Pinta, Nina And Santa Maria (Into Eternity) [12:37]
Vangelis at his VERY best - not one track can be disregarded as 'fluff or filler'. One of the best soundtracks ever made. Synthesizer and choirs at a monumental base. This is the soundtrack to Ridley Scott's epic film about Christopher Columbus. The story focuses on Columbus' motivations and the consequences of that on the people around it. All this is brought to life by stunning visuals and a remarkable sense of detail. This movie needed an epic soundtrack, and Vangelis skillfully for filled this task.
The recordings on the album differ greatly from those in the film. Some episodes are identical but much of the music on the album is not actually in the movie, or appears in an entirely different form. Even more music appears in the film but not actually on the album. This makes the album seem more like a studio album than like a soundtrack. Many character themes as well as some passages for major turning points in the film (like the storm near the end) are not represented on the album.
What remains of the album however is not less desirable. A magnificent collection of melodic music, filled with choirs as well as appropriate synthesizers and native sounds this album sounds relaxing and exciting at the same time. It can be counted as one of the favorites amongst the fans.
It is also his greatest commercial success so far. Three years after its initial release it was used as personal theme by German boxing champion Henry Maske and re-released on CD single. This triggered a huge hype in Europe hitting the nr. 1 charts positions in Germany, Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries, breaking many sales records (both single and album).
