Oldfield, Mike - Islands - Amazon.com Music

Mike Oldfield
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Mike Oldfield
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Track Listings

1	The Wind Chimes (Part One And Two)
2	Islands
3	Flying Start
4	Northpoint
5	Magic Touch
6	The Time Has Come
7	When The Nights On Fire

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 4.97 x 0.54 inches; 2.83 Ounces
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Griffin Records
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 10, 2007
Label ‏ : ‎ Griffin Records
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000001LH0

Customer Reviews:
4.6 128 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

128 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Great Piece of his Work

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2013

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I've been migrating old cassette tapes to digital format. I was disappointed that my copy of Islands by Mike Oldfield was warped and tired. Fortunately, I found a good CD version available through Amazon.

It's no surprise that the tape had warped, since I played it hundreds of times over the years. This is a great piece of Mike's work, and the title track is one of his best cuts ever. A "must" for all fans of Mike Oldfie;ld and his genius.

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2018

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Interesting arrangement of music.

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Styles Music

Mike Oldfield-Island UK Version on Vinyl

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2019

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Mike Oldfield Island/ Received the USA Version not the UK copy that is shown in the picture. Very Disappointed.

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2013

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Wonderful CD. Evokes calmness. I listen to it as a background for when I do paperwork at work. Highly recommend.

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2013

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I love the album. I only wish it had more tracks than it does. Great buying experience from amazon.com as always.

One person found this helpful

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Bryan

a special island for those who seek it

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2012

Well I'm a bit surprised how enjoyable Islands is. Alright, so the pop songs on the second half are nothing remarkable. In fact they are a bit awful in fact. HOWEVER! The brilliance that is the opener called "The Wind Chimes (Parts One AND Two, and don't you DARE forget to consider both parts!)" more than makes up for the rest of the material.

This lengthy instrumental ride is slightly different from, say, the one on "Taurus 2". Whereas that one made you feel like flying on an airplane around the world and never stopping to catch your breath while soaring through the clouds and discovering endless sun-driven beauty in the skies, "The Wind Chimes" focuses more on the gentle carefree relaxation that comes with getting a suntan at the beach. Alright maybe not quite *that* mellow- how about innocent games of volleyball, frisbee tossing games and margarita drinks at the bar? The point is, the musical instruments are hardly ever intense. It flows as smooth as butter. However what makes the piece work so fantastically is the way it continues to go through several themes (and I mean *several*) for the entire 22-minute time. It's the trademark Mike Oldfield approach that makes his early albums as close to worldly melodic perfection that you'll ever experience. It's really awesome but the first time I heard this piece, I admit it was all a blur. A brilliant blur, but a blur nonetheless!

Furthermore, the most remarkable thing about this piece is that it somehow avoids most of those nasty 80's excesses that haven't dated particularly well. No drum machines or silly commercialized, generic dance rhythms for example. I don't know HOW it managed to accomplish this given the time the album was released (1987) but... it does, so open the fence door and welcome it with open arms. There really isn't a best part either, but I guess I really like the female chorus around 4 minutes/30 seconds in and how it immediately shifts into a Renaissance-style melody. The flutes that follow are Jethro Tull-like with a simplistic approach, but really cool. Better than the stuff Jethro Tull was doing at the time in fact.

There's several experiments taking place here in fact, especially during the first half. The Gong-influenced portion shortly after the 7-minute mark is just mouth-watering, and Oldfield's familiar somber/optimistic guitar tone can be heard on several occasions as well. 12 minuts in, the guitar tone perfectly recaptures all those childhood memories you've locked away in the deep part of your mind. Ah, what a moment that is. I suppose the track becomes slightly less thrilling as it goes on and around the 15-minute mark I've probably had my fill, but eh... I don't really care. Oldfield makes it creative enough. Besides, the guitars get sort of hypnotic at the very end and that's when my interest perks up again. Just a really terrific piece overall.

Things change for the worse however. Pop songs and Mike Oldfield in the same sentence? Get out of town! Many people like these pop songs or rather, not necessarily *these* ones, but the pop songs on other Mike Oldfield albums such as the ones from Discovery. Yuck says I! I don't get the appeal to be honest. "Magic Touch" is definitely a low point. A verse melody that wouldn't be out of place on a Survivor or Asia album, it's well, just completely awful. Including vocals is enough of a distraction considering this is the same album that has the magnificent "The Wind Chimes", however including terrible vocals is just inexcusable. I will admit that the main reason these vocals sound so terrible is because I know Mike Oldfield is a thousand times better than to resort to this unsuccessful nonsense. If this song was on a Quiet Riot or Cinderella album, I'd say it's a highlight.

