Mike Oldfield

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Reading, Berkshire, England (1973 – present)

Mike Oldfield (born Michael Gordon Oldfield, 15 May 1953, Reading, Berkshire, England) is largely known for Tubular Bells, his groundbreaking album from 1973, the success of which also bankrolled Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Records, for which Tubular Bells was the inaugural release. However, his musical career has continued for over three decades encompassing a range of styles, with varying amounts of success. According to the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock, his style is labeled as Oldfield Progressive.

Before Oldfield started his solo career, he formed a band with his sister Sally Oldfield called The Sallyangie and later played bass with Kevin Ayers and the Whole World, alongside Ayers, David Bedford and saxophonist Lol Coxhill. At this time Kevin Ayers lent Oldfield a multitrack tape recorder, and it was on this that Oldfield began to put together what would become Tubular Bells, although Branson at one point suggested “Breakfast In Bed” as a title.

Tubular Bells is considered to be the first rock album to incorporate elements of classical composition, particularly the use of repetition with subtle variations in the minimalist style as pioneered by composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich and LaMonte Young, although these influences were filtered through rock sensibilities. Oldfield also claimed to have been inspired by Kevin Ayers’ observation that “there was nothing wrong with repetition so long as it was something worth repeating”.

Tagged as:

progressive rock, new age, instrumental, electronic, ambient
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Espilberg wrote:
yesterday afternoon

The best! I love Amarok! :-D

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kofi4ka wrote:
yesterday morning

I think,that Voyager is his best album

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Kusiu93 wrote:
yesterday morning

First Tubular Bells is one of the best albums ever!

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Coozeevan wrote:
Monday afternoon

I think, that his best work is Five Miles Out.

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floserber wrote:
Monday afternoon

Ommadawn may be his most interesting album, else i think most of his production sounds dated, and there are sometimes displays of bad taste too, but Ommadawn is just perfect, rich, baroque, haunted, foggy.

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deeee1991 wrote:
Monday afternoon

I think that Amarok is his best work!

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gulmor wrote:
Sunday morning

Shadow On The Wall.

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Qba96 wrote:
Friday morning

OMG, please change image! Now it's very unpopular. :(

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joewatson406 wrote:
Thursday evening

Agreed. TB doesn't touch albums like Ommadawn, like Platinum, like Amarok. But given it's a debut, it's a hell of a debut.

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OGTL wrote:
last week

I don't like it as much as Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, or Incantations, Amarok. Tubular Bells is nowhere near as good. A lot of Oldfield newbs seem to prefer it until they start to understand Oldfield.

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Lucifer-Sam wrote:
12 days ago

stormchasar what the fuck!

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David_L_Jones wrote:
13 days ago

I agree. Guys, change the image!

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Qba96 wrote:
15 days ago

Popieram pana na dole. Pojadę nawet pod Ukrainę. :)

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iamsosweet wrote:
15 days ago

Przyjedź do Polski ! ;d

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Comet_Course wrote:
20 days ago

Damn. Forgot the sheer brilliance of tubular bells. The definition of ahead of its time.

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DJSunshine1980 wrote:
21 days ago

My most favorite Album of Mike Oldfield is Tubular Bells II. I love it and I can listen to it 24/7 :)

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ephn wrote:
22 days ago

mike oldfield has inspired me more than i even know. Ommadawn and AMAROK are a must, and...TUBULAR BELLS!

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Simon_FM wrote:
last month

Just finished listening to Tubular Bells for the first time, it's amazing, the man is an absolute genius.

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WNX wrote:
last month

I love 'The Inner Child'.

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radio-tractore wrote:
last month

I am studying with his music on right now. Very relaxing =]

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