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666 by The Aphrodite's Child, 1972 album
The Aphrodite's Child is a Greek band formed in 1967 by Vangelis Papathanassiou, Demis Roussos, and Loukas Sideras in Athens.
They achieved success in Europe with singles such as "Rain and Tears" and "It's Five O'Clock," and their first albums, End of the World (1968) and It's Five O'Clock (1969), featured psychedelic pop and ballads. Their masterpiece, 666, was also their third and final album.
After the band's breakup, Roussos embarked on a brilliant pop career, and Vangelis pursued electronic music and soundtracks. Vangelis passed away in 2022, and Roussos in 2015. Of their work with Aphrodite's Child, 666 remains, an absolute masterpiece.
666 is a seminal album for progressive rock, a concept album whose experimental nature sparked disagreements during the making of it, causing problems with the record company. The album's release was delayed for over a year due to the record company's dissatisfaction with some of its content, particularly the track "∞" (Infinity), in which Greek actress Irene Papas sings "I was, I am, I will be," representing a "psychedelic orgasm."
This is Universal's latest reissue, a limited edition double-disc set of red vinyl with remastered audio.
It is one of the most original progressive rock albums of all time, released after the band had already disbanded, featuring a superb performance by Demis Roussos and, of course, some great compositions by the great Vangelis.
It's a concept album inspired by the Book of Revelation: the front cover quotes the entire passage 13:18, which mentions the Number of the Beast, namely 666, which translates as "whoever has intelligence can interpret the number of the beast, which is 666."
It is undoubtedly a revolutionary masterpiece of progressive and psychedelic rock, with an extraordinary fusion of genres: progressive rock, psychedelic rock, traditional Greek music, jazz fusion, and electronic/avant-garde sound experiments. It's a rock opera that narrates the Apocalypse, culminating in the true end of the world.
Vangelis's keyboards are superb, along with the powerful rhythm section and superb guitar work.
The songs are beautiful, from the atmospheric "The Four Horsemen" with its great riffs and vocals, the beautiful "Babylon," the funk-influenced "The Beast," and especially the epic 19-minute closing suite, "All the Seats Were Occupied."
A great album, with classic melodies, from a band in a state of grace, with the two geniuses Vangelis and Roussos in perfect harmony.
A great classic and a milestone in progressive rock, way ahead of its time and a challenging listen in its experimental parts.
An absolute must-have for your collection.
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. The System (0:23)
2. Babylon (2:51)
3. Loud, Loud, Loud (2:37)
4. The Four Horsemen (5:57)
5. The Lamb (4:34)
6. The Seventh Seal (1:30)
7. Aegian Sea (5:25)
8. Seven Bowls (1:25)
9. The Wakening Beast (1:07)
10. Lament (2:55)
11. The Marching Beast (2:00)
12. The Battle of the Locusts (0:56)
13. Do It (1:45)
14. Tribulation (0:32)
15. The Beast (2:33)
16. Ofis (0:17)
17. Seven Trumpets (0:30)
18. Altamont (4:45)
19. The Wedding of the Lamb (3:35)
20. The Capture of the Beast (2:15)
21. ∞ (Infinity) (5:16)
22. Hic Et Nunc (3:00)
23. All the Seats Were Occupied (19:27)
24. Break (2:55)
Duration 78:30
LineUp
- Silver Koulouris - guitar, percussion
- Vangelis Papathanassiou - organ, piano, flute, percussion, vibraphone, backing vocals, arranger and producer
- Demis Roussos - bass, lead (2, 4, 22) and backing vocals
- Lucas Sideras - drums, lead (15, 24) and backing vocals
Featuring:
- Irene Papas - lead vocals (21)
- Harris Chalkitis - bass, tenor saxophone, congas, drums, backing vocals
- Michel Ripoche - trombone, tenor saxophone (2, 22)
- John Forst - narration
- Yannis Tsarouchis - Greek narration
