Customer Reviews

Earth Moving

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am a big Mike Oldfield fan, anyone can see that by looking at my reviews. However, I was highly disappointed with this album. This album is not simply not any good... it won't appeal to fans of Mike's early, sprawling, epic-length works, or even to fans of his 80's "pop" tunes. I have always greatly preferred the epic works, but some of his 80's albums, Islands in particular, had some truly good pop songs on them. But Mike had been walking the line between acceptable, and occasionally great, and unabashedly corny pop songs since the early 80's and albums like Five Miles Out. With this album he finally hit rock bottom. Thankfully, he veered away from this tripe and back into great music soon after (Tubular Bells 2, anyone?) I think he realized he had gone too far. The songs here are weak and are only occasionally even saved by Mike's startling music. It could be almost anybody. I hate to insult any Oldfield album this way, as he is one of my favorite artists and a highly respectable musician, but this album just doesn't stand up to the masterpieces he has released in the past. The only reason I'm even keeping this album in my collection is because the last song Nothing But/Bridge To Paradise is actually quite good. If you are a DIEHARD Mike Oldfield fan, you'll want to buy this album for that song, and to complete your collection. Otherwise avoid.

I knew that something was wrong with this album when I listened to the first track, "Holy", and the words of a line in the chorus didn't seem to match what was on the lyric sheet. Then I listened more closely and realized that the singer had warped the pronunciation and scansion of the words to fit the music: "Miracles, like you've ne-VER seen BE-fore!" Give me a break! From a first-time artist whose native language wasn't English, I could have accepted this. But this is Mike Oldfield we're talking about! And if the music is so much more important than the lyrics, then for goodness' sake he could just stick to instrumentals. We know he's good at those.

If you want a good idea of what this album could have been, I suggest listening to Tony Banks' solo album "Still", released at just the same time in the US. Multiple styles with male and female vocalists, an innovative blend of pop with progressive rock -- there's so much that Oldfield could have done, but he just fails to live up to his own standards on this album.

That said, there are a few gems on this album that make it worth dragging out from time to time, particularly with the programmable CD player. "Innocent" is a well-crafted pop tune that could have been a hit on US radio, if US radio stations had any taste. "Hostage" and "Bridge to Paradise" are two excellent rockers featuring Max Bacon, whose vocal work with GTR is still fondly remembered. But why was "Bridge" grafted onto "Nothing But", a boring musical nonentity in pseudo-gospel style?

(Is it just me, or does Oldfield's quirky sense of humor show through on "Bridge to Paradise" -- I could swear that the background voices are singing "Building the Brooklyn Bridge...")

I know that Oldfield can write a good pop-like tune without compromising his fine music. Take "Moonlight Shadow", "Magic Touch","Islands", or almost all of the "Discovery" album. But on most of this album, he just doesn't make it all the way there.

Okay, so this isn't Oldfield's best work. You should, however, keep one thing in mind: second-rate work by Oldfield is still head and shoulders above the best work by others.

This is an atypical Oldfield work in a lot of ways. Oldfield, an extraordinarily talented multi-instrumentalist, made his name recording albums where (through the miracle of overdubbing) he played the vast majority of the instruments himself. Here he uses plenty of other musicians. The composition on this album are also unlike a lot of his other work.

But different isn't necessarily bad. The title track, "Runaway Son," "Blue Night" and "Holy" are more than worth the price of the CD. Can you get significantly better Mike Oldfield work? You bet. But for a paltry 12 bucks, you won't regret having this album as a companion piece to his best work.

I love Mike Oldfield, and even really like his early to mid 80's pop output ("Moonlight Shadow", "To France", "Family Man") but this is what happens when the execs at the record label push you to make even more commercial music. I admire for Mike actually doing it in the early 80's, but doing it his way. This album is nothing more than pure pop fluff which sounds, well almost embarrassing. And the cheezy synths that were so in vogue make this album sound completely dated. This review may sound a bit harsh but I am tired of record companies ruining good artists' reputations and making them pump out substandard garbage like this in the name of the BOTTOM LINE.

Even if you're a die hard fan, I'd say skip this one.

