Oldfield, Ayers

[harvard!zinn!mem@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mark E. Mallett)]

> Colm Mulcahy        |  {sun!sunatl,gatech}!emory!colm		UUCP

> Kevin Ayers is one of the true geniuses of late sixties/early
> seventies rock in Britain. It was on HIS records from this period that
> Oldfield and Bedford (or am I thinking of Palmer ? Confusion here I'm
> afraid) got their first public exposure.  If only Oldfield was half as
> good as Ayers .......

According to the notes on Mike Oldfield's "Boxed Set", some of this is
true-- Oldfield and David Bedford both played in Kevin Ayers band.
That hardly says anything about their relative work.  Maybe if you can
mention something that Kevin Ayers has done other than to help out on
this latest Oldfield awfulness.  I have heard some David Bedford stuff
and I can't say that he benefited from Kevin Ayer's greatness.  Mike
Oldfield was recognized for "Tubular Bells" and other instrumental
works, not from playing guitar in a rock band.

> Of course Kev's voice may well be shot as this point, what a shame.
> For a REAL treat hunt down Oldfield's 1984 single "Shadow On The
> Wall", with the great Roger Chapman on vocals.

A real treat, if you think pity is a treat.  Much like the latest
album, "Discovery" was full of boring, simple, pop-oriented songs;
songs as opposed to music, which is what Oldfield used to do and what
I wish he would still do.  "Shadow on the Wall" is a perfect example.
It consists of some guy yelling "Shadow on the Wall" over and over.
What genius!  (obviously I'm exaggerating.  There are a few other
words shouted in there too.)

> It was Mike Oldfield & his like who "inspired" a large part of the
> mid-70s upheaval

Mike Oldfield inspired disco? :-)  Really, though, what do you mean?

Me-- I picked up the Islands CD last week.  A day before I read here
that the American version had the instrumental section scissored.
What is in the minds of US producers, if anything?

Anyway, what a disappointment.  I knew I was in trouble when I brought
it to the counter and the 17-year-old girl popping bubble gum and
listening to "Plate O Shrimp" said, "wow, this is a great album".  And
I brought it home and listened to it, and heard that it is simply more
"Mike Oldfield goes Pop".  Then I put on Five Miles Out and wanted to
cry...  First Clannad enlists Steven Perry, then Oldfield and Bonnie
Tyler.  What's next, Kate and Kenny Rogers?  (Maybe Kate and Big
Country?)

-mm-

--
Mark E. Mallett  PO Box 4188/ Manchester NH/ 03103 
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