I'm big fan of Mike Oldfield, but I always found that many of his works need to be listened many times to fully appreciate them, being Amarok the hardest to listen, but also one of my favorites
Took me so long to appreciate the genius of Amarok. I've only just really discovered it in the recent years, and I've been loving Mike since the 70's, and have his whole catalog. It's like finding a whole new Oldfield album from his prime, that fell into a black hole, while most of his works got played into the ground. I just could never wrap my head around it. I wonder what JP will think on a first listen - it IS one of his best, but I think it's less approachable, and requires more investment to see how great it is.
@@DavidImiri yes it’s a key of sorts that album for me. Once I got MO’s timing it fell into place: for all albums, and including the Taurus2 piece. Btw On Amarok I discovered a wolf 🐺 howling in the middle. Not long after a somewhat obscure movie I saw about American natives: Amarok was the name of the wolf spirit guide
@@jerkedevries I can only imagine that synchronicity would fly off the page with Amarok, like with your wolf story. It's transcendence in a box! It's not just the music, it's the states it can pop open. Unfathomable genius.
Yes, most of Mike's albums need more than 1 listen to really get them, Amarok being a case in point, but when you let Amarok in, you will be in awe of the genius of Mike Oldfield.
Taurus 2 is maybe my favourite track of the 80s written by Mike, and also this album is one of my favourite in general of the discography of Mike, but I've really appreciated your honest opinion about it.
Yes, I watch a few reactors and I often get the feeling that they’re only willing to give an opinion that they think the audience will like. Good for subscriptions but bad for integrity.
My second favorite Oldfield album after Amarok. In this album, the tensions between Oldfield and Richard Branson were already being released a bit and the agreement they reached is clearly noticeable and in which on the A-side of the albums, there would be a free hand for Mike as to what he wanted to do musically , while the B-side would be full of short songs, generally of the pop type, to enrich Richard Branson's bulging coffers. Even so, this relative calm would not last long and the tension would increase in the next few albums with the sumun in the Album Amarok, where Oldfield would insult R.B. in morse, hit musical scares and screw them all he could. Oldfield is the fucking master hahaha. By the way, the plane on the cover didn't fly to the future but to total disaster, but I'll tell you that horror story when you listen to the second side of the album ;-). Mount Teide is a volcano on the Spanish island of Tenerife and Mike Oldfield was so fascinated by it that he dedicated a song to it. By the way Just, these works by Mike are highly complex and are hard to digest on first listening. I would suggest, if you have time, that you give it one or two more listens and you will see how little by little you end up enjoying it a lot. And it is already playing another reaction to Jean Michel Jarre, that you are making a lot of begging hahaha. Will it be the 6 new songs from the concerts in China or will you go directly to the incredible and magnificent Zoolook? Come on now. Hug. Super like twice.
Thank you, Justin! I always appreciate your honesty. Although I prefer, "Crises", I really enjoy this album too. I love Maggie Reilly's contribution during this period of Mike's career. As well as the longer compositions, the album also includes the very catchy, "Family Man" (Later a hit for Hall & Oates). Because I have listened to, "Taurus II" so many times and know what is coming next, it all kind of makes sense to me. I can understand, though, that on a first listen, it might sound a little disjointed.
Each Oldfield work is a journey, the melodies play with emotions, abrupt cuts but as a whole they create a well-rounded work. A sound journey of sounds, textures... a unique proposal in its style, the Oldfield,s style
He had some fun with the Fairlight in this track. For the one who does not know that this tune has no sense: saying lirycs then playing it on Fairlight Fine but not to go to hell.
They are not easy compositions to assimilate. You don't know where the next leg will take you. Several listens later the composition sounds round and perfect.
The inside of the gatefold of the vinyl version of this album has the hand written and drawn recording notes for Taurus II on a multi-track chart. It's very busy! I don't think boring can be the right word for something which keeps changing. Frustrating, perhaps? Personally, I'm fine with all the changes.
I love Taurus II since I got the LP for my birthday in the eighties. You are right that it blends many musical ideas, but it does so in a organic way. It‘s a bit like flying in a plane over changing landscapes and through changing weather. It might grow on you.
This is a rollercoaster of a ride. Absolutely one of my favorites, and the first album I ever owned of Oldfield. Just closing my eyes and let me drift wherever he want's to take me. This one has it all.
yep, if he's losing interest here, why bother to continue with the later albums. Especially AMAROK, It has a thousand more changes and abrupt transitions than this does
I'd say Amarok, while having 100 times more abrupt changes is somehow a bit more cohesive. It has more enjoyable sections anyway and the production I'd say also takes a big step up. I love Five Miles Out (the album) but those guitars can sound very small...just a bit too small. Could have used a bit more beefiness for my taste. But they're VERY scooped on FMO and I think that's a detriment to Taurus 2. Ommadawn and QE2 had the same problem but those mixes sounded much fuller at least where the guitar fit in nicely. Taurus 2 can sound pretty sparse and empty sometimes. Like it's playing from a toybox or something (perhaps that was the intention?). But Amarok stands out with the likes of Islands, Heaven's Open, Tubular Bells 2, The Songs of Distant Earth, and a few other of his later albums (production-wise and mix-wise, not stylistically of course or compositionally).
This is one of my favourite Oldfield pieces. So may people concentrate on his early works and discount everything after that as being more commercial but this album and the couple after that are my favourite period. If you ever get to Tubular Bells II I’ve listened to that more times than I can count.
Well, objectively you would have to say a lot of his work from this period was indeed more commercial, and even many of the less commercial tracks like this one re-use a lot of earlier ideas, sometimes in quite a disjointed way. Of course its a matter of taste, and I think Crisis is the strongest of those three albums. But then, Tubular Bells II, commercial or not, was genuinely a complete change of direction that needed to happen, which personally I enjoyed, although it certainly divided opinions.
@@JohnWhipp With songs like Five Miles Out and Moonlight Shadow it was definitely more commercial but the term seems to be used as a stand alone condemnation by many, as though having a couple of hit songs were somehow an artistic sellout. I agree that Crisis is the strongest of the three. Personally I don’t find this piece disjointed but cohesive in a way that’s hard for me to put into words. One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
TB2 was the first album I listened to; listened to it many times. Very beautiful indeed! The second one from side B is my favourite. The Songs from distant Earth album: it’s beauty is not of this earth
I agree that his middle period works like this are superb and mainly just different to early albums. The mood is different but both are great and while some may not like his early works, they may relate more to this.
Youre' going to have to listen to this several times, and I know for a fact that you're going to love it. I understand exactly what you're talking about, but the piece is _far, far_ more than a bunch of snippets. Everything is woven together much more than is apparent first time round. Just wait till you here Amarok: I had exactly your reaction. Amarok is, at first listen even more of a patchwork, and almost three times as long. I listened to it twice, couldn't take it, and put it away for two years. But then, once I put it together again, it became just incrdeible. If you know Stravinsky, it's a lot like Petrushka: an incredible carnival ride, but more unified than it appears. As you have heard on his previous albums, Oldfield knows perfectly well how to let passages breath. He knows what he's doing when he doesn't, too!
Bear in mind this is side one. A lot of these ideas re-appear on the other side and the final track sums it all up properly. On a first listen it is difficult to assimilate this track as a whole. However it is a grower. The album for me is a return to form after two so so albums. I think when you finish side two you will see how the whole album works. Oh and the melody of that first vocal part is from "Taurus One".
Thanks for giving it a listen 🎧. It’s one of my favourites tracks of his. I like the Celtic element and especially the joy (once you dig it so to speak) especially of the second half chanting and final reprising of the earlier themes
The part with the pipes and the "whooping" in the background is essentially a nod to Morris dancing/Morris men. The bells and the rhythm there, along with those whoops and cries, are exactly how it's done. If you aren't familiar with this very British tradition, look it up.
If I should pick the only single track by MO to listen to on the vast island, it would be this one. To me this is the pure essence of Oldfield's music. I love almost everything from him, but this is my most favourite piece. But i understand your points. Can't wait to see your reaction to Amarok.
There is a Spanish group called Fadalak that almost faithfully reproduces MO music LIVE IN CONCERT. They've played recently in Spain and recorded them for viewing on UA-cam. TB, OM, IN, PL, and T2. Honestly, quite amazing for a non-professional group.
My first listen on this. It didn’t blow me away like tubular bells, but it didn’t bore me either. I like the meandering quality and how it goes from this idea to that. It’s kind of what I expect from Oldfield.
