THE ART IN HEAVEN CONCERT LIVE IN BERLIN (DVD)

We are at the present moment almost ten years into the new millennium. This means that in only a few days it is exactly ten yeas ago this concert was recorded live in Berlin on New Years Eve 1999/2000. The set list consists of some Oldfield classics as well as some songs from his then new album The Millennium Bell. In addition there is a brand new song (as a special feature) composed especially for the concert called Art In Heaven.

The show begins with an excerpt from the classic Tubular Bells. Other classic songs performed are Moonlight Shadow and Shadow On The Wall both from the Crisis album. There is also a snippet of Tubular Bells III that I have a soft spot for myself. As Mike himself is a rather laid back and shy person, the "master of ceremonies" here is really that gorgeous black woman with the cowboy hat. Sadly, this classic segment of the show is over all too quickly

Next up is the The Millennium Bell. Some parts of this is performed with an orchestra and choir. Mike himself is quite lost among the very large cast of musicians. I have not heard the original Millennium Bell studio album, but what I hear here is not particularly impressive. Indeed, the momentum that was built up during the first part is somewhat lost here. The large Berlin audience seem rather happy though, and I'm sure they had a great evening. The main part of the concert is over just before midnight and there is a count down to the new millennium on stage.

The encore is Art In Heaven, and as the title implies this features a massive light show amongst all the fireworks. The piece begins with a small excerpt from The Songs Of Distant Earth, one of Oldfield's best album in recent years, and ends with an excerpt from Beethoven's Ninth, but the rest is, as I have said, especially composed for the concert. Compared to The Millennium Bell itself, Art In Heaven features a lot more of Mike's electric guitar and is for that reason more interesting in my opinion. But it is not a great or particularly memorable piece by any means.

The special features include a making of documentary and an interview with Mike.

If you don't know what music to play on New Years Eve, this will do fine. But if you are looking for the best DVD release of Mike Oldfield this is certainly not the one. I can really recommend this for fans and collectors only.

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