Mike Oldfield - Amarok (1990) - Music Banter Music Banter

Go Back   Music Banter > The Music Forums > Rock & Metal > Prog & Psychedelic Rock
Register Blogging Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Welcome to Music Banter Forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with over 70,000 other registered members. After you create your free account, you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 1,100,000 posts.

View Poll Results: How would you rank the album?
Horrible! 0 0%
Bad 0 0%
Mediocre 0 0%
Good 2 28.57%
Very Good 2 28.57%
Brilliant! 3 42.86%
Voters: 7. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-14-2011, 06:32 PM   #1 (permalink)
Juicious Maximus III
 
Guybrush's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Scabb Island
Posts: 6,525
Default Mike Oldfield - Amarok (1990)

This thread is for discussing Mike Oldfield's album Amarok from 1990. It was homework in our Prog & Fusion Album Club in March 2011.

Here's a brief description of the album :

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anteater View Post
Mike Oldfield - Amarok (1990)



Far better than the ever-lauded Tubular Bells IMO, this 60 minute, 1 track effort from the master of ambient-prog is Oldfield's finest moment. Like previous works, Oldfield is responsible for most of the eclectic instrumentation. Worldbeat atmospherics, stabs at synthwork which wouldn't be too far out of place in a Legend of Zelda game, insanely good guitar and bass and loads of percussion are but a few of the things you'll hear in Amarok, but such is but a modest overview of how grand this suite is and I couldn't do it justice in 10 paragraphs, much less this one.

But basically, this is top class world-prog. fusion, and one of the 90's Holy Grails of prog. for those interested, so hope a few of you give it a whirl. xD
So, what do you think about it?
__________________
Something Completely Different
Guybrush is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2011, 06:11 PM   #2 (permalink)
\/ GOD
 
Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Nowhere...
Posts: 2,179
Default

Halfway in, and I am ****ing love this. Immediately created a smile on my face that's stayed consistent. More in a half hour, and so.
__________________
Quote:
Terence Hill, as recently confirmed during an interview to an Italian TV talk-show, was offered the role but rejected it because he considered it "too violent". Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta declined the role for the same reason. When Al Pacino was considered for the role of John Rambo, he turned it down when his request that Rambo be more of a madman was rejected.
Al Pacino = God
Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2011, 06:49 PM   #3 (permalink)
\/ GOD
 
Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Nowhere...
Posts: 2,179
Default

I think that was utterly amazing. So many different styles. More than I could count. African drum beat, Celtic, detuned abstract folk, ambiance, piano classical, Gaelic singing, banjo bluegrass... The list goes on.

Like a much longer more sophisticated laid back Spillane. Like a combination of it and the Chrono Cross Soundtrack(NOT an insult). Stunningly brilliant. Loved it.
__________________
Quote:
Terence Hill, as recently confirmed during an interview to an Italian TV talk-show, was offered the role but rejected it because he considered it "too violent". Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta declined the role for the same reason. When Al Pacino was considered for the role of John Rambo, he turned it down when his request that Rambo be more of a madman was rejected.
Al Pacino = God
Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2011, 08:41 PM   #4 (permalink)
Let it drip
 
Sneer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,430
Default

Well, isnt this a veritable smorgasbord of wordly delights.

No, in all seriousness, this album is superb.
Sneer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2011, 06:52 AM   #5 (permalink)
Juicious Maximus III
 
Guybrush's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Scabb Island
Posts: 6,525
Default

I didn't quite find the time to sit down with Amarok last week, but now I've given it a double spin. I agree with the strong points already mentioned here. Smorgasbord of worldly delights is a good description. I guess what I liked the most were some of the fairly beautiful and catchy vocal parts.

I don't think it was entirely brilliant, though. I think the production and style of the composition is a bit cold and calculated (which is kinda his style, but). I miss something that makes me feel more in the midst of all that goes on, that the beautiful parts were more beautiful or that there were some more profound climaxes. Parts of the album simply get a bit dull for me and I don't understand why Mike Oldfield plays his guitar with that thin, wobbly wail. At best it's alright, but at worst I find it slightly grating.

For me right now, it was fairly enjoyable and deserving of a good. Possibly it could climb up to a very good, but that will take some more listening on my part.
__________________
Something Completely Different
Guybrush is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Similar Threads



© 2003-2024 Advameg, Inc.