultaneous beats and melodic lines of different timbres on his synthesizers.
This album also marked the first collaboration between Vangelis and Jon Anderson
, on "So Long Ago, So Clear", which would continue more fully a few years later.
Heaven and Hell reached number 31 in the UK album charts in January 1976.
Older pressings of the LP had a more elaborate track listing (in parenthesis, even more details):
Part One:
Part Two:
"Movement 3" was used as the theme for the popular Carl Sagan
television series Cosmos
.
"So Long Ago, So Clear" is listed separately on the album sleeve in all editions, as opposed to the other tracks.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
electronic composer and artist Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
. It got worldwide recognition through the use of "Movement 3" as the theme for the television documentary series Cosmos
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage is a thirteen-part television series written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, with Sagan as presenter. It was executive-produced by Adrian Malone, produced by David Kennard, Geoffrey Haines-Stiles and Gregory Andorfer, and directed by the producers, David...
.
The album has classical overtones, in contrast with the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
on both the previous and the following albums, Earth (1973) and Albedo 0.39
Albedo 0.39
Albedo 0.39 is an album by the artist Vangelis, released in 1976. It is a concept album around space and space physics.Albedo 0.39 was the second album produced by Vangelis in Nemo Studios, London, which was his creative base until the late 1980s...
(1976) respectively. Vangelis would return to classical style work ten years later, on Mask (1985).Vangelis dabbles with choral sections joined with his now typical electronic washes of sound, a concept he would return to in the nineties with his Conquest of Paradise and Mythodea
Mythodea
Mythodea: Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey is a choral symphony by Greek electronic composer and artist Vangelis. Originally premiered in concert in 1993, it was published in 2001 by Vangelis' new record label Sony Classical, which also set up the NASA connection and promoted a new...
. By now, Vangelis had left behind his electronic-progressive-rock forays. In fact, this album constitutes the first album where Vangelis establishes himself as one of the main figures in the growing musical genre of electronic instrumental and new age, creating a web of sound linking several simultaneous beats and melodic lines of different timbres on his synthesizers.
This album also marked the first collaboration between Vangelis and Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, on "So Long Ago, So Clear", which would continue more fully a few years later.
Heaven and Hell reached number 31 in the UK album charts in January 1976.
Track listing
The audio CD has two tracks:- "Heaven and Hell Part I" – 21:58
- includes "So Long Ago, So Clear" – 4:58
- "Heaven and Hell Part II" – 21:16
Older pressings of the LP had a more elaborate track listing (in parenthesis, even more details):
Part One:
- "Bacchanale" – 4:40
- "Symphony to the Powers B" (Movements 1 and 2) – 8:18
- "Movement 3" (from "Symphony to the Powers B") – 4:03
- "So Long Ago, So Clear" – 5:00
Part Two:
- "Intestinal Bat" – 3:18
- "Needles and Bones" – 3:22
- "12 O'Clock" (in two parts) – 8:48
- "Aries" – 2:05
- "A Way" – 3:45
"Movement 3" was used as the theme for the popular Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
television series Cosmos
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage is a thirteen-part television series written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, with Sagan as presenter. It was executive-produced by Adrian Malone, produced by David Kennard, Geoffrey Haines-Stiles and Gregory Andorfer, and directed by the producers, David...
.
"So Long Ago, So Clear" is listed separately on the album sleeve in all editions, as opposed to the other tracks.
Personnel
- VangelisVangelisEvangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
- synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, BösendorferBösendorferBösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. The brand is known for producing pianos with a uniquely rich, singing, and sustaining tone...
grand piano, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, arrangements - Jon AndersonJon AndersonJon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
- vocals on "So Long Ago, So Clear" - Vana Veroutis - vocals on "12 O'Clock"
- English Chamber Choir, conducted by Guy Protheroe