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Music : Incantations
page 1 of 3
Rating: 
- So beautiful it literally makes me cry
I love the whole album, but it is the last 5 minutes of Track 4 (what was side 4 of the double LP) that is the truly outstanding part. The rest of Track 4, and arguably the whole album, just builds and builds to the incredible climax when Maddy Prior's voice comes in. It is just so beautiful, it literally brings tears to my eyes. In more than 30 years of listening to music (this being one of the very first albums I bought), there are only a handful of tracks that can do that.
Don't just listen to Maddy, however. You have to listen to the whole album to get the full effect of Maddy's bit.
Rating:
- remastering has been kind to this old favourite
I sought out this cd especially for the Hiawatha poem sung by Maddy Prior which features on tracks 2 & 4. On the original 1978 album this was an especially beautiful and memorable part of the album, especially the version on track 4. The melody develops in gradual layers, growing into a holding space promising the lovely song to come. Maddy's singing also grows gradually to a crescendo that's just a joy to sing along to. The song seems perfect: minimalist in its repeating melody while very moving in its layered development, and closed in perfect time.
This "new" version has not been annoyingly tampered with, if anything the slight tweaks make it even more pleasing to the ear. Incantations is not a perfect album, it has its weaknesses (tedious underdevelopment of potential on track 1 hence 4 stars) but to hear it again is a lovely trip down memory lane.
Rating: - Simply the Best!!
For me "Incantations" stands head and shoulders above the rest of Oldfield's work.
Not only because of the sheer energy that runs through it (and the moments of outstanding nocturnal beauty), but the whole thing derives from the opening chord so, despite its length, it is highly concentrated.
I love many of his other albums but this is the very very best.
Rating: - I Share All Of The Previous Observations Frustrations!
What a wonder it would be that if a musician as eminent as this would be drawn to opinions expressed here and thereby be reborn as an artist and reproduce the breath taking simplicity (ostinato) and yet genious of Incantaions again. Whatever is said about TB1 or Ommadawn this album is a true zenith but came out a year or two late and disappeared in the punk backlash. You MUST buy it and put it on your IPOD or car stereo - it will eat into your psyche and you will look for similar genious in Oldfield's other work - but alas, to date, you won't find it!
Rating: - Good one Mike
I really don't know how Mike Oldfield has lost it these days. He's just lost in the Techno world. But he's one of a kind as a musician. You see it in this album. I would say this was the very first of the Techno albums that now have lost their way. But he got this one right. Synths were used when they were needed.
If Mike reads this.
Please re-discover what you wanted from this album and re-produce it again.
It was a departure from Ommadawn. Not an earthy sound but somewhere in between the earthy sound and the electro sound. I like this album cuz he had got it right. It had atmosphere like Hergest ridge and Ommadawn. Tubular Bells is still the enigma album that glorifies musical instruments and sound. But this album was his best.
- So beautiful it literally makes me cryI love the whole album, but it is the last 5 minutes of Track 4 (what was side 4 of the double LP) that is the truly outstanding part. The rest of Track 4, and arguably the whole album, just builds and builds to the incredible climax when Maddy Prior's voice comes in. It is just so beautiful, it literally brings tears to my eyes. In more than 30 years of listening to music (this being one of the very first albums I bought), there are only a handful of tracks that can do that.
Don't just listen to Maddy, however. You have to listen to the whole album to get the full effect of Maddy's bit.
Rating:
- remastering has been kind to this old favouriteI sought out this cd especially for the Hiawatha poem sung by Maddy Prior which features on tracks 2 & 4. On the original 1978 album this was an especially beautiful and memorable part of the album, especially the version on track 4. The melody develops in gradual layers, growing into a holding space promising the lovely song to come. Maddy's singing also grows gradually to a crescendo that's just a joy to sing along to. The song seems perfect: minimalist in its repeating melody while very moving in its layered development, and closed in perfect time.
This "new" version has not been annoyingly tampered with, if anything the slight tweaks make it even more pleasing to the ear. Incantations is not a perfect album, it has its weaknesses (tedious underdevelopment of potential on track 1 hence 4 stars) but to hear it again is a lovely trip down memory lane.
Rating:
- Simply the Best!!For me "Incantations" stands head and shoulders above the rest of Oldfield's work.
Not only because of the sheer energy that runs through it (and the moments of outstanding nocturnal beauty), but the whole thing derives from the opening chord so, despite its length, it is highly concentrated.
I love many of his other albums but this is the very very best.
Rating:
- I Share All Of The Previous Observations Frustrations!What a wonder it would be that if a musician as eminent as this would be drawn to opinions expressed here and thereby be reborn as an artist and reproduce the breath taking simplicity (ostinato) and yet genious of Incantaions again. Whatever is said about TB1 or Ommadawn this album is a true zenith but came out a year or two late and disappeared in the punk backlash. You MUST buy it and put it on your IPOD or car stereo - it will eat into your psyche and you will look for similar genious in Oldfield's other work - but alas, to date, you won't find it!
Rating:
- Good one MikeI really don't know how Mike Oldfield has lost it these days. He's just lost in the Techno world. But he's one of a kind as a musician. You see it in this album. I would say this was the very first of the Techno albums that now have lost their way. But he got this one right. Synths were used when they were needed.
If Mike reads this.
Please re-discover what you wanted from this album and re-produce it again.
It was a departure from Ommadawn. Not an earthy sound but somewhere in between the earthy sound and the electro sound. I like this album cuz he had got it right. It had atmosphere like Hergest ridge and Ommadawn. Tubular Bells is still the enigma album that glorifies musical instruments and sound. But this album was his best.
