an uninspired Vangelis ...

If my criticism had sided with those, rave, which mark this page, I would not have bothered to post it. It is my passion for debate motivates me to comment on "Live" album that I tasted that moderately strong, no offense to all his fans for whom this is the best album of Vangelis. I will argue my contradictory position, that is the least of it.
First, I would like to revisit the highlights of this disc (which is not a complete failure, by the way). "Direct" is offered as a very refreshing album. Vangelis had not worked on a varied record since "See you later." This is great, "See you later" is one of my favorites. The moods therefore alternate between pulsed very pop-rock formats ("The motion of stars"; "The will of the wind"; "Intergalactic radio"), sentimental ballads ("Elsewhere"; "First approach"), the lyrical pieces where Vangelis recalls his taste for operatic atmospheres ("Glorianna" and "Message"). These changes of tones and rhythms, contrasting enough, help to give this album a carnival air where you never know what will happen in the next title.
I did not know the principle of unreleased Vangelis composition which was folded to this disc, I understand better now the title "Direct" which reflects the spontaneity with which the Greek artist composed the songs while recording at the same time . Armed with this information that had escaped me, I must admit that this album demonstrates a certain virtuosity. But I knew long ago the ease with which Vangelis composed, without knowing a single note of music theory.
Regarding the title of this disc, I must confess that I do really appreciate two: very nice, as much as powerful dreamlike "Metallic Rain" and the very rock "Intergalactic radio" close atmospheres of "See you later "especially with that voice seeming man emerged from a speaker that is reminiscent of the excellent" I can not take it anymore. " I want to clarify that this title does not appear in the vinyl version of "Direct" (as he is present in the audio tape) without-doubt for indefinitely problems, and that's a shame because it ' is a catchy title.
I do not like however "Rotation's logic", "The oracle of Apollo" and "Ave" too easy to melodies that lack of inspiration Vangelis turned empty, soulless. "The oracle of Apollo" will not attract those who do not know "The Apocalypse of the Animals", "Wild Opera" or the main theme of the film "Missing." A lovely harp on his delicate arpeggios deploying a lovely melody. This is a priori the ingredients with which Vangelis usually excels. But "The oracle of Apollo" never reached even a tenth of that emotion and poetry of 'The little girl of the sea "(Apocalypse of animals), the fault of a melody to forced prettiness . In place of poetry in which the composer had to suck it gives us here what he wrote more dripping with good feelings, in short an insipid sentimentality. "Ave" does not shine by its originality. In the same vein, the title "First approach" seems more successful thanks to a clear and beautiful melody that the musician develops quite effectively. Damage, however, that he did not appeal to a real cello. This sound electronic cello sounds really too "cheap". This destroys the integrity of the title.
"If" Direct "fulfills a desire for renewal in the process of creating Vangelis, he never found the peaks of the earlier work. It is a bit tired Vangelis me it seems, that will confirm the following two albums "The City" and "Oceanic". 1988-1990, that a slump in his career. This is only natural when you come out discs for almost twenty years. Every artist is experiencing an upswing and downswing . The ascending phase of Vangelis lasted much longer than average, making it a composer of the highest order. Greece can be proud of the musical heritage he bequeathed to his descendants.
In 1998, he will give us what may be his final masterpiece, "El Greco", an instrumental work of beauty, a requiem to the dark solemnity sublime.