Everything moves so fast today. This is nothing new of course, we still only have 24 hrs a day and what’s hot today is gone tomorrow. It is just the nature of our Brave New World I guess. That said, it is sometimes interesting to look back a few years and see if things that were important back then still has relevance. Do we even remember?
Looking at the recent New Age music history, the 2008 release of Mike Oldfield’s “classical music” album, Music of the Spheres, was a massive event. Not only did it promise brand new acoustic material well outside the crowded Tubular Bells-universe, but also a handful of world’s finest artists; pianist Lang Lang and soprano Hayley Westenra, conductor Karl Jenkins and the complete Sinfonia Sfera Orchestra, all participated on the album. Yes, it was massive.
Still I feel that the album came, got some nice PR and reviews in main stream media, and disappeared. (Yes, I know that this is the fate of many albums. There is just so much music being published today, and all music of the past is available at our fingertips too). Again; Brave New World. Perhaps it didn’t pass just as quick as Mike’s most recent album, Man on the Rocks.
But looking at an old post on the Tubular.net forums got me thinking. This is a post by the user: TheMann:
It is now about a year since I first listened to Music of the Spheres. Then, I was stunned by how ambitious this work really is, and I quickly felt in complete love with this masterpiece.
A year later, nothing has changed for me: I find nothing in Mikes output as emotional as this full-length, far-reaching orchester piece. Quite remarkable words, having in mind that Mike wrote (many) other eternal masterpieces, e.g., Ommadawn. Now, let’s not argue what work is his finest; It’s all down to taste.
Listening to it now, today, nothing has changed for me either; Music of the Spheres is an awesome album in all respects. It is far-reaching and quite remarkable, like previous classics. Interestingly enough, the latest review of this album is written by Mike Oldfield’s wife, Fanny Oldfield – this too on fan page Tubular.net:
It is something that has to be said about Mike’s music, it always makes you feel something…it is not like any boring track that is almost invisible. Mike’s music stays with you, tells you a story, brings emotions and gets your heart to beat faster.
If it is love for Mike or his music that makes her heart beat faster remains unsaid. My point is only that Music of the Spheres is an album not to be missed. And if I dare to make a conclusion about music in general based on this; it is not that too much is being released – it is just that all the music of the past also is so accessible today. This is great news for anyone, like me, that enjoy to dive into oceans of music and experience what’s there. But we will not get new Tubular Bells – that is; famous works of art that live on and on – but we will get just as great albums that doesn’t get famous.
Even when they are awesome, and created by someone famous.
Just like Music of the Spheres.
Play the album on:
