THE KILLING FIELDS

I bought this LP, kept it for years, then bought the CD version, kept it for years.... and then one day I realized that there just isn't anything on the album that makes it worth keeping. I think I kept it because it's so different from the rest of Oldfield's work, mainly due to his discovery of the Fairlight CMI (Computer Music Instrument). I had the pleasure of working on a Fairlight from the early 80's through the early 90's (the beast finally died, and no one could fix it since the company had gone under). Some wonderful sounds could be had on the Fairlight, but Mike Oldfield couldn't seem to find any of them. He makes the Fairlight sound sterile and soulless, relying on cheesy, clunky sounds (for some good Fairlight work, listen to certain Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush albums). The guitar is seldom heard, and David Bedford's short appearance is a throwaway. Good as a curiosity, and good while watching the film. Bad for just listening.