Heaven's Open [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import]

Mike Oldfield | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 31, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: EMI Europe Generic
• ASIN: B00004T9AU
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,221 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mike Gives Virgin the Finger, July 19, 2002

By 

James Schulze - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heaven's Open (Audio CD)

A terrible 80's pop album featuring awful spit-spewing vocals by Oldfield himself, Heavens Open is hands-down Oldfield's worst album. It was his last album with Virgin records (which he despised), and this was intended as something of a joke. He even spells his name differently to emphasize that this is NOT a "Mike" Oldfield album, and adds an almost unlistenable 20 minute instrumental track at the end, which can only be interpreted as self-parody. I'm frankly surprised at the number of positive reviews this album has gotten. It's a mess, and I'd recommend getting *any* other Oldfield album than this one.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For completists and fans only, September 13, 2004

By 

mathew (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Heaven's Open (Audio CD)

Ah, the dreaded Contractual Obligation Album. After letting out his anger to brilliant effect with "Amarok", Mike Oldfield had one more slice of audio to deliver to the hated Virgin, and this was it.

"Music From The Balcony" seems to be a none-too-subtle parody of what his albums would sound like if made by the interfering primates at his soon-to-be-ex-record company. It wanders aimlessly from style to style amidst a spray of synth effects and sampled monkey noises. I daresay he picked all the sounds out of his folder of "synth noises that are a bit too silly to use on a real album, but interesting".

The songs, too, are contorted into veiled references to his souring relationship with Richard Branson's company. No master vocalists, just Oldfield himself. Yet, curiously, the end result is not as awful as "Islands".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Oldfield hit, November 22, 2001

By 

Fouldren (Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heaven's Open (Audio CD)

I loved the album, it's not one of my favorite Oldfield albums, probably one of my least favorite, but it is Mike Oldfield, and he has always been my favorite composer. I thought Mike Oldfield sung well, I especially loved Gimme back and Heavens open. If you have never heard of Mike Oldfield I suggest that you buy a different album such as Tubular bells, Amarok, Discovery, Islands or Millenium bell.