QE2

It seems that "QE2" follows the footsteps of "Platinum" only it makes it even more interesting and better on the way. While "Platinum" was a good album, "QE2" is perhaps Oldfield's best post-"Incantations" album. The music is more adventurous and "free" here than on "Platinum" and the songs are generally better too. Oldfield even makes two cover songs of ABBA and The Shadows here, though it doesn't add anything special to the overall album mood. Phil Collins of Genesis and Brand X is featured on drums here and does a very good job, but otherwise it is Oldfield who plays most of the other instruments. This album also have more Celtic influences than most of his other albums, just like his third album "Ommadawn", that adds a surprisingly unique mood the the album. Another interesting fact is that the album title in fact means "Queen Elizabeth 2", the RMS passenger ship.

The strongest part of the album is undoubtley the opener "Taurus I" which is not only the best track of the album, but perhaps the best part of Oldfield's "Taurus" trilogy that started here and continued throught "Five Miles Out" and "Crises too. The weakest parts are the cover songs, though they both still are good. You can see on this album as a fusion of "Ommadawn" and "Platinum", only slightly better, actually. I'll give it 4/5 at least. Highly recommended for Oldfield fans!