The album Man on the Rocks by Mike Oldfield is now out in Europe. The American release date is April 1st. Here you can read the reviews that are in so far.
Update: Don’t miss Part II and Part III of this video.
The Guardian writes: Mike Oldfield: Man on the Rocks – a not-so-new-age return – 3/5 stars
“Let me out, I can’t breathe/ Gotta get out of this concrete hole,” are the first words on Mike Oldfield’s first album in six years – a cri de coeur accompanied by a video shot on a beach in the Bahamas, where he has lived since 2009. His concrete holes, clearly, are not as others’. But that doesn’t impair the listening experience – if you accept that Man on the Rocks is the pop equivalent of a historical re-enactment society, it’s oddly engrossing.
Read it here.
MusicOhm.com writes:
Following the euphoria of a successful appearance at the spectacular London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, veteran instrumentalist extraordinaire Mike Oldfield found himself suitably revitalised to the extent whereby the veritable genius – once cruelly labelled an “old fart” by corners of the press – now releases his 25th studio album at the ripe old age of 60.
Of those previous 24 efforts, he will of course always be remembered for 1973’s Tubular Bells and with good reason – who else can lay claim to an album that’s topped 17 million worldwide sales? And a totally instrumental one to boot.
Read it here, giving the album a score of three stars.
Express.co.uk has a nice interview with Mike in connection with the album release:
Mike Oldfield: “When you get to my age, it’s very difficult to pick a favourite photograph. But I was flicking through a few snaps taken outside my house in the Bahamas earlier this year and this one jumped out at me. I’m relaxed, I’m playing the guitar…
I guess the picture represents a sort of milestone in my life. I’ve reached 60, I recently became a grandfather, I feel settled and I’m still making music. What more could I ask for?That view is what I see every time I look out of the window from my studio. Being on land and constantly looking out to sea gives you a real feeling for what’s going on out there. I wouldn’t call myself an expert or anything, but I’ve learned a bit about the winds, the currents and the beautiful sea life that you find in this part of the world.
Read it here.
Here is the album available on the british version of Amazon.