Mike Oldfield- Hergest Ridge Pt. 2 (First Listen)
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- Опубликовано: 7 ноя 2024
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Song Link: • Hergest Ridge Part Two...
In the decades and centuries to come I truly hope people realise how great MO was in his 1974-78 neo-classical composer period. Just pure magic.
Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, Incantations are flawless, groundbreaking masterpieces
I think that one of the reasons that Mike isn't more well known is that back in the days music like this was taken for granted. There were so much interesting music that people could bush of something like this as boring or not cool enough. While people sure can have the same reaction today, I think a lot more is starting to see the greatness of musicians like Oldfield. I think he'll be in the history books (pdf's more likely) as one of the great composers in the future. Theres no question he is.
Phenomenal piece of music...
I'm sure that if Ralph Vaughan Williams was still alive he would approve of Mike Oldfield. David Bedford was a master of arranging choirs and strings, he is sadly missed. Nice review, very enjoyable.
Anyone who listens to Mike is ok by me!!
INCANTATIONS is great. Hergest ridge, in my opinion i like it better than Tubular Bells only because theres a much different atmosphere. Ommadawn is next which again different, same goes for Incantations which is just masterful
Looking forward to it!
I completely agree. With his first 3 albums, it depends on how much they make me cry. I'm not being cynical. This is music that brings tears to my eyes and I end up crying over the beauty.
Oddly enough I think Amarok is pure eclectic genius.
Crisis my favourite 80s prog. The last piece with the drums and keys still goes loud in car
I’m sure you’ve been told already, but Ommadawn is a must. Also Amarok is an incredibly unique piece of music that everyone should try.
Yes! Amarok is a must and a favourite of mine from Mike Oldfield
So I've heard 🤭
Agreed
@@EBFido1973 Amarok would mess him up :P and imo is a Masterpiece
Amarok! Top 5 favorite piece of music.
Bewitching, life changing music.
Really nice to hear your take and appreciation of one of mike's best albums . I love it so much , easily one of my favourite pieces of music. It definitely takes me to my special place and has a pure and ancient beauty which gets me every time. The alhum improves with every listen. I've been listening for years and never tire of listening. It really resonates with me and has sensibilities that trigger lovely thoughts and emotions . I think mike said this music was like a large creature which protects him. I find its like a soothing balm for the mind and soul. ❤
Wow! True!
Masterpiece! never get tired of listening to it, always discovering something new ;-) Try Ommadawn, Crises, Five mile out ;-)
Mike Oldfield is totally under-appreciated at the present time. He is without doubt, an absolute musical genius and yes, a criminally under-appreciated guitarist.
His next album, Ommadawn, is a masterpiece.
As you enjoy the way Mike plays with interweaving themes, Amarok is going to BLOW YOU MIND!!; it has sooooooooooo many incredible musical ideas within it, each change is captivating in it's own right (all of them would be worthy of being expanded on). You have a good feeling for Mike's work, so I reckon you'll 'get it' first time ;-)
I think he's always been criminally underappreciated especially in the UK and USA. He's bigger in Europe: Spain, Germany and Italy in paticular.
@@leethomas2155 I mean... he did play in the London Olympics Opening Ceremonies. He can't be THAT underappreciated in the UK.
@@joshuawentz you can thank Danny Boyle for that as he is a huge fan of Tubular Bells. But after his first 3 albums his popularity in the UK waned during the late 70s and 1980s and only picked up again with the release of Tubular Bells ll in 1992. Then decreased again. That appearance at the 2012 Olympics was his biggest UK moment in ages. It temporarily boosted his career with the 2 sides compilation. But most of his career he has been sadly underappreciated in the UK.
Yes never considered for any honours while giving them to ppl with much lower achievements.
I apppreciate that you've been listening to the original 1974 mix of the album. Mike Oldfield remixed it in 1976 and it became the only available version for many many years - and how I first heard it myself. Some people prefer the 76 remix but I was blown away when I finally got to hear the original from 74. There are details I love on it (the remix is sparser).
18:54 Me too, no matter how many times I listen to it!
Mike oldfield creates melodies that are heavenly memorable and stick with you as an earworm for days after listening to his music
Meditatve heavy electric guitar 🎸 music in Oldfield style Great. At the same time it’s a Celtic worldGreat
You hit the nail on the head about Oldfield and layering. Everytime I listen I can focus on a different instrument, chord, harmony that I didn't hear the previous listen. It gives it so much depth!
