MIKE OLDFIELD

From Hergest Ridge to Ommadawn

Ommadawn is a feeling, a place or a Gaelic word for stupid. After the success of Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield faced numerous challenges while recording his third album, Ommadawn. Technical problems from the beginning added to the emotional weight he carried after the recent passing of his mother. This personal loss left Oldfield feeling vulnerable, which inspired him to create a work that served as both artistic expression and emotional release.

Following the mixed reviews of Hergest Ridge, Oldfield felt frustrated and determined to prove he was more than a one-hit wonder. This drive, combined with his grief, led him to create Ommadawn as a conceptual album?meant to be experienced as a continuous journey. Drawing from childhood memories, Oldfield combined Celtic, African, and folk influences, using instruments like the bodhrán and African drums to build a rich sound.

Ommadawn is a deep exploration of emotions, moving from sorrow to healing and resilience. The title, based on the Irish word amadán (meaning "fool"), suggests innocence and openness, inviting listeners to share in Oldfield's personal experiences. The album is both intimate and universal, capturing themes of memory and loss while transforming pain into beauty.

When he began working on Ommadawn, Oldfield wanted to avoid traditional studios, so he persuaded his label, Virgin Records, to set up a 24-track studio at his home, The Beacon, in Herefordshire. He recorded the album there between January and September 1975, though some sections, like the African drums, were done at The Manor studio in Oxfordshire. Oldfield produced and engineered the album himself.

In the end, Ommadawn is a wonderful piece of music that showcases Oldfield's artistic depth and his ability to channel profound emotions into his work. It remains one of his most heartfelt and lasting albums, allowing listeners to connect with his journey and find resonance in their own experiences.

I am a level 1 going into this, as I have heard some excerpts, especially the intro part. This album seems to be an either you love it or hate it type of thing. The album is essentially one long piece divided into 2 parts to accommodate turning the record over due to the time restrictions of the format. But at 26 minutes, side 1 was certainly pushing those limits!

Track 1 - Tubular Bells, Pt. 1

The introductory section is probably the best-known part of the song. I believe the time signature is 15-8 (!). I like the little counter melody that joins at about 3 minutes, then harmony guitar parts join. We leave the intro section about 5 minutes in for a bit of lighter flute-based melody. Then Oldfield shows his electric guitar skills off at around 6 minutes in. Acoustic guitar joins at about 7:45. The intro piano figure returns at about 9 minutes in. We get a bit of blues shuffle at around 13 minutes, followed by honky-tonk piano and humming. At around 14:30 there is a new guitar riff. Some actual tubular bells are ringing at around 16 minutes, followed by fingerstyle acoustic guitar. Then we get a bit jazzy. I like the guitar riff at about 17:30. Master of Ceremonies Vivian Stanshall (formerly of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) begins introducing the names of instruments that would join in and be featured one by one beginning around 20:15. The underlying riff is very proggy. The title instrument gets announced at 23:23. There are angelic female voices singing ahhs as the music fades out with the exception of a classical guitar being played.

Track - Tubular Bells, Pt. 2

We begin in 6-8 here with electric piano and other instruments joining-in in a mellow manner. There is a small amount of female vocals here, most likely Mike's sister Sally. Layered instruments including both electric (clean) and acoustic guitars, electric piano, and some string sounds take over playing nice countermelodies. At about 6 minutes the instrumentation thins out a bit but is still quite nice. At around 8 minutes, we get 'Guitar that sounds like a mandolin' with female harmonies, followed by 'guitar that sounds like a bagpipe.' The sounds are achieved through various recording techniques Oldfield experimented with. Timpani drums join in as the music begins building in intensity. At just under 12 minutes in there are bizarre vocals and a drum set played by Steve Broughton of the Edgar Broughton band. The crazy vocals were added as Richard Branson wanted Oldfield to add vocals to the track so part of it could be released as a single! (Careful what you ask for Richard!) But this section (known as the Caveman section) may actually be my favorite as it is rockin' harder than most of the rest of the piece. Things chill back out following that with a mellow guitar solo with a gently rolling background of bass & organ. The guitar parts keep getting added to with overlapping meandering solos. I love the organ sound at about 21:15. The tune closes with Oldfield's rendition of 'The Sailor's Hornpipe'.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Wow, what a wild and rather enjoyable ride that was. There are many different styles and melodies all nicely woven together in an entertaining way. What makes it especially impressive is that Oldfield was only 19 years old as he was recording almost all of the parts himself! As long as the piece is, I never found myself wondering 'jeez, how much longer is this?' Not one of my all-time favorite albums, but still quite good. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Actually, the very last studio album with new material by Mike Oldfield, "Man On The Rocks" from 2014, is quite a remarkable late addition to his discography. Initially, it was intended that "Music Of The Spheres" from 2008 would be the final chapter of his career. However, Oldfield's participation in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London inspired him so much that he decided to continue his musical journey, resulting in the album we are discussing here, "Man On The Rocks."

