By Jim Rowland
One of the most iconic albums released in the golden ‘swirl’ era of Vertigo records, ‘666 – The Apocalypse Of John’ by Greek psyche/prog outfit Aphrodite’s Child is an album that refused to die, gaining a huge cult following over the generations since its original release in 1972, and is arguably more lauded now than it has ever been. Over 50 years on from that original release, it now gets a well-deserved ‘deluxe’ makeover.
Featuring two names that went on to considerable fame, namely Vangelis and Demis Roussos (yes, THAT Demis Roussos), Aphrodite’s Child were more of a psyche-pop band for their first two albums, but composer Vangelis steered them more in a progressive rock direction for ‘666’, the third and last album. A concept album based around the Book of Revelation, the direction the album took them in led to internal conflict which heralded the end of the band prior to its release, but the album has left a lasting legacy to say the least.
From the beautiful to the bizarre, this diverse and intricate album can rightly be considered a masterpiece in many ways. The likes of ‘Babylon’, ‘The Beast’ and ‘Hic And Nunc’ retain the psyche-pop sensibility of the band’s previous work, as does the classic ‘The Four Horsemen’, a killer tune that the band are probably best known for, and one that was recently used to soundtrack a TV commercial for Ford cars.
The likes of ‘The Lamb’, ‘Aegian Sea’, ‘Altamont’ and the sprawling, hypnotic 19 minute epic ‘All The Seats Were Taken’ are all largely instrumental pieces heading firmly in the progressive rock direction, whilst ‘The Battle of the Locusts/Do It’ is delightfully bonkers slice of heavy psych-rock. Many of these tracks are punctuated by short, often dark or sinister interludes offering narrative. Mention must also be made of the bizarre track represented by an ‘infinity’ symbol, which caused considerable controversy at the time and a delay in the album’s original release, largely due to the fact it contains a Greek actress simulating orgasm for five minutes.
A truly wonderful and unique album, ‘666’ should be on the aural bucket list of any psyche or prog fan. It is released here on double black vinyl and double red vinyl editions, as well as a lavish deluxe CD box which contains the original 1972 mix, a rare subsequent 1974 Greek LP mix which is noticeably different, and Blu Ray disc featuring Atmos, 5.1 and stereo mixes, all of which were overseen by Vangelis prior to his death in 2022. The Blu Ray also contains bonus video content of a 28-minute episode of the French television show ‘Discorama’ from June 1972 featuring Vangelis performing in the television studio and talking about the album. This edition is capped off with an extensive illustrated book.
- ‘666 – The Apocalypse Of John’ will be released on Friday (8 November).
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