An aspect of the updated album cover is that you can more easily picture what it would be like to feel the pitter patter of the raindrops starting before being caught in a huge tree-less environment as the thunderstorm breaks upon you, with your shelter lying far away! This time, though, the lightning strikes were elsewhere and you come through the storm and descend the ridge...
You still won't Mike happily reminiscing about these times in the recording studio, some time after such inspirations. Practically the whole aspect of Mike's relationship with HR is remembering those times they were filling up tracks 15 and 16 just for the sake of it, or squeezing originally planned aspects out of the mix. Once again, you can find bits and pieces done better on another day's mixing; as long as you find that any one of them played whole will satisfy you, then his suffering won't have been in vain! Sometimes, I'm in the mood to hear a section without distortion or clutter - or maybe I'll decamp to 1976 for the clearer vocals; or to 2010 to hear the massed guitars though more modern filters. Here has been a day when it's been my pleasure to hear 1974(ish!) with you.
I hope it's a future we'll get to see but, should you reach it, my advice would be to record your first and your fourth reactions to Amarok and present your findings in the way you think best. If it's your destiny to join us, you will see why!
Justin, this is classic Oldfield. It's interesting you said his guitar playing is underrated, because trust me, you haven't heard his playing yet!!! From Ommadawn onwards he really becomes a guitar legend. Mike's album Amarok is an hour long, and is incredible and never boring, don't rush to that album yet though, it really is Mike's magum opus.
His album Guitars is well worth a listen, Out of sight, and out of mind are great showpieces for his original, stellar playing
@@willrichardson519 Yes, even B Blues shows he can play great blues too, even though he is not known for that style.
Another great first listen. I really love Hergest Ridge. Mike Oldfield has the ability to create majesty that's very rare for solo artists. I get the impression that he may have influences of composers like Rimsky-Korsakov & Tchaikovsky. I also felt the harder section in part 2 (which I've heard referred to as the "Storm Sequence") does sound percussive even though there's only a hint of actual percussion. I can't wait for Ommadawn and Incantations. Although I like much of his output, I believe Mike shines best when he composes full length compositions.
Ty Dennis!
Mike's string of folk pop songs is rather underappreciated, too, imo. He has worked with exceptional singers that seem to bring the best out of each other
Mike released loads of songs in the 70’s not on the original albums. Most of them are fantastic and can be found on Spotify.
There were orchestral versions of this and "Tubular Bells" made by David Bedford which are worth checking out.
Yes, the orchestral version is amazing. I'm very split on what I prefer, if the original or the orchestral, nonetheless every version is top-notch. Along with Ommadawn, Hergest Ridge is my favorite song of all time.
Justin, you did well to continue "Hergest Ridge Pt. 2" with the 1974 mix. It's so much nicer to listen to, yet there are so many layers of instruments and vocals in this work that no mix is totally satisfactory so far. At times, I would have liked the backing vocals to stand out a little bit more but overall I prefer this mix (and also the 1976 mix) to the messy remix of 2010 which brings out too many instruments and vocals at the same time.
Hergest Ridge is such a good album but it's not over yet, because get ready for the best with Ommadawn and Incantations !!! .-)
The original 1974 release is the most beautiful version. The additional remixes are unsuccessfully fiddling with a masterpiece by adding gaudy colours firstly at the edges and then changing the colour of the muses eyes…..
Oh yeah, and Mike was 21 when he composed this, freakin' genius
The blend of instrumentation is terrific throughout. This is composition rather than song writing and compares well with the historic composers of the past. Would be interesting to know what Stravinsky would have done with modern instruments I suspect that this would stand up well against it. Oldfield is still experimenting in only his second album and occasionally it doesn’t work perfectly but there are far more moments where it is absolutely sublime.
You need to do Ommadawn after this soon please and then Incantations. If You Loved this you’ll love the next 2 pieces of masterpiece music Mike Has made.
Love this album... and while I (and everybody else) love Ommadawn and Amarok, I wish people wouldn't sleep on QE2... which is made up of shorter songs... but is brilliant and amazing in its own right. It perfectly bridges the gap between his long sublime instrumentals and his more pop-oriented later work... I return to QE2 time after time and it never fails to mesmerize me.
Enjoy this wonderful journey!
