One record at a time: 441. Vangelis - Chariots of Fire

My copy of "Chariots of Fire" is a reissue that was pressed after the film won numerous Academy Awards; including that for best score. This is actually one of few Vangelis albums that I never bought on CD and I hadn't heard it in its entirety until I acquired this LP from eBay in 2016. Whilst visually this record is in pretty good nick, there are a few pieces of sticky debris that cause the needle to jump now and again - I will have to put it through my record cleaner at some stage.

Unless you have been living in a cave for forty years you will have heard the main theme from "Chariots of Fire" a thousand times. The music is so overused it has become a cliche. Yet if you can transcend above the cliche, you will find a fascinating piece of music that has to be considered amongst the composers best work. What I didn't realise about this record is that all the music is re-recorded especially for this release and does not feature the actual cues used in the film. I am told the original music is somewhat less embellished and everything seems to have been enhanced for the commercial release of the soundtrack.

"Five Circles" is a stirring theme played on the famous Yamaha CS-80 brass presets and we hear the familiar Rhodes piano on "Abraham's Theme". So far, so Vangelis. Then, rather strangely, we are presented with the traditional English hymn "Jerusalem" - but this performance has nothing to do with Vangelis. 

The second side of the disc features the title track that is twenty minutes in length. In this piece Vangelis takes the main theme and offers variations that have classical overtones. This music is driven by the sound of the grand piano and electronic instruments are only used to add embellishments here and there. There's nothing on this second side to get excited about and the music tends to melt into the background as your mind wanders away. 2/5