As other say, this is all over the place, but I must admit I love its mostly chaotic nature. It has some really great melodies and riffs and sometimes quite an incredible layering. My only issue with this piece the is ending which feels like it drags a bit. But speaking of chaos you should make Amarok your 40K follower reaction. It's probably the most challeging piece you can do unless you decide to go for some Wagner opera lmao.
A little chaotic, with some ...abrupt transitions. But so many beautiful tunes in there, and some classic Oldfield guitar. Also, if you listen carefully, there are some short "callbacks", to Tubular Bells, and, I think Ommadawn. Edit: yes definitely a callback to Incantations, at the end.This is the album containing his first real radio hit, and the start of a more pop oriented sound.
One of the most instantly recognizable guitar tones in the world… and sweet music to my ears every time. Not my favorite Oldfield album (QE2 and Incantations) but a solid effort... the album cover (and the title track) reflect on a near-death experience when Oldfield was on a small plane going through a terrifying storm. I think a complete listen of the album... and another listen to this track might soften your take on it... but having said that... ALWAYS appreciate the honesty. Also: At some point I hope you'll get to a GUIDED BY VOICES track... amazing story behind this legendary indie band. I'd recommend "Lizard On The Red Brick Wall" "Enemy" "Best of Jill Hives" "Surgical Focus" or "Space Gun" to start... So many great songs... some VERY low fi but Pollard is a writer with more great songs than pretty much anybody in music. There's a lot of stuff that people would consider filler... but a curated list of his best work is absolute genius. Cheers!
To me Oldfield is like Pink Floyd. Not in the music, but they both can't be put in any genre or style. They're both in a sphere of their own. You owe it to yourself to at some point lend your ear to "Secrets/Far Above The Clouds" from 1998's album "Tubular Bells III". At a certain moment the song has some rather big Tubular Bells joining-in and for me, that is the most glorious sound I've ever heard. Cheerio amigo.
Oh, I’ll take your honesty every time dude! :) You are such a genuine guy and of course you don’t have to like everything. Honestly, your truthfulness about your feelings here just shows how honest you are about all of Mike’s music that you like, and that’s so awesome because it lets us all know you truly appreciate when the music is great. Thanks for the video!
Yes, those are Uillean Pipes, you got it right first time! 😊👍 And Oldfield's star sign is Taurus, hence the title(s) 🙂 We have a singer here in NZ named Julia Deans, and her voice is quite similar to this singer, Maggie Reilly 😀 Anyway, this brings back memories, and my Big Sister had bought this album back then, after the title song had been playing on the radio for a while. I was only 12 then 😊
Taurus 2 is a great track, yeah, in the second half it plays way to much with too many ideas, but it all make sense after you listen to the rest of the album. This is one of those albums that have to be listened all in one. Taurus 2 plays with some of the themes of the previous album, but also plays with new themes for this album, and it is kind of like a "Trailer" of what is to come next. It is a track by just itself doesn't make much sense, but as part of the Taurus compilation, and as part of the Five Miles Out album it is great.
The 1-2/1-2-3 beat repeating throughout the first part, especially combined with the uileann pipes always makes me think of Morris dancing. The uileann pipes were played by the late and great Paddy Moloney, formerly of the irish folk band , the Chieftains. This album, alog with Crises, are my most listened and oft returned to of all Mike's work. Timeless...
Yeah man, that 8:00 minute mark of the song that comes up right around 9:14 of your video is the coolest part of the song for me. It's moments like that in Mike Oldfield's huge music library that I love so much. Parts where out of nowhere Mike goes HARD. If I can get that part isolated in a huge collection of Mike Oldfield's other greatest pieces, that's an album I would listen to on repeat.
To be honest I'm really suprised Justin didn't like Taurus ll. For me it's not much different in structure to earlier pieces. That is it changes more frequently in parts but let's other parts have more presence. It's just a rockier instrumental than his earlier symphonic albums. It's not looking good for Amarok then, that one is all over the place with changes, but l love it. If you can keep up and give it your full attention it's great lol. Maybe after a few listens Taurus II might grow on you. If not there's plenty of other Oldfield stuff worth hearing.
The bit from 14:00 to 17:00 is an amazing section which builds to a wonderful climax. You didn’t seem to appreciate this and as others have said you may need to listen to this piece more to get it. Mikes pieces often build like that rather than just follow the same tune or riff. It’s all part of mikes genius. There’s a wonderful axe to grind in his best music. He’s trying to tell you something.
It's probably best to treat this track as a suite - each section is it's own part and sometimes they segue together , sometimes they juxtapose each other. In Classical music terms the start works like an Overture to the suite and the Final is like a Rondo Capitulation and Coda to the piece bringing it together at the end. In some respects this is much like the Platinum Suite - again a 19 minute piece to be played in one go but broken into 4 parts with each part quite different in style to the others. Taurus II does the same and more of it but they haven't been broken into separate parts. Also compare Tubular Bells - again a collection of snippets and musical ideas hanging together by the loosest of transitions but somehow working with each other to create a cohesive whole not fighting with each other for their moment of glory. Sometimes you have to follow where the music takes you and sometimes that path maybe a bit choppy but eventually you get to the destination and if it's a slog or an easy journey at least you made it. Now consider Mike's journey so far - Tubular Bells - disjointed and all over the place but triumphant at the end, Hergest Ridge - a much more pastoral almost symphonic work which organically grows and leaves you in awe of nature - Ommadawn - a more spiritual album exploring more of the world both internally of the soul and outwardly of celtic and African origins - Incantations - an exploration of musical ideas and reworking them over and over to wring all that they have out of them - Platinum - transitioning to a more current (at the time!) sound - QE2 - little experiments trying out new instruments and seeing what works (and what doesn't) - to Five Miles Out - now working in a Group environment (Taurus II, Family Man and Five Miles Out are recorded as a Group instead of his more usual overdubbed self and then guest musicians) and going for a rock sound. With the next album "Crises" Mike changes again - where you have an amalgamation of more New Wave sounds (Fairlight is prominent) and commercial Pop. Once you start to see the whole catalogue you will see distinct phases and this is what divides the fans the most. It's rare for someone to enjoy every phase Mike has produced...but each album is worth hearing just to hear what he does next.
Thanks a lot for listen Mike Oldfield and Jean Michel Jarre. It's very valuable today. The music of Mike Oldfield must be listen several times to appreciate the whole entity, energy, melodies and structure. It's a journey. He is a master of melodies. He enjoys beeing free with the music. Jump into Amarok with security belt XD
It’s such a mosh pit of ideas all into one song, it’s cool but a hard song to get past. The title track to Crisis is better and orchestrated very well. Personally Side 2 is better. This Crisis And Discovery are good albums.
I agree Crises might probably be more to the liking. It only tries to squeeze 5 melodic sections into the 24 minutes rather than 8 like this one, so (unless you're the great drummer and genuine nice guy Simon Phillips) there's more time to breathe in a section. :)
Got this on a cassette tape in mid 80s (12-13 years old), and was in love from the start.. Mike makes such amazing music and feelings! But ok, fair review also> :)
JP, it took me awhile to like this track. It's great to listen to when weeding the garden. In answer to your question, I want you to be honest in your reactions.
My first listen was similar to yours, but i listen to it more times and i find this is BRILIANT! Mike Oldfield have his own style! You need to hear more his music to love this track!
Brilliant review as always JP. Can't wait for the video for Mike Oldfield's "Amarok". Also Tubular Bells 2 and 3. Keep it up as I LOVE your channel. And been also if I could make a suggestion? How about giving Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene 7-13 and also the newer Oxygen 3 a review? Can't wait for those if you decide to do them. Chris.
While Taurus II is one of my favourite long Oldfield pieces post-Incantations, I do know what you mean about it changing too much. The later part of the track in particular does lose its way a bit, and the section just before the return of the opening theme (which you'll discover is the music from the title song), where you were staring glassy-eyed at the camera, has always felt a bit tacked-on to me. Overall though, this has a very ambitious structure, and both looks back to parts of Taurus I and forward to themes from later in the album, even if the rollercoaster ride is slightly bumpy in parts.
Taurus 2 heralds an ostensibly choppier style from Oldfield which continued in Wind Chimes , Music from the Balcony and Amarok (particularly). It is deceptive though as on repeated listening you start to get the overall shape of the pieces, and see that the sudden shifts are all part of the forward motion. Also you will find that what appear to be new ideas are often developments or variants of what has gone before.
Agree! And there is fun in it too: Amarok has that a lot. And the sneezes in WindChimes (windy weather I guess) are musically blended in the piece; and the swinging overtones of the flute is so very good. But you are right: the timing and the forward motion is very special: one has to discover it
I was on a French exchange in Quebec City around that time. One of my classmates had a billet who had a ticket (lol...billet means ticket in French) to the MO concert there. To think that I was in the same town as him on one of his best tours ever makes me very sad to have missed it. My friend who went did not understand/appreciate what she was listening too (basically the Live in Montreux concert).
Ha! you are most definitely an Oldfield fan - whenever a new album came out the general consensus from the fans was - oh it's not as good as the last one, or he's ran out of ideas, or he is recycling the same thing over again, etc ...but gradually over time those albums somehow become more acceptable and then hummable and then part of the classics...with a few notable exceptions (Earth Moving and Heaven's Open don't get much love even 30 odd years later!) and for me personally his Tres Lunas and Light & Shade albums are the epitome of laziness - but I know some people who love them. Somehow you always get drawn back to him and wonder what he will do next. The musical chameleon. I think you will grow to enjoy this track - even if you won't love it...but I think you will prefer Side Two.
First time hearing it for me and, yes, it sounded like it was going all over the place and not really cohering. Some nice bits, but, as Justin said, they needed more development. I actually have a copy of Crises which is (I think) Oldfield's next album after this one. I would rate it as a decent record, but it's no Tubular Bells.
Evidently, Taurus II is a 2-part piece even though it's not divided. If you see it that way, the whole piece makes much more sense. And this is a piece to be listened many times, especially the first part to the semi-finale around 10', because the texture is so deep and rich. And even after many years you will discover something new, a new sound popping out somewhere. And switching between ideas is Mike's style. It was like that from Tubular Bells. And yes, both parts are not too even, the first part being a tall mountain ending in a cliff and there's a flat valley until the end. But that was the idea.
As somebody who listens to a lot of Mike Oldfield, I do concur with your review on this one, and sadly, on his albums from this period, it's not alone. Its a matter of taste of course, but it feels to me like after his epic 1970s albums, the demand on Mike Oldfield to churn out new albums during the 1980s overwhelmed his creative capacity. Thankfully, this would turn around in time, and certainly some of his 80's tracks were a lot better than others, often his shorter tracks. But also, I've said before, if you feel like a break from his 80's discography, maybe try jumping into something from 1992 onwards, when he changed record label. Its a very different experience.
I read an interview with MO many years ago where he said he wanted out of his contract with Virgin. He said he was holding back some of his better stuff from the 80s albums until he could exit Virgin. I think TB2 and 3 were what he was referring to.
His Big 4 came out so quickly...literally a year after the last. A lot of put onto a composer who writes, produces, and plays almost everything. Later on, it was an album every to years or so. At least each album is pretty much unlike all the others. Today's artist takes 5 years or more to put out a new album and their songs are so simplistic in comparison. Subsequent albums would mostly sound the same. Post Malone's tunes use three notes through the whole song. Gag.
Thanks for continuing the Mike Oldfield series and definitely thanks for an honest opinion, there is no use in pretending to like it for the people watching you react. Also, thanks to your reactions I'm listening through all the albums again as well. You made me like QE2 better than I remembered before. And here, revisiting "Taurus 2" lowered my personal score of it slightly. I have to agree that it is too long and a bit too choppy for its material. For me, it's still quite comfortably better than "Taurus 1" though and still very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to your next Oldfield reactions to see if the choppiness or the length is the dominating problem for you, because it rarely gets as long as this one anymore. But it might stay choppy. And then, of course, I'm eager to find out what you think of "Amarok". That one is very choppy but intentionally so, exploding with ideas. But those ideas (at least to me) seem to fit together very well. And it is definitely much more adventurous and experimental than this one. But very divisive even among fans. And for a long track that is very choppy, probably by design, and doesn't even want to make any sense structurally anymore, you can already look forward to "Music from the Balcony" off the album "Heaven's Open". I kind of like the extreme "I don't care anymore" vibes of that one but it definitely cannot really be compared to his serious attempts on all of his first albums (title track of "Heaven's Open" is pretty nice though).
The track does loop a lot near the end. Virgin wanted him to write pop songs so this was probably a compromise to keep the old fans on side. Still that being said I still like it . That kids musical box type section and the pipes all are Ok And of course Maggie's vocals.. Was a sort of Show case track for new fans into stuff he has done previous on the longer albums.
Mike was improving even Taurus II at his live gigs - hear eg. Barcelona 1983 06 04 Live. However, finale of Ommadawn pt.2, Taurus I. and To France was “love at first listening”. Taurus II, Incantations, Wind Chimes and Platinum are equally among my favourites, but certainly need more listenings, and Amarok may need even a bit more😊
I agree with much of what you said here, thanks for your honesty. And Mike is my all time favorite composer nonetheless, and many of my very favorite tracks in all of music are his. But this is one of his lesser side-long epics imo - it's just too choppy, seems like he composed the sections independently, then just awkwardly stitched them together. And it's uneven - has great moments, and lackluster ones, though I like the Maggie Reilley section about 2/3 of the way through better than you do. Side two is MUCH better I think, despite Family Man, which is just ok. I also agree with those below who say that any of Mike's works takes multiple listens to appreciate, and will generally grow on you. So though Taurus II has it's flaws, and I was underwhelmed by it initially, it's so familiar by now that it's still like an old friend - easy to forgive the flaws, and enjoy what's great there.
I agree. This used to be one of my favourite Oldfield albums because it contains a lot of yummy Oldfield bits. But Oldfield never managed to make a true composition out of it. It's just a tapestry of bits and pieces. If you consider where Mike got the bits and pieces from, this tapestry comparison makes sense. Bits from Incantation like Justin mentioned, bits from (obviously) Taurus 1 and bits from the Royal Wedding Anthem, an instrumental Oldfield performed during the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981. And then he also tried to incorporatie bits from Orabidoo and the title track Five Miles Out to connect Taurus II with the other pieces on the album. The same kind of tapestry feeling I get when listening to The Wind Chimes from the 1987 Islands album (here it doesn't work either) or his 1990 masterpiece Amarok (here it does work). I think Five Miles Out is an overal better album than Platinum and QE2 but the best parts on those albums are much better than the ones on Taurus II. That said, it might be interesting to follow the track sheet of Taurus II that is included on the gatefold sleeve of the vinyl release.
I certainly respect your critique but I think you should give Taurus II time and additionally listenings. Consider approaching this piece more like a symphonic piece with individual related yet disparate movements. Also check out the album sleeve/track sheet.
I agree. It is done as if he did not care, abusing his childs. So many great ideas, he should have stretched that (including Taurus I) into a double album, and you (and me) would have adored his works. The same, unfortunately happened with Amarok (No idea why VW named their pickup truck like that...), hundreds of interesting bits that should have been worked out and combined together. This here really sounds like a careless collage of all the bits he found on the floor. But...I love the second side of the album. Major hit on it was the title track, and rightly so.
Hi Justin, I was a bit surprised you did not really like Taurus II, and at the same time I understand. When I bought the album Five Miles Out 41 (!) years ago, I couldn't get it at first. Taurus II blends many styles as his first four concept albums do and it is even more caleidoscopic than Tubular Bells. In fact it is played by Mike and his band he toured with in the eighties, which also influenced the sound. I invite you to listen to it multiple times and you'll discover it's a great return to and elaboration of his roots in the 70's. I hope you'll like the album's other tracks, an extension of amongst others theTaurus II themes . Don't give up Mike yet, because the next year Crised was issued with which he really was on track again!!!
Taurus 2 is my favourite of the trilogy. The first half mostly. The second half is okay and has its moments but I can tune out until the very last section comes in (21:14 onward) which builds into one of his best finales ever. It's especially fun to watch him and his band play that section live in some of the available videos (Roskilde for instance) because they're just rocking out to this joyous jam with all these crescendos and false endings and just keeping it going. They have a great time lol. That said, I can see how on a first listen it's hard to digest. Mike definitely started to get a little harder to break into enjoyment for around Five Miles Out because he really started doing some strange stuff about here. I didn't like Taurus 2 the first time I listened to it either. I do like Crises much more (the instrumental on the next album) and The Lake from Discovery even more. But he still has the odd strange song on every album from here on out. At least one. And it culminates in Amarok which is either a love-it-or-hate-it affair. I recommend giving that one multiple listens too though because if you thought Taurus 2 changed a lot...lol you aren't ready. And then it goes even STRANGER with "Music Form The Balcony" on Heaven's Open (his final album with Virgin Records). I actually like Orabidoo less than this one and usually skip it. It's got moments and I do love its final section, but while Taurus 2 has a lot to choose from, Orabidoo is very samey throughout. At least in Taurus 2 you can pick out the parts you like because there are so many. Incidentally, the part you liked the most is actually a reprise of the beginning of Taurus 1! Really enjoying your honest reactions and reviews though. Looking forward to more.
Mike's back Justin...you know I love Mr Oldfield... Taurus 2 is slightly disjointed... but,there are so many Oldfield magic sprinkled on this song...I've grown to love this over the years Justin. Five Miles Out...imho,is very underated album. Loved your review butty....❤ Hope you well Justin. You know what I think of your channel Justin..A1 ❤❤❤
For me, this track presided in the shadows of Crisis for years but by now shares equal stature with it. It's distinctly Oldfield-ian of course and Frankly a breath of Fresh Air - Pure Fresh Air!?- after the utter Crud we had to endure last night in Liverpool. I'm a Trifle Fed Up with all the Crepes ATM , and yes this mighty Jam helped a lot. Now for some Beef Boourgingionn as we say in Blaenau Ffestiniog. The Vocoder ? Loved it. See last night's Eurovision for reasons why. My major Soft Spot for Innocent Folk Tunes Pimped Up by Oldfield still Fits The Against The Tide / Grain Scenarios necessary to Support The Support the Underdog Narrative. Yes we're Convoluted but it comes from an Honest Melodious Intent. Pavlova for Pudding too! Side Two is Tasty JP. Diolch
Love the whole album - one of my favorite Oldfield. An aqcuired taste I suppose - but the unique way of putting music together and that soundscape is just captivating at every listen. Won't find anything quite like it elsewhere :)
As someone mentioned below, there was a serious rift growing between Branson and Oldfield at the time. Branson wanted more pop tunes and Oldfield wanted to do what he always did. However, with the changing music scene in the world, you could almost understand what Branson was driving for. Over time, MO did return somewhat to what made his music be what his hardcore fans preferred...the original four compositions. There was a period where MO was just putting out music haphazardly just to finish his obligation to Virgin Records (something like a 16-album contract signed in the early 70s with FMO being the 7th)...mostly quick/dirty pop tunes with no long compositions. Personally, if you choose to skip them, I won't mind at all because there is better stuff where he actually made a proper effort (do Crisis, Amarok, and then TB2). He wanted to deprive Branson of the 20th anniversary of TB when he switched to Warner. TB2 and The Songs of Distant Earth are among those that kinda call back to the beginning but with a 90s sound. I think you're going to have trouble with Amarok (I did at first - it really grew on me over time), but it sort of turned out to be the most loved by hardcore fans yet the least commercially successful. That was intentional as MO did everything he could to make that album unplayable on the radio. If you are a serious guitarist, you would find some of the most technically interesting guitar work of all his albums. Still, there was a guy who took the time to transpose the album to keyboards and play the entire 1 hour composition live in concert. Crazy. Yes, it is on UA-cam.
Hush now baby made a start There's a jewel in your heart And a star that shines for you Watching everything you do Don't you cry though it may seem You were born into a dream There's another race to run You were not the only one Standing in the morning sun Waiting though it had begun May you never run aground Or call into the deep deep sound Stormy weather turns to blue Here's a song to take with you
Justin, I am surprised you didn't like this as a whole track, there is a lot going on in it but for me that's Oldfield, you either get a lot of changes in his tracks or they are drawn out. The vocals and guitars are great here though. You can't like every song from a particular artist I guess, the only thing I will say is with a lot of Mike's music, giving only one listen is not enough, repeated listening is rewarding, from the 3 long tracks from this and the next 2 albums, this is my least favourite, I like The Wind Chimes first then the title track Crises.
I love his early stuff and some if his more pop hits, but I"m with you on this one. He seemed to be struggling to find a new identity. There"s some good ideas and some not so good, but he just took them all and threw them at the wall to see which would stick ... and ended up making a mess of the wall!
As a big Mike Oldfield fan: Taurus II is just OK, with good pieces let underdeveloped. But then, on Side B, you have Mount Teide! And Family Man! And Five Miles Out! And Orabidoo! (What an ending!) As always, can’t wait for you yo get to Crises, where Side A’s instrumental made me an instant Mike’s fan. Edit: oh, I appreciate your honesty on Taurus II, that’s why I’m here.
And I have a suggestion for you, Justin: When you get to the next song, 'Family Man', also compare it with the cover version by Daryl Hall & John Oates! 😀👍
Oh I had meant to mention - totally get that you're not into this one. I didn't like it at first and came to enjoy it as almost like Oldfieldy background music, since it has such interesting sound production, even though it's not terribly interesting composition-wise. But I agree, that one part you did really like is the most interesting part. And I wanted to mention about that part: you probably didn't realize that you've already heard a variation of that: Taurus 1 from QE2, the very first section has the bass doing the same climactic guitar riff here in Taurus II, and Maggie Reilly sings the same melody on both. But here's the real Easter egg. What is that guitar/bass riff? It's a variation of the main Tubular Bells theme... He's always playing around with reworking old ideas, turning them into new things, as you pick up on the more you listen through his discography.
I'm glad you finally got to the second Taurus. In my opinion, Oldfield's the best of the best! Now you have to listen to Orabidoo and Mount Teide to have the full perspective of the instrumental side of Five Miles Out :)
This was my first MO album so it was great enough for me to go down the MO path in earnest, but I was like 13 when this came out... in hindsight as much as I like a lot of the parts that make up Taurus II, I do hear how the low the production quality is, and its almost clunky sound. The highlight is the Deep Deep Sound bit which JP also loved (the melody also harks back to Taurus I) and the low light is the ABBA disco vocal section near the end. I never did like that part even at age 13! Mike Oldfield did try to address some of these issues with his remix a decade ago but failed because he had little to work (he toned down the vocal chant and boosted his harmony guitar line). Side 2 is way better, at least for me. You still may not like the sudden changes et al but I think they work much better. PS. you will find that a few themes from Taurus II will pop up again on the flip side
I agree Justin! I don't like this song either. I never did, ever since I bought this album, and I'm a big Mike Oldfield fan, from way back when Tubular Bells first came out. In fact it pleases me that you don't like this, shows you have taste. One thing I really liked about Oldfield's first few albums is that the transitions between sections were very smooth and organic, never an abrupt or arbitrary change. This song, not so much, in fact the transitions between sections are practically nonexistent, and the changes sound rather arbitrary. Maybe it's because of his ongoing disagreements with Richard Branson, I don't know, but this song is not as smooth and soothing as his other works. I do look forward to you doing Mt. Teide on the other side. It is one of my favorite Mike songs, and is IMHO the only good song on 5 Miles Out, although Orabidoo is not too bad.
I bought each MO album as they came out from habit. After Ommadawn, each album just seemed to be less than the previous one. They all had some great tunes on, but none of them great albums. Oldfield himself was unhappy with his Virgin contract, and I think he was just coasting until the contract was over.
I'm big fan of Mike Oldfield, but I always found that many of his works need to be listened many times to fully appreciate them, being Amarok the hardest to listen, but also one of my favorites
Right u r
Took me so long to appreciate the genius of Amarok. I've only just really discovered it in the recent years, and I've been loving Mike since the 70's, and have his whole catalog. It's like finding a whole new Oldfield album from his prime, that fell into a black hole, while most of his works got played into the ground. I just could never wrap my head around it. I wonder what JP will think on a first listen - it IS one of his best, but I think it's less approachable, and requires more investment to see how great it is.
@@DavidImiri yes it’s a key of sorts that album for me. Once I got MO’s timing it fell into place: for all albums, and including the Taurus2 piece.
Btw On Amarok I discovered a wolf 🐺 howling in the middle. Not long after a somewhat obscure movie I saw about American natives: Amarok was the name of the wolf spirit guide
@@jerkedevries I can only imagine that synchronicity would fly off the page with Amarok, like with your wolf story. It's transcendence in a box! It's not just the music, it's the states it can pop open. Unfathomable genius.
Yes, most of Mike's albums need more than 1 listen to really get them, Amarok being a case in point, but when you let Amarok in, you will be in awe of the genius of Mike Oldfield.
Taurus 2 is Mike at he's peak, playing like the strings are glowing
Out of all the Oldfield tracks, I always return to Taurus 2 over the years. This for me, is pure Oldfield
Taurus 2 is maybe my favourite track of the 80s written by Mike, and also this album is one of my favourite in general of the discography of Mike, but I've really appreciated your honest opinion about it.
Yes, I watch a few reactors and I often get the feeling that they’re only willing to give an opinion that they think the audience will like. Good for subscriptions but bad for integrity.
Yes agree
Yes and the intensity and melody in works like this were lost in his later works. They became often bland and uninteresting.
My second favorite Oldfield album after Amarok. In this album, the tensions between Oldfield and Richard Branson were already being released a bit and the agreement they reached is clearly noticeable and in which on the A-side of the albums, there would be a free hand for Mike as to what he wanted to do musically , while the B-side would be full of short songs, generally of the pop type, to enrich Richard Branson's bulging coffers. Even so, this relative calm would not last long and the tension would increase in the next few albums with the sumun in the Album Amarok, where Oldfield would insult R.B. in morse, hit musical scares and screw them all he could. Oldfield is the fucking master hahaha.
By the way, the plane on the cover didn't fly to the future but to total disaster, but I'll tell you that horror story when you listen to the second side of the album ;-). Mount Teide is a volcano on the Spanish island of Tenerife and Mike Oldfield was so fascinated by it that he dedicated a song to it.
By the way Just, these works by Mike are highly complex and are hard to digest on first listening. I would suggest, if you have time, that you give it one or two more listens and you will see how little by little you end up enjoying it a lot.
And it is already playing another reaction to Jean Michel Jarre, that you are making a lot of begging hahaha. Will it be the 6 new songs from the concerts in China or will you go directly to the incredible and magnificent Zoolook? Come on now.
Hug. Super like twice.
Justin has a vinyl copy of the anniversary reissue of The Concerts In China (hint, hint).
SO happy you're back to reviewing Mike Oldfield!
Thank you, Justin! I always appreciate your honesty. Although I prefer, "Crises", I really enjoy this album too. I love Maggie Reilly's contribution during this period of Mike's career. As well as the longer compositions, the album also includes the very catchy, "Family Man" (Later a hit for Hall & Oates).
Because I have listened to, "Taurus II" so many times and know what is coming next, it all kind of makes sense to me. I can understand, though, that on a first listen, it might sound a little disjointed.
Each Oldfield work is a journey, the melodies play with emotions, abrupt cuts but as a whole they create a well-rounded work. A sound journey of sounds, textures... a unique proposal in its style, the Oldfield,s style
Fantastic track of Mike Oldfield. It took me by surprise 30 years ago and still is one of my favorite ones.
Don't give up on Mike!
Orabidoo on side B is one of his career best!
Oh i'd never ive up on him :)
@@JustJP I'm so relieved. Your Captain Beyond video made me so hyped and then when I hear you didn't like Taurus II my day was in shambles.
😉
I am glad to hear it Justin, there is greatness from Mike throughout his whole career, just wait until you hear him from Earth Moving to Amarok.
He had some fun with the Fairlight in this track. For the one who does not know that this tune has no sense: saying lirycs then playing it on Fairlight Fine but not to go to hell.
They are not easy compositions to assimilate. You don't know where the next leg will take you. Several listens later the composition sounds round and perfect.
A masterpiece. Love the whole Mike discography. One of the most underrated contemporary musicians. Mozart reincarnation :)
FMO I rank 3rd favourite of Mike's albums. Taurus II my favourite whole side. A total joy!
Your finally back on MO!! Love it! Thanks.
The inside of the gatefold of the vinyl version of this album has the hand written and drawn recording notes for Taurus II on a multi-track chart. It's very busy! I don't think boring can be the right word for something which keeps changing. Frustrating, perhaps? Personally, I'm fine with all the changes.
I love Taurus II since I got the LP for my birthday in the eighties. You are right that it blends many musical ideas, but it does so in a organic way. It‘s a bit like flying in a plane over changing landscapes and through changing weather. It might grow on you.
This is a rollercoaster of a ride. Absolutely one of my favorites, and the first album I ever owned of Oldfield. Just closing my eyes and let me drift wherever he want's to take me. This one has it all.
If you did not like the constant changes then you won’t like Amarok; which I think is one of Mike’s best albums ever for most of his fans
yep, if he's losing interest here, why bother to continue with the later albums. Especially AMAROK, It has a thousand more changes and abrupt transitions than this does
I'd say Amarok, while having 100 times more abrupt changes is somehow a bit more cohesive. It has more enjoyable sections anyway and the production I'd say also takes a big step up. I love Five Miles Out (the album) but those guitars can sound very small...just a bit too small. Could have used a bit more beefiness for my taste. But they're VERY scooped on FMO and I think that's a detriment to Taurus 2. Ommadawn and QE2 had the same problem but those mixes sounded much fuller at least where the guitar fit in nicely. Taurus 2 can sound pretty sparse and empty sometimes. Like it's playing from a toybox or something (perhaps that was the intention?). But Amarok stands out with the likes of Islands, Heaven's Open, Tubular Bells 2, The Songs of Distant Earth, and a few other of his later albums (production-wise and mix-wise, not stylistically of course or compositionally).
This is one of my favourite Oldfield pieces. So may people concentrate on his early works and discount everything after that as being more commercial but this album and the couple after that are my favourite period. If you ever get to Tubular Bells II I’ve listened to that more times than I can count.
Well, objectively you would have to say a lot of his work from this period was indeed more commercial, and even many of the less commercial tracks like this one re-use a lot of earlier ideas, sometimes in quite a disjointed way. Of course its a matter of taste, and I think Crisis is the strongest of those three albums. But then, Tubular Bells II, commercial or not, was genuinely a complete change of direction that needed to happen, which personally I enjoyed, although it certainly divided opinions.
@@JohnWhipp With songs like Five Miles Out and Moonlight Shadow it was definitely more commercial but the term seems to be used as a stand alone condemnation by many, as though having a couple of hit songs were somehow an artistic sellout. I agree that Crisis is the strongest of the three. Personally I don’t find this piece disjointed but cohesive in a way that’s hard for me to put into words. One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
TB2 was the first album I listened to; listened to it many times. Very beautiful indeed! The second one from side B is my favourite.
The Songs from distant Earth album: it’s beauty is not of this earth
I agree that his middle period works like this are superb and mainly just different to early albums. The mood is different but both are great and while some may not like his early works, they may relate more to this.
Totally disagree...
A masterpiece of progressive rock. One of his very very best compos, and that is saying a lot.
Best album ever! Cheers!!
this is one of my favourite tracks by Mike, ever
One of many favourite tracks from Mike oldfield of mine
Youre' going to have to listen to this several times, and I know for a fact that you're going to love it. I understand exactly what you're talking about, but the piece is _far, far_ more than a bunch of snippets. Everything is woven together much more than is apparent first time round. Just wait till you here Amarok: I had exactly your reaction. Amarok is, at first listen even more of a patchwork, and almost three times as long. I listened to it twice, couldn't take it, and put it away for two years. But then, once I put it together again, it became just incrdeible. If you know Stravinsky, it's a lot like Petrushka: an incredible carnival ride, but more unified than it appears. As you have heard on his previous albums, Oldfield knows perfectly well how to let passages breath. He knows what he's doing when he doesn't, too!
Bear in mind this is side one. A lot of these ideas re-appear on the other side and the final track sums it all up properly. On a first listen it is difficult to assimilate this track as a whole. However it is a grower. The album for me is a return to form after two so so albums. I think when you finish side two you will see how the whole album works. Oh and the melody of that first vocal part is from "Taurus One".
It's very much a giant overture to Side B!
Thanks for giving it a listen 🎧. It’s one of my favourites tracks of his. I like the Celtic element and especially the joy (once you dig it so to speak) especially of the second half chanting and final reprising of the earlier themes
It's flamboyant and frivolous but crammed , jam packed with Hooks and crescendoes.
@@HippoYnYGlaw yes it’s an ‘experience’ of good lively vibes
The part with the pipes and the "whooping" in the background is essentially a nod to Morris dancing/Morris men. The bells and the rhythm there, along with those whoops and cries, are exactly how it's done. If you aren't familiar with this very British tradition, look it up.
That's right. I've always thought about Morris dancers in this dection.
If I should pick the only single track by MO to listen to on the vast island, it would be this one. To me this is the pure essence of Oldfield's music. I love almost everything from him, but this is my most favourite piece. But i understand your points. Can't wait to see your reaction to Amarok.
There is a Spanish group called Fadalak that almost faithfully reproduces MO music LIVE IN CONCERT. They've played recently in Spain and recorded them for viewing on UA-cam. TB, OM, IN, PL, and T2. Honestly, quite amazing for a non-professional group.
My first listen on this. It didn’t blow me away like tubular bells, but it didn’t bore me either. I like the meandering quality and how it goes from this idea to that. It’s kind of what I expect from Oldfield.
As other say, this is all over the place, but I must admit I love its mostly chaotic nature. It has some really great melodies and riffs and sometimes quite an incredible layering. My only issue with this piece the is ending which feels like it drags a bit.
But speaking of chaos you should make Amarok your 40K follower reaction. It's probably the most challeging piece you can do unless you decide to go for some Wagner opera lmao.
A little chaotic, with some ...abrupt transitions. But so many beautiful tunes in there, and some classic Oldfield guitar. Also, if you listen carefully, there are some short "callbacks", to Tubular Bells, and, I think Ommadawn. Edit: yes definitely a callback to Incantations, at the end.This is the album containing his first real radio hit, and the start of a more pop oriented sound.
One of the most instantly recognizable guitar tones in the world… and sweet music to my ears every time.
Not my favorite Oldfield album (QE2 and Incantations) but a solid effort... the album cover (and the title track) reflect on a near-death experience when Oldfield was on a small plane going through a terrifying storm. I think a complete listen of the album... and another listen to this track might soften your take on it... but having said that... ALWAYS appreciate the honesty.
Also: At some point I hope you'll get to a GUIDED BY VOICES track... amazing story behind this legendary indie band. I'd recommend "Lizard On The Red Brick Wall" "Enemy" "Best of Jill Hives" "Surgical Focus" or "Space Gun" to start... So many great songs... some VERY low fi but Pollard is a writer with more great songs than pretty much anybody in music. There's a lot of stuff that people would consider filler... but a curated list of his best work is absolute genius. Cheers!
To me Oldfield is like Pink Floyd. Not in the music, but they both can't be put in any genre or style. They're both in a sphere of their own. You owe it to yourself to at some point lend your ear to "Secrets/Far Above The Clouds" from 1998's album "Tubular Bells III". At a certain moment the song has some rather big Tubular Bells joining-in and for me, that is the most glorious sound I've ever heard. Cheerio amigo.
Woooow!!! 100% MUSIC!! Thank you! 🎶
Oh, I’ll take your honesty every time dude! :) You are such a genuine guy and of course you don’t have to like everything. Honestly, your truthfulness about your feelings here just shows how honest you are about all of Mike’s music that you like, and that’s so awesome because it lets us all know you truly appreciate when the music is great. Thanks for the video!
Appreciate that Strum :) Thank you
Yes, those are Uillean Pipes, you got it right first time! 😊👍 And Oldfield's star sign is Taurus, hence the title(s) 🙂 We have a singer here in NZ named Julia Deans, and her voice is quite similar to this singer, Maggie Reilly 😀 Anyway, this brings back memories, and my Big Sister had bought this album back then, after the title song had been playing on the radio for a while. I was only 12 then 😊
Taurus 2 is a great track, yeah, in the second half it plays way to much with too many ideas, but it all make sense after you listen to the rest of the album.
This is one of those albums that have to be listened all in one.
Taurus 2 plays with some of the themes of the previous album, but also plays with new themes for this album, and it is kind of like a "Trailer" of what is to come next.
It is a track by just itself doesn't make much sense, but as part of the Taurus compilation, and as part of the Five Miles Out album it is great.
The 1-2/1-2-3 beat repeating throughout the first part, especially combined with the uileann pipes always makes me think of Morris dancing. The uileann pipes were played by the late and great Paddy Moloney, formerly of the irish folk band , the Chieftains. This album, alog with Crises, are my most listened and oft returned to of all Mike's work. Timeless...
Yeah man, that 8:00 minute mark of the song that comes up right around 9:14 of your video is the coolest part of the song for me. It's moments like that in Mike Oldfield's huge music library that I love so much. Parts where out of nowhere Mike goes HARD.
If I can get that part isolated in a huge collection of Mike Oldfield's other greatest pieces, that's an album I would listen to on repeat.
To be honest I'm really suprised Justin didn't like Taurus ll. For me it's not much different in structure to earlier pieces. That is it changes more frequently in parts but let's other parts have more presence. It's just a rockier instrumental than his earlier symphonic albums.
It's not looking good for Amarok then, that one is all over the place with changes, but l love it. If you can keep up and give it your full attention it's great lol.
Maybe after a few listens Taurus II might grow on you. If not there's plenty of other Oldfield stuff worth hearing.
my thoughts exactly
The bit from 14:00 to 17:00 is an amazing section which builds to a wonderful climax. You didn’t seem to appreciate this and as others have said you may need to listen to this piece more to get it. Mikes pieces often build like that rather than just follow the same tune or riff. It’s all part of mikes genius. There’s a wonderful axe to grind in his best music. He’s trying to tell you something.
It's probably best to treat this track as a suite - each section is it's own part and sometimes they segue together , sometimes they juxtapose each other. In Classical music terms the start works like an Overture to the suite and the Final is like a Rondo Capitulation and Coda to the piece bringing it together at the end.
In some respects this is much like the Platinum Suite - again a 19 minute piece to be played in one go but broken into 4 parts with each part quite different in style to the others. Taurus II does the same and more of it but they haven't been broken into separate parts.
Also compare Tubular Bells - again a collection of snippets and musical ideas hanging together by the loosest of transitions but somehow working with each other to create a cohesive whole not fighting with each other for their moment of glory.
Sometimes you have to follow where the music takes you and sometimes that path maybe a bit choppy but eventually you get to the destination and if it's a slog or an easy journey at least you made it.
Now consider Mike's journey so far - Tubular Bells - disjointed and all over the place but triumphant at the end, Hergest Ridge - a much more pastoral almost symphonic work which organically grows and leaves you in awe of nature - Ommadawn - a more spiritual album exploring more of the world both internally of the soul and outwardly of celtic and African origins - Incantations - an exploration of musical ideas and reworking them over and over to wring all that they have out of them - Platinum - transitioning to a more current (at the time!) sound - QE2 - little experiments trying out new instruments and seeing what works (and what doesn't) - to Five Miles Out - now working in a Group environment (Taurus II, Family Man and Five Miles Out are recorded as a Group instead of his more usual overdubbed self and then guest musicians) and going for a rock sound.
With the next album "Crises" Mike changes again - where you have an amalgamation of more New Wave sounds (Fairlight is prominent) and commercial Pop.
Once you start to see the whole catalogue you will see distinct phases and this is what divides the fans the most. It's rare for someone to enjoy every phase Mike has produced...but each album is worth hearing just to hear what he does next.
Thanks a lot for listen Mike Oldfield and Jean Michel Jarre. It's very valuable today.
The music of Mike Oldfield must be listen several times to appreciate the whole entity, energy, melodies and structure. It's a journey. He is a master of melodies. He enjoys beeing free with the music.
Jump into Amarok with security belt XD
It’s such a mosh pit of ideas all into one song, it’s cool but a hard song to get past. The title track to Crisis is better and orchestrated very well. Personally Side 2 is better. This Crisis And Discovery are good albums.
I agree Crises might probably be more to the liking. It only tries to squeeze 5 melodic sections into the 24 minutes rather than 8 like this one, so (unless you're the great drummer and genuine nice guy Simon Phillips) there's more time to breathe in a section. :)
Superb album. Great melodies.
Got this on a cassette tape in mid 80s (12-13 years old), and was in love from the start.. Mike makes such amazing music and feelings! But ok, fair review also> :)
JP, it took me awhile to like this track. It's great to listen to when weeding the garden.
In answer to your question, I want you to be honest in your reactions.
Ty Dai, I'll definitely give it another listen as well :)
My first listen was similar to yours, but i listen to it more times and i find this is BRILIANT! Mike Oldfield have his own style! You need to hear more his music to love this track!
Brilliant review as always JP. Can't wait for the video for Mike Oldfield's "Amarok". Also Tubular Bells 2 and 3. Keep it up as I LOVE your channel. And been also if I could make a suggestion? How about giving Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene 7-13 and also the newer Oxygen 3 a review? Can't wait for those if you decide to do them. Chris.
While Taurus II is one of my favourite long Oldfield pieces post-Incantations, I do know what you mean about it changing too much. The later part of the track in particular does lose its way a bit, and the section just before the return of the opening theme (which you'll discover is the music from the title song), where you were staring glassy-eyed at the camera, has always felt a bit tacked-on to me. Overall though, this has a very ambitious structure, and both looks back to parts of Taurus I and forward to themes from later in the album, even if the rollercoaster ride is slightly bumpy in parts.
Taurus 2 heralds an ostensibly choppier style from Oldfield which continued in Wind Chimes , Music from the Balcony and Amarok (particularly). It is deceptive though as on repeated listening you start to get the overall shape of the pieces, and see that the sudden shifts are all part of the forward motion. Also you will find that what appear to be new ideas are often developments or variants of what has gone before.
Agree!
And there is fun in it too: Amarok has that a lot. And the sneezes in WindChimes (windy weather I guess) are musically blended in the piece; and the swinging overtones of the flute is so very good.
But you are right: the timing and the forward motion is very special: one has to discover it
The cover art and the title track was inspired by a bad flight Mike had with an inexperienced pilot who got the weather forecast wrong. Scary stuff.
What you didn't like is precisely what I like. Oh, and I like the rest, too ! I love this track just as it is. 😁
I saw him on this tour at Berklee in Boston (April 17, 1982). GREAT GIG!!
I was on a French exchange in Quebec City around that time. One of my classmates had a billet who had a ticket (lol...billet means ticket in French) to the MO concert there. To think that I was in the same town as him on one of his best tours ever makes me very sad to have missed it. My friend who went did not understand/appreciate what she was listening too (basically the Live in Montreux concert).
Ha! you are most definitely an Oldfield fan - whenever a new album came out the general consensus from the fans was - oh it's not as good as the last one, or he's ran out of ideas, or he is recycling the same thing over again, etc ...but gradually over time those albums somehow become more acceptable and then hummable and then part of the classics...with a few notable exceptions (Earth Moving and Heaven's Open don't get much love even 30 odd years later!) and for me personally his Tres Lunas and Light & Shade albums are the epitome of laziness - but I know some people who love them. Somehow you always get drawn back to him and wonder what he will do next. The musical chameleon.
I think you will grow to enjoy this track - even if you won't love it...but I think you will prefer Side Two.
First time hearing it for me and, yes, it sounded like it was going all over the place and not really cohering. Some nice bits, but, as Justin said, they needed more development.
I actually have a copy of Crises which is (I think) Oldfield's next album after this one. I would rate it as a decent record, but it's no Tubular Bells.
I've been waiting a long time for you to hear another one by Mike Oldfield. Enjoy. Keep listening to them, even if it's until you get to Amarok.
Thnx for your honesty. I agree. Is not Mike's pinnacle, to say the least. 2nd side much better. - For a long piece Mike makes up for it in Crisis!
The more you listen to it the more the changes make sense, and it does not seem to be executed poorly at all but brilliant in a crazy way.
Yes, the pipes used in Taurus II are uillean pipes, and the piper is late Paddy Moloney. 😢
Five miles out is peculiar... I love Taurus II, but it's interesting that in the second half, orabidoo developes some of those themes.
this was the frist time I heard MO in a friend house in 1982, and I was 12--never looked back
3:17 reappears in a more extended version in "Orabidoo".
Evidently, Taurus II is a 2-part piece even though it's not divided. If you see it that way, the whole piece makes much more sense. And this is a piece to be listened many times, especially the first part to the semi-finale around 10', because the texture is so deep and rich. And even after many years you will discover something new, a new sound popping out somewhere. And switching between ideas is Mike's style. It was like that from Tubular Bells. And yes, both parts are not too even, the first part being a tall mountain ending in a cliff and there's a flat valley until the end. But that was the idea.
I saw this live, it was awesome, the last 10 minutes were transformative for me...
As somebody who listens to a lot of Mike Oldfield, I do concur with your review on this one, and sadly, on his albums from this period, it's not alone. Its a matter of taste of course, but it feels to me like after his epic 1970s albums, the demand on Mike Oldfield to churn out new albums during the 1980s overwhelmed his creative capacity. Thankfully, this would turn around in time, and certainly some of his 80's tracks were a lot better than others, often his shorter tracks. But also, I've said before, if you feel like a break from his 80's discography, maybe try jumping into something from 1992 onwards, when he changed record label. Its a very different experience.
I read an interview with MO many years ago where he said he wanted out of his contract with Virgin. He said he was holding back some of his better stuff from the 80s albums until he could exit Virgin. I think TB2 and 3 were what he was referring to.
His Big 4 came out so quickly...literally a year after the last. A lot of put onto a composer who writes, produces, and plays almost everything. Later on, it was an album every to years or so. At least each album is pretty much unlike all the others. Today's artist takes 5 years or more to put out a new album and their songs are so simplistic in comparison. Subsequent albums would mostly sound the same.
Post Malone's tunes use three notes through the whole song. Gag.
Thanks for continuing the Mike Oldfield series and definitely thanks for an honest opinion, there is no use in pretending to like it for the people watching you react. Also, thanks to your reactions I'm listening through all the albums again as well. You made me like QE2 better than I remembered before. And here, revisiting "Taurus 2" lowered my personal score of it slightly. I have to agree that it is too long and a bit too choppy for its material. For me, it's still quite comfortably better than "Taurus 1" though and still very enjoyable.
I'm looking forward to your next Oldfield reactions to see if the choppiness or the length is the dominating problem for you, because it rarely gets as long as this one anymore. But it might stay choppy.
And then, of course, I'm eager to find out what you think of "Amarok". That one is very choppy but intentionally so, exploding with ideas. But those ideas (at least to me) seem to fit together very well. And it is definitely much more adventurous and experimental than this one. But very divisive even among fans.
And for a long track that is very choppy, probably by design, and doesn't even want to make any sense structurally anymore, you can already look forward to "Music from the Balcony" off the album "Heaven's Open". I kind of like the extreme "I don't care anymore" vibes of that one but it definitely cannot really be compared to his serious attempts on all of his first albums (title track of "Heaven's Open" is pretty nice though).
The track does loop a lot near the end. Virgin wanted him to write pop songs so this was probably a compromise to keep the old fans on side. Still that being said I still like it . That kids musical box type section and the pipes all are Ok And of course Maggie's vocals.. Was a sort of Show case track for new fans into stuff he has done previous on the longer albums.
This album was the turning point and start of a new era for Mike Oldfield with Platinum and QE II proving to be transitional albums.
Mike was improving even Taurus II at his live gigs - hear eg. Barcelona 1983 06 04 Live.
However, finale of Ommadawn pt.2, Taurus I. and To France was “love at first listening”. Taurus II, Incantations, Wind Chimes and Platinum are equally among my favourites, but certainly need more listenings, and Amarok may need even a bit more😊
I agree with much of what you said here, thanks for your honesty. And Mike is my all time favorite composer nonetheless, and many of my very favorite tracks in all of music are his. But this is one of his lesser side-long epics imo - it's just too choppy, seems like he composed the sections independently, then just awkwardly stitched them together. And it's uneven - has great moments, and lackluster ones, though I like the Maggie Reilley section about 2/3 of the way through better than you do. Side two is MUCH better I think, despite Family Man, which is just ok. I also agree with those below who say that any of Mike's works takes multiple listens to appreciate, and will generally grow on you. So though Taurus II has it's flaws, and I was underwhelmed by it initially, it's so familiar by now that it's still like an old friend - easy to forgive the flaws, and enjoy what's great there.
I agree. This used to be one of my favourite Oldfield albums because it contains a lot of yummy Oldfield bits. But Oldfield never managed to make a true composition out of it. It's just a tapestry of bits and pieces. If you consider where Mike got the bits and pieces from, this tapestry comparison makes sense. Bits from Incantation like Justin mentioned, bits from (obviously) Taurus 1 and bits from the Royal Wedding Anthem, an instrumental Oldfield performed during the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981. And then he also tried to incorporatie bits from Orabidoo and the title track Five Miles Out to connect Taurus II with the other pieces on the album. The same kind of tapestry feeling I get when listening to The Wind Chimes from the 1987 Islands album (here it doesn't work either) or his 1990 masterpiece Amarok (here it does work). I think Five Miles Out is an overal better album than Platinum and QE2 but the best parts on those albums are much better than the ones on Taurus II. That said, it might be interesting to follow the track sheet of Taurus II that is included on the gatefold sleeve of the vinyl release.
I certainly respect your critique but I think you should give Taurus II time and additionally listenings. Consider approaching this piece more like a symphonic piece with individual related yet disparate movements. Also check out the album sleeve/track sheet.
I agree. It is done as if he did not care, abusing his childs. So many great ideas, he should have stretched that (including Taurus I) into a double album, and you (and me) would have adored his works. The same, unfortunately happened with Amarok (No idea why VW named their pickup truck like that...), hundreds of interesting bits that should have been worked out and combined together. This here really sounds like a careless collage of all the bits he found on the floor. But...I love the second side of the album. Major hit on it was the title track, and rightly so.
Hi Justin, I was a bit surprised you did not really like Taurus II, and at the same time I understand. When I bought the album Five Miles Out 41 (!) years ago, I couldn't get it at first. Taurus II blends many styles as his first four concept albums do and it is even more caleidoscopic than Tubular Bells. In fact it is played by Mike and his band he toured with in the eighties, which also influenced the sound. I invite you to listen to it multiple times and you'll discover it's a great return to and elaboration of his roots in the 70's. I hope you'll like the album's other tracks, an extension of amongst others theTaurus II themes . Don't give up Mike yet, because the next year Crised was issued with which he really was on track again!!!