Great review. The fast, distorted guitars always remind me of galloping a horse across the ridge in a thunderstorm, and then the clouds part and the sun comes out. Awesome soundscape. Ommadawn is going to blow you away. My other favourites are Voyager, where he explores his celtic roots, and The Tales Of Distant Earth which got a seal of approval from Arthur C Clarke himself.
Goosebump forever❤
You’re exactly right: “WOW! Wow, wow, wow”.
So glad you loved it JP,t takes me back to being 15 again and bringing my pristine Vinyl just bought from the record store playing it to my totally bemused family on the Grundig Sterogram! Have been playing it in one form or another since and still love it.For me Ommadawn is the apex of Mikes compositions welcome to the Rabbit hole, greetings from the UK.
Sounds like they enjoyed it alongside you. Ty Tim!
The remastering job on the 1974 mix here is IMPECCABLE. I'm glad you got to hear it this way.
Ty Sam🙃
This is the best review I've seen from you. You really need to hear Amarok by Mike. It's an astonishing 1 hour track designed for CD. The production is through the roof. The dynamics? OMG!
Ty so much Gordon!
You describe it very well, especially after only one listen. I always found when I was younger I needed to hear his music a few times to fully appreciate it.
Ty so much Coneman!
You will love Ommadawn-especially part 1, magical, ethereal & enchanting.
There is also a mixed down vocal track contained in that final section. The other versions put it in the foreground more. Well worth checking out the 1976 version of part two to hear it. Its the first of his circular vocal lines that will become a feature of both "Ommadawn" and "Incantations."
My thoughts too... the 1976 mix is the one. Seems more cohesive.
This is why I prefer the 2010 mix of part 2. I haven't had the chance to hear the 1976 version. As far as I'm aware, the Boxed album isn't available anywhere. EDIT: Just found the 1976 version on YT and hated it. It was absolutely butchered, although I didn't listen to all of it.
@@micgooflander95 I think it largely depends on which one was the first one you heard and then that is your reference point
@@neilloughran4437 It's possible, but it's hard to imagine that I would have been enraptured by the 76 version the same way that I was by the other 2 mixes. The vocals are brought far too much into the foreground and some of the instrumentations in the beginning and concluding section have been eliminated or quietened down to the point where you can barely hear them. It's a completely different piece of music, whereas the 1974 and 2010 versions are only subtly different from each other. I haven't heard part 1 from 1976 because that isn't available on RUclips.
@@micgooflander95 Thats the version I know and grew up with since 70s and so I only know the vocals like that... was a shock to hear them so muted on other mixes.
Love this. I feel Herdegst Ridge is more coherent than Tubular Bells and less distractions (naming of instruments on Tubular Bells). Amazing to hear him improve from his first album and then even more to Ommadawn, which, to me, is one of the definite highlights of his career (many more highlights, but that album is a personal favourite). Enjoy Oldfield!
This is such an underrated album Justin.Mike's acoustics playing is just utterly stunning imo.
He set's a scene like no other. Trance like beauty ,and them lush keyboards take you on a wonderful journey butty.
Listen to that groove on the bass oh yes..I cannot stop smiling,feeling at peace listening to this masterpiece Justin.☺☺☺💝 .oh,did I forget the mandolin...one word beautiful.
The very intense electric guitar sequence,just gets hold of you,,and that solo on top..pure genius imho butty.
And then the calm takes hold of you,and lets you down gentle..just sublime Justin.
A wonderful album, finished with a wonderful review butty. Just superb Justin. YOU give this underrated masterpiece the total respect it deserves imho.
Thanks,big time Justin.AWESOME 🎵🎸🎹🎺☺☺☺
Hi Justin. Great video! I grew up in the 1970s and for me the 1974 original version or the 'Boxed' version are the best mixes. For me this is a very emotional album which I really connect with, and that last section as we come on down from high with the orchestra and voices really tugs at the heart strings. A magical journey which is so easy to get into as Mike weaves his musical magic. You have done an awesome job with this, Justin, and I really enjoy the vibe and the way you put your feelings and thoughts across. A big thumbs up and subscribed! :) As a note, Mike used to fly his model aeroplanes on Hergest Ridges, and I visited it back in the 1980s and can well understand where he got his inspiration from.
Please do Ommadawn...it’s my personal favourite of his 70s masterpieces
Definitely 😃
@@JustJP Great...try and listen to the original 1975 mix if you can, the later 2010 mix isn’t as good.
