After the "Amarok" mike Rocked out with "heaven's open" - as far one of his strangest and sometimes amusing albums ever...
Mike is a lead singer here - he has got a very good loud and deep voice,i always liked him as a vocalist ("Crises","Five Miles out","Pictures in the dark","On horseback") and here he gives himself an oportunity to shine...The arrangents are more simplier and catchy than on "dicsovery" or "Five miles out"...and the pop songs are really good.
"Make Make" is a very funny parody of eighties pop music with Tina Turner styled vocal part and amusing synth effects...Still Vocals and lyrics are superb.this is a Message to Virgin, the company that Mike didn't liked much because they tried to tamed his style and wanted to make a pop star from him...
while "Mr.shame","Gimme back" and the title track (that is well known from his compilations and radio) are a nice early nineties pop-rock tunes,"No dream" is one of the most haunting and personal rock ballads that Mike ever created...it features moving lyrics,one of the best that he has written..."there's a face in the window,someone who you know or who you used to be, could that somebody be me?" Guitar solo is really wonderfull.
but hte most interesting track is "Music from the balcony" - 20 minutes long chaotic piece of music, simmilar to "Amarok"...it has got some interesting sound experiments (Many funny samples)
it is different from everything that Mike did later and before...
the whole album is the last one recorded for VIRGIN company...and this is the last typical pop-experimental album.
after his next album "Tubular bells 2" he joined hte new-age and ambient music.Anyway - this can be a shock for an Average music and Oldfield fan if you know only "Moonlight shadow" or "tubular bells"...
But trust me,it is one of his best albums,not only one of the most interesting ones...
ps.hte funny thing is that he named himself "Michael Oldfield" not "Mike oldfield"..that's because he wanted to make a joke out of Virgin...
...don't you know we're not virgin...
One big track, and 4-5 small ones.
Crises, Discovery, Islands, Platinum and Five Miles Out were the same type.
This one comes after Discovery and Five Miles Out.
The title track is the best of all, that short electric guitar-solo in the middle of the song is just amazing!
Music from the Balcony is good, but The Lake was better I think.
The other pop songs are quite good, Mike does some reaggie on Gimme Back, this is the most suprising song on this one.
Mr.Shame is almost as good as the title track. Mike's voice is satisfying.
Enjoyable, interesting album, but the instrumental could be stronger.
It is a really expressive Cd... The popsongs are quite good,Brilliant lyrics, but the instrumental track "Music from the Balcony" is just really weird and wonderful.......and It makes this work complete as an whole.
A BIG suprise!
Mike Oldfield, the avante garde genius, goes for a change of pace on this album. The songs are pop, but not of the ho hum generic variety. They are rich and exciting. The title track alone if worth the price of the CD. This also marks his debut as a vocalist!
Great !
I watched the most beautiful sunset of my life off the coast of Maine, and I couldn't help but think of the music on this CD. I know it sounds wierd, but if you geit, you'll understand.
