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The Best of Mike Oldfield: Elements

Mike Oldfield - The Best of Mike Oldfield: Elements Audio CD

A fair review of the Mike Oldfield "The Best of Mike Oldfield: Elements" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Mike Oldfield reviews here, or go back to the Mike Oldfield tabs.

Band: Mike Oldfield
Title: The Best of Mike Oldfield: Elements
Rating:

Release Date: 1994-02-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Tubular Bells [Opening Theme] 2: Family Man 3: Moonlight Shadow 4: Heaven's Open 5: Five Miles Out 6: To France 7: Foreign Affair 8: In Dulci Jubilo 9: Shadow on the Wall 10: Islands 11: Etude 12: Sentinel 13: Ommadawn [Excerpt] 14: Incantation, Pt. 4 [Excerpt] 15: Amarok [Excerpt] 16: Portsmouth

Pieces of Great
Spooky these powers of mine, aren't they? I never regretted getting this album even though I usually hate single artist compilations. If you're reading this you're either looking to see if someone agrees with your view of the album or you're wondering whether to buy it. But MO is a noteable exception. This is a really diverse album with tracks you'll dislike but come back and like later, tracks that will grab you and not let go, and some that are just. . . comfortable, if you know what I mean. And there's a few that maybe you won't like ever. I most appreciated that it didn't take much work to get into it; I didn't have to suspend judgement for 3 or 4 listens, it opened up so nicely but always with the promise of more. Another review ID'd the voice of the angel in Moonlight Shadow but as a counterpoint there's Roger Chapman's voice [he with the voice of a demon, of Family] in Shadow on the Wall. Just one example of the way the album seems to reform around different axis. Elements: elemental? building blocks? I don't know. But don't mistake this for a platter of greatest hits pitched at those who don't want the full works. It might take you exploring his other work, or it might take the music you already know and prompt you to know it again in a different way. .

Mike Oldfield . Oh yes he is in the right "element" on this one
In other words this CD is a great introduction to his many great compositions. The best of Mike Oldfield, is a great milestone in his career from early 70 th`s to the early 90 th`s. Track 1 Tubular Bells (opning theme) has a very hypnotic theme, horrific and makes you shiver( it was also used as the theme song in Friedkin`s horror film classic(The Exorsist). A moody and creepy melody. Track 2 Family Man is an another cup of tea, with it`s very open soundpicture, with enough space to put in different synth blop`s here and
there, to quicken it up. It has a great female vocal with guts and glory all trough. Track 3 Moonlight Shadow is the ultimate "summer hit song". It paint`s your soul with happiness, joy, and glory. Maggie Realy`s vocal with the right "dash" of "ecco sound" shines on this one. Track 4 Heavens Open, follow the poppy trends as the too tracks before this one. It`s anyway a little letdown because it stand`s still in away. The theme is to much repitition in away. Track 5 Five Miles Out, is anyway a nice gem, with one of the most "airy and open space " soundpicture i have heard. It`s a treat for your ears, and will kick your`e soul in outher space, at least for 4. 14 minutes. Track 6 To France is a nice little treat, with Maggies vocal as a "drive motor" all trough the song. Track 7 Foreign affair, has much of the same quality elements included. Few distorting elements with to many instruments not fighting for theire places, to bring out the clear and solid vocal of Maggie Reiley. Track 8 In dulici jubilio is a nice sweet "shakesperean" inspired song.
Easy come easy go, but a sweety in a way. Short and concise . Track 9 Shadow on the wall, is creepy and horrific with a devilish vocal. It has an atmosphere all trough that creeps slowly in too your soul, and paint your thought`s with shadows with a big S. . Track 10 Island, with Bonny Tyler on vocal bring`s more sunshine into your`e soul`. A good popsong this one. From track 11 to track 16 it`s time for the more experimental and weird ( in more or less positive way)Oldfield. Track 11 Etude: well, easy come and easy go joy. Track 12 Sentinel, is very similar to Tubular Bells, but bring`s out a certain flair when you listen to it. Track 13 Ommadawn is Oldfield in a "natures own" mood. Inspired in a way, but not to much variations. Track 14 Incantations has a poor man`s `"carribean" touch all over. A let down in a way. Track 15 Amarok. To many drumming sound, and not much more. The vocal choir doesn`t fit at all.
Track 16 Portsmouth has that "shakesperean" middelage feel over it, all trough. Except for a few letdown`s. Mike Oldfield is in the right "element "on this one.

Falls short, but also paints a picture different than some would like to see
A good example of this is the fact that it only provides a "taste" of the "Tubular Bells", only including 4:18 minutes of its opening, when it was his most transcendental work, one who earned him a grammy, boosted him into stardom and helped turn Virgin records into a prominent label. Like most compilations for just about any artist, this sampling of the works of multi-instrumentist Mike Oldfield falls short in its attempt to cover the artist's best works.

An attempt is made at covering bits and pieces of his work from most of his periods, and some listeners may end up being dissapointed by what they encounter (or by what they miss) here. The truth is that Mike Oldfield reminds me a good deal of Alan Parsons. Both have been outstanding artists who rose to fame for something great they did in the mid-seventies (Parsons' most famous landmark being his participation as Engineer for Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"). But both have also had their times during which they put out music that wasn't up to the expectations of those who idealized them. At the end of the day, the balance in the album tends to be less than optimal, but mostly due to its limited selection more than anything else.

While not a bad album, I probably would recommend getting his originals or shooting for his box. There are definitely at least a couple of songs that do not belong in here, but it's mostly the missing songs the ones that you are not getting if you get "Elements".

Innovative rock musician
This collection of his music from the seventies, eighties and early nineties shows Mike's development as an artist. Mike Oldfield, a multi-instrumentalist, achieved worldwide success with his debut, Tubular bells, but never came close to matching its success again although his albums continued to sell well in his British homeland. Although titled Elements, this is really a Best of package.

The set opens with the opening theme to Tubular bells and includes his four British top ten hits (In Dulce Jubilo, Portsmouth, Moonlight shadow, Sentinel) as well as Family man, which was only a minor UK hit for Mike but which became a top twenty UK hit via a cover by Hall and Oates. Some of Mike's lesser hits are missing including the UK top twenty hit, Blue Peter, which is Mike's interpretation of the theme to the long-running children's TV series - it was even used on the TV for a few years.

The vastly under-appreciated Maggie Reilly (a brilliant soprano) sings on some of Mike's records, most notably Moonlight shadow, an extremely sad song albeit with a bouncy tune. Another brilliant guest vocalist is Bonnie Tyler, featured on Islands.

While you might wish to buy the original Tubular bells album in its entirety, this sampling of Mike's best music spanning nearly twenty years shows plenty of variety.

Good for "Tubular Bells" and "Sentinel"
I heard that his album Tubular Bells was a popular album and I remember hearing "Sentinel" on the radio. I was dissapointed when I heard this album. So, I bought the cassette just to give it a try. After hearing the album, I was dissapointed that Sentinel was different than the other songs on the album. There were a few good instrumentals but I still didn't like most of the album. Mike Oldfield uses a unique mixture of sounds in his music and he includes a few voices as well. Some of his songs I would not even classify as new age, like "Shadow On The Wall" since it sounds like rock music and doesn't have good vocals. Even if you are a Mike Oldfield fan, I would still recomment listening to the album before you buy it.

You can see a complete list of all Mike Oldfield discography, or go back to the Mike Oldfield tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.