There’s more variety and ideas in one Oldfield album than the careers of most artists/groups.

SO good to see someone reacting to Mike Oldfield's music. The man is criminally underappreciated. "Amarok" is one of my favorite albums, but it may pose a challenge for a reaction - the CD is a single, hour-long track!

@papalaz4444244

11 ай бұрын

I bet you find it "absusrdist" or "nihilistic"

@kitharley6159

11 ай бұрын

@@papalaz4444244 I find it "music", actually. Its form was a direct response to Richard Branson's attempt to convince Oldfield to write more catchy songs like "Moonlight Shadow," which charted well in several markets. During its course, Amarok includes the phrase "fuck off, R. B." rendered in Morse Code.

Orabidoo is a sublime piece of music. I don't agree that Taurus 2 is a poorly executed piece. Orabidoo, Five Miles Out take bits from Taurus 2 and build on them in a different way. Orabidoo, is a continuation of Taurus 2. This album and Crises are the best in this series of albums structured with a long instrumental and a b-side of songs. Simon Philips' percussion, combined with those guitars played like Oldfield brush strokes are one of the best combinations in music history. Orabidoo is a very epic piece, very Oldfield.

Orabidoo is Mike Oldfield at his very best. Now you still have two other brilliant tracks (Mount Teide and Five Miles Out) to listen to and you'll notice how all pieces of the puzzle, Taurus II included, just fall into place.

Mike Oldfield forever

To think Mike Oldfield was only 15 or 16 when he started to make Tubular Bells is truly amazing, the man has got to be one of the greatest musicians of all time... and give Richard Branson his first break

Complex and subtle melodies at the sam time. Brilliant.

To me, Family Man is the outlier here. Orabidoo is Taurus 2.5, and the next two tracks are of the same inspiration. I think you should reconsider Taurus II - maybe give it a listen on big speakers instead of headphones. Phenomenal riffs and percussions.

You really need to listen to Taurus a second time to realize how as fantastic as Orabidoo it is. The whole album is splendid, I can't imagine living without it. I am longing to listen to your reaction to Mount Teide (one of the most exciting intricate drums build up ever) and to Five Miles Out (the song) with its storytelling (with surprising vocals by Mike himself in the middle). Being very consistent in terms of melodies and themes, this album is quite a concept album to me...

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

I listened to Taurus a few days after I originally did on the channel; still not for me tbh.

@robertrathje7770

11 ай бұрын

@@JustJP If you make it to another favorite of mine : Amarok ... buckle up - just saying juuust saying that album even comes with its own health-warning on the sleeve. Oh - and keep up the good work :)

@JA-qi1fb

9 ай бұрын

Mike Oldfield, the one & only artist that I would automatically buy a new album from. New MO album? Just buy it!

@Mannizilla

6 ай бұрын

Of course, you are right. The whole album is just great 👍.

Hey Just, I love your shirt. Orabidoo... what a great topic. That beginning with the xylophone and the guitar takes me back to Mike Oldfield's first albums, and soon takes us to a totally experimental area rhythmically together with a vocoder that creates a strange sensation, but which in turn complements itself perfectly. Mike Oldfield is an artist reusing extracts from his previous albums to introduce them into the following ones in a very clever and stealthy way. Thus, Oldfield inserts the first bars of "Tubular bells" at the beginning of "Five miles out", a melody from "Taurus I" plays in "Taurus II", and even introduces part of Comflit from the previous album, and in turn, some of the riffs from "Taurus II" are heard on "Orabidoo and others will be part of the song "Five miles out". After this remix of Taurus II, as if that were not enough contrast, it will suddenly end to give way to a beautiful Acoustic folk ballad: the short song “Ireland's Eye” by Maggie and her exceptional voice and Oldfield who accompanies her on acoustic guitar Score 10 out of 10. And Just... get ready for another great song: Mount Teide.

@onsesejoo2605

11 ай бұрын

Some parts of this remind of the part on Tubular Bells, right before the "guitars sounding like bagpipes".

@xyzdgthereal

11 ай бұрын

Don't forget that Mike also reprises a theme from 'Conflict' (QE2) in the opening segue of 'Orabidoo'

I absolutely adore this record.

