I remember one time going to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. There, I saw Claude Monet's "Rouen Cathedral." The painting itself was magnificent. What really got to me was the process that Monet took to make it. He would stand out and sit down in front of the cathedral and watch it change throughout the day. He noticed the sun's position affecting the appearance of the cathedral. What does it have to do with Vangelis and The City? In my mind, Vangelis did pretty much the same thing. He captured all the atmosphere and human activity in a city and "translate" it into music. This is a chronological journey into city life. (Suggestion: If you have this CD, make it the whole album repeat)

[1] DAWN
The only good thing about waking up early in the morning to go to school was watching the sunrise. It was beautiful how the sun would burst open and the sky would be in different colors like pink, orange and blue. It was so magnificent. God knows how to attract an audience with His artwork. "Dawn" is very slow and quiet, just like waking up to the sunrise. You prepare for another day of work or school, but for a moment, you are at peace with nature. You can appreciate the morning despite the fact that you have work to do.

[2] MORNING PAPERS
I like the transition between the end of "Dawn" and the beginning of "Morning Papers." It is a simple dialogue between Roman Polanski and his wife, Emmanuelle Signer. He later goes outside and you hear the noise of the city in the background. That is so fascinating to hear the noises and atmosphere of the city. Afterwards, it develops into a kind of quiet, jazz sound combing electronic sounds, percussion and a "clarinet." I always imagine someone getting breakfast in a suburban neighborhood or preparing for work. It also makes you feel all sleepy-eyed.

[3] NERVE CENTRE
"Nerve Centre" I recommend listening to if you like the electric guitar sound. It is an excellent song to listen to loud. By loud, I mean full volume and the bass/treble up to full blast. You can have the house shaking with that and I'm honest. I think it illustrates work or school in how you have to think and process and do. Your daily activities have a certain complexity and liveliness to it, even if it is routine. Vangelis illustrates that very well.

[4] SIDE STREETS
Have you ever look outside of your office? Did you ever take a break and walk around the city? There is activity and atmosphere out there. The piece is very short, somewhat slow but can also represent traffic speed! I always imagine a city like New York when listening to this song. The sound of the moped starting however, makes me think of Paris, Rome or Berlin. Another thing I like about it is the cello sound for the melody. The display of percussion makes it feels like you are looking at the city from a sidewalk. Next time, walk to your home from a downtown city and feel the atmosphere.

[5] GOOD TO SEE YOU
I always imagine someone returning home after a long day. Of course, the image is a woman walking across a street to the front door of her apartment building. Everything else from there melts into paradise. First off, do you feel tired after a long day at work or school? I know that feeling. Don't you feel like you just want to relax and let the world fly by. Vangelis does that very well. With the choice of percussion and light synthesizer sound, he makes us feel like hours pass by carelessly. The woman speaking (Kathy Hill does it, by the way) represents the social time. It also reminds me of people I bumped into in places I'd never expect!

[6] TWILIGHT
Ah, time to relax. The sound produced is very soothing and dreamy. It makes you think of a relaxing, cool evening outside in the city with the sunset displaying its magnificent array of colors. The day is done and the world pauses for you and your relaxation. Do you feel that? (Yeah, you're falling sleep on the keyboard like I'm probably doing). Vangelis knows about sleeping and dreaming at the end of the day. Doesn't that feel good? (Of course, you're homework must be done first!)

[7] RED LIGHTS
I think this one symbolizes rush hour and getting home. Just as you think, that the city is done for the day, you're absolutely and totally wrong. Vangelis kind of wakes you up and realize that the city is best alive in the evening. Traffic is busier at night and there are activities that can be done in the evening, whether it be boring housekeeping procedures to a perfect night on the town. (The language spoken on that track is Japanese and at this moment, a very, incomprehensible Japanese)