Recorded at The Village Studio in Los Angeles and in his home studio in the Bahamas, the album features eleven song- oriented tracks and composing such songs happens to be one of Oldfield's skills. While Oldfield is renowned for his long compositions, his shorter pieces have always been well received. On "Man On The Rocks", he garnishes his songs with sublime guitar work.

Clearly, Oldfield has opted for a group sound on this album and it is a group of excellent musicians who perform the songs. The renowned session bassist Leland Sklar spoils the ears with his tasteful playing, while being supported by the driven drumming of John Robinson. Oldfield shares the honors on guitar (not lead) with Stephen Lipson and Michael Thompson and on keyboards, he does so with Matt Rollings. For vocals, Luke Spiller was brought in, a relatively unknown singer from the indie genre. He has won my heart with his catchy enthusiasm, whether he sounds warm in the verses or intensely Freddie Mercury-esque in the choruses. Thanks to these gentlemen, there is always a pleasant atmosphere on "Man On The Rocks".

The album starts exuberantly with Sailing. We hear acoustic guitar, enthusiastic vocals, an infectious rhythm and an excellent guitar solo. These elements give us hope. In the music video, we see Spiller strolling along the beach with the enthusiasm of someone who just won the lottery, but what stands out most is that he not only sounds like the Queen vocalist but also resembles him. In the subsequent Moonshine, there is a Mike And The Mechanics-like flow interrupted by a Celtic folk section complete with violin and low whistle reminiscent of Runrig. For me, it is one of the album's highlights.

Then a number of songs with a similar signature follow, including the melodic title track and Dreaming In The Wind with Chris Rea-like guitar playing and a magnificent guitar solo.

From then on, the atmosphere changes quite a bit. Nuclear presents a shift towards even more intensity and even a certain darkness. This solemn game-changer joins my list of favorite Oldfield shorties. In the steamy Chariots and the ballad Following The Angels, a whole gospel choir is even employed. It sounds as sultry as wearing a turtleneck sweater in summer. Irene is about the severe storm that hit the Bahamas. It goes without saying that the atmosphere there was far from delicate. The song often brings to mind The Rolling Stones and even AC/DC. The album concludes with the subdued worship song I Give Myself Away, a creation by gospel singer William McDowell. It seamlessly fits into the whole and provides a worthy ending to this beautiful album. A good choice.

"Man On The Rocks" is available in three versions: the standard edition, the deluxe edition with an additional CD excluding vocals and the super deluxe edition, which includes an instrumental disc as well as a disc of demos and alternative mixes. Personally, I consider every edition to be super deluxe.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

With the release of Mike Oldfield's "Amarok" on June 14, 1990, the world gained a classic. The album reignited the fire for many fans of his music and it was much needed. His previous two albums, "Islands" (1987) and "Earth Moving" (1989), were huge disappointments for most fans. It seemed that Oldfield had permanently lost the art of creating captivating music. But then came the beautiful "Amarok", an album where Oldfield broke away from the commercial direction he was taking at the time and returned to the epic prog of the 1970s. "Amarok" was considered the follow-up to the 1975 classic "Ommadawn". How unpredictable can you get?

