Incantatios pretty much went on to the direction of Ommadawn but unfortunately suffers the flaws double albums have, stretching the ideas further than they naturally would carry. It is a good album but might have been immaculate on one album.
@onsesejoo2605 Yeah, some of it is a little repetitive, but a great journey. Although... most of the time I prefer the condensed live version on "Exposed". Same for Tubular Bells.
Very happy to see you listening to this :-) It's an experience noone should miss IMO, a timeless and beautiful album! And that goes for part 2 + on horseback as well, so hopefully you can find time to listen to the rest of the album too :-)
I Absolutely LOVE part 2! Such a change of mood, from the building menace of Part 1 as it develops, to the lovely pastoral pleasure and then the pipes of Part 2.
the guy was frkkin 23 years old when he did this, can you believe it?.. and already with Tubular Bells behind him!... the level of understanding of music, the ability to incorporate all these moods, the perception of sound and knowing how to reflect it, the genre-lessness (you can call it all new age, rock, neo-classical etc etc) and timelessness of it ...... just mind blowing!
IMHO, Ommadawn is in the top 10 most significant compositions of the 20th century, possibly top 5. Outstanding piece, outstanding talent, and outstanding execution.
@@GoblinGuy333Educate yourself a little. A lot of music was written the 20th century, particularly in the jazz and classical genres, that was arguably a great deal more significant. I would point to the likes of Stravinsky, Schönberg, Berg, Ligeti and Reich on the classical side. Then there was Gershwin who was a colossus in both jazz and classical. On the jazz side, I’d point to Davis, Coltrane, Zawinul, Shorter and Jarret. Ommadawn is terrific music and I love it to bits but it isn’t really up there with the greats in terms of significance. IMO.
@@jayarbe60 I hear that. Le Sacre is probably my number one favourite work of all time, and I'm more than a little familiar with the other composers you cite. But (and you can call it a guilty pleasure if you like) this album definitely makes my top 20 desert island discs 🙂
@@jayarbe60 That's true. Mike Oldfield is one of the best when it comes to layering different instruments and melodies but I think even bands like The Beatles, Yes, Genesis have more significant compositions than Ommadawn. And while you mentioned some of the classical composers, lets not also forget that Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Debussy, Ravel, Holst made some masterpieces in the earlier parts of the 20th century.
When I was thirteen years old I was obsessed with Tubular Bells and ,especially,Ommadawn. I think it’s his masterpiece. A thing of transcendental beauty. Seventeen years later I was thrilled to play keyboards on his Tubular Bells II tour in Europe and the US.
great story! I saw the Exposed tour in NYC. Simply the best rock/classical artist actually creating an original hybrid, as opposed to rock covers of classical classics, like Emerson and Wakeman. This piece will be revered as long as people study music.
@@DavidHartley-h4f awesome! On Monday I'm attending a tribute performance of Hergest Ridge in Barcelona, and I was thinking on rewatching the TBII concerts this evening 😁.
I don't think Doug mentioned this but the album title Ommadawn is an English phonetic respelling of the Irish word amadán, meaning fool, so it is taken from the lyrics written for him by Clodagh Simonds. EDIT: Wikipedia was very helpful with the "lyrics"/chant at around the 20 minute mark of this video. The chant is a a mix of the Irish and a jumbling of the Irish so the lyrics are: Ab yul ann idyad awt En yab na log a toc na awd Taw may on omma dawn ekyowl Omma dawn ekyowl The first 2 lines are Irish backwards and the latter 2 the right way around (I am oversimplifying here btw.), so the proper Irish is: Tá daidí 'na leaba = Daddy's in his bed Tá an cat ag ól an bhainne = The cat is drinking milk Tá mé an Amadán le Ceol = I'm the idiot singing Amadán le Ceol = The idiot singing / singing idiot EDIT 2: Pre-enlightened. LOL, that got a chuckle out of me. :D
I love Incantations and especially the live version on Exposed. It still has that long instrumental music from the former albums. Though he luckily still had those longer pieces on later albums.
My favorit Mike Oldfield album. Must have listened to it 10.000 times 😅. Could this be 10.001? Still enjoy it like the first time, maybe more even. Musical magic,is'nt it? Thanks for this one. 💪👍😁
I love Amarok but I think it would break Doug's brain! I love that the whole album is a giant middle finger to Richard Branson with it's quick movements (quick so Branson couldn't lift out any section to use as a single) and its relentless unlistenability. And yet its that very unlistenability that's almost hypnotically compelling.
Recorded when his mother passed away, I feel that Ommadwan Part One represents his grief but also his distress at being born. Side two begins with his life in chaos, then a uilleann pipe lullaby representing his Irish mother that eventually leads to acceptance (in the form a happy children's tune).
The complexity and beauty of his longer tracks have always been what I love most about Mike's music. He has always been the quintessential prog composer for my money. Anything that lasts more than 10 minutes is worth listening to ❤
11:50 every damn time (and I've listened to it 1000s of times) Goosebumps...it's truly magical....Back in my younger days (when Ommadawn was released) I'd listen to it on headphones turned up loud, in the dark with a good red wine....no visual distractions to detract from the music
I was twelve when my older brother bought this home.I'm sixty-three now and last year we both went to see 50 years Tubular Bells concert.Ommadawn was the opening piece. We cried!! Pure magic❤
Agreed. I loved Hergest Ridge. For me, Tubular Bells was, if you like, describing a city. Hergest Ridge takes me to the peaceful, tranquil, countryside (apart from the 72 bass guitars!!!). Incantations was outstanding though.
