Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Harbinger
2. Animus
3. Silhouette
4. Shabda
5. The Tempest
6. Harbinger reprise
7. On My Heart
8. Aurora
9. Prophecy
10. On My Heart reprise
11. Harmonia Mundi
12. The Other Side
13. Empyrean
14. Musica Universalis

Disc 2:

1. Harbinger (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
2. Animus (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
3. Silhouette (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
4. Shabda (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
5. The Tempest (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
6. Harbinger reprise (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
7. On My Heart (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
8. Aurora (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
9. Prophecy (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
10. On My Heart reprise (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
11. Harmonia Mundi (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
12. The Other Side (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
13. Empyrean (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)
14. Musica Universalis (LIVE at the Guggenheim Museum)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8944 in Music
• Released on: 2008-11-24
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .27 pounds
• Running time: 90 minutes

Album Description
This is the special edition release of Mike Oldfield's 'Music of the Spheres'. This release is a double disc album which includes a bonus disc of the 'Live at the Guggenheim' performance that was recorded on 7th March 2008 in Bilbao and is now available for the very first time. The Legendary Mike Oldfield is only one of three artists to ever knock himself off the number one spot (the other two being Bob Dylan and The Beatles.) Mike Oldfield's debut album Tubular Bells has sold over 16 million records worldwide and is still selling. 'Music of the Spheres' sees the collaboration with the highly respected Karl Jenkins. Oldfield has returned to his ubiquitous Tubular Bells and used a theme from it AS the theme for his first attempt at a truly 'classical' album.
With a guest appearances by the divine Hayley Westenra on
the vocal piece 'On My Heart' and acclaimed pianist Lang Lang who appears throughout, Oldfield has drawn upon the best the Classical world has to offer for this outing.

Customer Reviews

Classical Brilliance
I have been listening to Mike Oldfield since Tubular Bells and own every single piece he has ever produced including all the singles (who remembers Guilty, William Tell Overture, Froggy went a Courting?) Over the years Mike has reached musical brilliance but has sometimes, I think in an effort to be different, slightly missed the mark. (I found Guitars a bit disappointing)Although I keep in mind what Tolkien said about his book, in that what altogether was loved by some readers was sometimes hated by others. So it is also for Mike - but this is one of his finest pieces. When you first hear it you latch onto the familiar haunting Tubular Bells riff that sometimes appears but,like many of his other albums - what appears strange at 1st, grows on you until you eventually learn that part and keep listening to it, then you play your favourite parts until you finally realise the whole work is totally brilliant. Buy this if you don't already have it - you won't be disappointed.Music of the Spheres (Special Bonus LIVE Edition)

Excellent (but flawed)
Mike Oldfield is his own worse enemy I think! If you simply listen to the music and ignore the obvious references to Tubular Bells there's loads to enjoy here but those Bells references are just too obvious - even down to the cover, where the spiralling globes form an image that, whilst not exactly the same as the famous bent tubular bell, is enough like it to ring bells (pun intended!). I'm sure lots of people will be put off by that harking back (again) to former glories.

It's a fine piece of work though, with some very nice guitar touches. Not hugely keen on the vocal piece, I feel it distracts from the flow of the instrumental, but it comes and goes quite quickly.

All in all, it's a flawed piece but still better than the last couple of new age, techno albums he's produced.

Sublime!
Mike Oldfield's music has long been an inspiration to my poor old ears. 'The Music of the Spheres' is no exception. Adding to my special favourites, 'Tubular Bells' and 'Hergest Ridge', the 'Spheres' has taken my appreciation to a new level. No longer a 'Virgin', Oldfield has, perhaps, produced his best yet. The guy is without a doubt one of the best musical talents this part of the world has ever produced. Is the best yet to come? I find it difficult that this music can be surpassed. But who knows!

Meanwhile,let me treat my poor old ears!

Thank you, Mike!