Releasing such an album demonstrated Oldfield's stubbornness at the time. He defied Virgin, his record company, by presenting them with an album that didn't align with their vision. The relationship between them was far from good. Oldfield believed that Virgin's focus on promoting their punk and new wave bands came at the expense of supporting him. Nevertheless, "Amarok" seems to have been made for music lovers. Put on your headphones. "Amarok" unmistakably bears Oldfield's signature. With impressive craftsmanship, he blends prog, folk, new age and world music. "Amarok" is heavily guitar-oriented, with a lot of string instruments and very few synths.

The album consists of a single one-hour track that feels like a burst of pent-up creativity. Oldfield unleashes all compositional restraints and delivers moments of greatness. It is a maze of relatively short themes that cleverly overlap or abruptly end. "Amarok" is primarily a labor of love, with a beautiful organic glow. The melodies, harmonies and rhythms, mainly produced by the instruments themselves, are strong. Additionally, the album is filled with various sounds and effects. As a result, "Amarok" is a massive patchwork quilt that is incredibly cozy.

In the beginning of the track, Oldfield frequently asks if you are happy. Many will answer with a resounding yes. You cannot ignore the beauty of the album. Take, for example, the intriguing intro where the acoustic guitar draws you into the rest of the album. For one hour, you are confronted with the genius beauty of the music. Don't be surprised by a suddenly ringing telephone or a heavily distorted mandolin. Oldfield keeps you awake throughout. Often, a razor- sharp fragment from a guitar orchestra cuts through the music. Later, it turns out to be part of a brilliant country piece. It all fits together so well, whether it's the flamenco section, the pulsating female vocals, the euphoric guitar solos, the ambient sounds, the playful recorder part, or the exhilarating African drum rhythms. How brilliant do you have to be to create an album that sounds extraordinarily coherent despite its fragmented approach?

Normally, such an album would have a significant lull somewhere, but not with "Amarok". There is a constant underlying tension. Although the expectations are fulfilled a few times along the way, it truly explodes into a grandiose finale. During the last quarter, all the puzzle pieces fall into place and you hear music that is pregnant with anticipation. There are elements such as marimba, glockenspiel, piano, and, of course, the striking tubular bells. But Oldfield wouldn't be Oldfield if he didn't also make room for the voice of Margaret Thatcher followed by a tap dance section. The last minute is monumental and the African choir sings with full force, leaving you feeling overwhelmingly happy.

In conclusion, "Amarok" is a breathtaking masterpiece that marked the beginning of the third phase in Oldfield's career. It is unfair to criticize Oldfield for being indebted to himself. Let's not do that. Let's commend him for his unwavering confidence in his own abilities.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

As I begin writing this review I am only partway through 'Tubular Bells Part 1' and yet I am compelled to write a review. The original Tubular Bells is THE album I have listened to most throughout my life, too many times going back too far to even begin to count. I would listen to it on my dad's second gen iPod every night from sometime between the ages of 4 and 6 and it is permanently ingrained in my brain. That said, this double live album starts with Incantations, and so will I.

The first disc is an abridged version of Mike Oldfield's album Incantations. Whilst I feel the length of Incantations is one of it's great strengths, and a testament to the brilliance of Oldfield, the shortened version here retains the core of each of the sections of the original whilst providing some excellent changes and additions with some harder, rockier sections. As on the original album, Pierre Moerlen plays here too, providing his excellent vibraphone and percussion alongside his brother Benoit. Pekka Pohjola also plays here, who I recognise from his album Keesojen Lehto, on which Mike Oldfield appears (as does Sally Oldfield), and in a similar vein, Mike Oldfield also plays on the track 'Downwind' from Pierre Moerlen's Gong around the same time. I enjoy when artists play together like this and they both bring some jazzier sections to Oldfield's well known tracks.

