Ommadawn [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Mike Oldfield | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1975
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Blue Plate Caroline
• ASIN: B000000I0I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #216,848 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ommadawn: Part 1 - Mike Oldfield

2. Ommadawn: Part 2 - Mike Oldfield

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With his first release, Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield created a genre that can best be termed "symphonic folk-rock." Ommadawn, his third album, continued in a similar though somewhat more ambitious and less portentous vein. Including the African percussion group Jabula and Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains on uilleann pipes, this is Oldfield's most easily palatable release. Oldfield plays almost 20 instruments here. The two instrumental pieces that make up nearly the entire album are similar to ambient music in intent and effect, with an almost constant recycling of themes. The album closes with "On Horseback," a classic piece of English whimsy. --James Swift

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The completion of Oldfield's magical, elemental trilogy February 17, 2001

By Gavin Wilson

Format:Audio CD

Which is best? TUBULAR BELLS, HERGEST RIDGE or OMMADAWN? I could make a case for any of them. There is plenty of debate in these...reviews about their respective merits, but frankly it's like arguing over which is the most important bird species.

The simple fact is that you need to own all three albums. There are many who believe that Oldfield was put on this Earth to make OMMADAWN. If Oldfield had disappeared completely from the music scene after recording OMMADAWN, then his place in history would have been assured. Without this trilogy of albums, there would have been no market for the likes of Andreas Vollenweider, and a much smaller audience for composers as diverse as Tangerine Dream, Steve Reich, Arvo Part and even late Jan Garbarek.

With TUBULAR BELLS, Mike Oldfield opened up what would be known as New age music to a mass audience. With OMMADAWN, he sealed his place in music legend, and perhaps unwittingly discovered a new audience by composing a suite of melodies with immense appeal to children. Some time after this, Oldfield was hired to re-work the theme tune to the BBC children's programme, BLUE PETER.

OMMADAWN represented a departure from his previous solo, multi-tracked recording technique. Other musicians were involved, not just in the recording but in the composition and arrangement too. Influences from the folk music of Ireland, Africa and Eastern Europe can be clearly heard. Paddy Moloney of the Irish band the Chieftains contributed the distinctive uillean pipes. It was way ahead of its time, and for me, it confirms the 22-year-old Oldfield as not just one of the great classical guitarists in rock, but as one of its greatest composers.

Everyone peaks at some point in their life, and Oldfield did it between the ages of 19 and 22.... What sort of a life can you lead thereafter? Oldfield has enjoyed his wealth and tried to recapture the glory of his prodigious musical achievement, but not with total success.

OMMADAWN is Oldfield at his peak. The 1970s provided the nurturing environment needed to create this extraordinary recording. We are unlikely to witness either again. Read more ›

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best instrumentals ever recorded . . . August 31, 2000

By W. Perry Aggers

Format:Audio CD

After having "Tubular Bells" in my cassette and CD players for roughly 13 years straight, I figured it was time to give some more of Oldfield's works a try. Upon reading the Virgin Record's bio, the first artist written about naturally was Mike Oldfield. Branson talked about "Ommadawn" being his best album, so I decided to try it for myself. Needless to say, this is slowly becoming as addictive a listen as TB was. Oldfield has way better production here and explores dynamics of minimalist structures leading into his signature layering. The writing is just as haunting here as always, with the arrangements switching notes at the drop of a hat, strings and synths weaving in and out. My favorite part of the 19 minute first song is the guitar break about ten minutes in. Listening to Oldfield work some fretboard magic makes this worth the price of the CD alone. The whole thing sounds like Debussy going mad with some Oberheim boards and a guitar. The end folk piece, loosely written around Pachabel's Canon, is amusing if not repetitious, but overall this is a stunning album that is essential to anyone starting off with Oldfield's earlier material.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Mike's earlier works... January 4, 2000

By Adrian

Format:Audio CD

Mike Oldfield was one of my greatest discoveries, when I was a teenager (now I'm 30 and still listen to him). The first contact with "Ommadawn" for me was a section, extract from final on Part 1, featured on his 1985's "The Complete/Live Side" - for me, this section is still one of Mike's best peaces ever made, although he's made more than 30 albums so far. In those years, his longplays were very hard to find, but I was lucky to got his "Boxed" anthology at the beginning of 90's. Wow! what an album! Immediately after that, I bought a CD, because it's just been realesed in my country. Today, "Ommadawn Part One" is regularly in my CD-player at least once a month. For those who are about to take steps into Mike's music, I highly recommend this album as a typical for his earlier works ('73 Tubular Bells, '74 Hergest Ridge and '77 Incantations) - although these albums have a similar structure, they are all unique in a way. "Ommadawn" is a wonderful mix of ethno, pop-rock and symphonyc music, built on three or four simple melodies, which reaches the climax at the end of Part 1. Accompanied by female, male and children choirs (Penrhose kids from the Manor, where this album was recorded), this peace brought me to places I've never been before, even with his music. Every time I think of this record, the word POWER comes to my mind. It really is powerfull and if you'll listen to the final section of Part 1, when screaming guitars, african drums and choir explode together in a total climax, you'll know what I mean.... For those who are familiar with his later works: a drum patern, used at the end of Part 1, was included later on his "Far above the clouds" peace from "Tubular Bells 3", combined together with bass-patern from "Tubular Bells 1". It is great, but for me, it could not reach "Ommadawn" because of the simple reason: this record was made in 1975 and I could hardly imagine the reflection and influence it had in those times. "Ommadawn" is often said to be the best Mike's fans record, along with "Amarok" and I very much agree with them. Today, I am very much disappointed with his latest "Millennium Bell" album, because someone who has written such a masterpiece as "Ommadawn" could have done much better! So: one of the albums of the century. Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lost Version is worth the price July 13, 2010

By James Schulze

Format:Audio CD

With this latest Deluxe set, Oldfield continues to make unnecessary tweaks to his classic albums. The new stereo mix isn't bad (I can't speak for the 5.1 surround mix), but given that there was virtually nothing wrong with the original mix of the album, who cares?

The reason to buy this Deluxe set is because it contains the "lost" version of Ommadawn. In 1975, as the story goes, Oldfield had nearly completed the first side of Ommadawn when the tape reel on which it was recorded began to rapidly disintegrate. Partly due to faulty chemistry, and perhaps partly due to Oldfield's constant penchant for overdubbing, the tape eventually was rendered useless. This version of Ommadawn was considered just that---lost---that is until very recently, when it was discovered that Oldfield had duplicated a master of the rough mix which had then been buried in Virgin's archives for over 30 years. The result is the discovery of a brand new recording and interpretation of this masterpiece. This lost version is beautiful and fascinating in its own right, and works not only as a interesting prototype for what was to come, but stands up well as a complete work on its own. While it features the trademark harp melody line (played this time as a "round" at the opening) and even the African drum/chant build-up (though with a jarring Monty Python-esque exchange between two voices thrown in the middle), this new version, while certainly flawed, possesses a more manic energy all its own that works brilliantly more often than it falls flat. It doesn't quite rival its eventual work, but is a wonderful piece from a musician at the height of his powers.