Hey Justin ! Thanks !
you said the second side sets you on... here here ! :-)
A dream day in another world.... :-)
(I'm continuing my breakdown of the album to day-parts from side 1)
Sunset.... .(1:31) (A Hassidic Rythem....) Love the organs !
Evening..... (4:06) + clouds gathering
Bright Night.... (10:01) Dripping and that great guitars storm.....
Stormy late night (1-4 AM) night .... (11:00)
4-5 AM (night residue, before dawn) (17:02)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS..+++ there is a Philhamonic version of this album !!!!!
This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. The hypnotizing intro lulls you to sleep then segways so perfectly into that blissful spanish guitar section. Then it gets dark and heavy, with that relentless multiplied guitar pattern. I agree, it does sound very modern, like it could be on a muse album. It is loud and relentless, and almost lasts for a little bit too long, but that makes the transition back into the peaceful spanish guitar section so much more enjoyable. So much contrast in those sections yet the transitions are perfect.
This is probably my favorite Mike Oldfield piece, although it's tied with Ommadawn part 1. I must admit that I think I prefer the 2010 remix of this song. You can hear the vocals better during the spanish guitar bit and the multiplied guitar section is even more jarring and relentless on the remix. But I didn't grow up listening to the original mixes. I discovered Mike Oldfield only a few years ago in 2016 so I started by listening to the remixes. I have been a huge proghead since I was a kid but Oldfield was just one of those artists I didn't discover until much later in my life. It's rare to find music that can impress me well into my 30s. But this music does. That's how I know it's great.
The start and end parts of Hergest Ridge Part 2 are some of the most moving melodies I've ever heard. The middle 'thunderstorm' section provides an electrifying change of pace as well. Easily my favourite piece of music of all time.
Can hardly wait for Ommadawn!! Don't you love his use of theme with variations? He is such an extraordinary composer/musician. His music reflects nature so well, complements any walk or drive!! Is classically timeless! Thanks for choosing him to listen to, I enjoy your comments.
"Thunderstorm" (the final part with 10000 guitar overdubs) is so ahead of its time, it's ridiculous.
The most beautiful music I've heard in my life. Not kidding, Justin. I just don't know how he does it!
He's quite amazing!
I rarely listen to side two of Hergest Ridge, because it's bloody hard work! And listening along with you Justin, I am reminded of why I don't listen to it; it's an acquired taste (one that I never acquired).
I guess that it's a good piece of music, small parts of it are lovely, but having been completely moved by side one, this is a let down for me.
it's wonderful your so open to listen to this music and the alle the other thing you listen to. keep going
Ty Torben!
JustJP for me you're bang on with your observations. Such a great piece of music which received unfairly bad reviews in its time, in my opinion.
I agree with your comparison to some classical music, but I would add that this would include "contemporary classical" styles, and especially minimalism. (You used the word "minimal" in Part 1 I believe, so I think we're on the same page.)
I was also going to point out it's cinematic qualities, but you beat me to it when you said "Dysney". Bang on again!
It was great for me to revisit this piece after about 45 years
10/17/20 @ 7:03 a.m. thanks for this! Peace from Ct.
Ty James! Hope you had a great morning
Yes Justin! You promised part 2 and you delivered. Very few people react to Oldfield and no one else has done Hergest Ridge. You are a class act. It is excellent that you chose to listen to the 1974 mix for part2. A very good decision. Oldfield just blows me away. Hergest Ridge is so mellow and terrifyingly epic at the same time. His choice of instruments is absolutely sublime. So many acoustic instruments blending together so well and then he throws in that sweet overdriven electric guitar and utterly unique organ tones. Oldfield's music was where I learned that for one thing, you didn't need a trap drum set for rhythm, that the other instruments are allowed to subtly fill their own space without drums cluttering everything up, and that classical acoustic instruments were perfect for emotional romantic music. Not that I dislike trap drums, quite the opposite, but they have their place and aren't always required in modern music.
Oldfield put romance back in modern music. His composing and playing is par excellence. And his bass arrangement: there is always electric bass in his music and the way he plays it and writes it is masterful. All of the instruments are placed perfectly; not too much of anything, all residing just where they should in the piece. This is the advantage of playing everything, or nearly everything, yourself. Nobody's ego gets in the way of choosing when and how much of each instrument is in each section. Bravo! Now the next Oldfield is Ommadawn, where he has the most amazing drums.
