On 27 Aug. 2020 Ryan Yard will release a book called “Mike Oldfield: Every Album, Every Song”. In this book, Yard looks at the entire catalog of albums to uncover what it is that makes Oldfield’s music so special. Each track from every album is critiqued with the aim of offering long term fans a different perspective whilst enticing new fans to explore and familiarise themselves with such wonderful new music.
“It can be difficult for an artist to have such overwhelming success so early into their career as was the case for Mike Oldfield,” writes Yard. “To this day, his name is forever synonymous with the album “Tubular Bells”. Mike followed this album with three further long-form works in the 1970s, before venturing off onto other musical paths.”
Ryan Yard is a Composer, Pianist and Teacher. He has recorded five studio albums drawing upon his love of Progressive Rock, Electronica and Classical Music, and worked with artists such as Robert Reed, Tom Newman (producer of Tubular Bells) and Les Penning (who played recorder on the Oldfield hits “Portsmouth” and “In Dulci Jubilo”).
“The 1980s saw Mike Oldfield’s further success both in the albums and singles charts, while recent years have seen a return to long-form music, often via sequels to his most famous work, with his most recent album being “Return To Ommadawn” in 2017,” continues Yard. “The music of Mike Oldfield touches listeners in ways that can be hard to describe. It bridges the gap between many musical cultures, whilst staying sharp and alert to current technological trends.”
“Mike Oldfield: Every Album, Every Song” is available for pre-order on Amazon.