For those of you that bought the original 1975 vinyl issue of this timeless classic, you may have been disappointed by the state of the vinyl. Well, more than 25 years later, you have a chance to hear "Ommadawn" as it was meant to be heard. The vinyl is top-quality 180g virgin vinyl and plays impeccably with near-CD quality.
As for the album itself - what can I say? Mike Oldfield's most emotional and diverse work to date, fusing in an array of world music styles (African, Celtic and Greek amongst others) with his guitar work displaying an ability to relax, invigorate and keep you on the edge of your seat. The cathartic end of Side 1 is totally unbelievable - Mike's guitar stabbing its way through the African drums and celtic chants towards an explosive climax.
As for recommendations, I would suggest getting both this vinyl edition for collectability and a HDCD remaster for pure sound quality. Of course, if you like "Ommadawn", then any of Mike's works from 1973-79 come highly recommended.