Ty Monte! Great way of describing this arrangement!
As far as Oldfield's guitar playing, I saw an interview once where in was obvious that in interviewer wasn't all too familiar with his material, mentioning something to the effect that he's thought of like a "button pusher". Anyway, he brought an acoustic guitar with him and just shredded on it. He's really an awesome guitar player.
Another great reaction, Justin. I love both Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge, but neither gives me the same emotional impact, the same punch in the guts, as Ommadawn. I hope that you can do a reaction to Ommadawn. I would suggest that you do the original studio album; however, I would also very strongly recommend that you see the performance of the work in concert at Knebworth Festival, 1980. That's really astonishing. Best wishes from the U.K.
Im very impressed by how much you " got" from this first listen. It took me a fair while to appreciate HR. I dont want to tempt fate too much, but I seriously cannot wait till you hear Ommadawn. If you don't love it ill eat my hat lol.
That's because what you don't know is he always listens to it like 10 times and then does tons of research. Then he pretends to just listen to it for the first time, so that we're all really impressed.
I'm kidding : )
Lol! Dont eat your hat, but im looking forward to hearing it!
So glad you listened to the original mix. The later mixes always just lost something in my opinion.
I have to agree. This is the first time I heard the original and I can't believe what I missed on part 2, it now makes much more sense. There is a choral part as well as a very important guitar part that I never heard on the newer release.
For me it is the other way round which is purely due to familiarity. My first listen to Hergest Ridge was the version found on the Boxed set which is the remixed version that became the standard version for years. For me the remix is a refinement of the composition, he basically removed some stuff that he put there initially because he feared the music would me to minimal / repetitive. To me it was clear he had heard Philip Glass / Steve Reich’s music and wanted to do his own take on it.
Modern technology seems to have cleaned up this recording quite a bit. Believe me, that middle section sounded pretty awful on your average student's record player in 1974. Lessons were learned in time for Ommadawn, arguably the most satisfying of Mike's early recordings.
The extending amount of hiss and other noise with analog overdubs was a major problem since the invention of multitrack - recording.
So glad you went with the 1974 version. But both are worth listening to, though. They each offer interesting musical variations on the same theme.
BTW - Brilliant bit of drumming on the "Sleigh Bells" sequence on Part One. I hope you decide to post the whole clip of your playing...
Can't wait for your thoughts on Ommadawn. It is sublime
Don't forget sister Sally...Water Bearer...had to get that in there Nice to see Mike get this recocnition nice Justin
Good job on the drums bud! It’s so cool that you’re taking a deep dive on Mike Oldfied (and enjoying it). Check out Downwind by Gong for a great collaboration with Oldfield.
I admire your musical sensibility Justin. When, for me, though a mega Oldfield fan, I always need several listenings before really appreciating his albums, you seem to "catch it" from the first listen ! I am very impressed. For example, when I first discovered Hergest Ridge I didn't like it : it was too cool, not enough rock for me (I had discovered Oldfield with Crises in 1983, rather a rock album, you must listen to it too). But now it is a true masterpiece for me, particularly Part 1 (the "thunderstorm" in part 2 killing a bit the ambience for me). The more I was growing older, the more I liked it. I took me years to see what you see at first listen !
Ty so much Lunas!
I can not recommend Incantations enough. Incredibly complex work of art, maybe not suitable for this channel just for the mere duration of the album itself. But if you have some spare time, give it a spin. It's like a ritual, a spiritual voyage, pretty much like Hergest Ridge. But I think it hides more messages, like the referencing of the moon cycles, or the exaltation of birth... Such a treasure.
3:25 The Oldfield Effect kicks in...
4:10 Intensifies..
5:25 and you succumb... :)
...
17:04 ...annnd breathe!
(I SO envy you - I wish I could hear this for the first time 'again'...)
As good as Hergest Ridge (pt2 especially) is - Ommadawn WILL blow you away.
Lol! Thank you so much Joe
mi favorite disk of mike,and my favorite track,the part of the "electric storm" is fantastic,and guitars sound like bagpipes is a mike's trademark.
in your sequencing this is my favorite piece of his so far.......so far.
I owned the Tubular Bells vinyl way back when but I guess I never got past that one album in my collection. Glad to be getting to his music with you now. This was awesome and your reaction was excellent. I never heard Ommadawn but by the comments, it looks like that’s where we’re headed! Cant wait to get there with you.
