Chariots Of Fire

Whilst there's no doubt that 'Chariots of Fire' is an excellently scripted, acted and directed piece of cinema, Vangelis' soundtrack is the absolute highlight of the film, which chronicles the story of Olympic winning athletes Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. Vangelis' score is a masterful melding of heraldic, classical music, much of it with pastoral overtones, with the chilly ambient synth music that characterised other Vangelis releases of the '80s, such as 'Antarctica' and 'China'. 'Titles', the piece which will be most familiar to listeners, is the opener - an evocative, shortened variation on the closing theme, replete with tripping synths and a gliding classical melody. The gentle, lilting 'Five Circles', which follows it, is the album's most traditional-sounding piece; a yearning piece, which sounds more the work of Elgar, than of most of Vangelis' other releases. The contrasting character traits of Abraham and Eric, are evoked nicely in their respective themes; the former a memorable, if overly bombastic piece, the latter a reserved one, awash with electronic sounds.'100 Metres' is probably the only less than excellent track on 'Chariots of Fire', and whilst it is rather aimless and disappointing, it is not so bad as to take away anything really, from the quality of this soundtrack. The version of 'Jerusalem' on show here, is not the one used in the film itself; but is rather an equally captivating, but more modern variation, with the voices hidden behind vocoder. Which leads to the closer, the self-titled 'Chariots of Fire'. It's a long, at times slightly rambling, but fitting close, to a superb soundtrack. Its distinctive explorations of the melody from 'Titles', as well as its near-eerie, opening, makes it a piece of truly Vangelian scope. For those looking for an evocative album which channels both the sounds and spirit of British classical music, and also the synth-soaked electro/synth pop of the 1980s, or just for a thoroughly original and enjoyable classical record, I would highly recommend Vangelis' 'Chariots of Fire'. A record to be played over and over.

I feel that there is no better way to celebrate our Olympic and Paralympic successes for GB team than taking a glimpse at this extraordinary tale of two men, both driven by a relentless desire to win. One who was performing for the glory of His creator God, and the other propelled by his need to prove himself as a Jew in a Christian culture .Not only the captivating storyline, but also the wonderfully evocative music of Vangelis that captures those special moments so poignantly.All in all a treat to be savoured...A moral tale of striving for excellence - to be the best!

I bought the LP of this music when it was first released and was immediately impressed. I had bought"Heaven and Hell" previous to this and "Albedo .39" from Vangelis on LP and was familiar with his compositions. The remastered CD is very good and worth the purchase for convenience if nothing else.My LP player is much more "high-end" than my CD machine but the new CD makes a much cleaner job of this electronic music which seems to benefit from digital processing more than, say; acoustic music. I would buy a WAV download if it was available which would quite probably sound very good indeed!

I, like many at the time, thought this was the brilliant highlight of a superb film. Rarely has a soundtrack so perfectly encapsulated the mood and feel of the movie, and Vangelis richly deserved his Academy Award. One of the most powerful and majestic albums you'll ever hear.

Having heard the theme tune again on the radio and seen the film again during the Olympics have been playing this CD theme music over and over and love it. It is so atmospheric. Photo on the front is great as well. So pleased to have this in our collection.

Very good

Does any one have bad feelings about this wonderful work of Vangelis? Such a person should vist the hospial for the mentally retarded. It has been in my wish lists for a long time. I've ever loved it when I was a kid. Great work.

Great music performed faultlessly. The only downside is the production is really beginning to show it's age. Great value for money though and an essential addition to any CD collection.