the four horsemen alone justifies the double album sprawl, and the irene papas track still unsettles people fifty years on. did vangelis’ solo stuff ever hit you the same way after this one

Well, Vangelis' own music is just different. I wouldn't want Aphrodite's Child as the soundtrack for ‘Blade Runner’.

Also of note, he had a remarkably hypnotic and cryptic process with his synth music, probably completely unfit for a rock band.

ha, can’t picture a drummer sitting through one of those improvised takes. heaven and hell is the solo one i still put on

Someone noted in the comments that apparently Vangelis hated reading sheet music, never learned to do it, and just faked doing it in music school. He had his secretary transcribe his notes into standard notation. Which probably didn't make it any easier for him to collaborate with other people.

faking sight reading through music school takes some nerve. explains why so much of his stuff sounds like it came straight out of his hands