Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield Released in 1974, it consists of a long suite divided into two parts, with choral and folk sections.
This is a heavily remixed version by Oldfield, for this quadraphonic release in the four-LP Boxed set.
Oldfield himself stated that this new version is "more faithful to his original intentions"... and should therefore be considered the definitive version of the work. For this reason, the original version was not reissued until 2010.
The album immediately debuted at number one in the UK charts, but after a few weeks, it was overtaken by Tubular Bells although it had been released earlier.
With this album, Mike Oldfield created something completely different from Tubular Bells, which has a harder, more anxious sound, typical of the metropolis. This is the opposite, evoking the calm of the places where Oldfield worked on the album: a green and peaceful hill in the English countryside, namely Hergest Ridge.
We find ourselves in a world of sounds and atmospheres, starting with bagpipes, percussion, instrumental changes, fantastic oboe and trumpet, acoustic guitar, great bass riffs, and of course the synthesizer, his specialty, but also magical pipe organs.
Delicate and melancholic passages and guitars that suddenly take over, choirs and flute, distorted guitars, all together and all beautiful.
I consider this album one of Mike Oldfield's best works, on par with the more famous Tubular Bells, for the emotions it evokes and the high quality of the compositions and performance, which require careful listening to be truly appreciated. On his next album, Oldfield says: "So if you're feeling a bit down, you should come to Hergest Ridge," an album the author certainly also loved.
Beautiful and highly recommended!
Tracklist
1. Hergest Ridge Part One (21:40)
2. Hergest Ridge Part Two (18:51)
Running Time: 40:31
Line-Up
- Mike Oldfield - acoustic, electric, and Spanish guitars, bass, mandolin, organs (Farfisa, Lowrey, Gemini), glockenspiel, gong, tubular bells, timpani, co-producer
Featuring:
- Lindsay Cooper - oboe
- June Whiting - oboe
- Ted Hobart - trumpet
- Terry Oldfield - flute (2, uncredited)
- Sally Oldfield - choir
- Clodagh Simmonds - choir
- Members of the London Sinfonietta - strings and choir
- David Bedford - choir and string conductor and arranger
- Chili Charles - snare drums
- William Murray - cymbals (2, uncredited)
