Mike Oldfield - Light & Shade
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Free Music Notes for Light & Shade
Free Music Review: Mike shows promise
Hit: 4 Stars
Mike Oldfield is one of the most overlooked genius' of our time. His latest offering "Light + Shade" is more proof that Mike can change with the times. Although this is a far cry from what he can really do when he puts away his play toys and picks up an instrument or ten. L+S has alot of good tracks
For me the highlights included SUNSET(an absolutely gorgeous melody that brings a sense of peace and loveliness to mind). RESOLUTION is a nice gothic type piece that even NIN would be impressed with. SLIPSTREAM has grown on me while the other techno parts have typical sounds. I know I own a Motif. ANGLEQUE, though a preset on his keyboard, is beautiful. SURFING is a fantastic song especially his use of the Vocaloid technology. Aside from SUNSET my absolute second favourite is TEARS OF AN ANGEL (brings yet again a feeling of good and peace). Not really sure what all the fuss over Vocaloid is about. Techno music has been using it and pop artists have been using that technology in order to sing, for years! Nothing new there. Personally I find it unique!!!
Mike Oldfield is not likely to hit top 20 again in this lifetime as I don't see him doing something equal to Black Eyed Peas "MY HUMP". That is what is extremely popular in the States at the moment along with Gwenn Stefani's "BANANAS" and "HOLLA BACK GIRL".
There will always be a place for Mike Oldfield in music just as there is for all types, but atleast right now music in America is about shaken that booty and the top ten proves it!!!! Though I personally feel music has lost its way in many respects, especially when our top ten is music I can make at home using a keyboard and some silly lyrics, it is none-the-less what is selling. Music needs to come back to earth with some melody and stability. There are a great number of albums that have caught my attention, but none with talent that sticks in my head. Especially when you go to the club and all you hear is a remake of 80's hits. I feel sure that music execs are careless and out of ideas!!!
If you want an album with alittle more music ability buy this one. If you wanna shake your booty and like girls that lipsink on live TV or the next American Idiot then of course this is not a good choice. It's really sad that we have become obsessed in music with how much booty we can shake and how sluty we can be. But, make no mistake I'm right there on the dance floor on Saturday nights shakin it too :)
This album is for those who want more out of music than a quicky!
Also check out Mike's back catalogue. You'll find even better songs there!
Free Music Review: What to expect from MO these days ?
Hit: 4 Stars
Ok, I'm a strong admirer of Mike Oldfield's music since I listened to "Hergest ridge". I like instrumental MO (tubular bells...) as well as pop-rock MO (Discovery, crises...).
And as many others I really don't like New age MO. I hate "songs of distant earth", a very long and empty album, with some rare good moments.
This one, as said, is already dated even if making use of technology. But compared to recent albums from Mike, it's also kinda "fresh". It's like he took things from his last decade works, added to very simple yet interesting melodies.
"Quickstream" ends nicely, "Resolution" is up-beat and alluring, "surfing" finds MO confident in his melody, and ends with a very good double guitar solo.
You have to listen to this album some times to get deeper, the material recalls some bad moments (tres lunas, weakest songs of "guitars", ...), but treatment here is quite different. Grand piano on light gives a "Robert Miles" touch but with a softer and less commercial feeling.
Only one thing: the absolutely infamous reprise of "Jeux interdits" on Shade. This one is really like the most ugly old FM euro-techno ...
Free Music Review: Not nearly as bad as i feared
Hit: 4 Stars
Having read a slew of negative reviews, it was with some trepidation that i finally picked up an import copy of this from the UK. Having listened to both cd's several times now, and ultimately having burned my 15 favorites to a single disk, i am now able to say that Light and Shade is up there with the very best of Mike Oldfield albums. Looking back at his work, Mike has seldom produced an lp which is entirely perfect - now that i think about it, who has? Sure, there are a few acts who could claim perfection, but they are certainly a minority. Anyway, Light and Shade is not perfect by any means, but it's extremely pleasant on the ears and, as someone who loves Mike's signature guitar sound, it's very nice to hear it promninently once again (Tears of an Angel is a particularly good example). Other standout songs are; Sunset, Blackbird, Our Father and Ringscape). As i said, i burned my 15 favorites to a single cd and enjoy them that way - i recommend it.
Mike Oldfield is still one of the very best. If you're even thinking about picking up the cd, do it, you won't regret it.
Free Music Review: New Transition
Hit: 4 Stars
If you're familiar with his music, then you already know how unpredictable his projects can be from one CD to the next. He is an innovator, always. Though I may not always appreciate what he's trying to do in a particular project, I always admire his genius and willingness to move through the many shades of music like a painter always experimenting with colors. Light & Shade is a 2-disc set, one titled "Light" and the other aptly "Shade." "Light" is more serene/mellow down tempo and "Shade" is filled with the more deep bass electronic style music heard in clubs. I happen to like both, but I lean more to the "Light," so I like this project from Mike. Definitely worth your time and money, especially since you're only paying the price of one. Listen to the sample tracks here and judge for yourself. But I'm still a great fan of Mike.
Free Music Review: Interesting data format
Hit: 4 Stars
I just thought I mention that the CD I got is in an interesting format. My audio CD player is happy with it, but my computer will only play some tracks using software on the CD. And I cannot locate the equivalent of the "play all" button, so I have to restart the player for each track. I suppose I can bypass this somehow, but why should I have to? It's 2am and I just want to listen to the music.
The software in question allows the user (according to the help files) modify the mix of the music and then store the resultant music to play back later on. I cannot comment on this feature since I am not too interested in mixing music, although a quick run through did not turn up any problems.
The music is OK for Mike Oldfield, but is not similar to Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, or Ommadawn. It more like his later, shorter, pieces.