@attilahorvath9902

11 ай бұрын

I'm too! Favorite M.O. album!

I haven’t read all the comments, so I don’t know if this has already been mentioned. Mike played a storming version of Orabidoo on his TB 2 tour, which I saw at The Royal Albert Hall. In the second part of the concert he played the acoustic opening to TB Part 2, which then segued into Orabidoo instead of the bagpipe guitar section. This included a mighty solo from Mike which for me was the highlight of the show.

Oldfield is the master of making disconnect work. No one else could make an album like Amarok work. Love Taurus 2

MO vibrates my basal ganglia in a most pleasant manner, other parts happily resonating along with it.

Everybody forget him coz so silent, tubular bells. But he is the absolute music man, the revolution

5 miles out got me back to the music of Mike oldfield after many years absence since tubular bells

@mightyV444

11 ай бұрын

Hearing the song 'Five Miles Out' repeatedly on the radio when it was in the Charts in '82 had been my first proper Mike Oldfield impression, after having known him by name and having heard bits and bops of his music already for a while, and my Big Sister liked it too and bought the album 😊

It might only me, but I do like listen to such the whole album at once, so I don't like to split up to 2 or 3 parts. At the time of listenning, I am in the mood of that particular record, living it throughout.... 😊

@ANerdyCanadian

11 ай бұрын

This is the way to do it, especially since this album has so many overlapping themes

It’s so epic,you can take a deep dive into your own Fantasy world..brilliant

The whole album, and this track is no exception, has a optimistic atmosphere for me. And with a connection with the earth too. Great

Gorgeous song!

Thanks for Mr Mike he deserves not to bé forgotten

Spherical objects! Taurus II is beautifully realized and executed. You need your ears syringed.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Eh, its not for me lol

👏👏🌷🌷MIKE OLDFIELD'S MUSIC COSMOS....

I love Mike Oldfield music!. Watching your videos about Oldfield reaction I can practice english listening too! ;)

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Wonderful! May I ask your native language? Ty Lucas :)

Orabidoo is one of my favorites from this album. Utterly unique use of vocoder. Usually people don't even try to use pure tones, like sine waves, when vocoding because there's not enough high harmonics in the sound to carry the vocal inflections, but Mike makes it work. Can't wait till you get to Mt. Teide, which is one of my favorite Oldfield songs.

This is (along with the rest of the album) simply the concluding half of "Taurus 2".

I know this song and album since it was released. For the first time today, I noticed, when Maggie sings the last one or two lines at the end with that higher voice, she sounds very much like Mike's sister Sally.

Album "The songs of distant Earth" ❤

@jerkedevries

11 ай бұрын

Yea

The last few minutes of this track always make me cry

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Its so good :)

Five miles out / QE2 / Crisis are my most preferred albums from Mike Oldfield

As good old Bill once said, That was lovely!

It took me a while to "get" this track, thinking it sounded like two or three different songs slammed together - but it's a grower and I love it now, even though I keep getting caught out when humming it by the odd time signatures. Quite a bit of this album is Oldfield's tribute to one of his loves - being a pilot. There is aircraft imagery throughout several of the songs - especially the title track, which is a pleasure yet to come!

Obrigado, muito obrigado!!! Peace & Love.

Prepare yourself for Amarok: when chaos makes sense.

I'm curious to hear the 2013 remastered, because I know the 1981 version so well. The magnificent finger picking at the end is much louder than in the original mix. Happy you like, one of my favorites from Mike

A neck brace with Taurus 2? You're going to need a lot more than that after Amarok 😁 I reccommend reading the story behind that before listening so you can get some kind of understanding about why it is what it is lol. Thanks for continuing with Mike's music JP., looking forward to the rest of the album. 👍

@JohnWhipp

11 ай бұрын

And yet, despite being a purposely turbulent journey, Amarok is a surprisingly cohesive composition, using and repeatedly revisiting just a handful of motifs in different ways as it kind of circles around and builds. I don't know if that will be clear on a first listen, but its quite different from Taurus II, at least in my opinion.

I'm glad you liked it Justin. The next track is just as good, just more concise. Very excited to see how you react to the coming albums too. Much gold to be found

If you listen to the album start to finish, you'd find it way more cohesive overall. Theres so many overlapping themes and ques that are used throughout the entire album!

