Blade Runner by Vangelis

Blade Runner by Vangelis, the soundtrack to the film of the same name by director Ridley Scott, was released in 1994, twelve years after it was composed and the film's release.

It contains absolutely magnificent songs, including "Blade Runner (End Titles), the album's masterpiece in my opinion, a song that approaches perfection, and "Tears in Rain," a synth-heavy New Age track that brings to mind the magnificent monologue, the final words of the character Roy Batty (played by Rutger Hauer), which for beauty's sake I quote in full:

"I've seen things you humans couldn't imagine:

Fighting ships on fire off the bastions of Orion,

and I've seen B-beams flashing in the darkness near the Tannhäuser Gate.

And all those moments will be lost in time,

like tears in the rain.

It's time to die."

...Shudders at the thought.

Di Vangelis's solo output has been not only prolific but also studded with hits. This is perhaps the most well-known and resounding, along with the soundtrack "Chariots of Fire" from director Hugh Hudson's 1981 film "Chariots of Fire," the album that won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1982.

And these are just a few of his works. A small portion of the work of an immense composer and musician; many of his lesser-known works are even superior to those mentioned. We'll discuss them later.

The soundtrack to "Blade Runner" was nominated for a Golden Globe and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA Award in 1983, but its release was delayed for over a decade.

There are three official versions of "Blade Runner":

The first is an orchestral performance by the New American Orchestra, released in 1982 due to the absence of official material.
Two tracks from the soundtrack were included on the compilation Themes.

The official release didn't arrive until 1994.

Some bootlegs containing previously unreleased tracks were subsequently released.

The album wasn't a critical success and isn't purely prog. It contains songs that are carefully crafted based on the context and narrative of one of the most beautiful films ever written and produced. In my personal ranking, it would be at the top of a list of sci-fi films, which I'm a fan of.

Only a few notes on the tracks, but let's be clear: the album needs to be listened to in its entirety, and if you have a good audio/video system, it needs to be listened to and seen to fully appreciate it.

"The Main Titles" is an exceptional song, a New Age-style instrumental, a triumph of synthesizers.
"Blush Response" is a mesmerizing, electronic track. Beautiful.
"Wait for Me" is a spectacular composition.
"Rachel's Song" is an excellent instrumental with beautiful melodies.
Love Theme, engaging and mysterious with a stunning, atmospheric sax.
"One More Kiss Dear" is the least engaging track compared to the others, but as I said, the need to map onto the narrative obviously and rightly influenced some tracks.
"Blade Runner Blues" is influenced by the masters of psychedelia with magnificent synths.
"Memories of Green" is romantic and calm with excellent piano.
"Tales of the Future" is the strangest track on the album, even in terms of vocals.
"Damask Rose" is a smooth and atmospheric piece.
"Blade Runner (End Titles)" - Already mentioned

Tears in Rain" - Already mentioned

An album that approaches the status of a musical masterpiece, predominantly new-age with an excellent and imposing use of synthesizers, of which Vangelis is an absolute master.

Highly recommended!

The Tracks

1. Main Titles (3:42)

2. Blush Response (5:47)

3. Wait for Me (5:27)

4. Rachel's Song (4:46)

5. Love Theme (4:56)

6. One More Kiss, Dear (3:58)

7. Blade Runner Blues (8:53)

8. Memories of Green (5:05)

9. Tales of the Future (4:46)

10. Damask Rose (2:32)

11. Blade Runner (End Titles) (4:40)

12. Tears in Rain (3:00)

Duration 57:30

Line-Up

- Evangelos Papathanassiou (Vangelis) - Yamaha CS-80 - GS1 FM, Roland ProMars - Jupiter-4 - CR-5000 drum machine - VP-330 Vocoder Plus, Prophet-10, sampler emulator, modified Fender Rhodes, gamelan, glockenspiel, gong, snare drum, timpani, tubular bells, arranger and producer

With:

- Mary Hopkin - vocals (4)

- Don Percival - vocals (6)

- Demis Roussos - vocals (9)

- Dick Morrissey - saxophone (5)