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Music Of The Spheres | 
| Artist: Mike Oldfield
Label: UCJ Mercury
Category: Music
List Price: £16.99
Buy New: £7.98
You Save: £9.01 (53%)
New (33) Used (2) from £4.95
Rating:  95 reviews
Sales Rank: 491
Format: Ep
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.7 x 0.4
UPC: 028947662068
EAN: 0028947662068
ASIN: B000T6K8KW
Release Date: March 17, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Harbinger - 04.04 | | • | Animus - 03.09 | | • | Silhouette - 3.19 | | • | Shabda - 3.56 | | • | The Tempest - 5.48 | | • | Harbinger (reprise) - 1.30 | | • | On My Heart - 2.27 Feat: Hayley Westenra Part 2 | | • | Aurora - 03.42 | | • | Prophecy - 02.54 | | • | On My Heart (reprise) - 01.16 | | • | Harmonia Mudi - 03.46 | | • | The Other Side - 01.28 | | • | Empyrean - 01.37 | | • | Musica Universalis - 06.24 |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 90 more reviews...
 Music of the Spheres. October 3, 2008
pticachelovek
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was introduced to Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells in my teenage years, and have bought and listened to a great deal of his music in the intervening quarter century or so.
I guess it's always a mixed blessing to produce iconic debut material, and it was a peak that, in my opinion, Mike would struggle to reach again for many years.
Follow up albums were merititious in their own right, but over time I think it became obvious that something, perhaps his increasingly strained relations with Virgin Records meant that albums of the late eighties seemed to lack "desire" and Mike was maybe going through the motions to fulfil his contractual obligations - and with the exception of Amarok, I shied away from Mike's music.
1994 brought The Songs of Distant Earth, which I bought on the strength of the novel it was based on rather than Mike's reputation. Yet it became my favourite. A new ambient style from the composer, and more matured tastes from the listener combined to make TSODE the "Bells Beater".
Still, it was so far removed from my previous experience of Mike's music that I have neither bought, nor indeed knowingly listened to anything since.
Until now.
Intrigued as I was to hear of a new "Classical" piece, I took the plunge, and I am pleased to say the water is fantastic.
Music Of The Spheres has its roots set firmly in Tubular Soil, but that is not to say it is Tubular Bells 4, 5 or whatever we are up to now. Nevertheless, it has the DNA, and fans of Mike's debut opus will recognise this newest offspring as one of the family.
Composed by Mike, but fully orchestrated by Karl Jenkins, MOTS is performed by a symphony orchestra, rather than by Mike beating chair-backs to the rhythm of his guitars, the Neanderthal bvs of "Bells" are replaced by Homo sapiens choirs and the solo voice of melodic and angelic Hayley Westenra. (Those afeared of Mike's songwriting need not worry... it fits perfectly.) Fountains and cascades of piano are provided by Lang Lang (he of the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, if you are not otherwise familiar), and the whole is a triumphant synergy of its parts.
Fans of the Oldfield axe are substantially rewarded and Mike does what he does best on much of the piece.
Ostensibly comprising 14 tracks, MOTS is a wonderful composition that should appeal to all Oldfield followers, and will not frighten off those who love more traditional Classical Music.
It is a fabulous modern composition which deserves to be played alongside other popular classics at Prom type concerts.
Do I have anything bad to say...?
Well, just two things.
There is one harsh note, just one, played with considerable vim and vigour, which takes a little getting used to (at about 5.04 in track 14 if you're interested).
Also, at about 45 minutes in length, it is perhaps a bit short.
I can't help thinking there's 27 minutes of free space going begging on the CD. In the early 70's 45 minutes was a good length, but today, maybe we have come to expect at least an hour?
But I quibble over nothings in what is a near-perfect and five-star scoring masterpiece from the New Man of Classical Music!
Good-to-be-alive music June 25, 2008
T. Bennett (London, England)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Brought up on TB1, I have to admit to bias but without doubt this is joyous music which lifts the spirits and makes one glad to be alive. Sit back and enjoy!
Thanks, Mike.
it just gets better week after week. June 19, 2008
N. Higham (north west U.K)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Have had this lp for about a month,at first i thought it was t.b by orchestra but over the weeks it has developed a place of its own. It is not "planets" for the millenium ,it is a valid piece of classical styled music.Give it a go" your worth it".
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