Mike Oldfield Hergest Ridge

Mike Oldfield is a bit of an enigma. On the one hand is the artist who almost single-handedly ushered in the genre of new age music with his epic masterpiece Tubular Bells, and then followed that with several albums, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, and even Tubular Bells II and III, all with tracks that invariable meandered for half an hour or more through various musical ideas and soundscapes – and no doubt would have gone on a lot longer had it not been for the constraints of vinyl and the restrictions on the length of musical compositions that would physically fit on two sides of a piece of plastic with micro grooves…

A few years back Gonzo released the original soundtrack for Tony Palmer's "The Space Movie" 1979 documentary by Mike Oldfield. It consisted of consists of the un-edited sountrack (movie commentaries and all) which includes pieces from Oldfield's released "Tubular Bells", "Hergest Ridge", "Ommadawn" and "Portsmouth" and also excerpts from what was Oldfield's then-new album, "Incantations". The film also made use of the orchestral arrangements of Oldfield's first two albums, "The Orchestral Tubular Bells" and notably "The Orchestral Hergest Ridge" (with the Royal Philarmonic Orchestra), which has never been released before. And now… The demos.

A curious four-LP set consisting of the original version of Ommadawn, a vastly remixed version of Hergest Ridge, a remixed/remodeled version of Tubular Bells, and a platter called Collaborations in which Oldfield's bits on the recordings of others were excerpted, often with the result that sans context, the excerpts made little sense (certainly the case with Oldfield's work alongside David Bedford)…

Mike Oldfield - Boxed (1976) {Virgin CDBOX1 - 3CD 1989 Issue rec 1972-1975}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 869 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 395 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 219 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 1989 Virgin | CDBOX1
Art Rock / Prog-Rock / Progressive Electronic

A curious four-LP set consisting of the original version of Ommadawn, a vastly remixed version of Hergest Ridge, a remixed/remodeled version of Tubular Bells, and a platter called Collaborations in which Oldfield's bits on the recordings of others were excerpted, often with the result that sans context, the excerpts made little sense (certainly the case with Oldfield's work alongside David Bedford).

Excellent addition to any progressive rock music collection
Couple of reviews suggest that it should have been named The Incomplete Mike Oldfield. Because there are only relatively short extracts from TB, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn and Incantations?

The Essential Mike Oldfield is a good overview of highlights from Mike Oldfield's Virgin and Warner recordings. Some of the tracks are included in their original form, while others – including, inexplicably, "Tubular Bells III" – are present in edited or remixed versions…

Remastered by Oldfield himself, the packages contain a variety of rare material; and again, as with Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn, contain a brand new 5.1 mix on DVD excerpts from Incantations, as well as footage from Oldfield’s 1979 concert tour that supported the album. Both CD formats also include ‘Guilty’, Oldfield’s legendary 1979 single recorded in New York City at the height of the disco movement. Few expected the man who crafted 25 minute sides of symphonic rock to hit the dancefloor with such élan.

With this Deluxe Edition, Oldfield includes versions of Ommadawn previously lost, carefully selected bonus tracks, and DVD material to accompany specific tracks. Sharing the format of its two predecessors - Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge, Oldfield stays loyal to his conceptual roots in Ommadawn, but incorporates musical styles from a far greater range of influences including folk, Celtic, and middle eastern sounds. As a result, Oldfield channels greater scope for musical development, defining Ommadawn as a creative peak in Oldfield's wide-ranging career.