China (album)
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{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
| Name = China
| Type = [[Album]]
| Artist = [[Vangelis]]
| Cover = Vangelis_China.jpg
| Released = 1979
| Recorded = Nemo Studios, London, 1978
| Genre = [[Electronica]]
| Length = 41:17
| Label = [[Polydor]]
(LP) POLD 5018
| Producer = Vangelis
| Reviews =
*[[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|4.5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4017gjwrj6iv link]
|
| Last album = ''[[Hypothesis (album)|Hypothesis]]''<br />(1978)
| This album = '''''China'''''<br />(1979)
| Next album = ''[[Odes (album)|Odes]]''<br />(1979)
}}
'''''China''''' is a 1979 album by the [[Greece|Greek]] artist [[Vangelis]]. Although he had never been to [[China]], he employed Chinese instruments and compositional styles on this [[concept album]].
==Track listing==
# "Chung Kuo" – 5:31
# "The Long March" – 2:01
# "The Dragon" – 4:13
# "The Plum Blossom" – 2:36
# "The Tao of Love" – 2:44
# "The Little Fete" – 3:01
# "Yin & Yang" – 5:48
# "Himalaya" – 10:53
# "Summit" – 4:30
==Instruments and style==
Vangelis plays [[synthesizer]]s, [[drum machine]]s, [[electric piano]] ("The Tao of Love"), [[piano]] ("The Great March", "The Plum Blossom", "Himalaya"), various Chinese flutes and plucked string instruments. Featured artists are Michel Ripoche (violin on "The Plum Blossom") and Yeung Hak-Fun and Koon Fook Man (narrative on "The Little Fete").
''China'' was engineered by Keith Spencer-Allen, Raphael Preston, and Andy Hendriksen, and the album sleeve was designed by Vangelis himself.
The album was conceived during a very active period in Vangelis' recording career, during which he explored the possibilities of electro-acoustic composing. Vangelis employs his synthesizer arsenal to the fullest, generating sound effects (steam locomotive on "Chung Kuo") and various Chinese-sounding patches on all tracks.
Concepts used range from classical Chinese poetry ("The Little Fete" is a poem by the 8th century [[Li Po]], translated by [[J.C. Cooper]]) to revolutionary history of the [[People's Republic of China]] ("The Long March").
==References==
* [http://www.vangelismovements.com/china.htm 'Vangelis Movements' webpage entry]
* [http://www.koert.com/data/albums3.htm 'Elsewhere' webpage entry]
* [http://www.engelen.demon.nl/china.htm Lyrics]
{{Vangelis}}
[[Category:Vangelis albums]]
[[Category:1979 albums]]
[[ja:チャイナ (ヴァンゲリス)]]