One record at a time: 314. Mike Oldfield - Five Miles Out

"Five Miles Out" is a fine illustration of how diverse Mike Oldfield's talent really was. This album contains virtuoso guitar performances, catchy pop songs, complex instrumentals and synth wizardry of the highest order.

Unsurprisingly I enjoy this album because of the widespread use of electronic instruments and the sound of the Fairlight CMI is a particular highlight. I have written posts on here before about my mild obsession with the Fairlight and records like this have contributed to this fascination over the years.

The first half of this record is occupied by the monumental "Taurus II" which, despite the title, only features occasional references to the theme from "Taurus I" on "QE2". The Fairlight CMI is heard immediately on the opening track with the slide whistle sample "SWANEE" and growling strings featured heavily. 

As the theme develops we hear the familiar vocals of Maggie Reilly alongside vocoder and a Linn LM-1 drum machine. There's a curious fade of the volume at 4'51'' that I always thought was a mistake, but I now realise it is to allow emphasis on the section that follows. Things move along almost effortlessly and it is only when you find yourself listening to the sound of Uilleann Pipes and Morris dancing that you realise the track has developed somewhat from the opening. There's a disco influenced section at about eighteen minutes before we return to the main theme and the conclusion of the fist side of the record.

The second side features the brilliant pop song "Family Man" which is probably better known as the Hall & Oats cover version. Whilst this original rendition is far superior musically, it didn't have a glitzy video to push it into American living rooms so wasn't as commercially successful as a result. 

"Orabidoo" is a weird extended lullaby that is closest to a disappointment on the album. "Mount Teidi" is a nice tune but Carl Palmer's drumming dominates a bit too much for me. The title track takes the theme from "Taurus II" and develops it into a pop song about a real life experience of flying through a storm in a light aircraft. Interestingly "Five Miles Out" also features Mike on lead vocals alongside Maggie Reilly.

You'll notice the difference in the colour of the sleeves for these two records. This is because one is the original pressing from 1981 and the other a 180g repressing from 2013. As usual, the modern version is a poorer quality image than the original and the vinyl isn't much better. If you like this album I would always encourage you to pick up a copy of the original LP as it has a fascinating gatefold sleeve that reveals the studio tracklist for "Taurus II" on the inside. 4/5

One record at a time: 313. Mike Oldfield - QE2

I always wondered why Oldfield called this album "QE2" as there was nothing special about the ship in my eyes. It turns out that Oldfield decided to name the album after an ocean liner because he used a sound akin to a ship's horn on one of the tracks (heard on the title track). His first idea was to name the album "Titanic" but soon realised this wouldn't be a good idea and plumped for "QE2" instead. 

My copy of this record is a first pressing which can be distinguished by the die cut pothole on the front of the sleeve. This doesn't mean this version is worth more money - but it is a nice touch that isn't present on later editions. I bought this record from eBay eight years ago and it is in very good condition; it plays flawlessly.

This album comes in for a bit of stick from some Oldfield fans and I must admit, when I first heard it twenty years ago I wasn't too impressed. Critics point to the absence of any long form instrumentals and the inclusion of cover versions as detracting from this album's integrity. 

There are also more electronic instruments featured on this record and the very first sound we hear is from a Roland CR-78 drum machine. As "Taurus I" rumbles along we hear the trusty Roland SH-2000 clarinet alongside Polymoog and Solina strings, but my favourite sounds has to be the Moog Taurus bass pedals that chime in from about 8'30''. The final section of this song is one of my favourites pieces on the album but it seems to fade out without reaching a satisfying crescendo.

The second track "Sheba" marks the first appearance of vocalist Maggie Reilley - albeit through a Barth Musicoder Vocoder. The drums on both of these first two tracks are by Phil Collins but, aside from a short section in "Sheba," they are kept relatively low in the mix and don't sound exceptional.

Despite not having much love for ABBA, I do like Mike's version of "Arrival" (I have never heard the original I hasten to add) and his cover version of "Wonderful Land" is also very good. The title track is another highlight of the album but it too seems to just fade away rather than building to a satisfying conclusion. 3/5

One record at a time: 312. Mike Oldfield - Impressions

"Impressions" is a compilation album from 1980. This record was released by Tellydisc who were a mail order record company advertising 'budget' compilation albums on television. 

