Search - Mike Oldfield :: Ommadawn

The Lost Version is worth the price

James Schulze | 07/13/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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.

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A masterpiece of sound and spirit

Craig Shoemake | Malden, MA United States | 11/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Ommadawn when I was in college, maybe age 19. Now, 24 years later, I still find it one of the most affecting, soulful, beautiful and inspiring pieces of music I've ever heard (especially side 1). It's the sort of thing I used to lie in my dorm room with my girlfriend of the time and listen to with the lights out. How to describe it: a cosmic, atavistic, almost tribal hymn; a chorus to this world and every other, a play of the gods, a dance of angels... I could go on, and maybe I would start to sound kind of silly or corny, but it's all true. If you want to hear music that can really affect you, this is it. It is timeless.

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Yuk

David West | Hebron, KY, United States | 08/04/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I can't imagine why I bought this. For over 30 years, Ommadawn has been one of my favourite albums by anyone ever. The remix is self-indulgent in the extreme and shows, yet again, why it's not a good idea to monkey with success. The "lost version"...? Ho hum, really for completists only. Yes, it gives clear insight into the creation of the album but there's a shock waiting almost at every turn. Sorry, gang, but I wonder why this album was put out at all. Maybe I can't get out of the original mix enough to appreciate what Mike's done here but I don't want to. I love the album as was and this is not going to get a second hearing. It makes me wonder if Mike's well has started to dry up..."