I'm keying in a brief review, after having perused the reviews of some apparently dedicated Oldfield aficionados. True enough, this is not representative of his other works but once again some singles paint complex, emotional landscapes... Blue Night is a slow, sensuous, narrative-driven erotic masterpiece worth the album itself...

You know unlike anyone else on this review I like this album especially Far country and Holy. But to be fair I have to say that this is the only album of Mike Oldfield that I have heard and I have to say I was impressed with this album and that is why I have decided to purchased other albums. I figure if this one is as good as it is to me the others most be just as excellent.

I appreciate many efforts of this artist, but here the record company divulged in crying rubbish. Only 3 acceptable tracks: Holy, Earth moving, Blue night. OK Innocent may join in as well. All the rest is just not so much worth. Get Amarok, Songs of distant earth, Ommadawn, Tubular bells III and rock on

"EARTH MOVING" is a total suprise.No instrumental pieces.Only songs.But If you thought that this is a bad album or not Oldfield styled i must dissagree.Mike is representing quite high level of performing and composing, even here.And everywhere you can hear his characteristic Guitar.
There are many guests here like Adrian Belew(King Crimson lead vocalist and guitarist), Max Bacon (From GTR) and Maggie reilly (Most well known Oldfield's voice).OF course, their Voices not always the raise quality of these songs.
"INNOCENT" is the worst track from This cd, Propably one of Mike's most Lowest in eighties.very Boring disco Synthesisers and Anita's Hergland (Oldfield's Wife during eighties) make this tune very similar to Rick Astley's or early Madonna tracks.Just Dreadfull,Skip it."SEE THE LIGHT" is a remain of famous "Shadow on the wall"(a hard rock song with some exciting reefs from album "Crises)."SEE THE LIGHT" is sadly very poor and Boring when compared to "Shadow...".All the strengt had all vanished somewhere."BLUE NIGHT" (echo of "Moonlight shadwow"),"RUNAWAY SON" and "FAR COUNTRY"(nice guitar solo)are very foresight and normal.dissapointing.
The other half of album is more interesting.Title track is a modern pop-Soul piece, very satisfing and catchy.Mike has done a good job here."Hostage" is dramatic and energetic rock song with bacon's good vocals (if you like his voice).And Finaly "Nothing but/bridge to paradise" - the longest track.It starts with a peacefull Soul ballad and later getting into fast electro-pop tune.Nice and catchy,worth of listening.
Well, First i wanted to rate this Two Stars but....When i'm listening it from beginning to the end i really enjoy it (except "Innocent"...) But when i compare it to "Tubular Bells" or "Five Miles out" i can see how poor this is. So in the end i rate this as a normal album, not comparing it to anything.
But still,if you like Oldfield for his long suits, buy something else...

Anyone fond of Mike Oldfield's other work, whether instrumental or song-based albums, will be disappointed by this one. The songs are generally bland with Mike's usual strong melodies conspicuous by their absence.

Only 'Holy' sung by Adrian Belew and 'Blue Night' sung by then Oldfield regular Maggie Reilly show glimpses of the inventiveness and tunefulness Mike usually delivers.

It just sounds like his heart wasn't in it - subsequent releases Amarok and Tubular Bells II suggest he was storing up his energies for later projects.

As others will tell you, this is far from Mike Oldfield's best album. Scansion and lyrics are occasionally tortured (see "Holy" for the former, as another reviewer has mentioned, the choruses of "Far Country" and "Innocent" for the latter), but there are bright points. Adrian Belew makes "Holy" work, and the bridge of "Far Country" is a delightful glimpse of what could have been as Oldfield and Belew trade guitar licks--not in the "Look at me, I'm a virtuoso and can play really, really fast" style of McLaughlin and de Lucia, but always tasteful and suited to the tranquil nature of the song. The religious allusions come thick and fast on this album, but my favorite track has to be "Blue Night," IMHO featuring Oldfield's best lyric writing since "Crime of Passion," fine guitar work, and Maggie O'Reilly's always excellent vocals. Call it Oldfield's worst, but it's still worthwhile.