Terry Oldfield on Panpipes. Sally oldfield also on vocals. I tried smoking hashes for the first time in my life from a water pipe. He then put on his new bought record which was Ommadawn. I was totally in the realms of imaginary sequences. The fast paced rhythm and electic guitar piece at the end, I saw a cheetah chasing an antelope. It was pure magic.
this is such a masterpiece. I've been known to get stuck in an Ommadawn loop when I'm working on a painting, where I simply keep turning the record over and over again unable to accept the end as a stopping point. the music is full of color and movement
Hergest Ridge deserves some love, particularly as this year was its 50th anniversary. I actually like it slightly more than Tubular Bells and Ommadawn (though don't listen to the remix from the mid 2000s which had the background synths eviscerated from it). I've been to Kington and walked on the ridge and it is a wonderful, evocative place.
I remeber as a 17 year old young man i hade the cover of this album as a big poster above my bed. It was in 1975 and Oldfield was my heroe. Still are in som way. Nobody can paint landscapes with music like him. This record is amazing i must have heard it 1000 times...at least. Thank you for a great reaction. Cheers from a finn in Sweden.
What a talented young gentleman..so underestimated yet again..im sick of saying underestimated..is it because i try and listen to as much as i can ..i cant keep up .im 62 nearly and still listening to stuff from 80s ive never come across..it can only be a good thing ..yeah ????
One of the best albums from Mike Oldfield. If you enjoyed it, you should try AMAROK, a sixty minutes track considered by Mike as OMMADOWN 2. Weird and beautiful. Have a nice week end, Doug. Keep on being so enthusiast...
Amarok challenges you in so many ways, but once you get past the initial "wtf?" impression, it's the most amazing musical experience. To me, it's peak Oldfield.
Agreed- if they only allowed me to keep one album from all those I own, Amarok would be it. Unexpected, unquantifiable, unequalled and unadulterated genius. The list 15 minutes always brings me euphoria, no matter the mood I'm in.
@@malkystoddart2562 Just the same for me : this last quarter is awesome. I can imagine Doug's face listening to it 🙂 and singing : Sondela USomandla Sukuma Wena Obengezela
My favorite album from Mike Oldfield, it makes me cry of joy and peace, especially the beginning and the end. The final drums are a safe landing place to think about yourself. It's a very introspective album. Thanks for the video, I expect you'll listen the second part.
I’m a long standing (>40 years) fan of Mike and this is my favourite album of his. A couple of months before my 50th birthday I was on a work trip in Arizona from the UK and managed to take two days out for a trip up to the Grand Canyon. I watched the dawn sun rise whilst listening to Ommadawn- truly magical. 😁
This was a very important part of my younger years. It's one of my beloved pieces. What a pleasure to hear again after about 25 years. Shame on me. I need a new turntable. Better than Tubular Bells. Thank you for the reminder.
That was an absolute joy to watch. Ommadawn is my all-time favourite album, and seeing how your expression changed with every layer and development was fantastic. "It sounds ancient" was one phrase that jumped out of your analysis. Perfect.
Mike Oldfield is the best musician of the 20th century, and the most influential one. It's a grand pleasure to see you react to his masterpieces and be able to appreciate his uniqueness and genius. It's also really fun to see you stunned at the big changes and passages!!! You really make us feel as if we're experiencing the music for the first time again!!! Thank you, dear Doug. Your channel is real fun.
I bought this in 75 on the first day of a holiday when I was 12, and spent the week just looking at the album cover, desperate to get back home to hear it. At that young age I used to imagine the closing drum build section as somehow summoning demons.... I'm still playing this aged 61 especially on a road trip (but with less summoning). Maybe my favourite piece of music. Thanks for getting round to this Doug 👍
This was my introduction to Mike Oldfield back in 1977 while in high school where as I purchased more LPs of Mike’s music and enjoy him to this day as I’m now 66yrs young.
This has been a life-long (all the way from its release) pick-up-mood piece for me. Whenever I have felt down, I put this piece on and it will unfailingly take me back to a happier place. The way I hear it is: At the very start, it takes your hand, quietly consoling, soothing you in your blue mood. Ever so carefully and considerately it begins to walk you over from the dark place of yours, towards the light. It picks up the speed and tempo, enlightens the mood, bringing ever lighter tones, ever merrier mood. Nearing the finale, the drums start a beat that soon makes you wanna dance, finally resolving into a full-on banguet of joy and merriment at 22:24 on this video, and yet again at 23:03. No bars are held! No sorrow remaining! The closing fade-out is "the camera, the observer" drawing away, leaving the dance and party going on the beach under the soon rising sun...