Even though I have been buying Mike's music since 1989 I wasn't aware of this album's existence until about four years ago when I came across it in a shop. 

Unfortunately the shop I found this record in has a tenancy to grade everything as "excellent" - but the reality is often far short of that. I really should stop buying from them. As my first copy was badly scratched, I took a roll of the dice on eBay a few months ago and managed to source a copy in much better condition.

This double album features "Tubular Bells Part One (Live)" from "Exposed" on the first disc and the excellent "Ommadawn (Part One)" on the flip. Side three presents a good chunk of his latest (at the time) album "Platinum" and includes a unique mix of the track "I've Got Rhythm". It is not clear if this version was included by accident or by design, but its presence means this album is quite sought after. The final side is an eclectic collection of singles and b-sides that leaves the albums "Incantations" and "Hergest Ridge" completely ignored. 3/5

Mike Oldfield CD releases

Whilst writing a recent post about "Platinum" - I began to wonder when Mike Oldfield's back catalogue was first released on compact disc in the UK. Unfortunately I couldn't find an answer on the internet - so decided to see if I could find out myself. 

As I began this work I started to make lots of notes and tried to edit them into some sort of post for this blog. Unfortunately the text read like a stream of consciousness and it was boring for me to read, let alone anyone else. 

Instead of a long post about my Mike Oldfield research I have decided to simply present the results. If you can fill in the blanks then do let me know. I've tried to work from contemporary sources and cross reference where I can.

Sources:

Dark Star https://www.mikeoldfield.org/ Fan site that led me up a few cul-de-sacs but also helped get some of the chronology right

Official Charts https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/ Authoritative but not too much depth of information. Helped corroborate probable release dates

Music Week archive at Worldradiohistory.com An absolute mine of information - shame all records for 1983 are missing. My go to resource.

Discogs Like any community led site, the data is subject to the vagaries of those that contribute, but is generally very useful for images

"Mike Oldfield Every Album, every song" (2020) Ryan Yard Highly recommend book written by someone who knows the subject matter intimately and understands music theory. Also manages to not be patronising.

One record at a time: 311. Mike Oldfield - Platinum

I own a rather battered copy of the second pressing of "Platinum" from 1979. The fact that this is the second pressing is significant because on this version the sleeve and labels list a song called "Sally" - but the record actually plays another track called "Into Wonderland".

The story goes that "Sally" was initially included on the album but Richard Branson didn't like it and had it replaced. However, this change was made whilst the record was still being pressed and initial copies (thought to be around 30,000) containing "Sally" had already been distributed. 

A new master with the revised running order was finally cut, but the pressing plant continued to use the labels and sleeves from the first batch. This is how we end up with a record that doesn't play what is listed on the artwork. There is also a third pressing (presumably created when all of the incorrect sleeves and labels had been used up) that fixes the issue.

This album was first released on CD in 1985 and for some bizarre reason the errors on the second pressing of the LP were repeated on the CD sleeve. In fact, the correct tracklisting wasn't included on CD artwork until 2011.

The music on this record is generally lighter than previous efforts and you can even hear some disco influences lurking here and there. I had never really considered what a departure this record was until I began listening to Mike's back catalogue in the order they were released. To some degree this new style is attributable to changes in Mike's personal life, but the use of session musicians from New York must also have been a significant factor.

The first side of the record features the title track which is split into four parts. "Charleston" is one of the most immediate pieces, but the dated backing vocals and disco bassline detract from the sound somewhat. The final section of "Platinum" is one of the best tracks on the record and it builds to a very satisfying crescendo. "Finale" is listed as a co-write as the choir section towards the end is taken from a piece called "North Star" by Philip Glass.

Another change on this album is the break away from long form compositions and the inclusion of shorter pieces. The second side of this record is occupied by two instrumentals and two songs - "Woodhenge" is my favourite. You can hear the excised "Sally" on YouTube and I have to say, I quite like it. Yes it is a little light hearted and disposable, but I wouldn't say "Into Wonderland" is any better. 3.5/5

One record at a time: 310. Mike Oldfield - Exposed

One of the things I find fascinating about this record is the sticker. It shows how much things have changed that 100,000 copies of a record could be considered a 'limited edition'. If anyone but Taylor Swift were to press 100,000 copies of a record today they would have enough stock to last until their great-great-grand children were still around. 