The strive for a more hard-rock oriented sound continues on the second disc, where Tubular Bells starts with it's familiar opening before delving head first into hard, progressive rock with percussion! Something you may not have dreamed about when you heard the original. As Part 1 continues, you can feel all the same physical, mental and emotional response that the studio version gives, but the rock instrumentation just makes you jam along. I don't know whether I'm soaring in heaven or headbanging in hell, but it's a perfect purgatory all the same.

The second side of disc two begins with Tubular Bells part 2, and again this is a wonderful interpretation, complete with Sailor's Hornpipe. The known heavier part of the original album is here in much the same manner as it did in the studio, and amongst the rocking parts of the rest of the disc it is almost the lighter part, but all of it's charm is present and flows excellently along. The track flows through sections that certainly remind of other artists, with instrumentation reminiscent of Camel, and a section that almost feels lifted from Pink Floyd's Echoes or Atom Heart Mother epics, but here that truly makes for a fantastic experience, melding the feeling of some of the best British bands of the time into one of the best tracks ever, continued to be helped by the talent of Pierre Moerlen and Pekka Pohjola.

There is no way to replace the original, but this version can absolutely sit squarely next to it as a perfect version for when you want to listen to Tubular Bells and the more established sounds of progressive rock at the same time.

The final track, Guilty, is so much better than the original single. Starting with the familiar disco-esque sound, it morphs along into various styles, ending with a leitmotif taken from Tubular Bells, but applied to Guilty's backing, which is initially based on the same progression as Incantions. and this provides a fantastic closer to the album by relating back to the main event.

If you've never listened to Mike Oldfield, I would recommend you start with the first 4 albums at least. The magic that is in those albums is poignant and impactful. When that feeling is in you already, this album and it's excellent renditions pleases more than you could believe.

If you've listened to Mike Oldfield and love him, this is a must listen.

If you've listened to Mike Oldfield and somehow did not love him, then this album will probably be more up your alley with it's overt progressive rock sound, and having percussion in each tracks.

I would easily put this alongside ELP's 'Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends' as one of the best live albums (of pre-existing material), that can display some of the best pieces of recorded music in a new light, and give you more pleasure from your favorite pieces. Like ELP's album, this also removes some of the 'fluff' as some may call it that stops them from listening to the studio albums so much (not me, I love Jeremy Bender). Absolutely 5 stars.

1. Ommadawn Part 1 with the Oldfieldian intro, choirs, crystal clear guitar, deafening bass already bringing the austere, dark, evil side; it's the 3rd album after the futuristic slaps of the era; 4 minutes and we set off, there are more electronic versions with a more sustained, less fragmented musical score; the climate uses a number of folk instruments which have made Mike's strength, melodic, bucolic sequences, bells, guitars which throw out notes like one swarms in spring, an invasive swirling sound; the feeling of participating in an oriental caravan every 10 minutes with an energetic solo... the flute comes for a beat before the tribal pad and its siren choruses, Mike's prog sound is truly unique; the final crescendo sets in motion with the cohort of instruments, it starts with a folk crossover, a music of the world, of worlds; a grandiloquent frenzy that raises goosebumps; the guitar will explode, just with a few notes thrown like the frantic cocorico early in the morning, go pad to calm down, phew

2. Ommadawn Part 2 (incl. "On Horseback") with solemn intro from the start, sound from up there, pompous; the keyboard which leers on that of Banks from GENESIS, syrupy, flowing its notes from a fountain; 5 minutes of dreamlike musical diversion leading to a raw acoustic guitar accompanying a bagpipe, a Scottish flute, we are in the Celtic mountains; the folklore boosted by Virgin offered a unique musical interface between rock, pop and the ambiances of yesteryear, the music became timeless; halfway through and the bouzouki invites itself to dance, yes it is a question of contemplative music which can also be danced; 13 minutes or so and this gap is over; the Penrhos kids come to give their voice to an arpeggio, that's it Mike has managed to convert us to enter this abandoned church far from all civilization, where the animals sing and keep the power; an unprecedented musical journey for the majestic time.

this album really polarizes listeners and fans alike i find it quite humorous a sort of Creative ADHD update on his 2 Meisterwerke Tubular and Ommadawn. Of course if you have a fragmented mind as a listener you are going to be chasing your own tail within minutes because it is a musical form of " Let us go here oh no here oh no there oh no back to there ha well oh an alleyway here let us dive into it" For an hour non- stop

I love it most of the time but would also happily defenestrate it with relish .... it really polarizes and discombobulates the listener .... maybe what Mike wanted .....

