I remember buying Soil Festivities when it first came out. I excitedly put it on my turntable and heard this...I was so disappointed, I almost broke the record...literally! I stuck it in a drawer for six months, angry at it. Finally, something told me I should listen to it again. So, six months after my first listen, I gave it another chance. This time, I "got" it. Maybe it was because I spent the previous six months thinking about it, processing it. It eventually became one of my favorite Vangelis albums, probably second or third after Heaven and Hell (my favorite). Today, Soil Festivities is the Vangelis album I listen to most often.
Interesting story. It happened to me also sometimes. I think that the first reaction (dissappointment) is generated by our high expectation. But the our expectations are focused only in the area of what we had listened before. It is a very small percentage of musical taste. Vangelis is always innovating in music, so our expectations are frustrated when he offer something new. After a period of incubation (months, years), we come back prepared to understand the new musical concept.
It's pretty common with many artists because we build an expectation based on what we've heard before and we want to recapture the emotions we experienced on a previous release. I love Direct the most but both, with Soil Fest are great to chill out to or wander off to sleep. Listening to it now here, I can't remember this bit 25mins because I am fast asleep.
What a wonderful interview, a fantastic interviewee, and an equally wonderful interviewer : that was none other than my favorite radio host from my favorite radio show : John Schaefer ! What a pleasure it was to hear him again ! Thanks for posting this, DK
I love Soil Festivities. It sounds mysterious and magical to me and very aptly describes the milling around of the microcosm of lifeforms in nature. I bought it in the local record store as late as 1994 after the album cover with the Great Diving Beetle attracted my attention for almost ten years and I always wondered what it might sound like. I was not disappointed! :)
Everytime I listen to this album I imagine short movies of small creatures walking around a misty forest, misterious forms. Every sound is a different creature of that forest.
Vangelis - Soil Festivities was the first CD I ever purchased! I wish I had the mix that's being used for this interview! It sounds different from the CD & LP. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm glad this exists, and has been uploaded!
Damien K, do You think there is any chance of You reposting Vangelis' August 1980 live performance at Sophia Antipolis? I Miss Listening To It... 😐👆☝️🙏
I’m sure it’s a matter of control but I could see Vangelis setting up his own Bandcamp subscription where many of these pieces can be brought back to life. Edit: To be clear, I wrote this before his death. Now I know it will be a matter for his estate executors to decide what to do with any and all recordings he has made.
Thank you for this. I have an unrelated question. I was wondering if you know what is going on with the new album from Vangelis? Is it for sale, and where can I get it? I have been waiting since last year and I can't find solid news on it. Any help would be appreciated. You can also email me using my first and last name at gmail in case you have any other "options" :) I'm willing to pay or not pay, I just want to hear.
Freeform Artists need a different sort of record company,most record companies just want hit single after hit single and this is what i think pissed Vangelis off all of his career, probably why he got into film scores more.
I can't find it... who is the interviewer? Is that Steven Hill? I dug down here, forgot his old show even existed before HOS. John Schaefer, New Sounds, WNYC
