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View Full Version : Album Club: 15.11.11: Mike Oldfield - The Songs Of Distant Earth (1994)



Reid Malenfant
15-11-2011, 18:45
Mike Oldfield - The Songs Of Distant Earth (1994)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51rWSCDbciL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Hope fully this should be fun :)

This is some hopefully rather nice ambient electronica that was inspired by a book written by Authur C. Clarke ;) From what I can gather Mike Oldfield read the book of the same name & got in touch with Authur C. Clarke & asked him if he'd mind him writing an album to fit in with the book. Obviously the reply was in the affirmative & as far as I know a copy of the album was sent to Sri Lanka for Mr Clarke to have a listen to before it was released, he gave it his full backing :)

Thank goodness for that, as imo this is a truly superb bit of music & again imo I think this is some of Mike Oldfields best work.

I read the book before I ever had a chance to listen to the album. Obviously some of you may have had this pleasure as it's a superb book & no doubt why Oldfield felt compelled to write some music for it. What I can say is that having read the book, the music fits it perfectly! The music begins (oddly :eyebrows:) at the beginning of the book & marches through to the inevitable conclusion.

There is only the one song on the whole album that doesn't fit for me in all honesty, this happens to be track 17 or the very last track so it's no biggy imo...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songs_of_Distant_Earth http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad240/speakermark/guess%20the%20pic/Songs_of_distant_earth.jpg



http://open.spotify.com/album/7AbAn57Y429agHSHIJXu8h

I hope you all enjoy the music, though I'd be shocked if you all did obviously :lolsign:

I thought I'd better let you all in gently to some of the stuff I listen to rather than jumping in at the deep end ;) You'd have had some deep end last week if Alex hadn't won the toss!

Owners of small bass reflex stand mount speakers keep an eye on your bass drivers if listening at a highish level as there is some high level deep bass on this album - you have been warned :cool:

Tim
15-11-2011, 18:59
Ooo, this looks interesting Mark - never heard of this one at all and I'm really looking forward to giving it a listen... high five ;)

keiths
15-11-2011, 19:03
Great choice Mark - one of my favourite Oldfield albums. You really aren't kidding about the bass either :eyebrows:

Looking forward to revisiting this one before I cast my vote.

Reid Malenfant
15-11-2011, 19:30
Ooo, this looks interesting Mark - never heard of this one at all and I'm really looking forward to giving it a listen... high five ;)
I hope you enjoy it Tim :)

Great choice Mark - one of my favourite Oldfield albums. You really aren't kidding about the bass either :eyebrows:

Looking forward to revisiting this one before I cast my vote.
No I wasn't kidding about the bass & I'm glad you realise that :eyebrows:

Nothing saying I can't vote on my own choice of album is there? ;)

It gets an 8/10 from me as 1. I already own it & 2. I do have better stuff :cool:

Alex_UK
15-11-2011, 20:04
Ah, normality resumed! :lol:

I have this on CD, so an easy week for me tracking it down. I'll give it a fresh listen in the spirit of Album Club before commenting. Nice one Mark. :)

John
15-11-2011, 20:07
Generally the issue I often have with Ambiant music is that often I do not hear enough melodic invention to keep me interested, its not like I need complex melodic structures but that help ;) but just hearing a few notes with little else going on is not my thing.
Thankfully Mark Choice does not fall in that, the music is relaxing but has enough melody to take me on a journey Good choice and something I play again
A 7 for me

Bazil
15-11-2011, 20:24
I hope you all enjoy the music, though I'd be shocked if you all did obviously :lolsign:


Only time will tell ;)

Thing Fish
15-11-2011, 20:29
Never heard of this album before so am looking forward to hearing it.

Reid Malenfant
15-11-2011, 20:34
Only time will tell ;)
:lolsign: Nice one ;)

Tim
15-11-2011, 20:45
Well this is not what I was expecting at all Mark! Not sure what to make of it yet, but I want to play it again and would probably give it a 5 or 6 now, but I think it needs a few more spins before I fully decide. I really don't like the bagpipes however, they don't work for me.

But compared to (sorry Alex) last week, it's a very welcome relief :lol:

Welder
15-11-2011, 20:47
Deeply disappointed mate :eek:
You’ve totally bottled it on this one :lolsign: :lolsign:

You out of anyone here probably, could have dug up something that left us all stunned and reaching for some paracetamol :trust::D

Nah, teasing, good pick I’ll have a listen. I haven’t heard this for a while.

Reid Malenfant
15-11-2011, 20:49
Ah yes, I forgot the bagpipes :doh: Track 3 or 4 I think :rolleyes: Not my favourite either...

However, I remember being the last person at work at Chloride Electronics one evening & the security guard got his bagpipes going :) Sounded incredible in a big factory I can tell you :eyebrows:

Reid Malenfant
15-11-2011, 20:53
You out of anyone here probably, could have dug up something that left us all stunned and reaching for some paracetamol :trust::D
There is always another time John... I can lure you in & then hit you with the headf*ck stuff :lol:

Tim
15-11-2011, 20:57
Ah yes, I forgot the bagpipes .......... one evening & the security guard got his bagpipes going :) Sounded incredible in a big factory I can tell you :eyebrows:
That's just the thing Mark, I really love bagpipes played well, incredibly stirring and a wonderful instrument. But with pop music (as I think this is rather pop at the mo) they don't often work for me and this is a good example.

