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Hugh_Janus Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: July 15 2010, 22:14 We all love Mike's work but there are tracks that I find I am not happy with and even find skipping; I wasn't sure where to put this thread; this seemed the logical place to start. But...this has to be a balanced list, if you post 10 bad tracks you post 10 best tracks  : Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 16 2010, 19:09 Do side-long pieces count as tracks? Well, if they do, here are mine, in no particular order, and subject to change within less than an hour : BEST Sentinel Pictures in the Dark The Bell Red Dawn Islands The Time has Come Ommadawn Part 1 Amarok Incantations Part 4 Moonshine Let There Be Light Harbinger Musica Universalis WORST In High Places Pran's Last Night Blood Sucking The Year Zero Orchestral TB Part 2 Evacuation Saved by a Bell Requiem for a City Woodhenge To Be Free - Single Edit Hostage B. Blues Into Wonderland -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4770 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 16 2010, 21:57 I'm sorry, but I can't take seriously anyone who calls him/herself "Hugh_Janus"!   Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4770 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 16 2010, 22:01 Quote (Ugo @ July 16 2010, 19:09) Do side-long pieces count as tracks? Well, if they do, here are mine, in no particular order, and subject to change within less than an hour : BEST Sentinel Pictures in the Dark The Bell Red Dawn Islands The Time has Come Ommadawn Part 1 Amarok Incantations Part 4 Moonshine Let There Be Light Harbinger Musica Universalis WORST In High Places Pran's Last Night Blood Sucking The Year Zero Orchestral TB Part 2 Evacuation Saved by a Bell Requiem for a City Woodhenge To Be Free - Single Edit Hostage B. Blues Into Wonderland Nevertheless... Yes, "Sentinel" would top my list too - that piece just soars. Somewhere in my best list would be a fair fraction of "Taurus 2" as well. As for the worst list, "Woodhenge" has escaped comment before for being bad. I wonder why. The only piece I disagree with you about, Ugo, is "Into Wonderland", which I really like. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4770 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 16 2010, 22:02 And Ommadawn and Incantations, of course. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 17 2010, 10:24 @ nightspore: I placed "Into Wonderland" among the worst pieces for the simple reason that it was a repacement for "Sally", which is IMHO much better than "Into Wonderland" - because "Sally", with all of its reprises of melodies from other pieces, ties perfectly into the Platinum album, while "Into Wonderland" does absolutely not. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Hugh_Janus Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: July 17 2010, 10:24 Well my name got your attention, would hate to be taken seriously I have to agree with a few of your best pieces and if they are called a track e.g. Amarok then yes it is ok. The Live version of "Art in Heaven" Magellan Ringscape The Live Moonwatch Have to disagree a little on Orchestral Tubular Bells pt 2, because I really like Mike's guitar playing after "The Caveman" piece Dislikes Music From The Balcony In High Places Foreign Affair Nightshade Trouble is there are more goods than bads...I may have to have more of a think -------------- Better to be pissed off than pissed on! Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 17 2010, 18:35 More "Bests": Lake Constance The Doge's Palace The Source of Secrets Top of the Morning Rocky First Steps The Tempest More "Worsts": Earth Moving (Album Version) Music for the Video Wall [Sorry to anyone who loves that piece, I hate it. ] Make Make Shadow on the Wall live, with Pepsi on vocals. Bleah. Conflict Taurus 3 - too short, too chaotic. Tubular World Do collaborations count? If yes, Kevin Ayers' Why Are We Sleeping may place itself in both categories, as Mike's section of it is pure heaven, all the rest is pure crap. @ Hugh: I included Orchestral TB Part 2 because it's the whole piece that I hate. Of course there are some good sections on it, the section you mention after the Caveman one is a joy to listen to. But the way they treated the Caveman section himself would make the Caveman himself rise up from his grave and yell "Slush dush diddly buch hrr doe!" -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Milamber Group: Musicians Posts: 2275 Joined: Feb. 2010 Posted: July 17 2010, 19:44 Best Amarok. Hergest Ridge Part Two 2010. Tubular Bells Part Two Exposed. Ommadawn Part One 2010. Punkadiddle live at Essen 81. Maya Gold. Taurus Two. Mont St Michael. Northpoint. Weightless. Crime of Passion. Not worst but like the least Moonshine. Shine. Mistake. Family Man. A new beginning. Tubular X. Innocent. Cuckoo Song. Evacuation. Prans Theme. The Year Zero. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4770 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 17 2010, 21:29 Quote (Ugo @ July 17 2010, 18:35) More "Worsts": Earth Moving (Album Version) Music for the Video Wall [Sorry to anyone who loves that piece, I hate it. ] Make Make Shadow on the Wall live, with Pepsi on vocals. Bleah. Conflict Taurus 3 - too short, too chaotic. Tubular World Do collaborations count? If yes, Kevin Ayers' Why Are We Sleeping may place itself in both categories, as Mike's section of it is pure heaven, all the rest is pure crap. @ Hugh: I included Orchestral TB Part 2 because it's the whole piece that I hate. Of course there are some good sections on it, the section you mention after the Caveman one is a joy to listen to. But the way they treated the Caveman section himself would make the Caveman himself rise up from his grave and yell "Slush dush diddly buch hrr doe!" Aha - "Taurus 3" is also from side 2 of Crises! At this rate, Ugo, it'll be just "Moonlight Shadow" that you like!   Milamber, I agree with you about "Family Man". Talk about coming back to earth with a thump after "Taurus 2"! Back to top

Incantations Group: Members Posts: 157 Joined: May 2010 Posted: July 17 2010, 22:33 I was never much of a MO fan until recently, only owning two of his albums by about 1992, Amarok and Incantations. Yes I know, quite strange that I only got some of his most obscure albums. That being said, I do not have all or near all of MO's albums. Though I have heard a fair amount more through youtube. (underlined are album names) Best: Amarok Amarok Ommadawn Part 1 Part 2 Incantations Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (Incantations is my favorite MO album (I think you can tell)) Tubular Bells Part 2 Five Miles Out Taurus 2 Music of the Spheres Animus Worst: Orchestral Tubular Bells Part 1 Part 2 The Millenium Bell The Millenium Bell Santa Maria Crises In High Places Light + Shade Every track (except for a select few) -------------- Hmm... Back to top

larstangmark Group: Members Posts: 1767 Joined: Mar. 2005 Posted: July 19 2010, 03:59 Best: Incantations pt 1 (fautless, seamless, uplifting, timeless) Ommadawn pt 1 (unique atmosphere, best guitar solo ever) Hergest Ridge pt 1 (very unique atomsphere, emotionally intense) Incantations pt 3 (second best guitar solo ever) Orabidoo (so many good melodies in one track, unique production ideas) Innocent (proof that Mike can do perfect pop songs!) Taurus I (the guitars! the rhythms! the dynamics! the Phil! the Collins!) Worst: (had to re-listen to a few albums to make this list) Prayer for the Earth (TsoDE) (easily the low point of my least favorite MO album - cringeworthy for so many reasons) Tatoo (TBII) (did someone say generic?) Altered State (TBII) (nudge, nudge - it's funny! Come on!) Moonshine (TBII) (I know it's very similiar to the original Sailor's Hornpipe - except that it sounds like a piece of pro-produced library music) To Be Free (Tres Lunas) (This doesn't sound like Mike Oldfield. It sounds strangely like a pop song made in a laboratory - or directly for a commercial) Heaven's Open (harmless eurovision pop number without twists or surprises (unlike Innocent). Could very well have been performed by the infamous Olsen Brothers!) Magic Touch (the kind of 80s AOR that I still hasn't got period charm) I'm not a huge fan of Mike's post-Amarok albums, so I don't listen a lot to them. Before writing this post I listened through them briefly and was positively surprised by Light and Shade. I thought I would include at least one track from that album, but no! It's a very easy listen but it's in no way irritating. It doesn't try to hard to be loud, funny or in-your-face. I dare say it's even slightly under-rated. Still don't like Millenium Bell, but I find that album slightly tepid all the way through. No real disaster, except for the annoying voice-overs on several tracks. Man in the Rain almost made my top 7, but as it does remind too much of songs that I like, I decided not to include it. -------------- "There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste" Mark E Smith Back to top

