Mike Oldfield – The Songs Of Distant Earth (LP)

Product Description

Mike Oldfield – The Songs Of Distant Earth (LP)

The music of Mike Oldfield is some of the most spiritual, ethereal, reflective and sensual in rock – and above all, incomparable, it’s no wonder he is a true British icon. One of the most successful artists of all time, since the release of his seminal album Tubular Bells – which kick-started the Virgin Records label and Richard Branson’s fledgling business empire in 1973, selling some 17 million copies – the award-winning producer/musician has continued to break new ground with each fresh body of work.

The self-taught multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer has worked throughout his career across a staggering variety of music styles – from folk and progressive rock to jazz, electronic, ambient, new age, world, pop and even disco. Oldfield is one of those rare breeds of composer whose music continues to be re-evaluated and re-appreciated to this very day.

The Songs of Distant Earth is the sixteenth album by Mike Oldfield, originally released in 1994. The stunning 17-song set finds the music innovator boldly going where not even he had gone before with a song cycle based on Arthur C. Clarke’s science fiction novel Songs of Distant Earth. Oldfield overtly extended his musical palette here, stretching himself to a degree that surprised even his most devoted fans.

“It was the title of this particular book which attracted me. It’s intrinsically musical, a natural starting point. I have avoided trying to tell its story in step-by-step fashion though. ‘The Songs of Distant Earth’ follows the text loosely, is based around it, but is actually a thematic piece inspired by Clarke’s work in general…”

“It took me a lot longer than I thought, because I was unable to use whatever techniques and tricks I might usually fall back on. For instance, I couldn’t use 12-string or acoustic guitars, because they sounded just too Earth-bound in context. I had to come up with a whole new vocabulary of studio-manufactured sounds…”

“I had to put my old ways of making music behind me – all the folksy, Celtic stuff I’m known for. This is me reaching new heights. I wanted to make a record that would appeal across the generations, right through to the kids in the clubs…” – Mike Oldfield

Tracklist:

Side 1:
1. In the Beginning
2. Let There Be Light
3. Supernova
4. Magellan
5. First Landing
6. Oceania
7. Only Time Will Tell
8. Prayer for the Earth
9. Lament for Atlantis

Side 2:
10. The Chamber
11. Hibernaculum
12. Tubular World
13. The Shining Ones
14. Crystal Clear
15. The Sunken Forest
16. Ascension
17. A New Beginning

Additional Information