Crises ~Mike Oldfield

This cd is awesome. If your looking for very good music and fantastic drumming this cd is your best choice. Mike Oldfield has put together some very fine music rendations the guitar and drums blend together to form a sound that is mystical and alive .I reccomend this and give it a 5 star you must buy it and sit back,close you eyes and enjoy some awesome music

Divided I stand

First song, 20 minutes "Crises" is as good as "Tubular bells". The first 2 minutes are maybe a bit too new age but the rest is really uncredible especially the Watcher and the tower part. The great Admam Ant is playing guitar on this song.

Song "In high places" is sang by Jon Anderson (I just can't resist him). I did not know it was Oldfield who did "Shadow on the wall", a song that I liked a lot back in early 80's. Well, it is on this album. "Taurus" is a excellent accoustic guitar piece.

The 2 others songs are okay but I am not attracted to women's voice.

Rediscovering

About two weeks ago i listened once again to "Crises" and i found it not as bad as after buying...i have rediscovered it as a CD with some really great moments,the title track simply growes ojn you after many listenings...
ok, here are my impressions about all tracks...

1)"CRISES" - about 21 minutes long suite. Starts with a soft theme played by a synth and tubular bells.
after it we have a two small guitar based themes.the second one has even a loops of car engine sound and ambulance...
Later it grows in more and more energetic and full of agressive guitars title song (Mike sings as a main vocalist in this suite).
The title song is an angry anthem, where mike roars "Crises, crises!!! you can't get away...". it is a really great moment of this album.Guitar work is impressive...
Later on the atmosphere changes with "The watcher and the tower" song. It is a gentle and pathetic track with wonderfull vocals and beautifull guitar...the drums are rythmic and are a solid back-up for a melody...
"watcher and the tower" fades into a quiet variation of beginning theme...This is the most beautifull moment from here,and worth af buying whole album...Gentle synth and bass and a fantastic guitar solo...
Then the coda of "Crises" beggins...Coda is a synth variation of one of the themes from here...And this is where the suite gets boring.The loud and almost 8 minutes long ending is repetative and irritating...Even the "ommadawn" styled ending (tribal srums and female vocals) are not makling it better...
and so this suite should end after 12 minutes, not after 20...
3,5/4

2)"Moonlight shadow" - the most well-known and biggest hit ever of Mike Oldfield. I think that every person in the world heard it at least one time in lifetime...It's a nice acoutic guitar based track, with sweet vocals by Maggie reilly...sounds a bit like Fleetwod Mac songs.The guitar solo is the best one that Mike ever played.listen to this solo and you will know why he is such a genius.
5/5

3)"In high places" - A great colaboration with Jon Anderson (Yes singer). simple but very catchy song about flying.extremly cool melody. Synths and Vibraphone parts are remarkable.wonderfull.
5/5

4)"Forreign affair" - another hit single. monnotonic song based on one repetative chorus.Could be a Typical eighties pop but Mike made it kind of Mantra song...very hypnotising track...but although it is interesting it is a little bit boring.
4/5

5) "Taurus III" - third part of Taurus trilogy.A flamenco styled song but nothing special.Classical guitars are very irritating.it is a filler.just skip it
2/5

6."Shadow one the wall" - Energetic Rocker...memorable vocals by Roger Chapman...the most energetic song from here.i love almost everything about it.from the bass line to hidden banjo...
sadly the version that is here is the edit of original track that appears on "Elements" and "the complete" compilations...get the longer and original version!!!!!
3,75/5

In the end- this album is maybe not hte worster Mike 's album, but it is not his best either...there are brilliant moments on here and whole album is a classic but beside "Earth moving" it is the weakest eighties Cd of Oldfield...go and buy "QE2" of "five Miles out"!!! well, you can check "crises" too but do not expect his genius at full on here...