Mike Oldfield Hergest Ridge "Side A" (reaction episode 276)

[@Lagrange_Point_6]

Hergest Ridge is just utterly magical. I will never, ever, tire of listening to it. BTW, check out the other mixes. They each have something going for them. The 'deluxe' mix is really quite different in many ways but still retains the charm of the piece.

[@deanwolfechannel]

'charm' is a perfect descriptor

[@Rackelhane]

This is a wonderful album. Thank you.

[@deanwolfechannel]

I love it

[@MrSinnerBOFH]

Hergest Ridge, what an album! Mike Oldfield’s discography is quite a path of brilliant compositions and instrument playing.

[@AdieAdie17]

I've been to Hergest Ridge. Nice place.

[@deanwolfechannel]

Very cool!

[@amnril]

Probably my favourite Mike Oldfield Album. It’s so pastoral and calming. It’s not as highly rated as Ommadawn but I struggle with the sequence after the brilliant opening section on that album.

[@Coneman3]

I feel HR is more spiritual than Ommadawn which is more hot blooded

[@Coneman3]

Listen to the Boxed version.

[@youfools]

Hello Dean and thank you for taking a chance on this piece of art. The video in my head takes me back to walking with my wife, then girlfriend on a cold winter evening, hand in hand with the snow gently falling between us. That was 40 some years ago and the music still elicits the same pictures.

[@deanwolfechannel]

ooooh, nice image, sweet memory!

[@pradith1]

Uno de los trabajos más bellos del talentoso Oldfield, ame volver a escucharla después de tanto tiempo, gracias Dean, abrazo grande desde Argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷

[@deanwolfechannel]

thanks. Take care!

[@goranbevanda8875]

I think Hergest Ridge are completely different to Tubular Bells !

[@kyotocoversjimanderson782]

The overall structure of HR owed a lot to TB, and why not, as the latter (the first album!) was such a success. However, HR has a lot going for it in its own right, with tempo and mood changes, great melodies and tones, and vocals. It's a great album. I remember attending a concert: a double bill of orchestral versions of the two albums played by the Scottish National Orchestra, with Steve Hillage playing guitar. It was superb.

[@torbenyj]

youre right - this bass is just cool :-)

[@scifimonkey3]

Yeah, you have a copy of six wives behind you. Any chance of a react to Rick Wakeman? As for Hergest Ridge this was always the bridesmaid album of the early set for me, behind Ommadawn and Tubular bells. As time as gone on however I have come to appreciate it more and more. The pastoral imagery that it creates has a very soothing effect on the soul. A welcome chill pill for even the most stressful of times. I prefer, and usually listen to, the mix on the Boxed set version but it was great to hear this one possibly for the first time since I gifted my vinyl collection to a colleague many years ago.

[@GregDAgostino13]

So happy you're doing more Oldfield. Completely agree with your review of this album, and his music in general. You might as well do Incantations next, a minimalist-in-the-style-of-Philip-Glass double album, and last of his great '70s works. For me, the 80's Oldfield catalog (as with most 70's bands trying to reinvent themselves) was pretty crappy, as he had moved on to putting out 3-minute pop songs, although he still did two long songs on the Crises and Discovery albums that I think are really good, and the soundtrack to The Killing Fields is also really good. The '90s had some outstanding albums; Amarok is a tour-de-force, Songs of Distant Earth is awesomely chill, and he revisits Tubular Bells with a second and third take on the album that I quite like. Honestly, for me, the rest of his output in the 21st century has been just meh. All of this my own opinion though. Thanks again for doing these albums....

[@Mannizilla]

Platinum,Taurus 1, QE2, Taurus 2, Orabidoo, Mount Teide, Wonderful Land, In the Pool, Legend etc. They are all great and much, much better than everything after Amarok.

[@Coneman3]

Imo his 80s output was way better than the 90s material.

[@lemming9984]

Tubular Bells 4/5, Hergest Ridge 3/5, Ommadawn 5/5.