I ,love Ommadawn which has been part of my life for nigh on 50 years, the stort electric guitar solos are moments of absolute beauty. The preceding Hergest Ridge. Is perfect reflection of the poor mental health he had at the time and is more in the modern music world of Riley and Reich, it needs repeated listening because detail seems to emerge more and more. I think Mike has been underestimated as a guitarist, by the time the Ommadawn style evolved in Incantations, it was the first album he truly toured and in 1979 I was in the audience at Webley Arena, playing those solos on the last 6 inches of string is never forgotten. Great choice Doug and thanks.
What I like is the way each different section has it's own character, but then turns up again at the end as just another layer within that whole overaching, triumphant finale
I’ve looked forward to see and hear you document this. I believe that Ommadawn is my favourite of Mike Oldfields early work, but with so much else it depends on my mind and how I feel on that day. But a big part of my top 10 list on all of my albums.
I love this album and Mike Oldfield. Tubular Bells will always be his most famous album, but there is way more to him than that, this track proves it, I love the way it is unhurried, you always feel it's moving somewhere, and the tension it builds is amazing. Mike really shows what a great melodic guitar player he is too. Looking forward to Part 2 but just so you know there is a hidden track after the end of Part 2
Thank you for listening to Ommadown. It’s my favorite by Mike Oldfield and I’ve been listening to it since I was 15, 3 years after its release. I never got tired. Thank you
Wow! Thanks for this, Doug. All this time and I'd never heard it before. It struck me right away that this was one to file with "Close To The Edge" or Piazzola's "The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night" or Maria Kalaniema's "Ahma" : long- form, richly complex, tightly organized faultlessly musical. Thanks for bringing it up.
Me too. And in these comments we rarely refer to his most pop work but it's also a real pop genious, his songs are so rich and we'll crafted, and the song Five Miles Out proves it !
I was so engulfed with Tubular Bells when it first came out because of it being such a new and refreshing concept in music to me. I was hooked on this artist in music style. I remember telling alot of my friends about it. I bought his later LP's too of course. Funny thing is we are both the same age by only 7 days different.You have to see Tubular Bells live version in 1979. It's perfect and even better than the studio version.
My present for Christmas 1975; still gets aired from time to time as I re listen to my vinyl collection. So glad I've kept the player when all around me during the 80s/90s told me otherwise.
There's absolutely no doubt about it: Mike Oldfield is THE most under-rated guitarist of all time. Everyone raves about Hendrix, Clapton and others. Why not Oldfield?
I love this album, it's on my top 10 favorite albums of all time I don't know wich side I preffer but this is a masterpiece I would love see you reacting to tubular bells 2!! A big diference then the original
The opening section sounds as wonderful today as it did when I first heard it as a teenager back in 1975. Ahead of its time in terms of sonic architecture and production quality. For me, this first part is the best thing Oldfield ever released. The end of the first side is probably the most exciting passage he ever wrote, an extended build to that climax, with some of the most perfect guitar lines (both in terms of sound and technique) ever committed to vinyl. They may be "straightforward undergraduate harmonies" but they are put together remarkably effectively. And incredible to think that this was all done on old analogue tape machines, with no snap to grid or cut and paste technology. The second side doesn't quite deliver the same wonderment as the first so, for me, it's not as consistent as his second album, Hergest Ridge (which is possibly my favourite album overall). Many years later, I had the privilege of working with the recorder player and collaborator on this album, Leslie Penning, and we listened to this on a number of occasions, sitting in Les' place with a few late night whiskies 🙂
This piece is a fucking emotional roller coaster, it bring me so much joy and sad memory of the people i loose, im an 80's kid and i grew up with Crisis and Discovery album, but the first time i listen to Ommadawn i was depressed by the loose of my father and it's like Mike was reading in my mind...
One of the best pieces of music ever conceived, performed and recorded. Oldfield is the master. "Ommadawn ekyowl". Too much. Amazing that he did this with 24 tracks. I absolutely love the bass at the end section. What a climax!! My favorite Oldfield song. Glad you did this Doug.
I've always found it strange that Rick Beato won't touch anything to do with Mike Oldfield. Years ago when his channel had 7K subs, I mentioned Tubular Bells as a piece to consider and he basically sneered at the suggestion with his reply: "You reckon that's the gold standard?" No, I don't think it's the gold standard and it's not even my favourite Oldfield piece. Mike was 19 when he composed Tubular Bells, I just thought that was worth some consideration. Sorry for mentioning another TH-camr in your comments section Doug and thank you for all that you do, educating us all with a vast array of music reactions.
I was obsessed with Mike Oldfield when I was a yoof. Ommadawn always stood out as one of his strongest works, and it's fascinating to watch your first reactions to moments that are so familiar to me. I'd love to hear what you think of his album Amarok (my fav)
Ommadawn is definitely fantastic. For me, his masterpiece is Voyager, his 1996 offering. The whole album is extraordinary and even after years of listening, goosebumps and awe. Track 8, Wild Goose Flaps It's Wings...wow & track 10, Mont St Michel...pure perfection. Thanks Doug. Love your channel.
I bought this on cassette about a week after it was released with money I was given for my 14th birthday and loved it from the first listen. I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
Possibly his best work. I love this and Tubular Bells - as well as some of his “hit singles” which were a nice surprise when they came out. But Ommadawn reigns supreme in my book, and it gets better and better each listen
Mike Olfield is a good topic to go back to other albums like the album I bought, among others, and it's called "Five miles out". What a piece, what a piece.
