 |  | A Self Contained Landscape of the Mind |  |
It was always going to be a challenge for young musician Mike Oldfield to follow up the astonishing critical and commerical success of his debut album "Tubular Bells." Unprepared for the limelight of the media circus, the shy and introverted Oldfield headed for the calm and serenity of the Herefordshire countryside. Here he conceived his second album, one whose peaceful pastoral elegance would be overlooked by music critics who had disapproved of Oldfield's unwillingness to play the media game. "Hergest Ridge" was thus unfairly dismissed as the weaker progeny of "Tubular Bells", a dull sequel, much the same thing, but less inspired.
"Hergest Ridge" instead is a subtle piece, a technical improvement on "Tubular Bells", with the rough edges of the latter smoothed over. It is less tough; less rushed, with an elegiac timeless feel, a wonderful winter landscape unsullied by the smog and chaos of the city. Having been born and lived in Hereford for 25 years, the lightly shift tonalities of mood and theme; tell of a familiar space to me, one in which stasis is celebrated, and in which change and innovation is viewed with ambivalence. Herefordshire is a county in which progress is slow and "Hergest Ridge" seems to capture the beauty of this static world, whilst avoiding and leaving unarticulated the resultant frustrations that come with such an attitude.
Oldfield constructed for himself a self contained world, one which the artwork on the album cover reflects perfectly. In an age of speed, technology and intense media attention this album is an excellent antidote and reminder of the musical beauty that can be inspired by landscapes we take for granted. The reputation of "Hergest Ridge" has steadily increased over the years, it now enjoys a place outside the shadow of "Tubular Bells", a place of open rolling fields, a place of joyful naivety and innocence and beautiful blue winter skies.
December 12, 2007Much of the same thing as the previous, but much less inventive or invocative. Nice for fans of Mike, maybe a must. I was dissapointed, manly because I KNOW Mike Oldfield could do better. However, I do like the album and listen to it often, just NOT as often.
August 28, 2007The thing about Oldfield is how different his music is from other popular music. Not being a trained musician it's hard for me to articulate but I'll try. Orchestral and sweeping with distinct movements, the music communicates emotion and thoughts without lyrics. I don't know where Hergest Ridge is, but I've traveled there with Oldfields help. A great work of art, and one that finds more inspiration in Bach than Elvis Presley.
I once read that the Moody Blues were the Sistine Chapel of popular music but Oldfield is more deserving of that comparison.
April 25, 2007Herbgest Ridge, Ommadawn and the Origional Tubular Bells Hybrid, are the best of Mike Oldfield.
January 10, 2007 | | Polar opposite to 'Tubular Bells' shows the same, if not more, talent | |
I can't believe how long it took me to branch out further into Mike Oldfield's back catalogue than 'Tubular Bells', especially after finally hearing 'Hergest Ridge'. It is comparable in pretty much no way at all to his classic debut, other than the two-part format, as it sees him in a very much more subtle musical mood than before. Gone are the quick shifts from section to section, replaced by a very conscious intention to smooth the edges out, to develop one section into another rather than merely switching them in an instant, regardless of the instrumentation involved. The result is a very soothing listen indeed. From the almost impossibly quiet introduction, it builds in density of sound, adding flutes, synth and orchestral instruments that have been constructed in such a way that it is not easy to audibly pick them apart from each other. In terms of genre it's a largely folkish affair, albeit a very grand interpretation. Writing 'Hergest Ridge', he seems to have paid more attention to using chord sequences as a mode for the progression of the long piece, and since he succeeds very well it gives the listener the sense that this is better written than its predecessor. It feels like a more controlled composition. The man certainly had a feeling for the right chords to use, and it is at its most beautiful when the piece strips away to leave only his acoustic guitar. One particular highlight is the climax of part one when the lead electric guitar towers over the dense, lush orchestral harmonies, as if it were leading a charge of sweeping melody.
'Hergest Ridge' is probably just as good as 'Tubular Bells', really, it just forfeits the musical immediacy of his debut in favour of a subtler, more considered approach. It works as a slow-evolving faux-classical piece as well as a 'prog rock' piece, which, upon reflection, is very well indeed
June 14, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
