365 Albums 316-330

1. Life in Slow Motion David Gray 2005
2. Thief Soundtrack Tangerine Dream 1981
3. Heaven's Open Mike Oldfield 1991
4. I'm in the Mood Live Recorded Selections 2002/2003 Jan Akkerman 2003
5. Sorcerer Soundtrack Tangerine Dream 1977
6. Charisma Joachim Kuhn 1977
7. L'Apocalypse Des Animaux Vangelis 1973
8. Parallel Lines Blondie 1978
9. The City Vangelis 1990
10. Whirlwind Spin 1977
11. Forcefield III To Oz and Back 1989
12. Wild Connections Jack Lancaster & Rick van der Linden 2007
13. Gabrielle Gabrielle 1996
14. QE2 Mike Oldfield 1980
15. Incantations Mike Oldfield 1978

365 Albums 286-300

1. Crises Mike Oldfield 1983
2. Five Miles Out Mike Oldfield 1980
3. Tyger Tangerine Dream 1987
4. 10000 Clowns Jan Akkerman 1997
5. Short Stories Tall Tales Horslips 1980
6. Horslips and the Ulster Orchestra Live at the Waterfront Belfast 2011
7. Geluckig is het land Thijs van Leer, Louis van Dijk & Rogier van Otterloo 1980
8. Rubycon Tangerine Dream 1975
9. Le Parc Tangerine Dream 1985
10. Amarantine Enya 2005
11. The Belfast Gigs Horslips 1980
12. Pergamon (Quichotte) Tangerine Dream 1980
13. Canyon Dreams Tangerine Dream 1991
14. Earth Moving Mike Oldfield 1989
15. Sunshower Joachim Kühn Band 1978

365 Albums 271-285

1. Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman 1977
2. Jan Akkerman Live Jan Akkerman 1978
3. Can't Stand Noise Jan Akkerman 1983
4. White Eagle Tangerine Dream 1982
5. CU2 Live in Tokyo Jan Akkerman 2009
6. Fromage a Trois Jan Akkerman 2006
7. The Orchestral Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield David Bedford 1975
8. Blue Joni Mitchell 1975
9. Focus Con Proby Focus 1978
10. Focus 8.5 Beyond the Horizon Focus and Friends 2016
11. Golden Oldies Focus 2014
12. The Complete Guitarist or It Could Happen to You Jan Akkerman 1982
13. North Sea Jazz Legendary Concerts Jan Akkerman 2013
14. Forcefield II Forcefield 1988
15. White Ladies Trace 1976

Flying Start

Nice quirky song from the past

365 Albums 136-150

1. Ekseption 3 Ekseption 1970
2. Come away with me Norah Jones 2002
3. Live at the Priory Jan Akkerman 1997*
4. The Celtic Harp Tribute to Bunting The Chieftains (& Belfast Harp Orchestra) 1993
5. Thunder from the Blue Sky The Vlatko Stefanovski Trio 2008
6. Beatles for Sale The Beatles 1964 (M20)
7. Every Valley Public Service Broadcasting 2017
8. After the Break Planxty 1979
9. Green River Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969
10. Pilgrim Days Indelible Grace 2 2008*
11. Platinum Mike Oldfield 1979
12. Willy and the Poorboys Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969
13. Sounds of Silence Simon & Garfunkel 1966
14. Chariots of Fire Soundtrack Vangelis 1981
15. Spiral Vangelis 1977

365 Albums 106-120

1. Five Bridges The Nice 1970
2. Trinity Ekseption 1973
3. It's only just begun Solution 1980
4. Hymns and sacred songs Leigh Nash 2011*
5. Unforgettable Fire U2 1984
6. Boof! Tony Remy 1994
7. Pilgrimage Wishbone Ash 1971
8. John Barleycorn must die Traffic 1970
9. Ricochet Tangerine Dream 1975
10. The Chieftains 7 The Chieftains 1977
11. Rise Gabrielle 1999
12. Instrumental Hymns Thijs van Leer et al 1996*
13. Hergest Ridge Mike Oldfield 1974
14. Trilogy Emerson Lake & Palmer 1972
15. Lonesome Road Doc & Mere Watson 1977

(* Suitable for Sunday playing IMHO)