Good observation about the similarity in Oldfield's guitar playing to Steve Howe (you can also hear a bit of Steve Hackett in there as well IMO). I think this comes down to their common upbringing with English folk music. They have a similar harmonic vocabulary, and both favor an older (English) aesthetic over the American blues that so many other guitarists of their generation fell in love with. I also agree with the comment about how Oldfield leans on 'undergraduate' harmonies. IMO he's never had the richness in his harmonic toolbox that most other prog bands bring to bear, although he often does cool stuff with layering. IMO his strengths are as an architect and colorist. I sort of have to be in the mood when I put his albums on, but it's usually always an enjoyable listen. I'll also second the recommendation to hear 'Incantations'. It's actually 4 sides, but worth it.
Yes Doug. Incantations is my favorite Oldfield song. It's a four part symphony like Tales From Topographic Oceans. Incantations comes in at number 8 on my all music history list. I love it better than Ommadawn and Tubular Bells.
Indeed. Diana Luna Lucina! And especially parts 1 & 2, including the mesmerising excerpts from Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha set to music and sung so beautifully and powerfully by Maddy Prior.
@@adriangoodrich4306All of it is amazing. Have you heard the Orchestral Hergest Ridge? When David Bedford was commissioned to make Orchestral Tubular Bells, he took it upon himself to make Hergest Ridge orchestrated. It's brilliant like Orchestral Tubular Bells.
Yes, Incantations definitely has to go one the list. And perhaps Arthur C Clarke's Sci Fi novel The Songs Of Distant Earth interpreted by Mike Oldfield.
This was one of top my tracks to revise to when at Uni in the 80's.... 🤓 He revisited this 40 years later with "Return To Ommadawn" which was a fitting sequel, including a good few nods back to this 😎
I love Ommadawn so much. Mike Oldfield is of course mainly known for Tubular Bells, but this is his definitive track for me
Incantatios pretty much went on to the direction of Ommadawn but unfortunately suffers the flaws double albums have, stretching the ideas further than they naturally would carry.
It is a good album but might have been immaculate on one album.
Definitely my favorite too!
@onsesejoo2605 Yeah, some of it is a little repetitive, but a great journey. Although... most of the time I prefer the condensed live version on "Exposed". Same for Tubular Bells.
Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn....the holy trinity!
@@pema22 Especially the guitar solo part over the vibraphone & xylophone on the livealbum truly excels.
Very happy to see you listening to this :-) It's an experience noone should miss IMO, a timeless and beautiful album! And that goes for part 2 + on horseback as well, so hopefully you can find time to listen to the rest of the album too :-)
I Absolutely LOVE part 2! Such a change of mood, from the building menace of Part 1 as it develops, to the lovely pastoral pleasure and then the pipes of Part 2.
I always have goose-bumps listening to this MASTERPIECE !
At last dough listen an másterpiece from Oldfield...i have this tracks master separated and is great fun....LOVE ommadawn..is my Life each note...
You and me both. I love this album.
I know every note of this album by heart. And it’s still magical every time I hear it.
Same.
Me too. And I've been listening since 1975, and maybe never stop listening until the day I'll die.
the guy was frkkin 23 years old when he did this, can you believe it?.. and already with Tubular Bells behind him!... the level of understanding of music, the ability to incorporate all these moods, the perception of sound and knowing how to reflect it, the genre-lessness (you can call it all new age, rock, neo-classical etc etc) and timelessness of it ...... just mind blowing!
IMHO, Ommadawn is in the top 10 most significant compositions of the 20th century, possibly top 5. Outstanding piece, outstanding talent, and outstanding execution.
@@GoblinGuy333Educate yourself a little. A lot of music was written the 20th century, particularly in the jazz and classical genres, that was arguably a great deal more significant. I would point to the likes of Stravinsky, Schönberg, Berg, Ligeti and Reich on the classical side. Then there was Gershwin who was a colossus in both jazz and classical. On the jazz side, I’d point to Davis, Coltrane, Zawinul, Shorter and Jarret.
Ommadawn is terrific music and I love it to bits but it isn’t really up there with the greats in terms of significance. IMO.
@@jayarbe60 I hear that. Le Sacre is probably my number one favourite work of all time, and I'm more than a little familiar with the other composers you cite. But (and you can call it a guilty pleasure if you like) this album definitely makes my top 20 desert island discs 🙂
@@jayarbe60 That's true. Mike Oldfield is one of the best when it comes to layering different instruments and melodies but I think even bands like The Beatles, Yes, Genesis have more significant compositions than Ommadawn. And while you mentioned some of the classical composers, lets not also forget that Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Debussy, Ravel, Holst made some masterpieces in the earlier parts of the 20th century.
When I was thirteen years old I was obsessed with Tubular Bells and ,especially,Ommadawn. I think it’s his masterpiece. A thing of transcendental beauty.
Seventeen years later I was thrilled to play keyboards on his Tubular Bells II tour in Europe and the US.
great story! I saw the Exposed tour in NYC. Simply the best rock/classical artist actually creating an original hybrid, as opposed to rock covers of classical classics, like Emerson and Wakeman. This piece will be revered as long as people study music.