Good Sunday morning to ya, outside sipping on some coffee on the back deck. Mike has a nice Sunday feel to start my day😊 thanks Justin.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Sounds like a lovely little way to start the day Scot :)

I think this track is one of the best things Oldfield's done. I'd place it alongside Ommadawn and parts of Incantations.

Thank you so much

In 1993, on the 20th anniversary of his career Oldfield toured Europe once more. The set was mainly Tubular Bells II. In the final encore, Mike included a fragment of Orabidoo. The performance of this track in such concerts has been dubbed as "Orgasmidoo". Oldfield's music, in mi opinion can't be listened to in segments or in parcels. Every album is meant to be listened to in its totality, because there is a recurring theme easily recognisable throughout the length of it that makes sense once it's finalised. There are lots of snippets or "easter eggs" if you prefer, that you would hear in different tracks, giving you a sense of completion in the end. But I'm sure that if you, Justin, don't know that by now, you'll realise when you listen to Mount Teidi, Five Miles Out and then back to Taurus II. Cheers!

Hi mate! 😀 Nice that this pops up not long before it'll be time for me to switch off my tech and go to bed 😊 By the way, it might be helpful to know that Mike himself is a pilot, when it comes to deciphering the lyrics 😉

My favourite song on FMO Justin...it's a sublime, beautiful,and very "Oldfield"...if you know what I mean 🙂. Great review, and knowing you..Im not surprised you loved this too 👍. This will be on repeat all weekend..thank you Justin. Awesome channel my friend...❤❤❤

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Thanks Neil!

Taurus 2 is amazing but falls quite flat on its face in places. Oorabidoo is so beautiful in part. The vocoder effect on the vocals is sublime and the Celtic bit at the end is spine chillingly sweet. Some of the weirder bits are almost there to scare the listener off the scent. Picked a good day to give up the combustibles

Hi justin. I think orabidoo is marvellous, and im glad you like it. I think part of the issue you might have had with Taurus 2 was that it was taking its references from too wide an area. It has bits from here, from the albums title track, and from both Taurus 1 from QE2 (and im sure you heard the cross references between taurus1 and that albums title track). You might have also picked up that one of the riffs from the beginning of orabidoo is from the QE2 Track Warfare. That's maybe the issue - its ALL connected, but over too wide an area. I used to have a mix tape I called "the Taurus suite" where I tried to put the connecting tracks into an order that made sense. Taurus 2 and orabidoo were the heart of it, because between them they brought it all together.

@johngathercole2328

11 ай бұрын

For reference, the order of that mixtape was: Taurus 1, QE2, Warfare, Orabidoo, Taurus 2, Five Miles Out, Taurus 3.

7:49 The first reference back to Side One. Now extended. Also forms the melodic basis of the next track.

I felt like I was listening to a demo reel, like "Here's a collection of excerpts from my songs. But if you buy the full album you'll get a much more consistent and satisfying experience because then you'll get to hear each track in full!"

@linusfotograf

11 ай бұрын

Well, Mike doesn't really do songs. They are movements and chapters; to me anyway.

Orabidoo is sublime. ! The last part ...just different to any other piece of music of Mike.

You will love the next track 🙂

Lots of reprises of QE2 on this album. Taurus 2 reprised Taurus 1 and Orabidoo reprises Conflict in the beginning.

And the perfection "mont saint Michel" album voyager

I'm already curious about your reaction to Mount Teidi 😉

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

🗻

Five Miles Out is a weird album but it gets better from here, Carl Palmer plays on the next track Mount Teidi and the title song is a great closer and a great pop song. Crisis is a better album and is structured better.

Lovely track. This album is wonderful from A to Z. Dont agree with your statement about Taurus 1. Can't wait for you to discover Crises and the title track which is my personnal favorite track of the album.

@zoltandemeter919

11 ай бұрын

Crises is far the best song of Mike.

Try the Killing Fields. Superb but tricky in places.

I honestly don't get how you think this track flows better than Taurus ll. If anything I'd say this one was more choppy. I do love this album though... all of it. As mentioned elsewhere it's probably better to hear the album in full in one sitting as it is a lot more coherent that way.