Loved the intro. Great with you on your Alesis-set. Mike Oldfield is something I listen to nowadays only when reactors pull up the album 🤠Good but Pink Floyd Rush ELP Genesis Yes kept it more interesting for many listening sessions
This was my request a looong time ago ! Justin playing drums. A little short but well. Anyway. I'll way for the two hours video till the 500k subscribers will be reach.
Among other things, it contains the passage "Electronic Thunderstorm"at 11 min 0 sec,in which 90 guitars (via overdub) can be heard simultaneously!
U need to do "the Ikon" from the album "Todd Rundgrens Utopia" it's probably one of the best prog songs ever!
Interestingly, my son is a year younger than you, and he loves Tubular Bells, but doesn't like any other Mike Oldfield albums, despite my attempts. You even made it through what I call the cowboys and Indians passage. I appreciate that you know HOW to listen to music. My kid was raised on prog. How did he rebel? He got into Kiss.
Lol!
Like Tubular Bells and Ommadawn the two parts of Hergest Ridge are, as you say, one composition, but in two movements designed for the constraints of vinyl. I think Oldfield made this work very well, in each album building part 2 on an elaboration and development of themes set out in part 1. I agree that you should try Ommadawn soon. Like many I think this was his peak in terms of balance of complexity & concision, freshness & sophistication. Whilst he climbed to greater musical heights some of these pieces tended to ramble rather more. Amarok can be accused of being guilty of that but it is a great and novel piece (if you want to do that it has good break points at 18minutes and 39.50). Also Tubular Bells II, - Tubular Bells from an alternate universe - it’s impressive how he has managed to keep themes and structure related to the original yet produce what on the face of it seems to be a completely different piece of music. Happy listening!
Alright. That was great.
Hergest Ridge is a good album, but in my book Ommadawn is his best album along with his 19 year later
album "Songs of distant earth". Some say Amarok, but i think it is a bit too messy.
Songs of distant earth is a way more complete album, and it flows much better.
And he has really evolved in those 19 years. The production is flawless.
Cool concept aswell.... it's music is based on a book from Arthur C. Clarke
Good review again Justin!
Just a add on to my last comment once you have done Ommadawn try getting the dvd of his appearance at Montrose jazz festival just for the drum solos at the end brilliant.
Next Saturday, watch the sunrise to Ommadawn?
Oh Justin. This album was terrific. I am going right out and buying it. I've always known of Mr. Oldfield, but only as the author of the theme of the Exorcist. I loved that album as well, but this one? Whoa! My socks are missing! It also put me heavily in mind of an album by Anthony Phillips(founding member and original guitarist of Genesis) called "Slow Dance". I have suggested his material to you before, but I have acknowledged that much of his material probably wouldn't really be appropriate for this channel because it's SO mellow. But Slow Dance, unlike what it's name implies, is not really as slow as much of his material. It is very much like this album, but perhaps just a tad less multi-faceted, might I say, but still wonderful. Like both this and Tubular Bells it is divided into 2 portions - Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 is slightly more orchestrationally-oriented(although most of them are actually synthetic orchestra, while side 2 focuses more on a slightly more electronic aesthetic. The entire thing is a masterpiece to me and it seems a travesty that you should love Mike Oldfield's material, but now know of Slow Dance. A version of the album I have is a deluxe version that has extra material on it and one of the tracks is an actual orchestra playing some of it and it is phenomenal. An interesting observation is that this album was divided into 2 parts like it is, as if it was written for vinyl. It came out in 1990, after no one was making anything for vinyl anymore, so there was no need for him to have done that, but he did anyway. Leave it to Anthony. Gotta love him.
Thank you so much Jeff! Really glad you enjoyed this! Yes, for Anthony Phillips, I have Geese and Ghost on my list :D
@@JustJP That's a great one too. Him and Mike Rutherford did that one together. Mike was uncredited, but both of them worked on it together and Mike played bass.
I can't wait to see you listen "Ommadawn" and "Amarok"...
G'day Justin and fellow followers!
Please keep reacting to Oldfield. All I knew prior to your reactions was Tubular Bells, so I'm enjoying doing first listens to the rest of his catalog along with you.
However, please also consider full album listens to Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene or Equinox, or Vangelis - Albedo 0.39 or Heaven and Hell.
