QE2

But this "QE2" starts brilliantly. Actually, I don't see any quality difference between "Taurus I" (in awaiting of "Taurus" II a little later) and his former and great albums. The same sort of inspired track as "Ommadawn". It sounds very optimistic and enjoyable. Shortly formatted (just over ten minutes) if you compare it to the epics of his debut; but maybe therefore stronger as well since there is no time for weakness (but I couldn't find lots of weaknesses in his first three ones).

The second very good track is "Conflict". Powerful percussions, wild guitar. Catchy and different from Mike's usual production. The ethnic "Sheba" features nonsense words, but apart from this funny anecdotal characteristics, there is more a tendency to press next than to listen to it to be honest.

I won't say that the "Abba" cover is the most exciting experience in my musical life, but I prefer this version in comparison to the original (but I do not like "Abba". Do you?). These two covers are just pleasant but rather unexpected on an Oldfield album (the second being a "Shadows" one)!

More seriously, Mike produces another good instrumental track (except those brass) with "Mirage". Great beat and solid guitar work. It borrows some parts of the "Black Night" riff (Purple) but played faster. At least I feel so. Amazing.

I would have expected a better song as the title track. It is invaded by brass again (which I don't like at all). These kind of ruin my perception of the whole of this track which otherwise contains some very good parts but some other naïve ones as well. Just average. I guess that a more stripped of version would have sound better.

Mike is using the same technique for the lyrics from Sheba and applied it to Celt. They only mean what you want them to mean (which probably means ... nothing).

This is another good album from Mike, but he has used us to better than that of course. Still, it was encouraging to still have some good prog production in those dark days for the genre.

Three stars.

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