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666 (The Apocalypse of John, 13/18) is a double album by psychedelic/progressive art rock group Aphrodite's Child. It is one of the early cult albums in rock history, and is still popular among fans today. It was released in 1972, and was the primary vehicle/effort for the Vangelis project. It had a minor Album Oriented Radio hit in "The Four Horsemen", and a nearly pop hit with "Break". The album was ostensibly an adaptation of Biblical passages from the book of the same name, but was also very experimental in lyrics and composition, including a curious piece of performance art in which Greek actress Irene Papas performs a struggle to chant a mantra while in the throes of hysteria.
Conception
Essentially, 666 was Vangelis' concept, created with an outside lyricist, Costas Ferris. The music that Vangelis was creating for 666 was much more psychedelic and progressive rock oriented than anything the band had done before. The music itself was an impressive display of Vangelis' abilities, combining psychedelic and progressive rock with ethnic instruments, choral chanting, recitations, and very advanced use of synthesizers and keyboards for the time. In time the album became recognized as one of the most important early progressive rock works, and a defining example of the concept album. 666 also made Vangelis an underground name to watch, and in 1974 earned him an offer from Jon Anderson to join Yes following the departure of Rick Wakeman.
Release
Just before the release of the album Vangelis engaged in a long fight with Mercury Records over the content of the album. The record company, in particular, objected to the song "∞" (infinity), which they considered obscene. It consisted of Irene Papas chanting the words "I was, I am, I am to come" over and over again in various stages of hysteria, while Vangelis accompanied her on a maelstrom of percussion (the five-minute finished track was reportedly edited down from a 39-minute piece recorded in a single take). However, the double-album length of 666 and the musical experimentation, as well as the subject matter, also exacerbated Mercury's ire. Another bone of contention was the sleeve note stating "This album was recorded under the influence of Sahlep." This was at first suspected to be either a drug or some form of occult ritual; in fact it is a drink popular around the eastern Mediterranean and made from the dried powdered roots of a type of orchid. After Roussos and Sideras had already released their first solo albums, Mercury finally agreed to release 666 one year after completion and two years after Roussos, Sideras and Koulouris had finished their parts in it, on its progressive rock subsidiary Vertigo Records. The single "Break" also came out in 1972, as did a single vinyl edition of the album in Brazil, also titled Break.
Current fans and critics typically rate 666 as the group's finest effort; Allmusic gives it 4½ stars (although their review does say "the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through"). IGN rated the album #3 on their top 25 list.[3] of the best prog rock albums. In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition ‘’Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock’’, the album came #40 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".[4]
Track listing
Vinyl release
Side One
No. Title Length
1. "The System" 0:23
2. "Babylon" 2:47
3. "Loud, Loud, Loud" 2:42
4. "The Four Horsemen" 5:53
5. "The Lamb" (Instrumental) 4:34
6. "The Seventh Seal" 1:30
Side Two
No. Title Length
1. "Aegean Sea" 5:22
2. "Seven Bowls" 1:28
3. "The Wakening Beast" (Instrumental) 1:11
4. "Lament" 2:45
5. "The Marching Beast" (Instrumental) 2:00
6. "The Battle of the Locusts" (Instrumental) 0:56
7. "Do It" 1:44
8. "Tribulation" (Instrumental) 0:32
9. "The Beast" 2:26
10. "Ofis" 0:14
Side Three
No. Title Length
1. "Seven Trumpets" 0:35
2. "Altamont" 4:33
3. "The Wedding of the Lamb" (Instrumental) 3:38
4. "The Capture of the Beast" (Instrumental) 2:17
5. "∞" 5:15
6. "Hic et Nunc" 2:55
Side Four
No. Title Length
1. "All the Seats were Occupied" 19:21
2. "Break" 2:59
Brazilian vinyl release (released as Break)
Side One
No. Title Length
1. "Babylon" 2:52
2. "The Four Horsemen" 6:10
3. "The Lamb" 4:40
4. "Aegean Sea" 5:22
5. "The Beast" 2:26
Side Two
No. Title Length
1. "All the Seats were Occupied" 19:21
2. "Break" 2:59
CD release
Disc One
No. Title Length
1. "The System" 0:23
2. "Babylon" 2:47
3. "Loud Loud Loud" 2:42
4. "The Four Horsemen" 5:54
5. "The Lamb" (Instrumental) 4:33
6. "The Seventh Seal" 1:30
7. "Aegian Sea" 5:22
8. "Seven Bowls" 1:29
9. "The Wakening Beast" (Instrumental) 1:11
10. "Lament" 2:45
11. "The Marching Beast" (Instrumental) 2:00
12. "The Battle of the Locusts" (Instrumental) 0:56
13. "Do It" 1:44
14. "Tribulation" (Instrumental) 0:32
15. "The Beast" 2:26
16. "Ofis" 0:14
Total length:
36:28
Disc Two
No. Title Length
1. "Seven Trumpets" 0:35
2. "Altamont" 4:33
3. "The Wedding of the Lamb" (Instrumental) 3:38
4. "The Capture of the Beast" (Instrumental) 2:17
5. "∞" 5:15
6. "Hic et Nunc" 2:55
7. "All the Seats were Occupied" 19:19
8. "Break" 2:58
Total length:
41:30
Personnel
Band musicians
Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) : keyboards, organ, piano, vibraphone, bass, flute, percussions, backing vocals
Demis Roussos (Artemiros Ventouris Roussos) : lead vocals (on "Babylon", "The Four Horsemen", "Hic et Nunc"), backing vocals, bass, guitar
Lucas Sideras : lead vocals (on "The Beast", "Break"), backing vocals, drum kit, snare drums
Silver Koulouris (Anargyros Koulouris) : guitar, baritone guitar, percussions
Guest musicians
Harris Halkitis : bass, tenor saxophone, congas, percussions, drums, snare drums, background vocals
Michel Ripoche : trombone, tenor saxophone (on "Babylon", "Hic et Nunc")
Irene Papas : vocals (on "∞")
John Forst : vocals (English text narration)
Yannis Tsarouchis : vocals (Greek text narration)
Lyricist
Costas Ferris
Production
Hans Brethouwer : mastering
Gerard Fallec : production coordination
Minoru Harada : product manager
Roger Roche : engineer
Hitoshi Takiguchi : mastering engineer
Kiyoshi Tokiwa : art coordinator
Vangelis Papathanassiou : producer
References
^ 666 Aphrodite's Child Allmusic.com Steven McDonald
^ Ross Bennett. "Aphrodite’s Child - Disc of the day - Mojo". Mojo4music.com. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
^ "Top 25 Prog Rock Albums". IGN. Retrieved 2010-12-22.
^ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
External links
666 lyrics
Aphrodite's Child – 666 at Discogs
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