Customer Reviews

Themes

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even if my wife restricts me to just one wallet of CDs, this CD comes along on every vacation. Whether I'm in a plane, walking alone on a deserted beach, or gazing upon some panorama, there are key tracks on this Vangelis compilation which always accentuate the experience.

The track listing on the CD cover is given in a glorious wide-screen format, but only around half the pieces here are from well-known feature films. The two stand-out tracks, unobtainable anywhere else, are the opening and closing titles from 'The Bounty'. The first exudes menace and beauty simultaneously. The second is simply the best musical impression of the sea I know, and could well be in the Top Ten tracks of my entire CD collection.

The sleevenotes are informative: Vangelis doesn't work, as many film composers do, with click tracks. Nor is he like the other extreme, Tangerine Dream, who didn't even bother to see William Fridekin's movie of 'The Sorcerer' before composing their soundtrack. He sits back from the movie, absorbs the atmosphere adn emotion, and creates music which captures the spirit of the visual image. This means that Vangelis' music stands on its own, and can be appreciated without first seeing the movie.

Not enough tracks from 'Chariots of Fire' are here, in my view. I particularly miss 'Abraham's theme' and 'Eric's Theme'.

This is still a first-class trawl through Vangelis recent archives, harking back to an era when a soundtrack albums wasn't automatically released for every movie. In Vangelis' case, musical quality was clearly not the reason for their non-release.

THEMES is an album that truly expresses what Vangelis is all about:a new-age music genius.The compilation contains many of his best tracks like CHUNG KUO,TAO OF LOVE,HYMN,2 themes from BLADE RUNNER( the end titles and the love theme) and CHARIOTS OF FIRE, to name a few.This album is perfect for any VANGELIS lover.Most of the tracks on this compilation are soft and calming.Along with THE BEST OF VANGELIS,featuring his best electronic tracks of the 1970s, it is one of the best new-age compilations.Vangelis makes beautiful music and his art can never be imitated.Just by popping in this incredible CD you will relax and travel millions of miles away in your thoughts.This is a purchase you will not regret!

Worth it for the price alone for the themes from the Bounty. Another winner from a instrumental music GOD. This music is timeless and evokes such emotion that one cannot explain it. BUY IT!

It's the best of solo Vangelis anyway. It would really be the best if it included "Friends of Mr. Cairo." But that is the only significant omission.

People who encounter this album for the first time will probably be shocked at the number of familiar melodies on it. Vangelis will undoubtedly endure past the "new age" bin in the record store. He certainly does not belong in the same category as Yanni and John Tesh. As a composer of simple, memorable instrumental melodies, he has no modern superior. "Hymn[e]" will survive for hundreds of years or until the apocalypse.

Themes displays the full range of Vangelis's performance and arrangement skills. By and large he performs all of his music himself (on a variety of instruments). He also has a deft touch as an arranger--generally preferring the sparse (L'Enfant, Hymn, Chariots of Fire) but capable of extraordinarily dense layerings that threaten to become sonic smears, but never quite do (Blade Runner).

You can't go wrong with this collection. Many people will be mesmerized by it and hardly anyone will be completely turned off by it. Even if you think the rest is too sugary, you can put on the Blade Runner titles and turn the stereo all the way up. Who can argue with that?

If you're new to Vangelis, this should be your first. As a huge Vangelis fan, I've found it to be his best collection and wonderful to listen to over and over. It fits just about any mood and is a CD keeper. The Bounty is a completely welcome addition (since I haven't seen it anywhere else)

I first purchased this album in 1989 on cassette and fell in love with it immediately. This is the Whitman's sampler of Vangelis for the uninitiated, and is a great album to listen to while on long road trips, kite flying, painting, etc. Very rich, moving music. Enough that's familiar with most, and just enough more that gets you interested.

Case in point: I had barely even heard of The Bounty until I came across this album, and after renting the movie, I was absolutely stunned by both the work and the film itself (Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson do a Lt. Bligh and Mr. Christian that will blow your mind - and the soundtrack is so elegant that your toes will curl up!) Memories of Green is also hauntingly beautiful, and finally paying attention to it in Blade Runner really brings the point home. It's sad and lonely and just angsty enough to get the point across, and it stays with you.

Sadly, my copy of this CD was lost with my entire collection several years ago, and I've looked long and hard to get it replaced. If you can, get it. It's really something. Definitely worth many, many listens. You'll be happy to have this disc in your library, and I have a feeling you'll play it often. Other favorites that I've kept with this one have been the Soundtracks from Blade Runner and Antarctica.

Really stunning music - this one's a keeper. Wow!

This CD was my favorite to listen to while studying for college. What a remarkable, versatile talent Vangelis is, too bad he has faded from the scene. His music has graced movies and TV commercials. Great buy!

While not an extensive or truly a best of collection this is the Vangelis sampler to either satisfy old fans or entice and capture new ones. I have had this cd in my collection since it appeared in 1989. Enough of what is missing on here or what should have been omitted by other reviewers' opinions. I cannot categorize this cd under New Age or soundtrack themes...It is simply timeless and breathtaking as the first time I heard it back in college. Vangelis is possibly the only musical genius that can make such modern electronic wizadry come alive in order to truly reflect human warmth and lush dreamscapes...He is an artist that makes the listener forget he is using technology to accomplish some of the most unearthly and unheard of musicalscapes in the world! Whether the melodies or instrumentals are sparse and simple, they are yet powerful and memorable. When they are layered heavily in all their artisitic glory the magical experience is that much more...It is now time for Vangelis to release a Themes 2 (bootleg or European copy was created years ago---a very rare find and not sure if Vangelis authorized it).Hopefully he will include more from the Bounty, Missing, Bitter Moon, and any other unreleased material that is still highly sought after by Vangelis fans such as myself !...

I am relatively new to Vangelis. The first CD I owned was "Reprise," and that was because a friend gave it to me as a gift. I fell in love with it. I came to amazon and researched his other works, and "Themes" seemed to receive the most praise. I ordered it, and immediately fell in love with it, too. The best song on the album, and the best Vangelis song I've heard yet, is the "Theme from Missing." I've never heard such beautiful, sad, heart-wrenching music. I listened to it 3 times in a row, in awe of how wonderful it was. I couldn't believe I'd never heard it before. THe music from Blade Runner was also fantastic--and I immediately remembered hearing it in the movie, particularly the love theme. This CD makes me want to buy even more Vangelis music--and I highly recommend it for anyone who is curious about his sound.

This album is a compilation of Vangelis' various movie and album hits through the years. Included among previously unreleased soundtracks are the theme from 'Bladerunner', 'Missing' and 'The Bounty'. The most famous Vangelis theme, 'Chariots of Fire' is on this release as well. A wonderfully pleasant album, even in spite of the lack of continuity between most tracks.