Q.E.2

Artist: Mike Oldfield
Type: Album
Release date: 1980
Run time: 39:47
My Rating: 5

1. Taurus 1 (10:17)
2. Sheba (3:32)
3. Conflict (2:48)
4. Arrival (2:45)
5. Wonderful Land (3:37)
6. Mirage (4:39)
7. QE2/QE2 Finale (4:56)
8. Celt (3:04)
9. Molly (1:13)

Comments

I started off by listening to Taurus 1, 2 and 3. (2 and 3 being on Five Miles Out and Crises) All three share common tunes while going in completely different directions. Mike ought to release a sequel on one album.

Anyway, back to Q.E.2. The tracks really signal the start of the early-eighties era of Mike's music. Shorter tracks, each with a character of their own. Conflict, for instance, is a dark warlike piece with African drums and a heat-of-the-battle guitar. Wonderful Land is in a style which might well have suited Mike's later album Voyager...

This album also marks the first really full use of nonsense lyrics. There's no point listening to the words, because they're not English...