Were you at The TB II premiere that was televised?
@@xaviconde Edinburgh ? Yes.
@@DavidHartley-h4f awesome! On Monday I'm attending a tribute performance of Hergest Ridge in Barcelona, and I was thinking on rewatching the TBII concerts this evening 😁.
@@xaviconde Enjoy the gig,Xavi.
I don't think Doug mentioned this but the album title Ommadawn is an English phonetic respelling of the Irish word amadán, meaning fool, so it is taken from the lyrics written for him by Clodagh Simonds.
EDIT: Wikipedia was very helpful with the "lyrics"/chant at around the 20 minute mark of this video. The chant is a a mix of the Irish and a jumbling of the Irish so the lyrics are:
Ab yul ann idyad awt
En yab na log a toc na awd
Taw may on omma dawn ekyowl
Omma dawn ekyowl
The first 2 lines are Irish backwards and the latter 2 the right way around (I am oversimplifying here btw.), so the proper Irish is:
Tá daidí 'na leaba = Daddy's in his bed
Tá an cat ag ól an bhainne = The cat is drinking milk
Tá mé an Amadán le Ceol = I'm the idiot singing
Amadán le Ceol = The idiot singing / singing idiot
EDIT 2: Pre-enlightened. LOL, that got a chuckle out of me. :D
Give Incantations a whirl. Next level Oldfield.
Amarok as well
For me Incantations is The peak of Mike - pure magic in sound.
@@MoviesNStuff Amarok is virtuoso madness. I love that. Would it made Daily Doug’s head spin. Add a puff of herb and you are in for a wild ride.
All great suggestions. His less rated disks have some great songs, too: Crisis, Taurus 1 and 2, Wind Chimes 1&2.
I love Incantations and especially the live version on Exposed. It still has that long instrumental music from the former albums. Though he luckily still had those longer pieces on later albums.
My favorit Mike Oldfield album.
Must have listened to it 10.000 times 😅.
Could this be 10.001?
Still enjoy it like the first time, maybe more even.
Musical magic,is'nt it?
Thanks for this one.
💪👍😁
If there's one Mike Oldfield album I would recommand to you, Doug, it would be Amarok.
It's not only music. It's a journey, une adventure.
I love Amarok but I think it would break Doug's brain! I love that the whole album is a giant middle finger to Richard Branson with it's quick movements (quick so Branson couldn't lift out any section to use as a single) and its relentless unlistenability. And yet its that very unlistenability that's almost hypnotically compelling.
Oh my, I can't wait! Straight-up my favourite piece of music ever.
I personally LOVE Mike. And this is one of his finest works, the second track is even better
Part 2, at about 7 minutes in, where the uileann pipes come in -- doesn't get any better, ever
Recorded when his mother passed away, I feel that Ommadwan Part One represents his grief but also his distress at being born. Side two begins with his life in chaos, then a uilleann pipe lullaby representing his Irish mother that eventually leads to acceptance (in the form a happy children's tune).
The complexity and beauty of his longer tracks have always been what I love most about Mike's music. He has always been the quintessential prog composer for my money. Anything that lasts more than 10 minutes is worth listening to ❤
I always loved "The Songs of Distant Earth" based upon the novel by Arthur C. Clarke.
Its amazing.
That's the piece of music I've heard most in my life, ever since I heard it 30 years ago for the first time.
This is not simply an album, this is a world apart with an unearthly beautiness.
11:50 every damn time (and I've listened to it 1000s of times) Goosebumps...it's truly magical....Back in my younger days (when Ommadawn was released) I'd listen to it on headphones turned up loud, in the dark with a good red wine....no visual distractions to detract from the music
I was twelve when my older brother bought this home.I'm sixty-three now and last year we both went to see 50 years Tubular Bells concert.Ommadawn was the opening piece.
We cried!!
Pure magic❤
One of my all-time favorites. Timeless.
Love how the main intro melody comes again at the end and escalates till the climax.
Hergest Ridge is great too. Cool reaction 👍.
The lake too from Discovery album
th-cam.com/video/fvqqIXyk7N8/w-d-xo.html
@pierpaolosciola2697 Oh yes, that's true 👍. I saw it live 1984 (Discovery Tour).
Agreed. I loved Hergest Ridge. For me, Tubular Bells was, if you like, describing a city. Hergest Ridge takes me to the peaceful, tranquil, countryside (apart from the 72 bass guitars!!!).
Incantations was outstanding though.
Terry Oldfield on Panpipes. Sally oldfield also on vocals. I tried smoking hashes for the first time in my life from a water pipe. He then put on his new bought record which was Ommadawn. I was totally in the realms of imaginary sequences. The fast paced rhythm and electic guitar piece at the end, I saw a cheetah chasing an antelope. It was pure magic.
this is such a masterpiece. I've been known to get stuck in an Ommadawn loop when I'm working on a painting, where I simply keep turning the record over and over again unable to accept the end as a stopping point. the music is full of color and movement
The tone on that screaming guitar solo at the end is unsurpassed in rock music ❤
Hergest Ridge deserves some love, particularly as this year was its 50th anniversary. I actually like it slightly more than Tubular Bells and Ommadawn (though don't listen to the remix from the mid 2000s which had the background synths eviscerated from it). I've been to Kington and walked on the ridge and it is a wonderful, evocative place.
