Oracle

Michael Hedges

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 1, 1996)
• Original Release Date: October 1, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Windham Hill Records
• ASIN: B000000NLT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,531 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Michael Hedges's last album before his untimely death is one of his best. The 1996 album opens with "The 2nd Law," a quietly intense and introspective piece, and moves on through the percussive "Ignition," the sprightly "Gospel," and two variations on the same piece, "Jitterboogie" and the playful "Jitterboogie (Family Version)." The sole vocal piece on the album is a nice turn on the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," with Hedges backing himself on guitar and fretless bass. There are two other interesting cover choices, Henry Mancini's "Theme from Hatari!" and Frank Zappa's "Sofa No. 1." Oracle won the 1998 Grammy for Best New Age Album, and the award was richly deserved. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No wonder this won a grammy!, February 6, 2002

By	Andy Williamson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This was the first Hedges cd I heard and I went on to get most of the others afterwards. The first three tracks are simply gorgeous as is "Gospel" and "Sofa No. 1" a nice addition for the Zappa fans...

But by far the stand out track is "Baal T'shuvah", an absolutely warm, well-rounded, fingerstyle song that is beyond description. Essential.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oracle is his third best album, very well balanced., September 10, 1998

By A Customer

Michael returns to the steel strings guitars to express his music again, before a fatal car accident in northern california. As always, the result is very deep and intense. This album could be related to Aerial Boundaries because of the textures used. It is not as dense as Taproot but shows the work of a fully grown composer as well. His death in december of 97 leaves us all without one of the most complete composers of the last two decades.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Oracle Plays and Sings, August 1, 1999

By A Customer

Here's Michael Hedges at his nearly best (Arial Boundaries still shines brightest in my eyes)..His vocals on 'Tomorrow Never Knows' are simple and clean...it would have been nice if he had been able to live to see his artistry as a guitarist be fully complemented with his talents as a vocalist. A fine addition to any collection.