One record at a time: 320. Mike Oldfield - Earth Moving

The first I heard of this record was when the video for the title track was reviewed on a TV programme I was watching. The general consensus on the show was that Nikki Bentley had a good voice but the song was nothing special. As a teenage record buyer of the time I agreed and spent my money on S'Express or Pet Shop Boys singles instead. Yet, only a couple of years later, I did buy this album and I found plenty in it to interest me.

Having spent years badgering Mike Oldfield to record a follow up to "Tubular Bells", Virgin Records eventually switched track when the success of "Moonlight Shadow" proved he was more than a one trick pony. "Earth Moving" was released in 1989 in response to a demand for hit singles and, as a result, it features ten pop songs with no concession to the long form pieces traditionally associated with Oldfield.

Songs such as "Holy", "Far Country" and "Bridge to Paradise" have good melodies and even "Innocent" has its charms if you can forgive its slightly hokey lyrics. Elsewhere, songs such as "Hostage" and "Runaway Son" smack of a particular brand of clichéd rock that the melodies can't shake. Maggie Reilly is wasted on the lacklustre "Blue Night" and why the last two songs are listed as if they are part of the same composition is a complete mystery.

I was always a little fascinated by this record as it is one of few instances in which I can clearly hear presets from the Roland D-10. As I have mentioned on this blog before, the D-10 was one of the first 'real' synths I ever played and to hear the same kit being used by someone like Mike Oldfield was quite a revelation. Unsurprisingly there is also a fair few D-50 presets on here and there is also a splattering of Korg M1 - but I can't really discern much Fairlight. Anyway, the production was a little old fashioned for 1989 and despite some good songs, this album doesn't really impress too much. 3/5

One record at a time: 319. Mike Oldfield - Islands

From what I have read, there was some expectation that "Islands" would sell rather well when it was released in 1987. As a prelude to this success the title track was released as a single, but it sank without a trace.

Given Mike's track record, I can see why people at Virgin Records would be confident of success. Yet, as we have seen with other artists, they just didn't read the bellwether. 

As "Islands" was released almost 15 years after Mike's debut, his core audience was clearly getting older and had potentially reached a stage in life where music represented an investment in time and money they could ill afford. Lots of people drift away from music as life becomes more complicated and this lead single was not likely to draw them back. 

As for new listeners, this record was released at a time when a generational change was occurring. The charts of the era were full of Stock, Aitken and Waterman and artists such as Steve 'Silk' Hurley and MARRS were signalling the emergence of dance music as a commercial force. This new pop audience were never, ever, going to buy a ponderous ballad sung by someone as 'uncool' as Bonnie Tyler (I know because I was part of this new generation). "Islands" was doomed on both fronts.

If we put the God awful title track to one side, there are some highlights to be found on this record. Side one is occupied by "Wind Chimes" Part 1 and Part 2 which have flashes of real genius amongst their many phases and ideas. To some extent "Part 2" is a big tease as it plays with a few of the motifs from "Tubular Bells" in a way that suggests the much anticipated "Tubular Bells II" was within reach. This must have pleased and frustrated Richard Branson in equal measure.

The b-side of the record has 5 pop songs which feature various singers. Anita Hegerland's vocals are a pretty close match to those of Maggie Reilly except for the strange pronunciation of certain words such as "north" which is off putting. Kevin Ayers' larynx are stretched to breaking point and beyond by the verses of the otherwise catchy "Flying Start" but the faux heavy rock of "Magic Touch" is a car crash in denim and poodle hair. This is a strange album with one side I enjoy and another that I really do not. 2/5