Vangelis
Direct

“Direct” is a very unique album in Vangelis's discography, almost a one-off, very distant from the typical atmospheres of the Greek artist. It also coincides with the beginning of a new phase in his career: after working for more than ten years in his London Nemo Studios, Vangelis decides to return to Greece and, for the occasion, renews himself by building a new cutting-edge musical setup, which includes the “Direct Sequencer”. The resulting album is surprisingly bright, marked by optimism, thanks to synthesizers that sound extremely natural and "alive."

Overall, the album can be described as symphonic, characterized by very accessible classical-like melodies. Electronic elements are present, but they are very far from the melancholic and solemn style of his most famous works; on the contrary, they align with the pop trends of the '80s. The result is a unique blend of violins, organs, flutes, electric guitars, and drum machines (all strictly played on the synthesizer). Unlike most of Vangelis's albums, each track is planned and structured, with very little room left for improvisation.

“The Motion of Stars”, the first track, is an exception. It is undoubtedly the closest to Vangelis's classic works: lacking a central melody, it alternates crescendi and diminuendi, effectively creating a space atmosphere.

The following “The Will of the Wind” is one of the album's most successful moments, where, over a rhythm marked by the electronic drum, a bamboo flute and an electric guitar alternate, creating a melody that could work as a pop song. However, the album's peak is reached in the next track, “Metallic Rain”, where a delicate and “fragile” flute is contrasted by the stormy anger of the electric guitar.

Unfortunately, after this promising start, Vangelis slows down a bit with the masterpieces, and the next tracks, although not horrible, turn out to be quite soporific. “Elsewhere”, “The Oracle of Apollo”, and “First Approach” are sweet and calm melodies that anticipate Vangelis's more tranquil sound of the '90s.

In “Glorianna” (hymn to woman), a soprano sings to the notes of Vangelis's synthesizer, but without particular flair. In “Dial Out”, there is also an attempt at mixing electronics and classical: bass and drums are accompanied by a (synthetic) choir, only to be interrupted in the middle of the track by a classic organ insert. Partially successful.

“Rotation's Logic” and “Ave” have catchy pop song melodies, both uniquely arranged. Particularly, the first is memorable for its very clumsy sounds.

Fortunately, Vangelis rebounds for the (double) finale. A peculiarity of the album is its dual release on vinyl and CD, characterized by different tracklists. To encourage people to buy the new, more capacious format, two tracks are exclusive to the second version: “Dial Out” and “Intergalactic Radio Station”. The latter is placed at the end of the digital edition, while in the analog edition, it is “Message” that concludes the album.

“Message” (not to be confused with “Messages” from “Voices”!) is the most “classical” composition of the album (only the rhythmic section is electronic). A solemn and suggestive organ music, opened and closed by the “message” in question: nonsensical vocalizations of an innocent child (actually Vangelis himself modifying his voice).

On the other hand, “Intergalactic Radio Station” is the most interesting rock/electronic track of the album. The basic motif gradually enriches with new instruments over its nearly eight-minute duration, culminating in the ironic final narration.

In conclusion, Vangelis's “Direct” is certainly not a flawless masterpiece. Unfortunately, the excessive number of tracks (over an hour in length) negatively impacts the overall quality. However, it cannot be dismissed as a forgettable album either. Those five or six successful tracks are there, and for them alone, it is worth revisiting.

This hybrid style between classical and rock-inclined electronic music will soon be set aside by Vangelis (with a few exceptions in “Page of Life”), in favor of a more meditative and dreamy sound in albums like “Voices” and “Oceanic”, and eventually fully embracing the classical genre in works such as “El Greco” and “Mythodea”.