Mike Oldfield Where to start?
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78429
Printed Date: January 28 2025 at 10:45
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Mike Oldfield Where to start?
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Subject: Mike Oldfield Where to start?
Date Posted: May 19 2011 at 17:37
|
I really want to get into Mr.Oldfield's work but I dont know where to start. Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn are probably the most obvious and essential albums to start with but maybe something else? Also is there a particular album of Mike's that has a symphonic atmosphere reminiscent to Genesis, Yes, Camel? ------------- 
|
Replies:
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: May 19 2011 at 17:42
| No, Ommadawn is what you need. And yes it has a pastoral symphonic influence from Genesis / Camel. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 01:44
|
Actually Crisis is not a bad place to start. It has an extended suite that is a bit like the Symphonic rock approach you mention.Simon Phillips (fantastic drummer) had a lot to do with this as he co produced the whole album. You also have Oldfield's best 'poppy' stuff like Moonlight Shadow and Shadow On The Wall. Ommadawn is his highest rated album around here and is very lovely. Can't really go wrong with this or Hergest Ridge. Treat yourself to the deluxe editions which are not too expensive.  |
Posted By: zachfive
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 02:25
|
^ Right oh with the Crisis/Phillips mention! I'd also like to mention Discovery and the even more superb Five Miles Out. FMO is worth getting simply because it has Taurus II. Of course Ommadawn, TB, HR, INC is essential and all that, but I found myself craving the guitar solo in Discovery or Maggie singing in Five Miles Out more than anything. After mentioning it I feel compelled to post a live performance of the Discovery solo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gptGCwcAls#t=1m47s" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gptGCwcAls#t=1m47s
|
Posted By: VanVanVan
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 02:50
|
It's a bit intimidating, but Amarok was the first I heard from him and it worked just fine. ------------- "The meaning of life is to give life meaning."-Arjen Lucassen |
Posted By: zachfive
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 03:00
|
I just came back to mention Amarok cause it is my favorite album from him and can not believe i forgot it. You are right in that it is intimidating, but may be easier to digest if one knew what Mike was hoping to accomplish with Amarok. It was his big "F.U." album to Virgin, and that emotion shows. It is great solid music for sixty amazing minutes and basically none of it could be sold as "commercial". I highly recommend it. ps I have the main guitar "riff" (hardly what I'd call it) as my ringtone.
|
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 03:35
|
Forget everything said above and start at the beggining. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 05:02
|
You have to start at T-o-o-b-o-o-l-a-r Bells ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 07:19
| Ommadawn, Hergest Ridge are realy good to start with |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 13:23
|
They are all great, but I would start off with Crises and Tubular Bells II. Crises the title track is one side of pure prog bliss, and I rate TBII higher than the original. Some of the guitar bursts on it are enough to raise the hairs on the back of the neck. After that, well, take your pick. Amarok, Ommadawn, Hergest Ridge, Incantations. Great stuff. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 14:06
|
I agreewith Lazland. Tubular Bells II and Crises. I personally like Tubular Bells II more than the original. Go for the complete Mike Oldfield if you can dig it up. It's a complilatio divided into thematic sections, instrumental, vocal, complex and live. The live tracks can only be found on this particular album if I'm correct.
------------- |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 15:44
^ 'The Complete Mike Oldfield' is the best MO compilation. Available for about £15 on Amazon inc p&p (just checked). Good suggestion. You are also correct that the live side features tracks not otherwise available. I love the version of Platinum .
|
Posted By: ProgBob
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 16:12
|
I started with the live album, Exposed. In fact it was the first album I ever bought. I then got Boxed, which compiled his first 3 albums plus some miscellaneous bits and bobs. Consequently, I'm biased towards the early stuff so I would suggest listening to the first 4 in chronological order: TB, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, Incantations.
------------- Bob |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 16:57
|
Ommadawn
Incantations
QE II
------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: TheLionOfPrague
Date Posted: May 20 2011 at 17:26
|
Taurus II, Tubular Bells, Crises and Ommadawn. ------------- I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: May 22 2011 at 21:47
I'm afraid I don't quiet agree... I still have to get a lot of Mike Oldfield (I'm really interested in doing so), but I already have Tubular Bells and Tubular Bells II (as a matter of fact, the version of Tubular Bells I have is Tubular Bells 2003). There are some really good parts on Tubular Bells II, but in general I felt part II was just a copy of the original one, not really being able to achive the samy beauty, originality, power, etc from the first one. But then again, everyone has different tastes and perceptions. |
lazland wrote:Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 00:37
| Tubular Bells and Ommadawn are all you have to worry about |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 11:32
I actually prefer Tubular Bells III over 1 and 2. TB2 is a bit bland and other for financial reasons I never understood his reasons for doing it. TB3 is quite a big move away from the orginal peice and brings in some contemporary ideas and has a bit of energy. There is also nice live version performed at Horse Guards Parade available on DVD (with TB2).