The intro really sounds like also what Vangelis could do / did. I wonder if Vangelis could have been an influence for Mike Oldfield. I'd be curious to know that.

HA! I like you am not crazy about side 1....love this track. The album I am most anticipating for you to get to is Crisis. I probably listen to Crisis the most out of all the Oldfield collection.

@royrashbrook

10 ай бұрын

"Crises" - plural. Mike was very quick to correct anyone who called it "Crisis".

10:01 when you can clearly hear “don’t play it again like that, it isn’t funny, and I can pay someone else to make your mistakes!” I always laugh when I hear that line

@royrashbrook

10 ай бұрын

Nearly. It's "I pay someone else to make the orchestration". It's a direct sample from Hitchcock's "Young and innocent".

Orabidoo’s 2nd half is Mike near to perfect music🥰 Since then Virgin broke him, he ceased looking for the ultimate composition and created mostly commercial success with just hints of his genius 😞

Only an open mind can go wih it, but open minds... where are u...

I am very curious what you will say about "Crises"

It's quite ok to not like everything an artist does - even a favourite artist can produce the odd miss from time to time. An artist such as Oldfield who has been around for 50 years and tried many different approaches to creating music and albums has probably created and lost more fans than many others simply by not sticking to the same formula every time. Sure, he will go back to past glories from time to time (Tubular Bells gets re-visited several times from 1992 onwards!) but usually just for a special anniversary. I went off him from 2002 for a bit but I would always try the latest release and see what had changed. This album is different because it's largely a Band album - all the band members are together producing the music at the same time including writing parts of it. Previously Oldfield would compose and play/record most of the instruments himself building up the multi-track and add guest artists (eg drum player) as and when needed. 2 tracks that were recorded about the same time but not included on the album are a short pop song called "Mistake" and a short instrumental "Waldberg - The Peak". Not important but nice if you have the time.

@robertpearson8798

11 ай бұрын

For example, I’m an Oldfield fan but I just cannot listen to Platinum.

It's funny, I don't care much for 95% of Orabidoo but the end song part with Maggie has been one of my absolute favourite pieces of Oldfield music for years.

Insanely good track from a time when musicians wasn't playing usb sticks.

Orabidoo suffers in my opnion from the same issues as Taurus II: it's cut and paste work. All the members of the so called Mike Oldfield Group, that toured Five Miles Out, wrote a piece of music and then Mike glued it together to this 13 minute track. I prefer Taurus II, although it's also a cut and paste job instead of an elaborated composition because of the strong melodies.

We’ll have to agree to disagree about Taurus 2 but we certainly agree about this one. Most of Oldfield’s music takes me to places that no other music does. I like the Maggy Reilly albums most of all. Your comments about Taurus 2 however make me wonder how you’re going to feel if you ever reach Tubular Bells 2. I prefer it to the original but your opinion may differ.

Yes! For me, Orabidoo is the better “Taurus II”. It’s just Mike doing his thing.

3:06 Your face. 🤣 Transitions are not always Oldfield's strong suit. A lot of his longer pieces are stitched together short pieces. (As you know by now!) Some times the stitching is flawless, and some times induces whiplash!

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

I did make a bit of a face didnt I?😅

@keithdawe5512

11 ай бұрын

I love MO but yeah his transitions suck (worst offender is the Platinum suite)

@David-iv6je

11 ай бұрын

@@keithdawe5512 Same. I love his reativity and sound. But the guy sometimes just throws sections together.

@jerkedevries

11 ай бұрын

@@keithdawe5512I always (when the coin dropped)thought that his transitions have an impeccable timing, like an inner clockwork within the musical buildup

Not sure how your going to cope with listening to AMAROK

@ChrisEchoes

11 ай бұрын

Ha indeed. That is one heck of a ride but once you have heard it a few times there is actually a structure to that whole album.

@333wheeler

11 ай бұрын

Tie him to a chair he might just survive !

@stephendennis5911

11 ай бұрын

Just been listening to AMAROK, there is always something new to hear differently every time I listen to it

@ANerdyCanadian

11 ай бұрын

Hopefully he'll understand the context of the album going into it!

