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Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield
 
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Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield (Hardcover)

by Mike Oldfield (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.99
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  • This item: Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield by Mike Oldfield

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Virgin Books; First Edition edition (10 May 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 185227381X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1852273811
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 131,163 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

Born without social instincts many people take for granted, brought up in an environment that was beyond his ability to deal with and possessed with an extraordinary musical talent, Mike was thrust into the spotlight at the tender age of nineteen. His first album "Tubular Bells" went on to sell fifteen million copies worldwide and catapulted him into a stardom he was ill equipped to cope with. From growing up with an alcoholic mother, to his feelings of alienation and struggles with depression, this book takes Mike from his early years, through his staggering fame, his broken marriages, years as a recluse and to his rebirth experience at a controversial Exegesis seminar. Mike Oldfield has been on a journey few of us could ever imagine, and offers a message of hope to anybody who feels they live on the edge of society.


From the Back Cover

Mike Oldfield was just nineteen when his first album, Tubular Bells, catapulted him into stardom and made him one of the most successful recording artists of all time. It was to be a journey few of us could imagine.

Growing up with an alcoholic mother and without the social instincts most people take for granted, Mike felt he never fit in. Then, with the spectacular success of Tubular Bells, he suddenly found himself struggling to cope with fame on an unimaginable scale, and a growing feeling of alienation and depression.

Mike takes readers from his difficult early years through the recording of Tubular Bells and the sudden fame it brought, to his subsequent breakdown and rebirth experience, right up to the present day in an incredible story featuring a cast of characters that includes Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful, Richard Branson and Steve Winwood. It is a unique and inspiring tale of success, struggle and hope. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (3)
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars brave and beautiful, 13 May 2007
By Dr. Robert A. Josey "mystery lover" (Scottish Highlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
I've been a true Oldfield fan since I was eleven, and was a teenager during his transition phase in 1978. I wish I had known a lot of this then - it would have gone a long way to understanding what was happening to his music. I read this book through in one go on the day I got it and found it quite an experience to reassess all that I'd thought I'd known about Mike Oldfield.
I don't think I have ever read a biography quite like this. It seems to be a real reflection of Mike's character. It is moving, funny, revealing and philosophical. There are quite a few unintentionally humorous parts - and that is good, because the reader gets a generally unfiltered view of Mike's take on life.
The person who emerges is haunted and vulnerable, and not like your usual moronic rock star. If I wasn't an Oldfield fan I would still be fascinated by the story of his life, his perceptions and psychology.
This a proper auto-biography. There is a musical journey through the 60's onwards - and Mike's comments on punk are hilarious. Then there are some colorful stories and anecdotes - like a fifteen-year-old Mike being reprimanded by Keith Richards for 'thrashing' his guitar then hiding in a corner.
And there is the deeper level of pain and distress, the serious issue of mental illness and how it was treated thirty years ago. That is where the 'brave' comes in. The documentary aspects of this side of the biography are gripping and upsetting.
The 'beautiful' is that Mike Oldfield emerges as a flawed human being - gifted to genius level - but compassionate, kind and aware of the 'mystical'/spiritual side of life. After a while I could hear his actual voice speaking in the writing. He is amiable, reflective, puzzled, enthusiastic, and really amusing.

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Putting the record straight, 14 May 2007
By Mr. R. Jordan (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Mike Oldfield fans will enjoy this. He's always been an ellusive kind of musician, against the grain of what's expected of mainstream music. The earliest albums have something of a cult reputation (massive sales of Tubular Bells make it rather more than a cult, but it remains an intimate experience), the later albums frustratingly uneven.
Oldfield's autobiography is his most satisfying production for years. As a book, it's an absorbing read, not too brief. The best sections deal with his formative years and the impact of new fame. He really does explain his early life very well. Fans will know many basic facts, but there's a kind of honesty in his book, which is quite raw in places. Amateur psychologists will love it. Naturally, the gossip can't be there, his personal relationships are barely mentioned, which is fair enough. But his own way of thinking comes over fully: therapy, emotional difficulties, (interesting) grumbles about money. In some senses, you can feel he's unburdoning himself, putting problems to rest. The only troubling aspect of this is the recognition that his best music was made under duress, and that his future work will have none of that necessary emotional drive. Die-hard fans have always wanted a repeat of the early works (he has come close) and the end of the book optimistically hints at an attempted return, thanks to self-awareness. Recommended.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, 20 May 2007
By Ian (Ireland) - See all my reviews
A fascinating insight into the life of Mike Oldfield. I loved reading this book and indeed enjoy his music. There is no doubt that he had a difficult childhood and adolesence, at which time he was at his most musically motivated. The book comes across as very frank and honest and Oldfield never over sells himself. Spiritually speaking I do wonder if he has found the truth yet? Sadly alot of Oldfields latter works have gone largely unappreciated. But he has stood the test of time. In a recent interview Mike stated that his next work will be classical in format and that it was the only thing that he hadnt really tried. I do hope that there will be a few more works before an inevitable retirement (well deserved). Once again I loved reading this book and even if your not an Oldfield fan I would recommend it. Commendable is the fact that money from the sale of this book will go to charity.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Intimate and informative
With some delay, finally read it and it's been an absolute pleasure. If you read Rick Wakeman's 'Say Yes' autobiography, then you can understand what one means by 'charmingly... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Palmyra

5.0 out of 5 stars Tortured genius
This is a fascinating insight into the life of a musical genius who produced what is arguably the most memorable and remarkable album of the twentieth century, and much other... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Roderick TAYLOR

4.0 out of 5 stars mostly very enjoyable
i enjoyed this book a lot-polished it off in under a week(quick for me!).i had a lot of sympathy for mike's youngest years,very depressing to read in parts there,great fun reading... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Lindsay Scott

5.0 out of 5 stars inside out
I generally read very slowly, more often than not attempting to maintain interest in a book more as a self-imposed discipline rather than as a genuine reading pleasure. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Stephen O'Boyle

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but ends in a rush
Although I was aware of Mike Oldfield around the "Moonlight Shadow" era, I really came to his music late, around Tubular Bells II (1990's). Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2007 by Creative Critic

3.0 out of 5 stars Afraid to face the truth?
This book is mis-titled; it should be labelled as the biography of Mike Oldfield's music. It has all the depth and power of a nine-year-old's school essay about "What I Did on... Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2007 by Pamela Langley

5.0 out of 5 stars THE STORY OF A CREATIVE GENIUS IN HIS OWN WORDS
Essential reading for all MIKE OLDFIElD fans, and helpful for people who have encountered similar problems in their lives. Read more
Published on 31 Jul 2007 by PAULINE STAVES

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not much about music but....
The title gives it all away. Changeling is about Mike Himself, how he struggled to be accepted and how he accepted people rather than going into fine detail about his musical... Read more
Published on 20 Jul 2007 by Mr. N. Carr

3.0 out of 5 stars Running out of steam?
Mike makes reference in this book to the fact that with some of his albums (Hergest Ridge & Incantations) he lost enthusiasm before the end. Read more
Published on 18 Jul 2007 by T. M. Eden

4.0 out of 5 stars A journey of music and mayhem
"Changeling" focuses primarily on the earlier part of Mike Oldfield's life, and his problematic childhood and teenage years, leading up to the writin/recording of his... Read more
Published on 11 Jul 2007 by Sotrondog

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