Heaven and Hell-Vangelis

[teermin8r]

Buy it while it last. At the iTunes music store the Vangelis release 'Heaven and Hell' is only $1.98. I know its a mistake, should be about 7-$10. But hey get it before they figure it out, like I just did. You don't have to have an apple to purchase from the iTunes music store either. Just download iTunes for PC or Mac for free @ http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Of course they will want your credit card also. I have bought many songs and cds through them and am happy with the quality. Enjoy.

[ivan_2068]

Great album, IMHO Vangelis masterpiece, totaly different to the New Age Crap he recorded later and much better than the boring albums with Jon Anderson.

For 2 bucks is a bargain, sadly I bought it in Lima for US$ 26.00 a few years ago.

Iván

[teermin8r]

if Keithie would post in here, you would get to see the album cover

My Avatar is the front cover of the album............the back cover is much more serene I'll see if I can get a copy to post.

This is a very good work. It may even be Vangelis' best but I'll leave that open to debate.

[roger]

this album changed my life and what I thought music could be...
and yes, he hasn't matched it since, though I like Short Stories with Jon Anderson...

[Avian(Admin)]

This is a very important album for me, too. I really think that the end of Part 1 (the theme to Cosmos) is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

When Carl Sagan died in 1996, I was given the task of producing a tribute to him in some way, to show in front of a planetarium full of colleagues from around the country at a conference.

I watched a few episodes of Cosmos on VHS to get some inspiration, and remembered where the soundtrack came from. I had to track down the CD as an import - it had long ago been out of print in the U.S. (this is before it was reissued). I used the piece, and laid down samples of Carl Sagan quotes from Cosmos intersperced throughout. The soundtrack was moving enough, but then I choreographed it all to really beautiful laser light animation and Digistar effects. I played it in Philly under the dome to the convened crowd, and it left grown men crying. Thunderous applause and the like. I was used to positive crowd reactions to my work, but this was above and beyond. What a feeling!

It was especially nifty, too - I had just been told at the conference that I didn't get hired for a job I interviewed for a few months before (remind me to tell THAT story sometime - I found out at the reception!). The guy who told turned me down saw my presentation, and watched everyone congratulate me, wiping their eyes, etc. Hee hee. The postscript to the whole thing is that he hired me a few years later at his next job - in Kansas. And here I am.

Avian

Originally posted by Avian
This is a very important album for me, too. I really think that the end of Part 1 (the theme to Cosmos) is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

When Carl Sagan died in 1996, I was given the task of producing a tribute to him in some way, to show in front of a planetarium full of colleagues from around the country at a conference.

I watched a few episodes of Cosmos on VHS to get some inspiration, and remembered where the soundtrack came from. I had to track down the CD as an import - it had long ago been out of print in the U.S. (this is before it was reissued). I used the piece, and laid down samples of Carl Sagan quotes from Cosmos intersperced throughout. The soundtrack was moving enough, but then I choreographed it all to really beautiful laser light animation and Digistar effects. I played it in Philly under the dome to the convened crowd, and it left grown men crying. Thunderous applause and the like. I was used to positive crowd reactions to my work, but this was above and beyond. What a feeling!

It was especially nifty, too - I had just been told at the conference that I didn't get hired for a job I interviewed for a few months before (remind me to tell THAT story sometime - I found out at the reception!). The guy who told turned me down saw my presentation, and watched everyone congratulate me, wiping their eyes, etc. Hee hee. The postscript to the whole thing is that he hired me a few years later at his next job - in Kansas. And here I am.

Avian

Wow! Avian, what a moving story. I really enjoyed Carl Sagen's programme too. I love tha vision of the dandelion seed spacecraft and to this day whenever I see one floating on the spring breeze it reminds me of Carl.

I would have loved to see your tribute to him. I'm sure, having gotten to know you over the last couple of years, it would have been VERY moving and straight from the heart. Whenever we've mentioned him in the chat room I get a huge feeling of the respect and affection you had for him.

Heaven and Hell has memories for me too. I first heard the "So long ago so clear" section on a Radio show here in England and had to have it. I went to a record store close to where I worked and bought a copy only to get it home to find the vinyl was warped. I took it back and got a replacement which turned out to be flawed. The third copy was flawed and the fourth and the fifth. You'd think that having to wait until the sixth copy to get a good one would put me off the album for good.

Not a hope! It's a brilliant piece of music and whenever it comes out the PC speakers while I'm listening to Aural Moon I stop what I'm doing and listen.

Thanks for sharing your story, Avian. It's a nice feeling when someone speaks about someone they admired with affection.

[teermin8r]

I am curious if anyone has purchased this cd because of this post? If so let me know. Since my post it has moved to the number one Vangelis album sold on iTunes. They are also having free songs to download this week only @ iTunes to celebrate their first anniversary.

[jazzraptor]

Hi Chris:

Just downloaded. You should get a commission!