Beaubourg

Release type:What's this?
studio album
First released:
1978

Overview Edit

Beaubourg is a 1978 album by the Greek artist Vangelis. It is entirely synthesizer-based and highly experimental; together with Hypothesis (recorded in 1971 and unofficially released in 1978) it is often considered to be one of Vangelis' least accessible works. Invisible Connections (1985) is also often included in this category; however, as it was intended to be a work based on experimentalist classical music (released on the Deutsche Grammophon label) this view should be amended.

Beaubourg contains experimental, atonal improvisations.

The album is meant to reflect life in the Beaubourg district of Paris, when Vangelis lived there in the early '70s. Beaubourg is a musical representation of the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

The music on this album was primarily improvised on one or more Yamaha CS-80, the ring modulator of which he uses extensively.

The sleeve design of the album is by Vangelis himself. The recording engineer was Keith Spencer-Allen, who was assisted by Marlis Duncklau.

The Overview appearing in this section is attributed to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaubourg_(album). Portions of this Overview may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Additional terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details.

This particular version Edit

Record label:
Catalog number:
unknown
Release dates:
  • Apr 29 1997

Genres

New Age, Progressive Rock, Dance, Electronica, Jazz, Meditation, Classical, Rock. Vote on Genres

What do Amazon.com customers think?

4 stars Vangelis At His Most Experimental.
"Beaubourg" is an album that is often misunderstood by avid Vangelis listeners. The album is either hailed as a masterpiece in one corner while in another corner, there's a barrage of booing and hissing. In all fairness, an album like "Beaubourg" had to be done. It's quite a unique album and is one of the few nonmelodic works in Vangelis's large catalog of music.

Essentially, "Beaubourg" is a single 38-minute work divided into two parts. If you listen to the album, you'll discover that the piece…
Written by Louie Bourland
3 stars The only way to describe it...
...is the musical equivalent of 'Finnegans Wake'. Beauborg is long, frustrating and largely incomprehensible. If you want to sit through it, try to visualize an underwater setting. Whalesong, perhaps, unstructured, uncomplicated and arrythmic. There are times when a hint of structure can be dimly perceived, only to remain just out of reach, like a half-remembered name.

All in all, this CD is recommended only for those die-hard fans who need it to complete their collections. If you are looking fo…
Written by Curt vandenHeuvel

Track listing Edit

  • CD 1 : Beaubourg

    format:
    number:
    title:
    number name artist hh:mm:ss
    1
    Beaubourg, Pt. 1
    ?:??
    2
    Beaubourg, Pt. 2
    ?:??

Credits Edit

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Other versions Edit

2 tracks format: 1 x vinyl
record label: RCA Victor
catalog number: PL 25155
release dates: 1978 in United Kingdom
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2 tracks format: 1 x CD
record label: RCA France
catalog number: ND700010
release dates: 1990 in Europe
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