Maybe after listening to those, you'll be willing to return to my all time favorite album, Olias of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson. But, as you found by the first two songs, that's difficult to do song-by-song; it truly needs to be done at least a side at a time.
Olias truly is my wind down, meditative jam when I need it.
Ty! Ive seen Oxygene pop up in the recommendations quite a bit
@@JustJP
:snort:
I'm not sure about other followers, but I know I've suggested it multiple times. ;)
I have a feeling Ommadawn is going to blow you away
From what I hear from everyone, you may be right!
Was that Bill Bruford on the black kit during the intro?
no.
Lol! Absolutely not🤣
Having just posted, and implying possible influences from the minimalist movement, on further consideration I would say this would apply more so to Tubular Bells than to this album (although you will probably find some here, as you pointed out.) Minimalism has associations with industrialism. Smooth, shiny tubular bells are a product of the steel industry. Hergest Ridge is more pastoral, a retreat for Oldfield I suppose.
Justin. Do you think you will react to side 2 of A Tab in the Ocean?
Always a chance, though not in my immediate list
I recall none of my college roommates could stand my albums of Oldfield, Wakeman or Tangerine Dream.. LOL
Hergest Ridge is my second favorite music album of all time the first being Ommadawn that you will listen to soon I hope trust me you will not regret it it's better than Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge combined.
Once you heard it your job is over no more music😆😆😆
Lol!
@@JustJP Seriously as great as it is Hergest Ridge is only warming up for Ommadawn.Yes it's that good.
Keep up with the great work see ya😎👌
at 4minutes we are on that horse riding on Hergest Ridge
Ommadawn
The electric storm is one of the most power riff in heavy metal. And you konw what i mean when you play drums on it
Please, make a video reaction about Ommadawn by Mike Oldfield. Is the best album of the history
Stopped by to recommend a shorter Mike Oldfield song in case you might want to give his works some more listens before diving into his next longer piece (if you ever do). Anyway the song is called "First Excursion ". Its an unusual song that's just primarily electric guitar and piano, but a very nice piece IMHO.
Ty Gog!
Please do oldields song crisis from the album of the same name. Amazing..especially the percussion at the end with the headphones
Not listened to H. Ridge for ages. It doesn't have the fireworks of his other albums, it's placid, pastoral. You are forcing me to sit and give it a good listen again. It comes across better than I remember it. Thought the ending is a bit of a fizzle.
I was more I tried by your curtains while my mind was wondering. I saw the dog, and three alien girls, a couple of squid like critters, in fact a lot of it is sub ocean. There are also some signs that a weather chart has been incorporated. Plenty to feast on!
Haha, perhaps I should get a moving background to inspire the senses!
If you think the "Martian Sequence" (Oldfield's self-proclaimed "Led Zeppelin" moment) here was intense, just wait 'til OMMADAWN (which will also solve the great HERGEST RIDGE pronunciation debate!).
Please, keep on with next, keep on with Ommadawn.
You might want to check your set-up - then again, so might I want to check mine. There are so many things I'm hearing here which aren't present on my copy of Hergest Ridge, and some channels which aren't coming through as clearly as mine. Maybe it's different versions, or maybe Virgin's quality control isn't what it should be, but the incantations in the two parts should be more audible than they are, according to my recording. Then again, maybe my current ear infection is playing little silly buggers with the recording - but then I listened to it in the car again yesterday, in yet another London traffic jam, and I got what I expected. Then again, again, maybe that's because I was expecting it. It's a funny old world...
Perhaps you are listening to the 1976(?) mix. The voices are barely audible on my 1974 vinyl but on my cd come through clearly. The downside is that for some reason a lot of the detail in the storm section seems to have been lost on the cd, particularly the voices, and the emerging solo guitar in the central part. The cd is also dated 1974 but I suspect it may be the mix from the ‘Mike Oldfield Boxed’ set which I think was remixed in 76 or thereabouts (I think other posts for part 1 probably mention this). Unfortunately I let my vinyl copy of this go decades ago and have not managed to regain it yet.
Mike oldfield has recently re recorded return to ommadawn
11:10 "Woody-woo! Woody-woo! Woody-woo!"
At the 11:00 minute in this rendition, it would be a very bad time to be behind the wheel of a powerful automobile, and at 16:02 mark, oh brother... does this music do the same thing to you.....or is it just me!
Side 1 ftw, the sped up section gets a bit tedius after 5 minutes, the ending is special though, makes me think of a Disney Boat ride