@markgodwin1777

11 ай бұрын

Most of his albums improve with increased listening and getting the connections Amarok is indeed like continuous slaps to the cheeks initially but so cleverly executed and the progressions are there throughout

This was always a favorite track for me on this album. I completely agree with you, the realization on this is far superior to Taurus II, and the transitions on all these radically different sections really hang together on this one. Beautiful track, with such touching moments, soaring passages, and throbbing buildups. But the highlights of the album are just starting - Mount Teidi and Five Miles Out, hmmmmmmmm...

the drumming was a big part of it for me, his unique rhythm kept placing the accents in different places each time it came around. I agree that Taurus can be a bit tiresome sometimes. But there are great melodies. This is the standout of the album, though. This and Sheba from QE2 are his vocoder masterpieces.

I am glad you enjoyed this track Justin, I think it's the best song in the album. It would be great for you yo listen to some songs from Mike's sister, Sally, her debut album, Water Bearer, is great, her best known song is Mirrors, but I would suggest listening to Songs of The Quendi, which is a 4 part Lord of The Rings suite, of which the final 3 minutes has some of the most exquisite singing from Sally you will ever hear.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Ty Knopfler; I'll work on something from Sally in the near future

@KNOPFLERSGOD

11 ай бұрын

@JustJP Thanks JP.

Crises..... is time....

Ever since I felt pity for him in 1981 (post Platinum?) I've regarded any Oldfield record worthwhile, primarily from the Bargain Bins, second hand stores and Charity shops hof course. One exception was the Crises LP, which saw his stock rise on the markets and him secure his place on 1983's Summer of Love Hofficial Soundtrack. I bought a slightly scratched version of this after Crisis and realised that this was just as good but without that Age of Innocence frivolity attached to it. I can now hear crude Sufjan Stevens-esque exploration in this piece , minus the scratches. He still deserves to be called a maverick, desperately Unhip and all the Cooler for it. Facing me on my shelf is a CD called Voyager which I've played once in the car after purchase from the Charity Shop and subsequently have labelled "An Irish Folk Treat with Whale Noise Garden Centre Festivities to Boot". You'll be playing that one in 2029 all being well. Diolch.

Great track but your dissatisfaction with Taurus ll will maybe change a little when you see how the rest of the album builds of it .Bring on Crises next.when are you doing Jarres zoolook.Also give architecture And Mortality by OMD a try.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Ty aura. Funny you mention those; check out my August Long Song Saturday video ;)

You also didn't like tubular bells much. Wright?

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Tubular Bells is great, but my favorite is Ommadawn

@attilahorvath9902

11 ай бұрын

​@@JustJPHi Justin! I know your favorite is Ommadawn, because you said in your videos. But Platinum? Your big react was in Platinum videos😁 A music-Oldfield-Justin chanel fan from Hungary🎶. Sorry for my English.

I desagree with you completely.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Thats OK :D

An odd track, repeating themes from before, but the best of the proggy ones on this album, IMO.

Hello, I'm afraid that a single listen to Taurus II is very little. I assure you that Oldfield fans do not agree with you. If you think Orabidoo is well built, so is Taurus, but it's too much for you, for any Mike newbie

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Hi Fernando! I never mind if anyone agrees/not. Ive listened to it twice, and I dont like it. Nothing more than that

@fernandopablo6750

10 ай бұрын

Sobre gustos los colores, pero Taurus II es de mis favoritos de MO y logicamente lo voy a defender@@JustJP

Change the CD lol ommadawn or Amarok. Your life won't be the same After...

Are you an ESFJ? That would explain a certain conventionality in your listening.

Taurus 2 - executed poorly?! You need new ears/brain dude.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

Lol! Nah, just not my preferred among his music :)

@Coneman3

11 ай бұрын

Good luck with Amarok. Not my favourite but many rate it very highly.

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

@@Coneman3 im very excited to get there! What's your favorite album from MO?

How come you can't forget to return to trite trip like this, like you've done with far superior albums like Khan's 'Space Shanty', and National Health's 'Of Queues and Cures'. That's some bad form of selective memory you have there... Just sayin' :)

@JustJP

11 ай бұрын

How funny you mention Khan...give it 48 hrs or so lol

@jfergs.3302

11 ай бұрын

@@JustJP I'm on tenterhooks :)