|
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 12:04
|
^ I love TBIII as well. A great album. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 12:23
|
Posted By: Mista-Gordie
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 12:27
|
In my opinion you should listen to his albums in that order:
1-Ommadawn
2-Amarok
3-Tubular bells
4-Songsof distant heart
5-Incantations
6-Hegest ridge
7-Music of the spheres
8-QE2
9-Five miles out
10-Tubular bells 3
11-Voyager
12-Guitars
13-Light+shade
14-Crises
15-Platinum
|
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 15:06
|
I haven't heard Ommadawn. If you rank it above a masterpiece like Amarok, I guess I need to. ------------- 
|
Posted By: The_Jester
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 17:30
|
Tubular Bells. He started there, you should too. ------------- La victoire est éphémère mais la gloire est éternelle! - Napoléon Bonaparte |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 01:57
Not bad. I rate Songs Of Distant Earth as one of his best albums so I agree with it being high up. One perhaps glaring ommission is Tres Lunas which is much better than Light and Shade imo.Also the live album Exposed should be in the list somewhere in the top ten and could be included as a valid alternative to Incantations.
|
Posted By: Kallabow
Date Posted: May 30 2011 at 12:49
I agree. The first album is great. The first I listened to. Shortly after that I bought an LP. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 30 2011 at 13:12
 ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: May 30 2011 at 17:56
|
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzjRP3XtgTc" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzjRP3XtgTc |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 31 2011 at 01:01
wrong thread?
|
Posted By: Alitare
Date Posted: May 31 2011 at 01:21
| Ommadawn, Amarok, and Tubular Bells. |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: May 31 2011 at 01:32
|
Start from the start....Tubular Bells. If you don't like it, you will probably not like the rest. Iván ------------- 
|
Posted By: CPicard
Date Posted: May 31 2011 at 01:41
|
^Like everyone else said, I would suggest "Tubular Bells": for some reason, I still have difficulties to get into "Hergest Ridge" and into "Ommadawn".
"Crises" or "Discovery" as a second choice: these albums have more various atmospheres and have short songs, which may help the beginner to get into them more quickly. |
Posted By: Lizzy
Date Posted: May 31 2011 at 14:43
|
Another vote for Tubular Bells, but only because you need some form of initiation before going for the monster - Ommadawn.
------------- Property of Queen Productions... 
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 31 2011 at 14:47
| Tubular Bells though should carry a warning ''disjointed but has inspired moments''. I started with Mike Oldfield 'Boxed' which has the first 3 albums. Ommadawn was the one that blew me away. |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: June 01 2011 at 04:54
i got the remastered Hergest Ridge cd release a few weeks ago, and i find me surprised to love it because it never clicked on me untill today though it's such a good album, Incredible 
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 01 2011 at 14:59
For many years I had only heard the version on Boxed which is actually quite a bit different production wise to the original (basically stripped down). It is a very beautifull peice of music for sure in both forms.
|
Posted By: JoGideon
Date Posted: June 02 2011 at 03:29
|
Just for Taurus II, I would start with Five Miles Out.. .. and all of the Live at Montreux is a masterpiece... And Ommadawn.. and Amarok...... |
Posted By: Kallabow
Date Posted: June 03 2011 at 04:45
|
I really enjoyed The Songs From Distant Earth. -------------
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 04 2011 at 02:35
Yes so do I. The 'problem' with this album that its a lot different to the earlier more acoustic based recordings of Mike Oldfield. SFDE has a much more spacey feel to it that is more akin to electronic music. Very nice though.
|
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: June 04 2011 at 20:20
|
A very good album, it's a fact but if you got to start with Oldfield, first try Tubular, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn, then after that you'll have a few more to discover It's better to first read the first chapter from a story
|
Posted By: Kallabow
Date Posted: June 05 2011 at 11:58
|
He has lots of great albums. Another one I liked is QE2. -------------
|
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: June 05 2011 at 13:12
Yep, QE2 is an excellent album. That cover of Wonderful Land is simply superb. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: June 05 2011 at 17:05
QE2 is good but the artwork cover is not his best one 
|
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: June 05 2011 at 18:03
Speaking of Oldfield, I should be expecting "Ommadawn" in the mail anytime soon.  ------------- 
|
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: June 05 2011 at 20:53
-------------
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 06 2011 at 01:41
Its well known that Tubular Bells is made up of many different peices of music. This was clarified on TB2. Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn were much more organic recordings and far better imo even though Tubular Bells has some great moments.
|
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: June 06 2011 at 16:54
| No one quoted Island? The long track is a pure gem to my ears....... |
Posted By: leadsynt
Date Posted: June 20 2011 at 10:52
|
Hi, Tubular Bells for the 70's, Crises for the 80's, The songs of distant Earth for the 90's, Amarok for all. If one doesn't know Mike Oldfield for his early prroduction could get a bad idea of him listening first to his most recent albums (post TSODE). Single tracks of great relevance: The Lake (Discovery, 1984), First excursion (w/ D. Bedford, 1976) bye |
Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: June 20 2011 at 11:56
|
Ommadawn,Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge are obvious choices but you can try Crises,Amarok and Five miles out. ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 20 2011 at 14:17
| Platinum is also a decent place to start as it has a side long peice as well a series of shorter peices.Tends to get overlooked though.Excellent stuff for testing the balance of your speakers as well as good 'through the headphone' listening. Very simple production which works well. |