Thoughts from Australia on Oldfield

[munnari!uowcsa.oz.au!stephen%uowcsa.cs.uow.oz.OZ@uunet.UU.NET (stephen)]

	I have been watching the "Great Oldfield Debate" with keen
interest over the past few weeks. I think that it's about time that I
stepped into this in the man's defense.

	I first heard of Oldfield in about 1983 and instantly fell in
love with his music, from 1972's Tubular bells on. Naturally I had
heard some of his music previous to '83, but it was the first time
that a name was ever connected to it.

	My collection of his albums has grown over the years, until
now I have all of it, including the seemingly infamous "Islands".

	I like ALL of his music!

	In each album, there is a unique element that makes it differ
from the others, which obviously reflects his changing attitude to the
music he writes. I will not enter a debate about commercialism,
although some of his later albums with the small cute songs is
directed at the top-40 market.

	Although a I like his "Wind Chimes" better than his songs, I
still cannot see a valid reason for the earbashing that his songs have
caused.

	If Mike Oldfield has the ability to change and grow, and his
music along with it, then to those people who are so narrow minded
that they too cannot see the unique elements in each piece...STIFF!

					Stephen Nicholson
					Wollongong University
					stephen@uowcsa.oz

[Oh mighty OGBO save us from Sobreity and teach us a sense of the Ridiculous]