Boxed: Mike Oldfield is a curious four-LP set consisting of the original version of Ommadawn, a vastly remixed version of Hergest Ridge, a remixed/remodeled version of Tubular Bells, and a platter called Collaborations in which Oldfield's bits on the recordings of others were excerpted, often... [+] Expand

Boxed: Mike Oldfield is a curious four-LP set consisting of the original version of Ommadawn, a vastly remixed version of Hergest Ridge, a remixed/remodeled version of Tubular Bells, and a platter called Collaborations in which Oldfield's bits on the recordings of others were excerpted, often with the result that sans context, the excerpts made little sense (certainly the case with Oldfield's work alongside David Bedford). The altered Tubular Bells is most startling at the close -- instead of the familiar "Sailor's Hornpipe," there's a long, rambling bit involving Viv Stanshall, engineer Tom Newman, and Oldfield, with a remote mic, wandering around the Virgin Mansion with Stanshall drunkenly commenting on the various objects they encounter, while Newman and Oldfield play "Sailor's Hornpipe." The remixing of Hergest Ridge, drastic though it is (even the sleigh bells vanish), is rather less upsetting. [An expanded version of this box is also available on CD.] ~ Steven McDonald, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

• songs
• similar
• videos
• eyeviews
• reviews
• download directory