[@murdockreviews]

His most chilled album (apart from a passage on side b....well, you'll come to this). The version in your video sounds like a remaster. I have an older version on CD which does not feature some of the details and effects I heard here. Beautiful :-)

[@ChrisEchoes]

I think the vinyl is the original mix. For the boxset Boxed Mike remixed Hergest Ridge in the 70s basically removing some parts that he initially recorded to make it sound less repetitive but which he soon realised that without those parts it actually sounded better. He also made sure that every pressing or rerelease following Boxed would be using that remix. The most recent reissue incl 5.1 mix has the original stereo mix as well but also the main album is again a remix which is different then the original remix. Still following me? I happen to think that the Boxed 70s remix is by far the superior version of Hergest Ridge.

[@murdockreviews]

@@ChrisEchoes thanks for the info. Interesting!

[@amnril]

@@ChrisEchoes I agree, the less detailed version always sounded somehow better to me as well.

[@goranbevanda8875]

I agree with you he's look like middle-earth !

[@goranbevanda8875]

That remember me the legend of the Buddhism legend of Tarvaa ! The Blind Bard ! If you have a time to read is not a longue history ! Very thank you for your heart ❤ ! I discovered you in you tube and for information I live in Bristol UK 🇬🇧 ! I listen this music so many times with the adventure game books in 1986 !

[@amarok9097]

Wow. I still have the vinyl and have recently been giving it a listen. If you ever have the chance, or inclination, give Mike Oldfield song "Crisis" a go. To me it represents the sum of the 80's prog. In your own time Mikes Amarok is eclectic genius. BTW I enjoyed your review of Ne Obliviscaris 😁

[@deanwolfechannel]

sounds like a good lead, "Crisis" , will try it...

[@Mannizilla]

Crises 🤓

[@stephendennis8739]

I bought return to ommadawn a couple weeks ago and absolutely love it

[@billyshanahan4001]

The 1974 mix is the best version. Would love to see it released on good quality 180g vinyl😃👍

[@jdmresearch]

Pretty sure he played the 74 version, not the 76 boxes one. At least what we can hear.

[@cyb2191]

I believe the reason for it noting it is original 1974 mix is that the mix was changed when the Boxed compilation set of records came out, after that the only way to get the original mix was to get the original record (or get a bootleg recording of it). I think it was finally the Mercury issued deluxe CD release that would include the original mix as bonus on the 2nd disc. The boxed mix seems more minimalist as it sounds like some elements were removed compared to the original. I find I prefer the fuller original mix.

[@ChrisEchoes]

Yes, the Boxed version indeed is a remix for which he removed some parts making it sound more minimal. I happen to think that the Boxed version is actually the best version of Hergest Ridge precisely because of it its minimal and smoother sound. It is less cluttered and the music just breathes more. I know I am in a minority but I think that remixed Hergest Ridge is his masterpiece.

[@amnril]

I prefer the minimalist version personally, it’s more dream like. Still, having multiple versions is always a good thing.

[@Aki-Ho]

You have mentioned the Lord of the Rings several times Are you a Tolkien fan? If so, you should listen to Camel's Nimrodel. It's a song about Gandalf. Marillion is also named after his novel. Have you read Sil Marillion?

[@brucenadeau5920]

Speaking of Gandalf, ever heard of Gandalf's Fist? I just discovered them last week!

[@Aki-Ho]

@@brucenadeau5920 I heard the band for the first time. Which song do you recommend?

[@brucenadeau5920]

@@Aki-Ho I'm only 3 songs in BUT "The Clockwork Fable" was the one I started on and made me ask for more, and I was given 2 more, and I WANT more! lol

[@Aki-Ho]

@@brucenadeau5920 They are really good ‼︎ Thanks.

[@brucenadeau5920]

@@Aki-Ho You are most welcomed! I have to thank buddies from a Aryeon Prog fan group I am in. They are introducing me to some GREAT music from the other side of the pond from Dean and I lol

[@Coneman3]

This really sounds like a demo version of the Boxed one. Some of the transitions are not smooth or coherent. It’s actually a bit of a mess in places, like a live version.