I remeber as a 17 year old young man i hade the cover of this album as a big poster above my bed. It was in 1975 and Oldfield was my heroe. Still are in som way. Nobody can paint landscapes with music like him. This record is amazing i must have heard it 1000 times...at least. Thank you for a great reaction. Cheers from a finn in Sweden.
What a talented young gentleman..so underestimated yet again..im sick of saying underestimated..is it because i try and listen to as much as i can ..i cant keep up .im 62 nearly and still listening to stuff from 80s ive never come across..it can only be a good thing ..yeah ????
I listen to this a lot on walks in the Irish country inside it evokes so much , like landscape
Make sure to also listen to Hergest Ridge on those walks!
@ oh I do ! I walk up a hill to a plateau that’s has views across the country to the see there is a reveal on side one I try to time it right
One of the best albums from Mike Oldfield. If you enjoyed it, you should try AMAROK, a sixty minutes track considered by Mike as OMMADOWN 2. Weird and beautiful. Have a nice week end, Doug. Keep on being so enthusiast...
Don't overlook 'Return to Ommadawn' of 2017. Similar, yet very different, and a masterpiece in itself
Amarok challenges you in so many ways, but once you get past the initial "wtf?" impression, it's the most amazing musical experience. To me, it's peak Oldfield.
Agreed- if they only allowed me to keep one album from all those I own, Amarok would be it. Unexpected, unquantifiable, unequalled and unadulterated genius. The list 15 minutes always brings me euphoria, no matter the mood I'm in.
@@malkystoddart2562 Just the same for me : this last quarter is awesome. I can imagine Doug's face listening to it 🙂 and singing :
Sondela
USomandla
Sukuma
Wena
Obengezela
My favorite album from Mike Oldfield, it makes me cry of joy and peace, especially the beginning and the end. The final drums are a safe landing place to think about yourself. It's a very introspective album. Thanks for the video, I expect you'll listen the second part.
I love the description in the "Boxed" set: "...and the drums hammer on like post-coital heartbeats"!
Funny you should mention Karl Jenkins, he worked with Mike Oldfield on his album 'Music of the Spheres' from 2008
I’m a long standing (>40 years) fan of Mike and this is my favourite album of his. A couple of months before my 50th birthday I was on a work trip in Arizona from the UK and managed to take two days out for a trip up to the Grand Canyon. I watched the dawn sun rise whilst listening to Ommadawn- truly magical. 😁
This was a very important part of my younger years. It's one of my beloved pieces. What a pleasure to hear again after about 25 years. Shame on me. I need a new turntable. Better than Tubular Bells. Thank you for the reminder.
That was an absolute joy to watch. Ommadawn is my all-time favourite album, and seeing how your expression changed with every layer and development was fantastic.
"It sounds ancient" was one phrase that jumped out of your analysis. Perfect.
Mike Oldfield is the best musician of the 20th century, and the most influential one. It's a grand pleasure to see you react to his masterpieces and be able to appreciate his uniqueness and genius. It's also really fun to see you stunned at the big changes and passages!!! You really make us feel as if we're experiencing the music for the first time again!!!
Thank you, dear Doug. Your channel is real fun.
Mike Oldfield created masterpieces.
the best album from Mike Oldfield
AMAROK is my favorite.
@thomasmeyer8798 Amarok comes in behind this for me, but it is captivating.
"Comes to a climax until it can't hold itself any more." Exactly.
One of my favourite moments in the history of recorded music.
Take a spin on Magma - alosm every their record have sush a moment.
I bought this in 75 on the first day of a holiday when I was 12, and spent the week just looking at the album cover, desperate to get back home to hear it. At that young age I used to imagine the closing drum build section as somehow summoning demons.... I'm still playing this aged 61 especially on a road trip (but with less summoning). Maybe my favourite piece of music.
Thanks for getting round to this Doug 👍
This was my introduction to Mike Oldfield back in 1977 while in high school where as I purchased more LPs of Mike’s music and enjoy him to this day as I’m now 66yrs young.
This has been a favorite of mine since the 1970s. It's nice to hear it here.
I played this to death back in the day and it still gives me goosebumps. Mike Oldfield at his finest.
Whenever I haz a sad...I can listen to this and it makes me happi.
My favorite album. I’ve been listening to it since 1975.
This has been a life-long (all the way from its release) pick-up-mood piece for me. Whenever I have felt down, I put this piece on and it will unfailingly take me back to a happier place.
The way I hear it is: At the very start, it takes your hand, quietly consoling, soothing you in your blue mood. Ever so carefully and considerately it begins to walk you over from the dark place of yours, towards the light. It picks up the speed and tempo, enlightens the mood, bringing ever lighter tones, ever merrier mood. Nearing the finale, the drums start a beat that soon makes you wanna dance, finally resolving into a full-on banguet of joy and merriment at 22:24 on this video, and yet again at 23:03. No bars are held! No sorrow remaining!
The closing fade-out is "the camera, the observer" drawing away, leaving the dance and party going on the beach under the soon rising sun...
