- Hergest Ridge (album)
Infobox Album | Name = Hergest Ridge
Type = studio
Artist =Mike Oldfield
Released = start date|1974|8|28|df=yes
Recorded = The Manor, spring 1974
Genre =Progressive rock
Length = 40:14
Label = Virgin
Producer = Tom Newman
Mike Oldfield
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kpfrxq8gldte link]
Last album = "Tubular Bells "
(1973)
This album = "Hergest Ridge"
(1974)
Next album = "The Orchestral Tubular Bells "
(1975)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Mike Oldfield studio album
Type = studio
Last album = "Tubular Bells "
(1973)
This album = "Hergest Ridge"
(1974)
Next album = "Ommadawn "
(1975)"Hergest Ridge" is a record album, written and mostly performed by
Mike Oldfield released in 1974 (see1974 in music ). It was his second album and like its predecessor, "Tubular Bells ", was number 1 in theUK album chart s, but unlike its predecessor, it went straight in at the top spot.After being in the spotlight for "Tubular Bells", something that Oldfield found uncomfortable, he retreated to the English countryside to work on his next opus. "Hergest Ridge", named after a hill on the border of
Herefordshire andWales near where he was living at the time, was the result."Hergest Ridge" was the number one album the week of
14 September 1974 and remained so for three weeks until being knocked out of the spot by its predecessor "Tubular Bells". Oldfield is thus one of only three artists (along withThe Beatles andBob Dylan ) to have defeated themselves in this manner.Album analysis
Like "Tubular Bells", the album is divided into two movements, but unlike its multi-themed and rapidly-changing predecessor, "Hergest Ridge" involves economic use of the various themes and with more sophisticated
musical development . Oldfield is also innovative with "Hergest Ridge" in the novel way in which he builds up textures, commonly involving multiple layers of electric guitar recorded by first amplifying heavily (to achieve a sustained organ-like quality) and then reducing the volume greatly. Textures are extended further using various organ timbres and the use of voice as an instrument (the voice is never treated prominently and is deliberately reduced as much as possible and thus permitted largely for textural effect).According to producer Tom Newman, parts of the album were also recorded at Chipping Norton, and the original release mix created at
Air Studios ,London .Versions
"Hergest Ridge" was remixed in quadraphonic stereo by Oldfield in 1976 for the 4-LP set, "Boxed". Following the creation of the remix, Oldfield stated that he wished for this new version to be the one used for all future releases of the album. All
CD releases have the "Boxed" mix, as do most of the later pressings of LP and cassette. The remastered bootleg version of the original mix is distributed in the Internet.An orchestral version of "Hergest Ridge" was arranged and conducted by
David Bedford , the same as "The Orchestral Tubular Bells ". Parts of its performances were used in theNASA documentary "The Space Movie ". To date, it has not been officially released.Hergest Ridge, the place
Hergest Ridge is a popular vacation destination for Oldfield's fans, and the house where he lived at the time, The Beacon, is now a guest house. The cover photograph features scenery from Hergest Ridge, and was taken byTrevor Key ; theIrish Wolfhound on the cover (and on the LP label) is named Bootleg. "Hergest" in the title should be pronounced with hard "g" and with the first "e" pronounced as an "a" - either "Hargist" or "Hargest" - not "Herjest", "Harjest" or "Harjist".Although the album was written at The Beacon, it was again recorded at Branson's The Manor, like "Tubular Bells".
Track listing
# "Hergest Ridge, Part one" – 21:29
# "Hergest Ridge, Part two" – 18:45Personnel
*
Mike Oldfield – Acoustic guitar,bass guitar ,electric guitar s,Farfisa , Gemini, and Lowrey organs;glockenspiel ,gong ,mandolin ,nutcracker , sleigh bells,Spanish guitar ,timpani , andtubular bell s.
*Chilli Charles -snare drum
*Lindsay Cooper -oboe
*Ted Hobart -trumpet
* William Murray -cymbal
*Sally Oldfield - vocals
*Terry Oldfield -woodwind s
*Clodagh Simmonds - vocals
*June Whiting - oboe
* Unknownchoir (possibly the Queen's College Singers?) and strings players, conducted byDavid Bedford succession box
before = "Band on the Run " byPaul McCartney & Wings
title = UK number one album
years =September 14 ,1974 –October 4 ,1974
after = "Tubular Bells " byMike Oldfield External links
* [http://tubular.net/discography/HergestRidge.shtml Mike Oldfield Discography - "Hergest Ridge"] at Tubular.net
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