365 Albums 76-90

1. The Crossing Big Country 1983 (1996 remaster)
2. Electric Warrior T Rex 1971
3. Live at Alexanders Jan Akkerman 1999
4. Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield 1973
5. Yr Hwntws Yr Hwntws 1982
6. Passion Jan Akkerman 1999*
7. Transparental Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux 1980
8. Under my skin Gabrielle 2018
9. Abraxas Santana 1970
10. Dylanesque Bryan Ferry 2007
11. Camel Snow Goose 1975
12. The Man Who Built America Horslips 1978
13. O Brother where art thou? Soundtrack Various Artists 2000
14. Hymns II Page CXVI 2010*
15. Beggar Julia's Timetrip Ekseption 1970

(* Suitable for Sunday playing IMHO)

365 Albums 1-15

I'm trying to listen to 365 albums this year. Here are 15 I've already listened to.

1. Argus Wishbone Ash 1972
2. Introspection Thijs van Leer 1972*
3. Aranjuez Jan Akkerman Claus Ogerman 1978*
4. T Rex T Rex 1970
5. Please please me The Beatles 1963
6. Guitars Mike Oldfield 1999
7. Heaven and Hell Vangelis 1975
8. Antarctica Vangelis 1983*
9. Titanium Flag Colin Harper 2017
10. Ekseption Ekseption 1969
11. Stratosfear Tangerine Dream 1976
12. American Pie Don McLean 1971
13. Hymns Page CXVI 2009*
14. Close to the Edge Yes 1972
15. Emerson Lake and Palmer Emerson Lake and Palmer 1970

(* Suitable for Sunday playing IMHO)

10 Great Acts from the Seventies

1. Focus
2. Yes
3. Horslips
4. Tangerine Dream
5. Vangelis
6. Mike Oldfield
7. Free
8. T Rex
9. Roxy Music
10. The Chieftains

Retro Album 31 32 - Guitars, Guitars

I'm not sure how many guitarists have produced albums called Guitar or Guitars but I have two albums called Guitars in my collection.

The most obscure of these is Guitars by the Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine. This came out in 1975 and is a nine track Jazz album with songs mostly composed by Catherine himself. I was only aware of the album because it came out shortly before Catherine became guitarist for Dutch rock band Focus. In fact, this album includes the delightful Sneezing Bull later recorded by Focus and part of the largely disappointing Focus Con Proby album. Live versions are also about. It took a little while to get into but is an album I still listen to and is worth checking out. Catherine has had a long career. His web page is here.

Less obscure is Guitars by Mike Oldfield, which came out in 1999. This is a very enjoyable album in and of itself. What adds to that enjoyment is not only that Oldfield plays all the music on the album himself, as usual but that he also only uses guitars of various types (strummed, plucked, struck, sampled, etc.). The most remarkable usage is that of his Roland MIDI-equipped guitars, which he uses to trigger drum samples and produce string-like sounds. Guitars used include the following (as pictured on the accompanying packaging of the CD: José Ramírez Classical guitar
Fender Stratocaster, salmon pink (1962)
Martin O-45 Parlour Guita
PRS Custom 24 with Roland synth pickup
Fender Stratocaster, sunburst (1972)
PRS Custom 24
José Ramirez Flamenco guitar
Wal 4 string bass guitar
PRS McCarty Thinline

Meetings, TV Shows, etc

I've been meaning to a sort of general update for a while now. Various things have been taking up my time as well as the regular Sunday and midweek meetings and reading, etc. About 12 days ago I had an ultra-sound scan. I'm still waiting for the results from that.

The day after that I had an officers meeting (which went on a little long) followed a week later by a church members meeting where people were reporting back on no less than four potential new members - two by profession and two coming from other churches. I welcomed in the latter two the following Sunday but the other two will need to be baptised first so we will be arranging that soon.

Then there was a Grace Magazine Trustees meeting at the chapel as we discuss whether and online attempt is feasible. I also have an LTS Board meeting tomorrow.

On Saturday we were giving out tracts in Golders Green. It was rather wet for that sort of activity. I met an old man who claimed to be an atheist. He was quite convinced this was because he knew so much but when I told him he was sadly deluded and asked him if he knew everything he got quite irate. Atheism seems quite fashionable at present. it is difficult for an atheist to show humility, which makes them immediately suspect to anyone who has thought much about these things.

