Moss

Album Title: Crises
Artist: Mike Oldfield
Nationality: British
Year: 1983
Subgenre: Multi instrumentalist prog
Player(s): Mike Oldfield (everything), Simon Phillips (Drums and stuff), Ant /Rick Fenn(Guitars), Phil Spalding (Bass), Pierre Moerlen (Vibraphone), Maggie Reilly/Jon Anderson/Roger Chapman (Vocals on various tracks)
Familiarity: Just the album that was issued to everybody in America in the early 1970's. Never bothered to listen to anything else.
Favourite track(s): “Shadow on the wall”
Why? I thought it sounded a bit like some lost Roky Erickson track. I actually maybe it was Roky at first. I didn't realize it was considered a "hit song" for Oldfield as I never heard it before.
Least favourite track(s): “Foreign affair”
Why? Like Trollheart said, dull, boring and uninspired. Easily the worst song on the album.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I also thought it would be some long instrumental album with little vocals or real melody. I was wrong and was pleasantly surprised.
Factoids you'd like to share? Apparently this album is going to be available in a 5 CD box set? Why the hell...? And "in high places" showed up as a sample on Kanye Wests "Dark Fantasy" according to Wiki.
End impression:Probably won't dig much deeper into his catalog unless forced by this album club.
Comments: Never really understood why tubular bells was so huge but then again I was 5 in 1973. Apparently it was unlike anything else at the time and changed the face of music and all that, but does anybody really bust that one out on a regular basis? Maybe as background music while you are doing something else. Although me and my brother used to turn out the lights in our room and play that excorcist theme to scare the bejeezus out of ourselves because of course we had the vinyl Tubular bells available. May still have it, not even sure. Anyways, my first spin through this album I didn't like it at all although "shadow on the wall" caught my ear. But upon repeated listenings I started to like it a bit more. Some nice grooves, some good guest vocals, actual short songs and not just long instrumentals. Certainly some impressive musicianship. BY the 3rd or 4th listen I wasn't wishing it would end so have to admit I kind of liked it.

Rating: I'll go with a 3.5