Well, after waiting a short length of time for my 2 disc version to arrive from HMV online, a quick turn around of 5 WEEKS, my set arrived this morning.
5 / 10 is what I give it.
I like the album, but then again I don't (if that makes sense)
Some tracks are more stronger than others and for those that are not, they (to me) just seem so cheesey to listen too. A couple made me cringe.
The strongest tracks on the whole album that really sparkle with there change over from synth to orchestral are:
The Last Rumba - Fishing Junks At Sunset - Gloria, Lonely Boy - Magnetic Fields Part 1 - The Emigrant (sounds like Elgar) - Rendez-Vous Part 2 & Acropolis - because they had that feel to them that was not fully synth from when they were originally done by Jarre.
Some tracks just sound so out of place with what Jarre conceived. For me it has to be the group of Industrial Revolution tracks. Industrial Overture sounds like it should been in a Arnold Schwarzenegger 1990s sci-fi film. Industrial Revolution Part 1 sounds weak and comes from a TV advert for a bank (I can imagine a horse galloping down a beach to this), Jarre original version knocks this track into next week. Part 3 is the better of those 3 but still sounds too mellow. Rendez-Vous 4 (I was expecting ABBA to start singing)
I know that this is someones elses take on Jarre, but the tracks are not what you would call mixed beyond recognition. They are close to original version. I applaud there good work, but they should have left it to the 'master'.
Jarre concerts attended - Destination Docklands 1988 - Paris La Defense 1990 - Europe In Concert 1993 (Manchester & London) - Oxygene Tour 1997 (Birmingham)
"A group of men and woman entered the laboratory one month ago to live in a smell free world. Body odour, sweaty arms pits and smelly feet are to create the energy to survive. A total mystery surrounds this experiment, and it's project code name: B.O and Smell'i "