Well...the problem with my first choice is that it’s incredibly long and involved, and is unfair to spring on someone for a week’s review. But I have chosen it because, for me, it marked the turning point in music. Now, you might think I should have turned somewhere else, but this was the album that changed everything. Prior to this I had a tape of Russian classical music, stuff recorded off the radio, a Bill Hailey and the Comets compilation, two Shakin’ Stevens albums (honest)...and recently had branched out into Survivor (Eye of the Tiger had been a hit a few years before, and their album had been released on that £2.99 Woolworths label...those were the days).
Then, somewhere in 1984/85 The Complete Mike Oldfield came out – and, although it never appeared on an album, Pictures in the Dark was released as a single. I saw the video on Saturday morning TV: Oldfield had bought all his own video and computer gear and produced one of the early CGI videos, and I was really interested in that.
A friend said his dad had an Oldfield album and lent it to me. I still have the incredibly long cassette! And I had a bit of a shock: not realising that 4minute singles were a recent imposition by Virgin records on him, I hadn’t suspected over an hour of mainly instrumental and live material. It was noise! Later I gave it another go, and another...and realised it was buzzing round my head. I played the tape to distraction.
In later years I recognised that the multi-layered sound-scapes were setting off what turned out to be audio-visual synesthesia. But more than that, these were vast audio landscapes, and as a morose and troubled teenager, I was lost in them, it was another world. It was Lord of the Rings through my eyes, and Oldfield through my ears.
Anyway, here it is: Exposed by Mike Oldfield. It’s the first tour he undertook: after the phenomenal success of Tubular Bells, the shy and mentally fragile Oldfield took to the hills (literally) and hid; a one off incident with drugs to try to ease the anguish produced what we’re warned about these days with regards to cannabis: an instant psychotic episode that left him further damaged. But In ‘77 he underwent a bizarre self-assertiveness course, and then put together his first tour – thus he was finally ‘exposed’. With up to 50 people on stage, in an attempt to reproduce the complexities of Tubular Bells and Incantations, the tour nearly bankrupted him. But Oh I wish I had been there! Never before and never again would it be tried, by anyone. I mean, Longfellow’s Hiawatha set to music? And tens of thousands of people listening enthusiastically? As they said in the 6th form: I’m a hippy born out of time...
It’s not on Spotify, but I found it on LastFM:
Then, somewhere in 1984/85 The Complete Mike Oldfield came out – and, although it never appeared on an album, Pictures in the Dark was released as a single. I saw the video on Saturday morning TV: Oldfield had bought all his own video and computer gear and produced one of the early CGI videos, and I was really interested in that.
A friend said his dad had an Oldfield album and lent it to me. I still have the incredibly long cassette! And I had a bit of a shock: not realising that 4minute singles were a recent imposition by Virgin records on him, I hadn’t suspected over an hour of mainly instrumental and live material. It was noise! Later I gave it another go, and another...and realised it was buzzing round my head. I played the tape to distraction.
In later years I recognised that the multi-layered sound-scapes were setting off what turned out to be audio-visual synesthesia. But more than that, these were vast audio landscapes, and as a morose and troubled teenager, I was lost in them, it was another world. It was Lord of the Rings through my eyes, and Oldfield through my ears.
Anyway, here it is: Exposed by Mike Oldfield. It’s the first tour he undertook: after the phenomenal success of Tubular Bells, the shy and mentally fragile Oldfield took to the hills (literally) and hid; a one off incident with drugs to try to ease the anguish produced what we’re warned about these days with regards to cannabis: an instant psychotic episode that left him further damaged. But In ‘77 he underwent a bizarre self-assertiveness course, and then put together his first tour – thus he was finally ‘exposed’. With up to 50 people on stage, in an attempt to reproduce the complexities of Tubular Bells and Incantations, the tour nearly bankrupted him. But Oh I wish I had been there! Never before and never again would it be tried, by anyone. I mean, Longfellow’s Hiawatha set to music? And tens of thousands of people listening enthusiastically? As they said in the 6th form: I’m a hippy born out of time...
It’s not on Spotify, but I found it on LastFM:
3 comments:
Your story is a fascinating one; music can play such a part in one's development.
I liked what I heard but I have to say I find it hard to distinguish between his various offerings (of that ilk, at least). Impressive, but I find it hard to be moved by it.
But I do like it, honest! And would probably play it again - in part because it doesn't make such an impact upon me.
I first listened to Oldfield a few years back on your recommendation. At first it was intriguing. But after a few listens it grows on me trememdously! This is real brilliance!
You can see Oldfield and dozens of musicians performing Exposed on youtube.com. A whole concert is on there; you have to watch 13 videos to get it all. Great show and well worth watching the whole thing!
Already got it on DVD!
Post a Comment