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Guitars - Mike Oldfield

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Guitars - Mike Oldfield

Quote-start

Guitars guitars and nothing but guitars

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4 Jan 26th, 2001 

11 Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful

Advantages:
Some electrifying passages where you can crank up the volume .  .  .

Disadvantages:
.  .  . but nothing very memorable tune - wise .

Recommendable Yes:

Detailed rating:

Originality

Lyrics

Quality and consistency of tracks

How does it compare to the artist's other releases

Value for Money

PJE_

PJE_

About me:

Hi, I am the Ciaoer formerly known as 'PJE'. Ciao added the flattened penis to the end of my usernam...

Member since:06.08.2000

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What an unimaginative title I thought. Calling a Mike Oldfield album "Guitars" is like calling a Bond film "Licence To Kill" - it tells you less than you already know. Then I got it: guitars and nothing but guitars. No drums, synths or vocals. No Tubular Bells even. Is that the idea?
Simple, but ambitious. Who else could even attempt this?

"Muse" opens the album, it is a beautiful, mellow, Spanish guitar melody. But is this to be another bland CD of Test Card music? (see my op. on Oldfield's "Voyager") Well the added urgency and edge of "Cochise" suggest not. This is serious, invigorating guitar playing. Truly electric.
The next track "Embers" is much more subdued though and "Summit Day" would not be out of place on his triumphant "Songs of Distant Earth" CD.
It's all good so far, but with no fixed mood.

Then the dynamism of "Cochise" resurfaces in the sassy "Out of Sight" - underpinned by a Tubular-Bells-esque bass line it bursts into a cacophony of squealing guitars. Lovely jubbly. And "B. Blues" continues in the same vein, only slightly bluesy. Think of Led Zep with no dirt under their fingernails and a nice haircut.

"Four Winds" starts with the verve of side two of Tubular Bells but soon mellows into 1990s style Oldfield. The laid back mood continues through "Enigmatism" (similar to "Muse") and into "Out of Mind" until, suddenly the leccy is switched back on and out crashes a glorious celebration of, well, guitars. (I suppose I should have said at the start that if you don't like guitars then this album probably isn't for you - or did you guess that?)

The final track "From The Ashes" seems to recap the ups and downs of the whole album. Inconsistent but interesting. As a fan of Mike Oldfield I want more than soothing mellifluous mood music (I could listen to Jean Michel Jarre if I wanted background music). Occasionally on this CD MO lets rip and comes alive - but does he dare do it more often?

 

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Comments about this review »

LostWitness 26.01.2001 16:23

Niecly written - I think you have given a good representation of the overall mood of the album.

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