As for TV shows, we have been watching Wolf Hall, of course. I thought the first one was stunning, the second less so but the series looks set to be a classic. I have also been enjoying some BBC4 documentaries - the one on Mike Oldfield and Tubular Bells, the three on recording popular music by Neil Brand (Sound of Song), one on early rock 'n' roll, and the anniversary re-recording of Please Please Me. We also enjoyed the documentary on The secret world of Lewis Carroll fronted by Martha Kearney on BBC 2.
In the midst of all this it was nice to have Dylan around for his birthday. He was in town for an interview.

Retro Album of the Week 4 - Tubular Bells

It's back to the seventies yet again I'm afraid, January 1973 again to be exact. I was going to try and break out but I watched  a documentary and a performance of TB on BBC 4 and felt compelled to get it out again. Each different part is okay but it is the combined effort that wins you over. I liked Mike Oldfield's description, which I had not heard before of seeing them taking away some tubular bells from the Manor Studio and he thinking perhaps he could use them and so getting them to put them back. In all our lives fairly small things can have quite an impact further down the road in God's Providence. I thought it was brilliant when it was used in the Olympics ceremony. I'm sure I was very late discovering it but I owned a vinyl copy with its brilliant cover and remember the Second House live presentation introduced by Melvyn Bragg one Saturday night.

I remember the tongue in cheek notes on the album (a practice Horslips really got into around the same time)

"In Glorious Stereophonic Sound – Can also be played on mono-equipment at a pinch"

"This stereo record cannot be played on old tin boxes no matter what they are fitted with. If you are in possession of such equipment please hand it into the nearest police station"

The album cover was apparently among the ten chosen by the Royal Mail for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued on 7 January 2010.

Another great fact I spotted on Wikipedia is that the only electric guitar to be used on the album was a 1966 blonde Fender Telecaster (serial no. 180728) which used to belong to Marc Bolan. Oldfield had added an extra Bill Lawrence pick-up and has since sold the guitar for £6500 and donated the money to the SANE charity. This guitar had been put up for auction a number of times by Bonhams in 2007, 2008 and 2009 with estimates of £25,000–35,000, £10,000–15,000 and £8,000–12,000 respectively.

It was always said that Mike Oldfield played all the instruments but there were others on it, quite a few. Having said that, he did play acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, Farfisa, Hammond B3 and Lowrey organs, flageolet, fuzz guitars, glockenspiel, "honky tonk" piano, mandolin, piano, percussion, "taped motor drive amplifier organ chord", timpani, vocals and tubular bells.

Isles of wonder Mike Oldfield

I did enjoy Mike Oldfield's music at the Olympic opening ceremony. There are no visuals with this video.

Olympics Opening Ceremony

I haven't stayed up so late in ages but I did last night for the opening ceremony of the Olympics which was a total triumph. Highlights for me were Chariots of fire featuring Sir Simon Rattle and Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson), the appearance of Mike Oldfield (I'd only been playing his album QE2 that afternoon) and the gobsmacking sequence with James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Her maj (I thought it particularly clever that you saw her back first and so you thought - yeah not her but then it was!). Also enjoyed Abide with me from Emeli Sande and The Arctic Monkeys doing Come Together and not forgetting JPR scoring a try for Wales. Paul McCartney at the end was inevitable and okay but poor song choice (Hey Jude - though what else I don't know) and the poor man can't sing any more (well, he is 70). How they missed any reference to Hackney born Marc Bolan I cannot imagine (this I see despite a campaign by some). Why U2 tracks were heard during the entry of the teams is mystifying. The entrance of 204 teams did become boring but it really is quite a thing to see and a reminder to pray for the nations of the world. I think it did make you proud to be British (not a phrase often on my lips) and it was good to see the Christian backbone to it all in Glastonbury Tor and Abide with me. I'm always wishing for more though and I do see the Olympic movement as a potential form of antichrist in that it in so many ways it presents an alternative way of salvation. I think Coubertin's thing about taking part not winning is fine enough but what does it oprofit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. Ultimatley if you don't win, you've lost.

Mike Oldfield William Tell

I'm quite an Mike Oldfield fan, I'd not seen this before. What fun!