Mike Oldfield is an artist that has used and blended plenty of different genrés of music together - rock, folk, new age, all sorts of world music and more recently using more electronic sounds, etc.
His first studio album release was in 1973 and the most successful instrumental album of all time to this date - 'Tubular Bells' (parts were used for the film The Exorcist but Mike was never actually asked if they couls use it!)

Of 'Tubular Bells' albums he has released 'Tubular Bells II' 'Tubular Bells III' 'The Millennium Bell' and 'Tubular Bells 2003' (a re-recordning of the original as he hed never liked the production of the original [and because of some contract he could not re-record anything from 'Tubular Bells' until 25 years after its release])

He doesnt just do instumental stuff though, he sings himself and has had different female singers sing with him on albums. Starting in the early 80's he started to write more commercial songs, shorter track lengths etc. (as apposed to albums consisting of two 15/20 minute tracks) and this is where my favorite albums are.

'Five Miles Out' 'Crises' 'Discovery' 'Islands' are among my favorite Mike Oldfield albums and have some of my all time favorite songs, 'Moonlight Shadow' and 'Five Miles Out' for example.
'The Songs of Distant Earth' is also a fantastic album as also 'Tubular Bells II' is in my opinion one of the best pieces of music ever written.

Blind Guardian fans should know the Mike Oldfield song 'To France', as it was covered on their 'Forgotten Tales' album. Mike Oldfield will have also influenced many other metal bands.

So do we have any more Mike Oldfield fans out there? It would be great to hear your opinions and favorite albums and everything.

I like Mike Oldfield...but haven't heard anything but his 'Tubular Bells' cds. The music is just great. No matter what mood you're in you can listen to this stuff. Been a while since I listen to him, 'cause I don't have any of his albums but my father has them all so I might give some of them a spin the next time I visit him

yes indeed!!
I would highly recommend 'Tubular Bells II' especially if you like instrumentals
and 'Crises' and 'Islands' as well as the other ones I mentioned in the top post - they are all fantstic though!

I like instrumental music especially when it's made this good. But his music is good both instrumental and with vocals

tubular bells was KILLER. my dad played the vinyl for me when i was like 5 and i liked it ever since.

"Tubular Bells II" is the one for me, I prefer the second one probably for nostalgic reasons. I absolutely love it though.
He actually has a new album out now, just released I think. Haven't heard it though, but judging by the direction he seems to be going now I am not too fussed about hearing it. Maybe I will try it one day...

Hussa, a Mike Oldfield thread!

I absolutely love QE2, Crisis (Moonlight Shadow is just about the greatest pop song ever written) and Five Miles Out. Haven't heard everything he's done though, the man is so prolific it's hard to keep up. The trance detour in the 90s is my least favourite period, but he still produces quality such as Man In The Rain (essentially a Moonlight Shadow rewrite) off Tubular Bells 3.

Couldn't find this topic before making my own on Mike, but now mine's gone. What a silly mistake. Anyways, I love Mike's work, especially his 70s prog albums and his 90s new age/Celtic albums. I can honestly say that my shop is the reason why Mike is popular in my hometown, because I recommend his albums to everyone interested in "relaxing and nice music". Once I play the first track off of Voyager, everyone's enchanted. In short: Mike's awesome, even if his 80's pop/rock isn't.

His 80's stuff is the material I like most, that's the music I had as a child - so I love that stuff.

Written by Baz Anderson on 22.02.2011 at 19:56

His 80's stuff is the material I like most, that's the music I had as a child - so I love that stuff.

I had his 80's stuff as a kid too, cause my father was a huge fan. I started listening to Oldfield again about a year ago and I absolutely loved Tubular Bells, TSODE, Voyager and Light+Shade. After listening to those albums, the pop got sort of boring for me. I still like some songs like To France and Shadow On The Wall, but overall I prefer his instrumental stuff.
Also, Estonians have a really bad habit of taking famous songs and performing them in Estonians as if they were our songs, which is why I am so sick of hearing Moonlight Shadow.

"Songs Of Distant Earth" and "Voyager" are two albums I have definitely neglected...
I'll have to listen to "Tubular Bells II" at some point again too - because that is maybe the album that I have the biggest memories for.

Aaaah, now that I listen to "The Song Of The Sun" it all comes back... I'm a child again, hahaha.

I know him only from the song "Moonlight shadow" which I love, how is his other stuff?

Written by VPeter on 26.02.2011 at 23:04

I know him only from the song "Moonlight shadow" which I love, how is his other stuff?

In one word: better. Moonlight Shadow is a decent pop hit, but it doesn't compare to the musical genius of the first Tubular Bells, Ommadawn or even parts of Light+Shade. I'd start with The Songs Of Distant Earth, though, it's pretty accessible and a good album.

Written by VPeter on 26.02.2011 at 23:04

I know him only from the song "Moonlight shadow" which I love, how is his other stuff?

Mike Oldfield's discography is quite varied... progressive rock and pop to folk and world music. Which albums of his you'll like more depend on your tastes. In general, most of his stuff is brilliant.

Voyager. Tubular Bells and Ommadawn

Heard them a long time ago and still listen to them.
Crises also pretty cool album, nice female vocals.

I really do enjoy Tubular Bells. Pure progressive instrumental genius.

That's the only one I have of his.