Some time ago, I thought that Vangelis only made epic music in the style of Chariots of Fire and Mythodea, good music but bordering the kitsch, especially Mythodea! I suppose Vangelis must have missed Greece with all his time in the US and has therefore fallen into the trap of over-romanticising the homeland, like many expats understandably do.
His earlier work though, as I discovered from watching Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, is something else entirely. This is fantastic music. That and his work with Aphrodite’s Child… What do you know! I recommend you find and download his album of the same name, which is like a Best Of collection of his earlier work from the ’70s.