666 (Aphrodite's Child Album) - Release

Release

Just before the release of the album Vangelis engaged in a long fight with Mercury Records over the content of the album. The record company, in particular, objected to the song "∞" (infinity), which they considered obscene. It consisted of Irene Papas chanting the words "I was, I am, I am to come" over and over again in various stages of hysteria, while Vangelis accompanied her on a maelstrom of percussion (the five-minute finished track was reportedly edited down from a 39-minute piece recorded in a single take). However, the double-album length of 666 and the musical experimentation, as well as the subject matter, also exacerbated Mercury's ire. Another bone of contention was the sleeve note stating "This album was recorded under the influence of Sahlep." This was at first suspected to be either a drug or some form of occult ritual; in fact it is a drink popular around the eastern Mediterranean and made from the dried powdered roots of a type of orchid. After Roussos and Sideras had already released their first solo albums, Mercury finally agreed to release 666 one year after completion and two years after Roussos, Sideras and Koulouris had finished their parts in it, on its progressive rock subsidiary Vertigo Records. The single "Break" also came out in 1972, as did a single vinyl edition of the album in Brazil, also titled Break.

Current fans and critics typically rate 666 as the group's finest effort; Allmusic gives it 4½ stars (although their review does say "the entire set eventually becomes too overwhelming to sit through"). IGN rated the album #3 on their top 25 list. of the best prog rock albums. In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition ‘’Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock’’, the album came #40 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".