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This album is an interesting one in itself. This is Vangelis' first solo album and the beginning of his own solo career. After his success with producing and making music with Aphrodite's Child, he soon left the rock scene to pursue his own destiny. In this album, you can hear hints of his rock past and hear some sounds which will be rediscovered again in an entirely different form. This is the beginning of a musical journey.
[1] COME ON
This one can get pretty repetive, boring and scary but gives a hint of Vangelis' rock roots. You have to remember, this was 1973. In 1972, he broke up with Aphrodite's Child and pursued his own solo career. Of course, there was a part of Vangelis that might have missed that sound and that feeling. Vangelis returns to it with electric guitar sounds, heavy percussion and simple lyrics which he wrote himself (shows how clever he is with words!)
[2] WE ARE ALL UPROOTED
After looking at the lyrics, I still don't get an intellectual grasp (and also I can get very tired). Like what Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap said, "I get a sense of it, I just don't understand it." It basically describes the human race in its beginnings and its own little evolution. The song itself is pretty calm and it is similiar to Soil Festivities.
[3] SUNNY EARTH
This one makes me think of tribal ritual dances of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. It begins with a choir and series of various percussion instruments. Then it all dies away and transforms itself into a more fast-paced song. The sounds also remind me of Greece and for natural reasons of course!
[4] HE-HO
Could the great Vangelis be playing an enigma on us? The story is about a guy who approaches someone's door, knocks on it and as soon as it is answered, he leaves never to return again. Sometimes life can be like that, when things appear for an instant but soon leaves us before we can comprehend it. That what life is all about... a series of events (some of them weird) which can influence and direct your character. Either that, or Vangelis is actually trying to make music, which in itself is an enigma.
[5] RITUAL
[6] LET IT HAPPEN
[7] THE CITY
[8] MY FACE IN THE RAIN
[9] WATCH OUT
[10] A SONG
I can link this album to two others... 1492 and Mask. This song is like the album Mask in the sense that it makes you visualize another civilization, ancient yet complex. Also, the fact that they are signing phonetics instead of words (which is what Vangelis seems to enjoy). It's also the same signers from the song "The Lamb" from
I like this because of the blues style guitars, the nice synth background and the lyrics. This reminds me of a class I attended at the Shenadoah University Performing Arts Camp called "Dalcroze Eurythmics." It teaches you about rhythm and moving to music instead of just playing it. That is what this song is about... letting the music flow through you and then letting it out. Great philosophy, eh?
This song is simply bells and city noises. Vangelis seems to enjoy the sounds of everyday life because in them is a kind of music, a sound we sometimes can't explain but enjoy it anyway. Vangelis will later explore a city later on in his musical journey.
One day, I was completely frustrated with doing everything. I had school assignments, people to deal with, working on writing and other materials. Tired with it all, I pulled out my dad's vinyl version of Earth and played this song. I knew it would be relaxing and makes me think of rain and how calm it can be. For a moment, ich bin den Welt abhanden gekommen (I have become adrift from the world).
This song is full of intense energy and power. It is also full of suspense with ever-changing crsecendos and tempos. It is wonderful to watch images fly by of crash scenes, explosions and fight scenes and this is all possible if you can have a violent imagination.
This song is special to me. I remember in fourth grade, we had to make up a species of insect and I modeled mine after the swallowed-tail butterfly, native to Indonesia. This butterfly would play melodies to relaxed itself or to enhance the mood and it would play this song. I also played this song in memoriam to our decased cat, Sprite (died 6 July 1994). This song explains the nature of music as a way to praise nature and that it should be for everybody and everything. It belongs to the earth...
