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Track listing
1. The Wind Chimes Parts One and Two (21:49)
2. Islands (4:21)
3. Flying Start (3:38)
4. North Point (3:33)
5. Magic Touch (4:15)
6. The Time Has Come (3:55)
7. When The Nights On Fire (6:41) </center>
Total Time: 48:12
| QUOTE (allmusic.com) |
| Review by Mike DeGagne For Islands, Mike Oldfield gathered a host of musicians to further his run of more mainstream-sounding albums. The album includes vocals by Bonnie Tyler, Kevin Ayers, and Max Bacon, as well as saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft (famous for his work on Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street"), along with the album's producer and former Yes member Geoffrey Downes. Even with such talent, Oldfield only garners sporadic instances of entertaining music, and the bulk of Islands comes off as quite pedestrian-sounding. Bonnie Tyler's passionate voice lifts the title track higher than any other cut, while "The Wind Chimes, Pt. 1 and 2" serves as the second-best song, instilling some of Oldfield's instrumental originality and adroitness in order to drum up its enchanting air. Unfortunately, tracks such as "When the Night's on Fire," "Flying Start," and "Magic Touch" lack any allurement or defined character, supporting accusations from critics that Oldfield has finally run out of ideas. |
| QUOTE (amazon.com) |
| The Wind Chimes (Parts 1 & 2) from the Islands album are one of the BEST Mike Olfield works. The Wind Chimes sounds Fresh and Full of Power and Happiness. Sure, Mike Oldfield has a lot of master pieces like Tubular Bells (I, II, III and Millenium), The Songs of a Distant Earth, Amarok, Crisis, QE2, and Five Miles Out. But, if you hear The Wind Chimes (Parts 1&2) carefully you will get looped inmediatly playing it and playing it all over again and again and again... It is too sad they (Parts 1&2) only lasts almost 22 minutes. At the end you keep thinking "Man, these tracks were really good to end too soon". You will agree with me this is a Master-Piece very well constructed and performed. It will refresh your mind and your soul. Its pure magic. Enjoy. (No comments for the last 5 tracks. Well, tack #5-"North Point" can be rated as good). |
Line-up
- Mike Oldfield / guitars, basses, keyboards, drums, percussion, synthesizers, vocals
+ Kevin Ayers / vocals (4)
- Max Bacon / vocals
- Tony Beard / drums
- Rick Fenn / acoustic & electric guitars
- Anita Hegerland / vocals (2-5-7)
- Bjorn J:son Lindh / flute, synths
- Andy MacKay / sex, oboe
- Beno&#238;t Moerlen / vibraphone, percussion
- Pierre Moerlen / drums, vibraphone
- Micky Moody / electric guitar
- Simon Phillips / drums (2)
- Jim Price / vocals (6)
- Raf Ravenscroft / saxophone
- Micky Simmonds / keyboards
- Phil Spalding / bass, backing vocals
- Mervyn Spence / keyboards
- Bonnie Tyler / vocals (3)
Genre:new age
Year:1987studio album
Format:flac
Extractor:EAC v095pb5
Codec:FLAC 1.1.2
Size: 298 MB