VOYAGER

If you are a fan of the Celtic classics being interpreted and expanded upon on "Voyager", you are unlikely to find any preferred versions here, and if you are interested in hearing standards performed in the spirit of Mr Trad Arr, I advise you not to start here.

While MIKE OLDFIELD's credentials in Celtic influenced progressive rock have been well documented since his earliest collaborations and solo work, his strength has remained in that fusion. Here he goes all Irish and Scottish new age, with virtually all tracks intentionally lullaby- ed down. The strength of these immortal melodies has always laid in their adaptation to a variety of tempos. Try listening to some early LOREENA MCKENNITT, CLANNAD, or NIGHTNOISE for a better sense of the dynamism of this style. Or even perhaps to the excellent closer here, "Mont St Michel", which breaks the mold, if a bit late. True, his guitars are always welcome, and with material like "Song of the Sun" and "The Dark Island" they really can't miss, but the renditions barely scratch the surface of their underlying profundity.

While Oldfield's intentions may be noble if characteristically well timed, "Voyager" represents basic land transportation in a soaring genre, and is primarily of interest for Oldfield fans and new age fans seeking out a reliable name brand and a risk-free connection to traditional British Isles folk.