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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”.

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progressive rock, new age, instrumental, electronic, ambient
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ElohimMeth_ wrote:
Sunday afternoon

he looks like jesus christ, oh lol

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Tosky89 wrote:
7 days ago

too many tabular bells in my opinion

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blattaccurate wrote:
8 days ago

Check this out  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Aix07MLHE

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Badsmitty wrote:
12 days ago

Imo he is in the top ten of the greatest composer and musician in the last century.

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Gianni242 wrote:
13 days ago

Have to agree with DaniRai.

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DaniRai wrote:
15 days ago

Altered States from TB 2 -is- his best. [2]

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destinysagent wrote:
23 days ago

No contest, ALL his music is good :-)

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scssr wrote:
23 days ago

tubular bells should be number one

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szafi19 wrote:
25 days ago

I agree.

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NovemberDirge wrote:
28 days ago

Ommadawn is his best without a shred of a doubt.

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simpanc wrote:
29 days ago

does he have any other all-great song album like Heaven's open?

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Ivan-Goodwin wrote:
December 2009

The Songs of Distant Earth - great!!!

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telmi wrote:
December 2009

Grande,muy grande ^_^

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Rosier79 wrote:
November 2009

You people are all wrong. Altered States from TB 2 -is- his best.

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appreciatedmutt wrote:
November 2009

Wow!, this is an amazing vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Aix07MLHE

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Espilberg wrote:
November 2009

The best! I love Amarok! :-D

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kofi4ka wrote:
November 2009

I think,that Voyager is his best album

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Kusiu93 wrote:
November 2009

First Tubular Bells is one of the best albums ever!

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Coozeevan wrote:
November 2009

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

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floserber wrote:
November 2009

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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