"When the Night's on Fire" features vocals by Anita Hegerland. She does a good enough job, but the melody itself is nothing that really floors me or anything. It's decent enough however. The trading back and forth of guitar licks during the solo is my favorite part. Really strangely atmospheric section of the song that part provides. The title song has vocals by Bonnie Tyler even less impressive than the ones on "When the Night's On Fire". These vocals are pretty bland and don't really entice me to feel the scenery or the beauty of actual islands. "The Time Has Come" is almost Wilson Phillips-like which means it's actually pretty good. "North Point" is also pretty acceptable pop/rock with female vocals. "Flying Start" has a memorable chorus but the verse melody is too lightweight and plods without much in the way of power or resonance, which is not what the lead singer is intending here.

Overall, well I'm probably being generous going ahead and giving Islands a 4-star rating based on less than half the album (the 22-minute "The Wind Chimes" suite) but it's an album worth owning for that one song, no doubt about it.

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Jerry Leszyk

I love the song and in turn I got reacquainted with ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014

I bought this CD basically for the the song Magic Touch which I first heard on a mini demo CD that came with a 5 disc CD player I bought back in the 80's. I love the song and in turn I got reacquainted with Mike's music and bought Tubular Bells 1 & 2 to replace my long gone vinyl LP's. Mike sure has written some great music over the years and I'm now enjoying listening to it again.

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Terence J. Miles

Banish Bonnie Tyler To a Desert 'Island'

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2004

OK, something happened between now and the time when I first bought this CD (many years ago). Amazon.com and Virgin Records didn't let me know (not that they were required to) about the changes they made to this CD. Not having heard those aforementioned changes, I am not qualified to comment on them. But I do wish to comment about the CD (and record; I did buy the original vinyl when it came out) that I do own.

I certainly understand why some of you love, and don't love, this record (I am in the former category). Our reactions to music, especially music of this nature, have a nasty tendency to be really subjective. Like our reactions to life itself.

Having said this, let's continue. Upon listening to "The Wind Chimes" (part two), I found myself dismayed at Oldfield's slamming together the various themes of the piece early on. It didn't create a good 'flow'.
But then it was like, once he got a running start, the flow gained momentum, the themes came together, and I found myself cheering wildly at the piece's climax (great metaphor, I know...)

The performances (good to see you, Tys Van Leer!) and treatments (among others, the percussion, Simon Phillips included) are first-rate, well thought out and executed.

When one gets to the end of Side One of any Oldfield disc, expecially this one, one seems to automatically become leery as to the anticipation of how he is going to try to complement what has ultimately become 'Something That Will Be Very Difficult To Follow'. (Refer to aforementioned Subjectivity.) But in this case, Side Two fares with, and does indeed, complement Side One very well. The songs, singers, arrangements, and performances are all very strong and poignant.
Then we get to Bonnie Tyler. Why, Mike, why? After an absolutely breathtaking introduction to the title track, her vocal appearance is the aural equivalent of finding a fly in the best bowl of chowder you've ever tasted. Hence only 4 stars for this CD.

Point made. Should you buy this, anyway? Sure, especially since recent editions of this CD listed on this website make it appear that we don't have to worry about Our Little Miss Judgment. If I didn't have my money already earmarked for about 50 other CD's right now, I'd catch up on this immediately. Maybe some of my reviewer friends will clue me in. Go for it.

It really is a very good disc, wart and all. Buy it. The time has come...

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Nigel A.

Absolutely amazing! Amongst Oldfield's best work.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2012

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It's extraordinary how I have only just listened to this album of Mike Oldfield's for the very first time, despite being a fan of his music. In short, ISLANDS is a gem that deserves considerably more fame that it seemingly has. The opening circa 20 minute instrumental track THE WIND CHIMES is a work of genius akin to the 20th Century equivalent of Mozart. It is a musical journey that is astonishing and beautiful. Then follows a number of VOCAL tracks, which is somewhat a branch away from the normal with regards to Oldfield, wherein I was somewhat apprehensive and is partly the reason why I had not got around to listening to this album until now. However, I have to wonder what was I worrying about because all the vocal tracks are nothing short of brilliant! In summary, yet another amazing album from Mike Oldfield that I cannot recommend enough. Brilliant!

9 people found this helpful

Mrs M. Vafiadis

Oh dear Mike Oldfield

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

The disc was a excellent bargain.No problem with the item.Unfortunatly the album is poor by Mike Oldfield standards.Not one of his best.BUT it was a bargain.Can't ask for more.

Mr. Bob Finlayson

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 6, 2020

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BRILLIANT music

One person found this helpful

Brian H

Great Album

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2020

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