Beaubourg
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3.7
Average of 7 reviews
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If you're a fan of Robert Fripp's -"Frippertronics"....you'll probably like this album.
Some folks reckon he whipped up this monster 'cause he had to churn out one more album for RCA, but those who think that usually don't get the madness hidden inside. After the uplifting Heaven & Hell, Albedo 0.39 and Spiral, fans were left wondering what magic Vangelis would cook up next. Instead, he served up a dish that could only be called pure mayhem. Though it's split into two "parts," there's way more going on. Truth is, nothing stays the same for more than half a minute (and when it does, you're left dangling on a cliff of uneasy tension). It's downright funny to hear people labeling Vangelis as "Easy Listening Electronica" or even "New Age" after hearing this. No fooling, this ain't easy on the ears or the brain. It's probably the only record I've got that I'll never listen to unless I'm stone-cold sober. My goodness, it'd take some serious nerve to sit down and listen to this while high. I can't even put it into words, other than what I've already said: pure, unadulterated chaos.
Speed wavers are a real issue, and there's a noticeable dent from a factory defect - I've got the initial Japanese CD press, and it appears to be the sole version that sounds decent.
Initially, I encountered a snippet of this album on a 'Best of Vangelis' compilation. Apart from the melodies and approachability of sequencer-based tracks like 'Spiral' and 'Pulstar', this one seemed completely at odds. These days, esteemed artists play it safe when trying something a bit 'out there' by calling it an 'installation piece' to avoid any potential embarrassment. Not our Greek friend! Vangelis never intentionally hid behind his wobbly array of analogue synthesizers like that. Dark, ominous, and not what most folks were after, you can actually hear the maestro himself tweaking the VCO/VCF knobs! A treasure desperately crying out for a remaster, though. I hear there was a 'corrected mastertape' version put out by RCA, but that and the Vinyl copies suffered from noticeable Master Tape 'drag'.
Has anyone else noticed a bit of pitch instability on side one? Could it just be the settings Vangelis used on his CS-80, or is there more to it?
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