AMAROK

I honestly did not know what I was going to hear when I placed this CD in my player for the first time. Reading the various reviews of this disk here, I was ready for whatever noise came out of the speakers.

I was pleasantly surprised throughout almost the entirity of the disk. Although Mr. Oldfield does provide a fairly schizophrenic listen, the changes in the themes throughout this disk generally make sense. As usual, his musicianship is apparent regardless of the instrument being played. I especially like the sections where the bass is front and center, as well as the African drum passages. This release keeps the listener on his or her toes for the full one hour playing time.

While I personally find this recording fascinating, I limit my rating to four stars because it is definitely not for everyone. At one hour long, the listener has to commit to listening to it. You can't easily pick it up where you left off, because there is no context throughout, other than what came before it. I can't even tell what parts of this disk I like, as I couldn't find them again myself without listening to the whole thing. Also, the bursts of guitar and keyboards throughout, as well as other randomly placed sounds, may throw off the casual listener.

If you are willing to devote time and attention to this recording, though, it will reward you greatly.