At barely twenty years of age, Mike Oldfield made his mark in one of the stellar years of the progressive movement, 1973, and released "Tubular Bells", one of the most outstanding debut solo albums of the genre. A work in which the English musician takes charge of most of the musical instruments, in a display of versatility and surprising maturity for someone so young, and which takes on even more value given its instrumental nature, an enormous challenge when it comes to transmitting the messages that are usually channelled by the singer of a regular band.

Divided into 2 large sections, "Part 1" shows progressions that build without haste, dominated by the persistent sounds of the glockenspiel, with sonorities similar to the xylophone, organs and grand piano, in an introduction immortalised for being part of the soundtrack of the terrifying film "The Exorcist", and gradually incorporates the bass, the infinity of distortions of the electric guitars, the acoustic guitar and mandolin, creating a suspenseful and intriguing atmosphere, and whose final section features the famous tubular bells pounded by a wooden hammer, the participation of Oldfield's sister Sally as part of the choir, and the English musician and poet Vivian Stanshall as master of ceremonies introducing each musical instrument, an original detail.

Spanish guitars, string elements and grand piano star in "Part 2", until the eruption of the deep, melancholic bagpipes simulated by a guitar and the darkening of the instrumentation becomes dramatic and leads into Oldfield's unique vocal interpretation of the strange sounds that Piltdown Man would emit, the famous missing link in Darwinian theory supposedly discovered in 1912 in England and scandalously proven to be a fraud 40 years later, concluding peacefully with a lengthy organ accompanied by beautiful Spanish guitar solos, and the brief adapted appendix of "Sailor's Hornpipe", a traditional piece related to the British Navy.

Many record labels rejected the project because of their scepticism about the commercial viability of Tubular Bells given its unconventional characteristics, but Richard Branson, the iconic entrepreneur who was taking his first steps with Virgin Records, saw the potential of the work and took a gamble on Oldfield's album. A gamble that clearly worked out very well.

4 stars

I remember hearing this album when it first came out--long before I ever heard Incantations. I remember feeling amazingly surprised at the sound quality once I found out it was the recording of a live concert performed in Spain! Now as I listen to it 45-years later I am still so shocked at the wonderful (masterful!?) sound captured by the sound and recording engineers. (Some of you may know that I have a particular aversion to live recordings precisely because of the typically horrendous sound and mixes.) This is quite literally the first time I've listened to Exposed since about 1981. As I look at the lineup of musicians on board for the concert tour I am blown away to see a veritable Who's Who of Prog All-stars: Peirre & Benoit Moerlin! Maddy Prior! Pekka Pohjola! Tim Cross! David Bedford! And then to find a live performance video of the same tour on YouTube (from a 1979 performance at Wembley Conference Centre)! I am in heaven!

Though I later became quite familiar and fixated on the whole of Incantations (note my five star review from February of 2011), and had obsessed over Tubular Bells from the time I purchased it during the Exorcist craze, I never would have believed that they could have been performed live! With a travelling orchestra, of course! So, I don't mind the edited versions of the studio songs that I knew so well because the highlighted areas are so well done! I am just so happy that this era of the Mike Oldfield being has been so captured and honored! (I've not liked much of his output since 1979.)

I'm sad that you don't hear any of Pekka's play in the Incantations excerpts whereas he's quite prominent throughout Tubular Bells (though not given much room for improvisation). Also, I love the middle sections of Tubular Bells here performed with expanded rock and orchestral arrangements for their reminders of how much other great folk- and classical-themes were present on the original TB recording.

