Having fallen in love with the album "Crises", I was keen on hearing the follow up "Discovery" from 1984. Yet when I did finally buy this album I was left rather disappointed. My copy of the LP is a fairly ordinary European pressing from the time of release that I bought from eBay in 2014.
I seem to remember reading in Mike's autobiography that he came under pressure from the record company to write more pop songs after the success of "Moonlight Shadow" so we end up with an album that consists of seven pop songs and one extended instrumental.
Of these songs, "To France" is probably the highlight with its Fairlight bass, tremolo mandolin and Maggie Reilly's familiar focal delivery. I like "Crystal Gazing" as it has some amazing drumming from co-producer
Simon Phillips and a great vocal from Reilly once again.
Most of the other songs are sung by Barry Palmer and - how can I put this politely? - his delivery is not to my taste. "Poison Arrows", "Saved by a Bell" and the title track were never going to set the charts on fire but when you add Palmer's strained vocal they end up sounding very messy indeed. The single "Tricks of the Light" can be entertaining if I am in the right mood, but it still wears Palmer's vocal like a hair shirt.
"The Lake" turns into Status Quo mixed with The Shadows and even seems to imitate the 'magic break' from "In The Air Tonight" at one stage. There are some nice passages within this piece but it isn't anywhere close to Oldfield's best. 2/5