Audioman
15-11-2011, 22:22
This one strangely passed me by unoticed at the time. Came between his rehashes of Tubular Bells which received much more publicity. Rare and virtualy unobtainable on used vinyl but now very cheap on CD. I have seen a lot of praise for this elsewhere and the Amazon reviews are more than positive. I have ordered this as I like much of Mike Oldfield's earlier work. Looks like a good and less obvious choice Mark. - Especially after last week :)

aquapiranha
15-11-2011, 22:46
I have been a Mike Oldfield fan for many years, and despite preferring his older output I like this too. I have given it an 8

BTW, I will have to change my choice now, I was going to do Five Miles Out :doh:

WAD62
16-11-2011, 10:41
It gets an 8/10 from me as 1. I already own it & 2. I do have better stuff :cool:

That's a bit confusing Mark...why not then go with the better stuff? :scratch:

I hope you're not trying to be popularist...like Alex :lol:

sparrow
16-11-2011, 11:13
My late Dad got me this on it's release and I love it. It is one of the very few albums that my wife & I both enjoy. I do find some parts a wee bit boring but this is one of Mikes better albums....I gave it a 10 but maybe 8 is more realistic.

Welder
16-11-2011, 13:18
I’ve listened to this a couple of times now.

It’s difficult to be critical of the album with regard to the recording, arrangement and even the theme.
The problem is I just don’t like it.
I’m listening to one of Marks other favorite’s atm Steve Roach, Dreamtime Returns and for ambient/electronic/whatever I much prefer this.

Alex_UK
16-11-2011, 14:39
Listened this morning, and kept thinking "where's the bagpipes?" :scratch:

Then realised I'd accidentally selected the wrong album! :doh:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rkXCiOFkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Still, I can recommend Music of the Spheres if you enjoyed Songs of Distant Earth, and it doesn't have bagpipes! :eyebrows:

I'll get back to SoDE later...

Reid Malenfant
16-11-2011, 17:28
That's a bit confusing Mark...why not then go with the better stuff? :scratch:

I hope you're not trying to be popularist...like Alex :lol:
I did mention that my next session will be a bit more intense. though I'm not sure if that's quite the right word :lol:

Just softening you all up before applying the jackhammer :eyebrows:

Thing Fish
16-11-2011, 17:30
A bit twee for me. I couldn't sit and listen to it but it would be ok in the background while I was decorating perhaps...?

I gave it 4

Bazil
17-11-2011, 18:56
Don't own this but , I looked after my sister's pets for 2 weeks a couple of years ago, she lived up the hills in Spain. Looking through their CD's the only one I fancied giving a go was this. Played it every night sitting outside looking at the blackness sipping Spanish brandy.
Hearing it again on Spotify brings back those tranquil evenings.
8/10 I think I'll get a copy.

WAD62
17-11-2011, 20:45
Just too 'nice' for me Mark, like the worst aspects of late Banco de Gaia, but without the groove...perhaps that's where Toby got his influences from for 'Big men Cry' etc. ;)

Oldfield's guitar always sounds the same, very stylised, and lacking any bollocks

Like eating a bowl of syrup...:eek:

3/10

Bring on Biosphere...:eyebrows:

Reid Malenfant
17-11-2011, 20:50
Bring on Biosphere...:eyebrows:
Now there's an idea :scratch:

:eyebrows:

Welder
17-11-2011, 20:57
Wot Will said :eyebrows: :lolsign:

keiths
17-11-2011, 20:59
Just played this again tonight. Probably Mike Oldfield's best album that doesn't have 'Tubular' in the title (it's either this or Ommadawn).

A solid 8 out of 10.

Audioman
18-11-2011, 00:25
Different from Oldfield's earlier work but enjoyable. Didn't loose my interest except a few sections in spite of length. A bit long at 70 mins. The CD still available appears to be the original. Has a CD ROM track that was for Macintosh computers only. Soundwise no loudness boost and plenty dynamic range. Due to the slightly excessive length and the fact there are a number of his albums I prefer I will give it 7/10.

sparrow
18-11-2011, 10:18
Because of the CD rom on the disc some CD players read at 70 minutes where in fact it only runs for 55 minutes..

Audioman
18-11-2011, 10:39
Because of the CD rom on the disc some CD players read at 70 minutes where in fact it only runs for 55 minutes..

Thanks. Come to think of it didn't seem that long playing it. Explains why they got it on a single LP which is now near impossible to find. It's nice to get a currently available CD that hasn't been ba*!!?d up by modern remastering.

Rare Bird
18-11-2011, 13:05
Still, I can recommend Music of the Spheres

I think i recommended that some time back..

The Grand Wazoo
18-11-2011, 19:59
I listened to this twice during the week and it's on again at the moment. I don't think I'll be too troubled if I don't hear it for a fourth time, though.
It's kind of OK but doesn't hold my attention at all. Fine for having on in the background, but no more for me I'm afraid.

That's been more or less my experience with all the Oldfield albums I've heard.
Nope, sorry Mark, just a 3 from me!

Vinyleyes
27-11-2011, 05:02
I'm afraid this just does not satisfy on any level other than background listening .. and even then the "world music" samples jump in and spoil even that ... It seems to be as in the words of an experienced reviewer
"Very stereotypical ambient music, with a synthetic-sounding rhythm section and repetition of themes throughout the work."

Also I hate his wimpy guitar sound ... it just annoys me ... but I realise that is personal taste ( or lack of it :) )

It seems to be trying to be New Agey ... but there is so much better stuff out there ...... only a 3 from me ... .....

Look forward to your next one though Mark .... :lolsign: