This was originally released in 1985. I bought it then, shortly after 'Discovery' the year before, and I loved it. It is the best Oldfield compilation up to that time and one of the best of all time. The enjoyment factor is still there over twenty years later.
The first section consists of short, charming instrumentals before the second section of vocal tracks. We are treated to his best songs which have a pop/rock/folky feel to them: the smash hit Moonlight Shadow with its blistering guitar solo, 'To France' with more great guitar work, the delightfully strange 'Five Miles Out', and so on. It's a shame that the five minute version of 'Shadow on the Wall' slightly outstays its welcome.
Part three consists of excerpts from his early complex pieces. I think that, overall, the high points are there, even though I think that the best of 'Hergest Ridge' is probably the first nine minutes. Anyway, we get eight minutes of 'Tubular Bells' (the end of the first half of the original), seven minutes of 'Ommadawn' including some haunting chant before some trademark guitar work from Oldfield, four minutes from 'Hergest Ridge' and another four minutes from 'Incantations'.
The final section consists of four live tracks. They are all brilliant, especially the fourteen minute rendition of all four parts of Platinum.
It's a toss-up between this one and the 2006 three CD set.
