An Apocalyptic Opus: Vangelis's Heaven & Hell's 50th
Vangelis was a true God of electronic music. Throughout the 1970s and into the 80s he not only released several groundbreaking albums, but changed the way film scores were considered with his scores to Chariots of Fire and Bladerunner. But his crowning achievement, and the album on which Vangelis came into his own was Heaven and Hell, released in November 1975. Vangelis was already a rock star in Europe, with his group Aphrodite’s Child. They released 3 albums culminating in their epic 1972 record, 666. By 
then, Vangelis was already scoring the apocalypse. He went solo after that, releasing the album, Earth in 1973. This is pre-synthesizer Vangelis, playing Hammond L100 organ, Elka Tornado reed organ, Selmer Clavioline, percussion, flute, tabla and some other odds and ends. But it was with his next release, Heaven & Hell that Vangelis became Vangelis
Heaven & Hell is a crowning achievement for Vangelis. Composed with just a couple of synthesizers, a ton of percussion and the English Chamber Choir, it’s a dynamic and heroic work. From the opening synthesizer clarion, the choir calls out to the heavens, synthesizers spin in counterpoint to tuned percussion, and timpani and cymbals crash on the shores of Vangelis’ electronic orchestra. And check out Vangelis’ uncharacteristically jazzy Fender Rhodes keyboard playing. It also includes Jon Anderson’s imploringly serene interlude between movements, “So Long Ago, So Clear.”
For many people, this album was their introduction to Vangelis when “Movement 3” became the theme for the Carl Sagan television documentary series, Cosmos.
Vangelis left the planet at 79 on May 17th, 2022. Today, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of his album, Heaven & Hell .
See our list of 10 Essential Vangelis Albums.