HERGEST RIDGE

This album is fabulous!!! Far better than Tubular Bells, though Mike's first achievement is one of my favourite albums, so imagine how I LOVE Hergest Ridge! Mike really hit it off with HR. While TB was quite raw in sound, HR is rich, mellow, but it still has the progrock cutting edge (just listen to the 6-minute-long ultra-speed guitar part in the middle of "Part Two"!). The addition of choir and orchestra (conducted by David Bedford) is excellent, makes me think of Pink Floyd. The album is usually labelled as having a pastoral feel, and it hears!, but at the same time it retains rock elements, most of which resemble those of TB. Great great work of the twenty-year-old then Mike Oldfield. Perhaps HR will be one of my favourite albums ever, it just so great. If you know Ommadawn you won't be disappointed with HR. A great addition to your progrock (but not only) collection.