[@Coneman3]

It flows much better than TB and sounds more unified

[@mayousimon1]

Dean try his live album from the Birmingham nec called exposed live from 1979

[@deanwolfechannel]

didn't know he had a live album! I thought he hated playing concerts

[@mayousimon1]

@@deanwolfechannel he did its on virgin records issued in 1979 at national exhibition centre Birmingham England the same place rush did a show of hands kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3eWioqnZ9xnaMksi=Xqgb_C0xEEg1i0c7 disc one

[@mayousimon1]

@@deanwolfechannel kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqKWamp6nMtrbq8si=rFAjrxCnNZmHnm3H disc two kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqm3l4imjqtnp7Msi=7kkJnQ1zmYIR9p27

[@mayousimon1]

@@deanwolfechannel kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZeygIFjh9qopacsi=uV3wJQFWf7QK4svg full live album

[@youfools]

Oh my and I thought I was the only person on earth to have that incredible double album!

[@claudiopucci2417]

I love the original version better. This version with more instruments and arrangements it distracts me from the melody. I feel it is overloaded unnecessarily

[@Gusy1990]

This is the original versión of 1974. You talk about versión of 1975 Boxed remix.

[@lanfear63]

Probably Oldfields worst album, completely devoid of a significant amount of musical ideas. Apparently when he was recording it, he said to his producer" "Any Idea's" I wish he had never recorded it and Ommadawn had been the follow-up to Tubular Bells.

[@deanwolfechannel]

Asking a producer for ideas is completely normal and expected! I think he was under undue pressure to follow up a mega successful album- you can tell it's created under some duress, people don't have confidence automatically, it comes with experience. When I have a great day, I usually try to recreate it the next day and inevitably can't.

[@lanfear63]

Being old, I recall that Oldfield really was spent in creativity at that time. So really he only came up with about 4 to 5 melodies and stretched them out over two sides. While the album was ok as relaxing background music, (Oldfield more or less invented New Age Music) it was nothing much musically, especially compared with Tubular Bells. So T Bells was his first effort and his first burst of creativity and he had a long time to compose it. When, I first heard it, I thought, at last, a modern day classical composer in the making here, some really good tunes, constructions and melodies. And, what a twist, instead of an orchestra, he was using modern day contemporary instruments to do it, how refreshing. Also, more or less he played almost all of the parts himself and mixed it all together himself. He was a bit of a recluse at that time. When he did Ommadawn, His mother had just died, so he was filled with angst and had a burst of creativity again that was in some parts, almost visionary. I thought, wow, pretty much classical, but progressive classical. Not since Stravinsky had we seen anything like that. Then, he went off the rails and ventured into more rock stuff. However, I still bought most of his albums as their was always one or two tracks, songs or pieces that showed his compositional potential on each album. His best stuff after T Bells and Ommadawn was Tubular Bells 2, the original tunes were re-arranged and produced a better musical experience than the original, and, The Songs Of Distant Earth, a musical interpretation of an Arthur C Clarke book of the same name. Also, about half of Amorok was good. The rest of his albums were patchy affairs by comparison. I can compare him with Jean Michelle Jarre a bit. First two (and about half of his third one) albums were great, innovative, musical and melodious, and using analogue synths. Then they bring out digital synths and he goes off the rails exploiting the, lets say, less than melodic sounds that the analogue synths lent themselves too. He only had somewhat of a return to form when he did Oxygene 7-13 much later. That was the only time he abandoned digital synth sounds and returned to analogue again. This seemed to inspire him more. This again in the early days inspired me to think again, finally, a truly innovative use of synths. Potentially a modern day classical composer using devices that produced as yet, unheard of soundscapes. Well, that's my take anyway, keep up the good work.

[@deanwolfechannel]

I have Jarre's orig oxygene album, now I would like to hear the sequel

[@lanfear63]

Equinoxe was the follow up, actually better than Oxygene and my favorite. Then came Magnetic Fields, still analogue and at least half of it was good stuff, perhaps a bit more than that come to think of it. Oxygene 7 to 13 came out I believe in the 90's. quite a few standout tracks on it. You can listen to all these albums for free on YT and other places. He also, like Oldfield, did some good tracks that are scattered over his large back catalogue of releases so a good best of compilation would be worth looking up on YT. Other synth notables were earlier 70's Vangelis and the Japanese synth artiste, Kitaro. Silk Road, of which he did as a double album for a TV show was especially good, Sides 3 and 4 ,some of his best. Some great multi albums compilations of him to be found on YT, a few of his earlier albums like Kia and Tatung were good. @@deanwolfechannel