Such a brilliant piece. Worthy of appreciation.
I ,love Ommadawn which has been part of my life for nigh on 50 years, the stort electric guitar solos are moments of absolute beauty. The preceding Hergest Ridge. Is perfect reflection of the poor mental health he had at the time and is more in the modern music world of Riley and Reich, it needs repeated listening because detail seems to emerge more and more. I think Mike has been underestimated as a guitarist, by the time the Ommadawn style evolved in Incantations, it was the first album he truly toured and in 1979 I was in the audience at Webley Arena, playing those solos on the last 6 inches of string is never forgotten. Great choice Doug and thanks.
Mike's best.
Hi, I'm Oldfield fan since 1979. Outstanding your analysis, touched my heart.
i miss my old bodhran, i used to play along with this album all the time.
What I like is the way each different section has it's own character, but then turns up again at the end as just another layer within that whole overaching, triumphant finale
Please get back to Oldfield. A whole lot of great music throughout his catalog. Incantations is my favorite. It's the follow up to Ommadawn.
I’ve looked forward to see and hear you document this. I believe that Ommadawn is my favourite of Mike Oldfields early work, but with so much else it depends on my mind and how I feel on that day. But a big part of my top 10 list on all of my albums.
I love this album and Mike Oldfield. Tubular Bells will always be his most famous album, but there is way more to him than that, this track proves it, I love the way it is unhurried, you always feel it's moving somewhere, and the tension it builds is amazing. Mike really shows what a great melodic guitar player he is too. Looking forward to Part 2 but just so you know there is a hidden track after the end of Part 2
probably his best work, I love this album its my inner being. all the instruments speak Ommadawn never to be equalled. thanks for doing this album.
20:22 They're singing "Amadán le ceol" Which is Gaelic and roughly translates to "Fool with music"
Thank you for listening to Ommadown. It’s my favorite by Mike Oldfield and I’ve been listening to it since I was 15, 3 years after its release. I never got tired. Thank you
Jaw-dropping, isn't it?!
Wow! Thanks for this, Doug. All this time and I'd never heard it before. It struck me right away that this was one to file with "Close To The Edge" or Piazzola's "The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night" or Maria Kalaniema's "Ahma" : long- form, richly complex, tightly organized faultlessly musical. Thanks for bringing it up.
A long-time favorite of mine. One of those songs that's so dense and layered, no matter how many times you listen to it, you still find something new.
His second album "HERGEST RIDGE" is the best for me!! you should try that one out.
I really like his Five Miles Out album.
Me too. And in these comments we rarely refer to his most pop work but it's also a real pop genious, his songs are so rich and we'll crafted, and the song Five Miles Out proves it !
Five Miles Out is my favourite of all Mike Oldfield "pop songs". And Taurus II on that album is sublime and fun.
I was so engulfed with Tubular Bells when it first came out because of it being such a new and refreshing concept in music to me.
I was hooked on this artist in music style. I remember telling alot of my friends about it. I bought his later LP's too of course.
Funny thing is we are both the same age by only 7 days different.You have to see Tubular Bells live version in 1979. It's perfect and even better than the studio version.
My present for Christmas 1975; still gets aired from time to time as I re listen to my vinyl collection. So glad I've kept the player when all around me during the 80s/90s told me otherwise.
One of my Christmas presents in 1975…along with Steve Hackett’s Voyage of the Acolyte and Gentle Giant’s Free Hand.
I prefer this to tubular bells. 50yrs. Well 49 😊
Me too. My favourite MO album, along with Parts 1 & 2 of Incantations.
There's absolutely no doubt about it: Mike Oldfield is THE most under-rated guitarist of all time.
Everyone raves about Hendrix, Clapton and others. Why not Oldfield?
so true 👍
Sorry, underrated by who
I love this album, I can listen to it time and again. Lots of colour, lots of expectation, tension and a long build up to the crescendo. Amazing.
Music is life ...to me anyway ❤
If you're enjoying Ommadawn, you're going to be amazed when you get to Amarok. A hug.
The drums hammer on like a post-coital heartbeat...
The wind instrument is an Altio Recorder which he uses quite a lot :)
I love this album, it's on my top 10 favorite albums of all time
I don't know wich side I preffer but this is a masterpiece
I would love see you reacting to tubular bells 2!! A big diference then the original
My favourite all time album, still get goosebumps listening to it
The opening section sounds as wonderful today as it did when I first heard it as a teenager back in 1975. Ahead of its time in terms of sonic architecture and production quality. For me, this first part is the best thing Oldfield ever released. The end of the first side is probably the most exciting passage he ever wrote, an extended build to that climax, with some of the most perfect guitar lines (both in terms of sound and technique) ever committed to vinyl. They may be "straightforward undergraduate harmonies" but they are put together remarkably effectively. And incredible to think that this was all done on old analogue tape machines, with no snap to grid or cut and paste technology.
The second side doesn't quite deliver the same wonderment as the first so, for me, it's not as consistent as his second album, Hergest Ridge (which is possibly my favourite album overall).
