Aphrodite's Child - 666

Asylum

Having escaped the Melodic Care Facility via the Blues Explosion Nightclub I made a visit to the Aphrodite Asylum at 666 Aural Avenue this morning where I was strapped down and treated by Dr Vangelis and Nurse Roussos.

The medicine on offer is as effective as its progressive discovery in 1972, the psychedelic ingredients familiar now but certainly adventurous and dramatic in its day. Based loosely on The Apocalypse of John 13/18, this conceptual fancy leads to equally grand surgical explorations with keyboard, synthesiser and rampant percussion. Roussos’ vocal is wonderfully apt for the journey though hard at times to abstract from its latter pop emergence.

It is an eclectic mix within its double album origins: the track Loud, Loud, Loud is a young person’s spoken narrative accompanied by a simple piano and the background chanted chorus of loud, loud, loud. This leads into the first hearing of Roussos’ angelic vocal on The Four Horsemen with twinkling bells and organ adding to the soar and warble. Instrumental The Lamb introduces the Vangelis signature keyboard and synth orchestration, and then an adult narration talks the listener through its story, and the precise enunciation provides an anchoring then but seemingly mocking today credibility to the continuing musical journey. There is further spoken atmospherics in Aegian Sea where rock guitar merges with the synthesiser.

A highlight surely is the orgasmic mantra of Infinity Symbol [which is just the symbol] on what was Side 3 of the original record. This is Greek actress Irene Papas chanting I was, I am, I am to come continuously in the throes of frenzied shrieks and cries and moans for over five minutes – edited down from 39 apparently - in what could be an early version from a porno film When Harry Met Supersonic Sally. It was the subject of claims of obscenity, and the record wasn’t in fact released by Mercury Records until a year after its completion through their other label Vertigo Records.