Taurus 2 is my favourite of the trilogy. The first half mostly. The second half is okay and has its moments but I can tune out until the very last section comes in (21:14 onward) which builds into one of his best finales ever. It's especially fun to watch him and his band play that section live in some of the available videos (Roskilde for instance) because they're just rocking out to this joyous jam with all these crescendos and false endings and just keeping it going. They have a great time lol. That said, I can see how on a first listen it's hard to digest. Mike definitely started to get a little harder to break into enjoyment for around Five Miles Out because he really started doing some strange stuff about here. I didn't like Taurus 2 the first time I listened to it either. I do like Crises much more (the instrumental on the next album) and The Lake from Discovery even more. But he still has the odd strange song on every album from here on out. At least one. And it culminates in Amarok which is either a love-it-or-hate-it affair. I recommend giving that one multiple listens too though because if you thought Taurus 2 changed a lot...lol you aren't ready. And then it goes even STRANGER with "Music Form The Balcony" on Heaven's Open (his final album with Virgin Records).
I actually like Orabidoo less than this one and usually skip it. It's got moments and I do love its final section, but while Taurus 2 has a lot to choose from, Orabidoo is very samey throughout. At least in Taurus 2 you can pick out the parts you like because there are so many. Incidentally, the part you liked the most is actually a reprise of the beginning of Taurus 1! Really enjoying your honest reactions and reviews though. Looking forward to more.
Mike's back Justin...you know I love Mr Oldfield... Taurus 2 is slightly disjointed... but,there are so many Oldfield magic sprinkled on this song...I've grown to love this over the years Justin.
Five Miles Out...imho,is very underated album.
Loved your review butty....❤
Hope you well Justin.
You know what I think of your channel Justin..A1 ❤❤❤
I hope you carry on through the discography in order. I love seeing your reactions and the comments.
Everything about this piece makes sense and fits. If you don’t get it you don’t get it.
Obra maestra!!! A disfrutarla
For me, this track presided in the shadows of Crisis for years but by now shares equal stature with it. It's distinctly Oldfield-ian of course and Frankly a breath of Fresh Air - Pure Fresh Air!?- after the utter Crud we had to endure last night in Liverpool. I'm a Trifle Fed Up with all the Crepes ATM , and yes this mighty Jam helped a lot. Now for some Beef Boourgingionn as we say in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The Vocoder ? Loved it. See last night's Eurovision for reasons why.
My major Soft Spot for Innocent Folk Tunes Pimped Up by Oldfield still Fits The Against The Tide / Grain Scenarios necessary to Support
The Support the Underdog Narrative.
Yes we're Convoluted but it comes from an Honest Melodious Intent. Pavlova for Pudding too! Side Two is Tasty JP. Diolch
Love the whole album - one of my favorite Oldfield. An aqcuired taste I suppose - but the unique way of putting music together and that soundscape is just captivating at every listen. Won't find anything quite like it elsewhere :)
As someone mentioned below, there was a serious rift growing between Branson and Oldfield at the time. Branson wanted more pop tunes and Oldfield wanted to do what he always did. However, with the changing music scene in the world, you could almost understand what Branson was driving for. Over time, MO did return somewhat to what made his music be what his hardcore fans preferred...the original four compositions.
There was a period where MO was just putting out music haphazardly just to finish his obligation to Virgin Records (something like a 16-album contract signed in the early 70s with FMO being the 7th)...mostly quick/dirty pop tunes with no long compositions. Personally, if you choose to skip them, I won't mind at all because there is better stuff where he actually made a proper effort (do Crisis, Amarok, and then TB2). He wanted to deprive Branson of the 20th anniversary of TB when he switched to Warner. TB2 and The Songs of Distant Earth are among those that kinda call back to the beginning but with a 90s sound.
I think you're going to have trouble with Amarok (I did at first - it really grew on me over time), but it sort of turned out to be the most loved by hardcore fans yet the least commercially successful. That was intentional as MO did everything he could to make that album unplayable on the radio. If you are a serious guitarist, you would find some of the most technically interesting guitar work of all his albums. Still, there was a guy who took the time to transpose the album to keyboards and play the entire 1 hour composition live in concert. Crazy. Yes, it is on UA-cam.
Hush now baby made a start
There's a jewel in your heart
And a star that shines for you
Watching everything you do
Don't you cry though it may seem
You were born into a dream
There's another race to run
You were not the only one
Standing in the morning sun
Waiting though it had begun
May you never run aground
Or call into the deep deep sound
Stormy weather turns to blue
Here's a song to take with you
Justin, I am surprised you didn't like this as a whole track, there is a lot going on in it but for me that's Oldfield, you either get a lot of changes in his tracks or they are drawn out. The vocals and guitars are great here though. You can't like every song from a particular artist I guess, the only thing I will say is with a lot of Mike's music, giving only one listen is not enough, repeated listening is rewarding, from the 3 long tracks from this and the next 2 albums, this is my least favourite, I like The Wind Chimes first then the title track Crises.
I love his early stuff and some if his more pop hits, but I"m with you on this one. He seemed to be struggling to find a new identity. There"s some good ideas and some not so good, but he just took them all and threw them at the wall to see which would stick ... and ended up making a mess of the wall!
Endlich. So happy. So mega
The singer is Maggie Reilly.
Irish Maestro. Paddy Moloney RIP October 2021.
Uilleann pipes. Wonderful.
As a big Mike Oldfield fan: Taurus II is just OK, with good pieces let underdeveloped. But then, on Side B, you have Mount Teide! And Family Man! And Five Miles Out! And Orabidoo! (What an ending!)
As always, can’t wait for you yo get to Crises, where Side A’s instrumental made me an instant Mike’s fan.
Edit: oh, I appreciate your honesty on Taurus II, that’s why I’m here.
And I have a suggestion for you, Justin: When you get to the next song, 'Family Man', also compare it with the cover version by Daryl Hall & John Oates! 😀👍
Oh I had meant to mention - totally get that you're not into this one. I didn't like it at first and came to enjoy it as almost like Oldfieldy background music, since it has such interesting sound production, even though it's not terribly interesting composition-wise. But I agree, that one part you did really like is the most interesting part.
And I wanted to mention about that part: you probably didn't realize that you've already heard a variation of that: Taurus 1 from QE2, the very first section has the bass doing the same climactic guitar riff here in Taurus II, and Maggie Reilly sings the same melody on both. But here's the real Easter egg. What is that guitar/bass riff? It's a variation of the main Tubular Bells theme... He's always playing around with reworking old ideas, turning them into new things, as you pick up on the more you listen through his discography.
That's what I like listening to mo is sometimes there are a changes within the track
I'm glad you finally got to the second Taurus. In my opinion, Oldfield's the best of the best! Now you have to listen to Orabidoo and Mount Teide to have the full perspective of the instrumental side of Five Miles Out :)
This was my first MO album so it was great enough for me to go down the MO path in earnest, but I was like 13 when this came out... in hindsight as much as I like a lot of the parts that make up Taurus II, I do hear how the low the production quality is, and its almost clunky sound. The highlight is the Deep Deep Sound bit which JP also loved (the melody also harks back to Taurus I) and the low light is the ABBA disco vocal section near the end. I never did like that part even at age 13! Mike Oldfield did try to address some of these issues with his remix a decade ago but failed because he had little to work (he toned down the vocal chant and boosted his harmony guitar line). Side 2 is way better, at least for me. You still may not like the sudden changes et al but I think they work much better. PS. you will find that a few themes from Taurus II will pop up again on the flip side
I agree Justin! I don't like this song either. I never did, ever since I bought this album, and I'm a big Mike Oldfield fan, from way back when Tubular Bells first came out. In fact it pleases me that you don't like this, shows you have taste. One thing I really liked about Oldfield's first few albums is that the transitions between sections were very smooth and organic, never an abrupt or arbitrary change. This song, not so much, in fact the transitions between sections are practically nonexistent, and the changes sound rather arbitrary. Maybe it's because of his ongoing disagreements with Richard Branson, I don't know, but this song is not as smooth and soothing as his other works. I do look forward to you doing Mt. Teide on the other side. It is one of my favorite Mike songs, and is IMHO the only good song on 5 Miles Out, although Orabidoo is not too bad.
Maravilloso compositor
Seems your interest for Mikes music has diminished somewhat. Almost a year between albums. Any idea when side 2 of Five Miles out is up? Cheers
I bought each MO album as they came out from habit. After Ommadawn, each album just seemed to be less than the previous one. They all had some great tunes on, but none of them great albums. Oldfield himself was unhappy with his Virgin contract, and I think he was just coasting until the contract was over.