- Vinyl
- Label: VIRGIN
- ASIN: B004EQWRIO
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Within just two years, Mike had gone from the loose folk/hard rock fusion of "Five Miles Out" to the almost-sterile "Discovery". Locked away in a Swiss studio within sight of Lake Geneva, Mike recorded his 9th studio release in 11 years armed with a good set of songs, but a bad sense of selection.
Most of the tracks on "Discovery" rate a lot higher than those on "Crises". "To France" is one of those songs that just hits you - a left-of-centre pop song about the exile of Mary Queen of Scots, containing some of the most powerful guitarwork Mike would produce during the 80's. The other single, "Tricks of the Light" is actually quite catchy and harmonious yet it feels too quirky and swamped by the use of the Fairlight. The remaining vocal tracks are listenable, but nothing too special.
Fortunately, once you're passed the hit-and-miss vocal songs, you're presented with the 12min instrumental, "The Lake". It starts off shimmering and pastoral building into what sounds to me like an instrumental version of Status Quo!! Nice touch! The album rounds off with a true grand finale, propelled to epic proportions by the drums of Simon Phillips battling against Mike's blistering guitar. It's worth buying the album just for this track alone.
When a reviewer says "it could've been better", you don't expect to find evidence to prove it. In reality, "Discovery" truly could have been better. In 1984, Mike would also record "Crime of Passion", its B-Side "Jungle Gardenia", "In the Pool" (B-Side to "To France") and "Afghan" (B-Side to "Tricks...") - all of which are significantly better than Discovery's weaker moments. With over 30min of disc space remaining, Virgin could have at least included these as bonus tracks to give the listener the full scope of Mike's work in 1984.
If you enjoyed "Five Miles Out" or any other Oldfield album from the 80's, "Discovery" will not disappoint. If not - buy it anyway just to hear "The Lake"!!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although I possess most of Mike Oldfield's album's this still has to be one of my favourite's.Although appearing to be largely unknown(and unappreciated) by the masse's it contains some wonderfully lively tracks such as "Poison Arrows" and these are tempered by quieter tracks such as "Crystal Gazing".The masterpiece,like good wine is left 'til last."The Lake" is as good if not better than anything Mike has written and would compare very favourably to any instrumental piece on any of his album's.Definitely a good buy(I can't say anything else as it's my kid's favourite album!).
Format:Audio CD
In the early days if anyone had said Mike Oldfield would release an album with 8 tracks (7 of which were sub- 5mins) they would have laughed you out of town ...if you had also said they would all have vocals, I suspect the blue van and straight jacket would have been speeding to your home address. However, that is exactly what you get with Discovery and I for one love it. If you did like his earlier album Crises, which included the iconic song Moonlight Shadow sung by Maggie Reilly .... then this albums opens up in exactly the same style with Maggie Reilly once again singing on an equally catchy tune To France which is possibly the stand out track on a really good strong album, she also stars on a far more mellow Talk About Your Life .... her voice is just so perfect for MO's musical style. Barry Palmer also adds some solid vocals to tracks such as Discovery, Poison Arrows and Saved By A Bell.
Anyone wanting to get into Mike Oldfield without having to absorb some of his lengthy, soaring semi-orchestral compositions really just needs to buy this album. I used to own this on cassette and it is really hard to get hold of on CD and at the time of writing is not available as an MP3 download. I ended up getting a 2nd hand copy as a birthday present from my daughter and immediately committed it to my iPod. This is just great easy listening with a tinge of rock added in appropriate places such as the closing 12 minute track The Lake which does hark back to MO's usual style of growing, swirling musical adventures.
Its among his best work and you should try to have a copy in your music collection.
Anyone wanting to get into Mike Oldfield without having to absorb some of his lengthy, soaring semi-orchestral compositions really just needs to buy this album. I used to own this on cassette and it is really hard to get hold of on CD and at the time of writing is not available as an MP3 download. I ended up getting a 2nd hand copy as a birthday present from my daughter and immediately committed it to my iPod. This is just great easy listening with a tinge of rock added in appropriate places such as the closing 12 minute track The Lake which does hark back to MO's usual style of growing, swirling musical adventures.
Its among his best work and you should try to have a copy in your music collection.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great songs, great album
This isn't a concept album, but more of a pop style album. The songs are tuneful and intricate, and at a quality you'd expect from Oldfield. Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2009 by Dm Douglas
Often overlooked but perhaps his finest
Written and recorded while fresh from the Killing Fields project and in the throes of a messy marriage beak up, this is an impressively impassioned if often very angry affair - a... Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2008 by Tim Lintott
Magic! Purely magical mix of celtic rhytmes, modern instruments and...
There is a lot of CDs on my shelves, but I count only a handful of albums so incredibly powerful and charged with magic as this one. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2007 by Maciej
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