As I understand it, this record was initially pressed as a limited run to recoup some of the costs incurred on the tour that Oldfield embarked on post "Incantations". However the record sold so well that Virgin continued to press it and it finally paid off the debt ten years later. My copy is an original pressing from 1979 and is in great condition. This is a SQ Quadraphonic record but sorting out a decoder and the witchcraft required to hear that effect isn't worth the effort.

I've also read online that elements of this record aren't live as the Manor Mobile couldn't record all of the sources on stage - so the multi tracks of "Incantations" were used to fly in the missing elements during the mixing. There is also a suggestion that this nefarious activity resulted in the multi track tapes being lost or damaged and thus the 2011 reissue of "Incantations" didn't include a new mix as with previous albums. I have no idea if its true as reading things on the internet is the twenty first century equivalent of hearing something from a bloke down the pub - but it would explain one or two things.

The cut-down versions of "Incantations" sound remarkably good here and you can't help but wonder at the chops of the performers. Inevitably the second LP contains a live version of "Tubular Bells" and I have no doubt this contributed to the success of the album. The use of drums is probably the most startling difference to the studio recording but there are all kinds of embellishments and changes that you ether love or loathe. "Part Two" is trimmed right down to a lean eleven minutes and is much more upbeat than the album version. I'm no purist and don't regard the original as sacrosanct, but this rendition of "Tubular Bells" isn't to my taste. We finish on a high with the disco tinged joy of "Guilty". 3/5

One record at a time: 309. Mike Oldfield - Incantations

By 1978 the British music press considered Mike Oldfield passée and unfashionable. If you believed some, punk was now king and progressive rock was finished. This shift in attitude was mirrored in the boardroom of Virgin records and as a result, Oldfield lost confidence and found it difficult to complete his new project "Incantations". Yet the music on this album is some of the best Oldfield ever produced and its beauty belies the struggle that led to its creation.

I own an original pressing and the double "ultra clear" vinyl released for Record Store Day in 2021. The newer copy carries a remastered version of the album but, contrary to what the promo sticker might suggest, this is not a new mix. Oldfield geeks might also like to know that the clear vinyl doesn't feature the glitches in Part 4 that were present on the first batches of the remastered CD and vinyl from 2011.

The haunting vocal chord that opens "Part One" makes for a stunning start and the complex flute melody immediately grabs the listener and doesn't seem to let go. For the first time synths feature prominently in Mike's music and their sound perfectly balanced against the strings, African drums and guitar. The "Diana" section in the middle of Part One is hypnotic and I find it strangely moving.

Some people are critical of the repetitive nature of the music on this record and accuse Oldfield of dwelling on ideas for too long. In his autobiography Mike points out that "Tubular Bells" works in a similar way to trance music in that it goes "on and on" and builds an atmosphere that pulls on a spiritual element of some sort. I think this is actually more applicable to "Incantations" and the repetitive nature of the music can be quite magical in places.

On side two we are immediately confronted with the sound of a Roland SH-2000 clarinet preset and bubbling arpeggios from an ARP 2600 sequenced via an EMS Synthi 256. We eventually hear the "Diana" theme resurrected before suddenly cutting to African drums and the haunting marimba that introduces the "Hiawatha" section. Maddy Prior provides a vocal that is as pure as the driven snow with occasional passages of acoustic guitar or Solina string ensemble breaking the monotony. It's only when this piece ends that I realise how captivated I am by it and find myself thinking, "Why did it have to end?"

The second disc opens with a completely different style of music that is much more bombastic before settling into an extended guitar solo underpinned by marimbas. There's some complex time signatures thrown in here and there but this is my least favourite section of the album. The final part on side four is driven along by a vibraphone and guitar before the "Hiawatha" theme bring things to a close. This album isn't perfect, but for me it is in the top three of those by Oldfield. 4/5