I don’t think I can pile enough praise onto this DVD. This documentary traces Vangelis journey from a fairly unknown (at least outside certain circles) progressive rock music to his rise as one of the top line soundtrack composers. I’ve followed Vangelis since he worked with Jon Anderson in Jon and Vangelis, but it’s probably a safe bet some people only know him for his soundtrack music.

The thing is, Vangelis really is an exceptional musician. That’s even more true when you know that he was never formally trained as a musician. It really is a testament to his natural ability that he has achieved the things he’s achieved. 

No matter where you stand on following his career, though, chances are unless you are a super fan, you will learn something from this. It features a lot of Vangelis’ music and more. There are interviews with people from Jon Anderson to Oliver Stone, Sean Connery and more. This is just such an incredible documentary.

If you’ve ever enjoyed Vangelis’ music, you must own this. If you just like soundtrack music, you should also own this. In general, anyone who enjoys documentaries about musicians and composer should have this. It’s top-notch. Vangelis is an amazing artist and this documentary is worthy of that type of artistry.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.