The music is great. The sound and recording is amazing. The performances are top notch. (They all appear to be having great fun throughout their campy performance of Tubular Bells.) Heck! I can even tolerate the discofied "Shaft"-"Popcorn" blend that is "Guilty" when it's in the flow of this lineup! And then I have only to remember that this is Mike Oldfield captured at the end of his best period. What more could you want?

Another year means another couple of holidays, like Halloween. Picking an album to review on Halloween was a bit of a thoughtful thing for me, since there are a lot of good records to choose from. Luckily, the theater I worked at, was showing that new Exorcist movie, which so gracefully uses the classic Tubular Bells jingle in its main theme. I thought 'Well I guess I have found the record I am gonna review for Halloween this year'.

To me, Mike Oldfield is probably one of the more prestigious early prog acts in the early 70s, up there with Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson. His ability to combine melodic classical-esque music with progressive rock and folk has always been something I hold dearly into my heart. I even say his combination makes him probably one of the most experimental artists in prog rock history, aside from Fripp and Zappa, of course, as he is able to create these modern Bachs within the confines of a Canterbury styled rock/folk effort.

He's also a pretty big hit maker, especially in Europe. While in America, Oldfield, to us, is just that British guy that made one of the most timeless horror movie pieces ever, in Europe he is very known for such pieces like On Horseback, Family Man, Shadow On The Wall, Moonlight Shadow, To France, and plenty more. After the 70s he would lay low on the whole big 20+ minute epic, though he does occasionally dip his toes in those waters in time, as that is something he is quite known for. Though, he would still find himself within pop culture, as his work Nuclear, originally from Man On The Rocks, does appear as a trailer theme for Metal Gear Solid V. Kinda funny how Mike manages to find his music in some pretty big pop culture phenomenons from time to time.

But less talk about Oldfield's extensive career, and more about his biggest namesake, Tubular Bells. It is not a surprise to call this his magnum opus, at least from what I think. Not only was it a top charter, it is made anew time and time again with different takes, boxsets, remixes, and whole albums, usually made with different instruments, new compositions, and different genres. If there was one prog epic that I would consider to be the largest crowd hit, it'd be Tubular Bells.

Tubular Bells contains a full 48 minute worth of music, shared within 2 parts of the same whole. Part 1 is the one most are familiar with, as it contains that familiar piano melody in the beginning, as well as shifting and winding musical melodies that transform throughout, until a big burst of instruments form in the last half. The way Viv Stanshall says "plus tubular bells" at the tailend of the symphony of instruments brings me a very strong amount of euphoria, especially as the tubular bells hit for the first, and from what I can gather, only time on this record. Part 2 isn't half bad either, a lot more pagan and mellower than part 1, aside from the massive guitar playing in the middle, and the caveman part. I like the ending to part 2, being this old folk jingle called The Sailor's Hornpipe. It's much like On Horseback from Ommadawn a few years later. A fun jingle to end off a stellar piece of music.

Now, the reason why I really like this album is just the massiveness of it. How it combines Steve Reich-like minimalism, with an orchestral hue, a very symphonic prog outlook, and a rich Canterbury inspired stylization makes for such an interesting fusion of music, one of which that I am still trying to wrap my head around. It's avant- garde, yet there is a feeling of familiarity within it. It's mellow, yet has moments that feel big and grand. There is never one part to this whole piece, it feels like a very true classical piece, like Pictures At An Exhibition and The Four Seasons, but at the same time, it is a very rocking piece of music that feels young and fresh. It is truly progressive rock in all its facets, heck I would say even more so than most symphonic prog bands.

I also have fond memories of listening to it in car rides. Whenever the wifi goes out, I listen to my MP3 download on my phone, watching the scenery; the rocks and trees; snow and sometimes even forests of northern America, just taking in what is in store for the sights, as I hear Mike's strums of his guitar. It is enriching, honestly.

There is no doubt in my mind this is one of the peaks in progressive rock, next to some of its very beginnings, to its modern lives. It is complex, simple, beautiful, haunting, and in every which way a classic. I think this is an essential album, especially when first getting into prog, as it introduces the whole big epics pretty well, and can give listeners a familiar, but still quite complex level of music. Happy Halloween folks.