Some Oldfield questions and ramblings

[cks@radio.toronto.edu (Chris Siebenmann)]

 I have several Mike Oldfield-related questions that have been bugging
me for a while, and I'm hoping someone out there can answer them for
me.

1.	Has Maggie Reilly done anything musically besides sing on his
albums? Judging by her work for Oldfield, I'd probably enjoy other
stuff of hers if it existed (and I'm curious).

2.	My copy of _Ommadawn_ (Canadian CD) has two tracks listed on
the box, but actually has three. The third track is a vocal+guitar
thing with (presumably) Mike Oldfield singing (plus what appears to be
a children's choir). Interestingly, the total time for the whole album
is off by only ~10 seconds from what is listed on the back of the CD.
Does anyone know the story behind this track? The CD has no liner or
on-disc notes at all (beyond one crediting Paddy Moloney with Villean
Pipes on part 2).

3.	Does anyone know of a good book that includes a fair amount of
Mike Oldfield information? The notes that come with _The Complete Mike
Oldfield_ are interesting, but rather skimpy, and I'd like to learn
more about my favorite artist*.

4.	"Punkadiddle" from _Platinum_ sounds as if it's live. Is it in
fact live, and if so where was it recorded? Does Oldfield have a lot
of stuff that he only performs live? If so, do many Mike Oldfield
bootlegs exist? I remember reading about one here, but that's the only
mention I've seen (and the local spot that has Kate Bush bootlegs
doesn't have any Mike Oldfield ones).

5.	Is there a Mike Oldfield fan club? If there is, can someone
send me details? I'd love to join such a thing should it exist. Same
thing for useful Mike Oldfield-related newsletters/magazines.

 As for _Islands_ (to stir a dead topic again), I found the
instrumental quite good, if different from his previous stuff. I found
the vocals fairly good but obviously pop-oriented (unlike, say,
"Family Man" or "Five Miles Out", which are simply really good songs
that happen to have vocals). I certainly don't regret buying it, and
wouldn't rank it as his worse album (I'd probably put _Discovery_ or
_Crises_ in that spot)**.

 What would people pick as the best Mike Oldfield album or albums? My
personal ranking has _QE2_ (simply the most upbeat album I have, a
sure cure for all sorts of depression), _Five Miles Out_, and
_Platinum_ tied for first place, with his instrumental albums in the
second rank.

 I also wouldn't really call Oldfield's work 'pop' (except for bits of
_Crises_ and all the vocal stuff on _Islands_). Maybe rock, whatever
that nebulous term means, but not pop; I tend to regard pop as, well,
fluffy idiotic songs, and bristle instinctively when someone applies
that label to some of the best work Oldfield has done. Somewhere out
there a better classification of "Family Man" and _The Dreaming_ than
'pop' or 'rock' must exist; can anyone think/propose of one?

[Not that fluffy idiotic songs aren't enjoyable; I just don't enjoy
them in the same way I do most of Mike Oldfield's work. I tend to rate
music on a two-dimensional scale these days (fluff level and quality),
and do enjoy some fluffy but good quality songs.]

 I sure hope Mike Oldfield a) tours in support of the new album and b)
plays somewhere close to Toronto. That would make my year (I have an
English cousin who actually heard him live once; she didn't think it
was anything special. Grrr.).

Thanks in advance for all replies.

*	Kate Bush is very good; I just like most of Mike Oldfield's
stuff more. They push different buttons; _The Dreaming_ is a seriously
disturbing album and still awes me every time I listen to it, although
I like _Five Miles Out_ more.
**	Mike Oldfield's worse efforts are still acres ahead of most of
todays pop bands/songs.

[It would be appreciated if people could CC: a copy of Love-Hounds
replies to me, since rec.music.gaffa flow out here is ... ahem ...
rather unreliable.]
-- 
	You're a prisoner of the dark sky/The propeller blades are still
	And the evil eye of the hurricane's/Coming in for the kill
Chris Siebenmann		{allegra,mnetor,decvax,pyramid}!utgpu!radio!cks
cks@radio.toronto.edu	     or	...!utgpu!{chp!hak!ziebmef,ontmoh}!cks