Tubularman Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 2304 Joined: June 2004 Posted: July 19 2010, 08:47 Quote (Ugo @ July 18 2010, 00:35) Shadow on the Wall live, with Pepsi on vocals. Bleah. i agree on that one 100%%%% -------------- Mike Oldfield M i x e s https://soundcloud.com/tubularman Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: July 19 2010, 11:03 Best: Amarok Tubular Bells, pt. 1 Incantations, pt. 1 Crises Music from the Balcony Tubular Bells, pt. 2 Hergest Ridge, pt. 2 Platinum, pt. 2 Moonlight Shadow Five Miles Out Worst: The Source of Secrets Jewel in the Crown The Inner Child Man in the Rain Secrets Far Above the Clouds Sunlight Shining Through Cloud The Doge's Palace Mastermind The Millennium Bell I have a feeling this thread will be moved to another forum. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 19 2010, 19:19 Quote (nightspore @ July 18 2010, 03:29) Aha - "Taurus 3" is also from side 2 of Crises! At this rate, Ugo, it'll be just "Moonlight Shadow" that you like!   Well... "Moonlight Shadow", "Foreign Affair", "Shadow on the Wall"... I love all of these. I like "Taurus 3" when Mike just plays his guitar. When he makes just noise and chaos ["some make chaos", indeed! ] I don't like the piece anymore. But I still think that anything on side 1 of Crises is far worse than anything on side 2, except, of course, for "In High Places". -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: July 19 2010, 19:37 Quote (larstangmark @ July 19 2010, 03:59) I'm not a huge fan of Mike's post-Amarok albums, so I don't listen a lot to them. Before writing this post I listened through them briefly and was positively surprised by Light and Shade. I thought I would include at least one track from that album, but no! It's a very easy listen but it's in no way irritating. It doesn't try to hard to be loud, funny or in-your-face. I dare say it's even slightly under-rated. It's nice to see that even a staunch early-MO proponent can find something positive in the latest works. But now I'm curious, Lars. After your recent listening, will you be sharing more thoughts on late MO? Or have you already done so elsewhere? I see poor "In High Places" has been tossed to the 'worst' side! Admittedly, I don't care for the vocals but I am fond of the music. Perhaps an "In The Pool" treatment was in order, there? -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: July 22 2010, 05:29 I started thinking about a list of favourites, and conversely, of tracks I've never liked much, but then realised that the whole enigma of Mike Oldfield could be summed up, for me, thus: Best: Amarok Worst: Amarok The slightly worrying thing about this is that my view in this particular respect hasn't changed at all over the years, unlike my musical tastes in general (which have developed in some very unexpected ways during the same period). All a bit of a puzzle, really. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4770 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: July 22 2010, 06:35 Quote (Ugo @ July 19 2010, 19:19) Quote (nightspore @ July 18 2010, 03:29) Aha - "Taurus 3" is also from side 2 of Crises! At this rate, Ugo, it'll be just "Moonlight Shadow" that you like!   Well... "Moonlight Shadow", "Foreign Affair", "Shadow on the Wall"... I love all of these. I like "Taurus 3" when Mike just plays his guitar. When he makes just noise and chaos ["some make chaos", indeed! ] I don't like the piece anymore. But I still think that anything on side 1 of Crises is far worse than anything on side 2, except, of course, for "In High Places". What do you think of "Music from the Balcony", Ugo? I'm very fond of it - especially that 10-note piano melody that conjures up transcendent vistas. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 22 2010, 09:13 Quote (nightspore @ July 22 2010, 12:35) What do you think of "Music from the Balcony", Ugo? I'm very fond of it - especially that 10-note piano melody that conjures up transcendent vistas. I don't like it. I like bits and pieces of it, but not the whole thing. I think that the definition of "small-scale Amarok" that has often been given to that piece is very unfit for it, as to me Amarok is very much alive, while MftB sounds rather sterile. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Incantations Group: Members Posts: 157 Joined: May 2010 Posted: Aug. 01 2010, 01:46 Agh!I forgot Hergest Ridge in my "best" list! Here it is revised: Best: Tubular Bells Part 2 Hergest Ridge Part 1 Part 2 Ommadawn Part 1 Part 2 Incantations Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Amarok Amarok -------------- Hmm... Back to top

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