Mike Oldfield
Live At Montreux 1981

THE REVIEW

At the beginning of his career, Mike Oldfield was terrified of taking the stage, the first album brought on tour was the massive "Incantations" in '79 with an orchestra in tow, all of which was later documented in the live album "Exposed." The '80s, on the contrary, will see him engaged in world tours at least until 1985 to promote his increasingly successful releases. In 1981, he participated for the first and only time at the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he played for two consecutive dates. The album to promote was the transitional work "QE2," released the previous year.

Having abandoned the orchestra, with accompanying female choir, to perform the 1978 work on stage, Mike relied on his Mike Oldfield's Group, which included: Maggie Reilly on vocals, Mike Frye and Morris Pert on drums and percussion, Rick Fenn on bass and guitar, and Tim Cross on keyboards. This was the same group that would reunite in the studio a few months later to bring the new project to life, "Five Miles Out".

This beautiful concert fully captures the typical show offered by Oldfield, he with his guitar remaining at the center to dominate the scene, while the other musicians flank him to complete the musical mural. The concert opens with a medley from his latest work, "Taurus 1/Sheba/Mirage," where the most significant tracks of "QE2" are linked together with a special effect that highlights the mysterious vocals of "Sheba." The performance of the entire short suite "Platinum" stays within the realm of shorter works, which Oldfield starts devoting himself to in order to pave the way for future success. Unexpectedly, it continues with the second part of "Tubular Bells" in a new guise, more minimalistic compared to the studio version. The rendition of "Ommadawn" (part I) honors one of his most beloved and famous works, as does the highly anticipated first part of his debut work. The closing is entrusted to the Oldfield punk of "Punkadiddle," with Mike Oldfield in a trance, dominating his guitar.

With the following "Five Miles Out," Oldfield will add new live material, including the incredible "Taurus 2," here he is captured at the beginning of a new artistic phase that strongly showcases the immense talent of this composer.