Hergest Ridge ***and Ommadawn*** Mercury/UMC

For more than 30 years, Mike Oldfield has been trying, without significant success, to relieve himself of the yoke of

Tubular Bells

(1973). Which is a shame, because

Hergest Ridge

(1974) and

Ommadawn

(1975) are worthy of attention. Both albums have been rereleased in new stereo mixes by Oldfield himself. It’s interesting to note that when pretty much the rest of the UK was siphoning themselves into ripped jeans, Oldfield was experimenting with strands of world music (including traditional Irish, which is much to the fore on the punningly titled Ommadawn), ambient structures and elongated musical passages that now seem part of the more liberal aural landscape. There remain unmistakeable whiffs of patchouli oil about both albums, but if electronica heads out there haven’t heard these before, then now is the time.

See mikeoldfield.org

Download tracks: Hergest Ridge (Part One), Ommadawn (Part Two)