Many years later, I had the privilege of working with the recorder player and collaborator on this album, Leslie Penning, and we listened to this on a number of occasions, sitting in Les' place with a few late night whiskies 🙂
This piece is a fucking emotional roller coaster, it bring me so much joy and sad memory of the people i loose, im an 80's kid and i grew up with Crisis and Discovery album, but the first time i listen to Ommadawn i was depressed by the loose of my father and it's like Mike was reading in my mind...
One of my favorites of Mike Oldfield! 🙏🏼
I've loved this album since it came out. The guitar solo climax (before the lengthy fadeout of the relentless African drummers) is astounding.
I love Ommadawn, one of my enduring favourites ever since I first heard it in 1975, I still have that vinyl record.
I love Ommadawn, much more than Tubular Bells.
And I love the cover because Mike looks a bit like my dad in that pic.
One of the best pieces of music ever conceived, performed and recorded. Oldfield is the master. "Ommadawn ekyowl". Too much. Amazing that he did this with 24 tracks. I absolutely love the bass at the end section. What a climax!! My favorite Oldfield song. Glad you did this Doug.
Such a master of tension: The lone Ab on the timpani resolves it all - the percussion is there at the end to let it all wash over you.
I've always found it strange that Rick Beato won't touch anything to do with Mike Oldfield. Years ago when his channel had 7K subs, I mentioned Tubular Bells as a piece to consider and he basically sneered at the suggestion with his reply: "You reckon that's the gold standard?" No, I don't think it's the gold standard and it's not even my favourite Oldfield piece. Mike was 19 when he composed Tubular Bells, I just thought that was worth some consideration. Sorry for mentioning another TH-camr in your comments section Doug and thank you for all that you do, educating us all with a vast array of music reactions.
Beato is all about his favourites, he can be narrow minded in this.
I was obsessed with Mike Oldfield when I was a yoof. Ommadawn always stood out as one of his strongest works, and it's fascinating to watch your first reactions to moments that are so familiar to me.
I'd love to hear what you think of his album Amarok (my fav)
One of my favourite albums, doesn't get the attention it deserves!
Ommadawn is definitely fantastic. For me, his masterpiece is Voyager, his 1996 offering. The whole album is extraordinary and even after years of listening, goosebumps and awe. Track 8, Wild Goose Flaps It's Wings...wow & track 10, Mont St Michel...pure perfection. Thanks Doug. Love your channel.
My favorite musical piece ever. That would be an epic reaction!
This is music to listen to in the dark just before the dawn with the rain coming down.
I bought this on cassette about a week after it was released with money I was given for my 14th birthday and loved it from the first listen. I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
Possibly his best work. I love this and Tubular Bells - as well as some of his “hit singles” which were a nice surprise when they came out.
But Ommadawn reigns supreme in my book, and it gets better and better each listen
Doug, what an imaginative piece of music. Mike Oldfield is an underrated composer and arranger and knows exactly how to build amazing climaxes.
Also, a highly underrated guitarist. Very distinctive style and tone.
Sorry, underrated by who
@@GoblinGuy333 Sorry, underrated by who
@@kevinroche3334 People
Mike Olfield is a good topic to go back to other albums like the album I bought, among others, and it's called "Five miles out".
What a piece, what a piece.
Good observation about the similarity in Oldfield's guitar playing to Steve Howe (you can also hear a bit of Steve Hackett in there as well IMO). I think this comes down to their common upbringing with English folk music. They have a similar harmonic vocabulary, and both favor an older (English) aesthetic over the American blues that so many other guitarists of their generation fell in love with. I also agree with the comment about how Oldfield leans on 'undergraduate' harmonies. IMO he's never had the richness in his harmonic toolbox that most other prog bands bring to bear, although he often does cool stuff with layering. IMO his strengths are as an architect and colorist. I sort of have to be in the mood when I put his albums on, but it's usually always an enjoyable listen. I'll also second the recommendation to hear 'Incantations'. It's actually 4 sides, but worth it.
Yay!! Just wanna add that the 1982 Live At Montreux version (TH-cam) is amazing too.
Yey more Oldfield!
Finally! Now do his magnum opus, Incantations
Yes Doug. Incantations is my favorite Oldfield song. It's a four part symphony like Tales From Topographic Oceans. Incantations comes in at number 8 on my all music history list.
I love it better than Ommadawn and Tubular Bells.
Yes, Incantations please!
Indeed. Diana Luna Lucina! And especially parts 1 & 2, including the mesmerising excerpts from Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha set to music and sung so beautifully and powerfully by Maddy Prior.
@@adriangoodrich4306All of it is amazing. Have you heard the Orchestral Hergest Ridge? When David Bedford was commissioned to make Orchestral Tubular Bells, he took it upon himself to make Hergest Ridge orchestrated. It's brilliant like Orchestral Tubular Bells.
Yes, Incantations definitely has to go one the list.
And perhaps Arthur C Clarke's Sci Fi novel The Songs Of Distant Earth interpreted by Mike Oldfield.
My favorite album ever! Gets better every time you listen to it.
a genius with every instrument known to man
Thank you Doug... thank you so much... so much...
Everything about this piece has blown me away for 25 years but oh that bass.
This was one of top my tracks to revise to when at Uni in the 80's.... 🤓
He revisited this 40 years later with "Return To Ommadawn" which was a fitting sequel, including a good few nods back to this 😎