Direct is probably the most unusual and interesting of Vangelis albums. It is mainly because Vangelis uses more "new age" sounds and technology and has a more computer sound to it. It still, however, has that "Vangelis flair" to it... spontaneity, originally and creativeness. Direct is also an excellent CD to listen to while on the Web or on the computer. Dennis Lodewijks named his Vangelis site after the fourth track, "Elsewhere." The only mailing list devoted to Vangelis is named DIRECT. (For more information, turn to this page). (The name Direct comes from a patented device used for non-programmed, synthesizer playing and was made for Vangelis)

(Tracks 5 and 12 are bonus tracks on the CD and are not available on the LP version)

[1] THE MOTION OF STARS
It was Carl Sagan who told me (by Cosmos) that stars move their positions through time if we stay here on Earth. Stars also "move" when we change our position to another point in space. (Probably, when space travel expands out more, we will have to depend on the stars, not constellations). Vangelis seems to illustrate a sort of cosmic dance using very harp-like sounds and harp-like melodies. When listening to this track, it is almost like ice skaters or modern dance. Crazy, eh?

[2] THE WILL OF THE WIND
Have you ever seen time-lapse photography of the sky or of the Earth? You notice that the world flashes by before your eyes and the sky performs a certain dance. I think that is what I feel or see when listening to this. Some days, the sky changes from bright to a very dark by storm clouds. Some days, islands of clouds rush by, not really changing the color of the sky. Vangelis illustrates change in the most steadiest of ways... not significantly changing. Or maybe he decides to change at will...

[3] METALLIC RAIN
I always try to imagine rainy days when listening to this. It took a while for me but now I imagine myself in the tropics. The scene is out on the porch of a summer home in, say, the Bahamas and the weather is stormy. The sky is dark but the rain is warm, like a shower almost. You have no intention of returning indoors. Of course, I also imagine sharing this peaceful moment with a girlfriend (currently, I don't have one at the moment but I can always imagine). I only imagine the tropical rain, not the cold, New England kind of rain. I hate that kind!

[4] ELSEWHERE
This one presents a sort of lazy, daydream feeling. Maybe, this song can be played when people are able to go to space. I can see myself floating and tumbling while looking at the Earth below me in awe. The light synthesizer sounds and the occasional clarinet sound playing the melody gives a feeling of being... well, elsewhere. It is not really dynamic but it is excellent none of the less. This name was later use for the name of Dennis Lodewijks' Vangelis site and was chosen for no particular reason. Maybe Vangelis did this track for no particular reason also!

[5] DIAL OUT
This song combines that idea of dancing and nature evolving. To me, it is a weird combination of the first three tracks. You have some of the familiar synth sounds from all the tracks, the wind sound from "The Motion of Stars," the electric guitar sound from "Metallic Rain," and the form including the climax which occurs somewhere in the middle like in "Metallic Rain." This track is one of the "bonus tracks" which weren't in the LP version of Direct but are on a LP single (and later put on the CD version) for time reasons.

[6] GLORIANNA (Hymn a la Femme)
Some people don't like the sorprano on this track, who is a Greek mezzo-sorpano named Markella Hatziano (who did an excellent performance with Vangelis at the Antigone concert). This always makes me think of the heavens and someone signing a beautiful voice throughout the Cosmos (similar to Carl Sagan's notion of a "cosmic fugue"). The piece displays Vangelis' ability to beautifully blend the female voice (as he will do later on with Monsterrat Caballé in Foros Timis Ston Greco). To me, if the picture we all see is the heavens, why are we so afraid of it? Why can't we instead embrace it and adore it? It strikes you straight into heart. I love it!

[7] ROTATION'S LOGIC
Vangelis is, I think, musically translating Sir Isaac Newton. Along with wording the concept of motion and gravity (he didn't "discover" it), Newton also developed higher math that Greeks didn't even come close to figuring out. This will be calculus. Calculus was invented so Newton could figure out the motion of anything (in this case, planet orbits). What does this have to do with this track? Well, Vangelis is telling us, in his own way, about motion and flowing. This piece is a perfect of a music form (Melody A is played, then Melody B, then back to A, then C, and ending in A).

[8] THE ORACLE OF APOLLO
There was an "oracle of Apollo." The Temple of Apollo (the Greek god of music, healing, arts, etc.) was at Delphi, located along the slope of Mount Parnassus, north of the Gulf of Corinth. In literature, it was always portrayed as a place where people figure out their fates and realize that they can't avoid it. The piece however, gives a more angelic look to that place. Instead of portraying priestess mumbling out the fates and looking very dark and gloomy (which Vangelis probably could have done), it is rather illustrating Orpheus' sweet music on the lyre. Vangelis can work up magic.

[9] MESSAGE
When listening to this track, I thought that this would be excellent to the movie based on the Carl Sagan (R.I.P.) novel, Contact. It is the why that it speaks for itself if you know the true idea of the book. To me, when listening to this dynamic track, I visualize the confusion, the excitement and the fear that the Message brought to Earth. The movie is intense and so is the music. (Actually, it goes better with the ads for Contact). Still, it is a very well-written piece with a little hints of the famous "Baroque-style trumpet trill."

[10] AVE
I don't know if Vangelis meant Avenue or Awe misspelled or what. It could also mean "Hail." This track is very interesting because it sound more party like and festive. Vangelis knows how to party? I wouldn't recommend to a DJ at a party but it could be a perfect party song. It is happy in its rhythm and gives you that party feeling due to the percussion machine used. It gradually builds throughout the piece and then slowly dies down again around halfway through the song. (This could also be looked on as a sort of prelude to Voices)

[11] FIRST APPROACH
This is a very slow, ballad-like piece with little crescendos. I always imagined this piece to be perfect for slow dancing. The only problem is that there is no real obvious rhythm or beat to dance to. "First Approach" is also perfect for any landings on planets or space voyages because of the track's "delicacy." It is one of my definite favorites.

[12] INTERGALACTIC RADIO STATION
To me, this is like looking at the future when space will be more available to the public. Picture this: A teenager floating in his room, with posters (that stick and stay on) on the wall, the stars outside, things floating around that used to be on the floor on Earth (like the dirty socks, old shirts and a hockey stick) and a teenager relaxing to this music. His parents, and the rest of the crew probably yell "Shut that f---ing thing off!" Of course, I like that teenager's tastes in music. This music sounds like a rock (guitar sound, percussion and the keyboards) song with a hint of jazz (trumpet). I'm not sure if it will last into the future... but you may never know.