Mike Oldfield - Return To Ommadwan Album Review

Return to Ommadawn is Mike Oldfield's twenty-sixth studio album, and it is a sequel to his third album, Ommadawn from 1975. It should be emphasized again that the album is a sequel and not a re-recording.

He began working on the new album in the later part of 2015, and finished in November of 2016, and Mike Oldfield is pleased to present the new album as a pure solo work.

“I’m the only musician who is involved. I play everything. There are no guest appearances whatsoever.” - Mike Oldfield

In pre-release promotion for the new album he went on to say that the suites that make up parts one and two were specifically designed for the for the album vinyl format. Stating that “I tend to think of them as being side one and side two of an LP. This was deliberately done because I love vinyl and the way it brings people closer to music. As far as I’m concerned, if you listen to downloads, that has the same impact as what you hear in a lift! Of course, the album will be made available in all the usual formats. But for me it’s the vinyl one that matters. The cover is very elaborate, and there will be a gate-fold sleeve. This will have hundreds of photos I’ve taken of all the instruments I’ve used in the recording sessions. The aim is to give everyone hours of enjoyment as they try to identify all of these, and what roles they might have played in the making of the record.”

In this new album you'll find all of those things that make Mike Oldfield music so easily identifiable. There is a strong Irish / Celtic influence in all of his work and these things are mingled well with English influences. It is an instrumental piece of music in two parts. The only vocals found are short samplings taken from the first Ommadawn, and they'll be found in short sequences in both parts.

Mike Oldfield elaborated further saying: “Looking on social media, the first three albums 40 years later are still everybody’s favorite, and Ommadawn more than Tubular Bells even. I think it’s because it’s a genuine piece of music rather than production: hands, fingers, fingernails. It didn’t have a goal; it was not trying to achieve anything nor please anybody. It was spontaneous music making, full of life. Doing Return To Ommadawn is like a return to my true self.”

The album is more ambient in essence than anything else, but here that is more than OK. There are many fantastic guitar performance that get wrapped seamlessly and integrated well with the other instruments that bring it all together as a whole piece. The guitar work is very prominent and as always it's Mike Oldfield exceptional.

All instruments played by Mike Oldfield.

Stringed instruments:

Acoustic steel guitar

Flamenco guitar

Bass guitar

Acoustic bass guitar

Mandolins

Banjo

Ukulele

Celtic harp

Electric guitars

Gibson SG Standard P90

Fender Telecaster

Fender Stratocaster

PRS Signature

Keyboards:

Vox Continental organ

Hammond organ

Farfisa organ

Mellotron

Solina

Clavioline

Piano

Percussion:

Bodhran

African table drums

Glockenspiel

Penny whistles in various keys &

Northumbrian pipes

Vocals that appear are sampled from the original 1975 version of Ommadawn.

The Top 10 Albums from 2016

Today is as good as any for taking a fond look back at this passing year of 2016, and recalling some of the best music that came out along the way, while tripping the past fantastic.

So, here we go...

December, being the end of the year always brings out the Top 10 lists of any and everything you could possibly imagine from almost everyone working a qwerty. So here's another Top 10 list for you to ponder. This list is only different in the sense that it is my own and does not reflect the opinions of anyone else. Therefore, any similarities found will be purely coincidental.

Whether you're searching for the best sellers or highest rated or whatever it may be. It's for sure out there by now only a few searches and or clicks away.

Here I offer you a Top 10 list of important albums that came out this year that are extremely good. You may already have a few, and then again, maybe I've listed a few you were not aware of or have simply forgotten.

The Top 10 of 2016

1. Blackstar - David Bowie
2. Loud Hailer - Jeff Beck
3. Britney Spears - Glory
4. Sia - This Is Acting
5. Norah Jones - Day Breaks
6. Garbage - Strange Little Birds
7. Lindsey Stirling - Brave Enough
8. Enigma - The Fall of a Rebel Angel
9. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
10. 10. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker

Many other well known established artists have also released new albums this year, and many of them are also very good. The following get honorably mentioned here and their albums are also worth getting.

1. Tove Lo - Lady Wood

2. Eric Clapton - I Still Do

3. Ingrid Michaelson - It Doesn't Have To Make Sense

4. Heart - Beautiful Broken

5. Beth Hart - Fire On The Floor

6. Eric Clapton - Live In San Diego

7. Rachel Platten – Wildfire

The biggest surprise album release from this past year is the Wes Montgomery One Night In Indy. This never before released recording of legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery with The Eddie Higgins Trio is from a 1959 performance recorded live in some small Jazz Club in Indianapolis.

Friendly reminder: This list of 2016 Top 10 Albums is for entertainment purposes and follows no known established guidelines.

The Rolling Stones - Blue and Lonesome - Review - 4 Stars!

The Rolling Stones are back with a new album. Their first new album since A Bigger Bang, and that was years ago. The new album is a batch of covers from Blues Greats that were their up and coming inspiration.

Forget about the cute little story of how and why this album came together, the story line they put out sounds like a load of BS. Instead, lets just focus on what we do have.

This new album features twelve new tracks, and with these twelve tracks, two things really stand out, the first is that the musical instrumentation is trimmed down to raw basics, and the second is the curious, slight distortion applied to Mick's vocals. Aside from that, the guitars sound like what you'd expect from the stones, Charlie's drums are as tight as ever, and surprisingly Mick's harmonica play is really a lot better than what we've seen him do in the past. Here he is really inspired and gives these numbers everything he's got. The two tracks that feature Eric Clapton do not need to be called out, as his playing is uniquely his own and these two numbers with Eric are easily identifiable to anyone who gives this album a spin.

They've recorded some of these numbers before, and the curious difference between the then and now is their approach to these songs. Today the band comes across more relaxed and their performances have a more natural fluid feel.

Then there's the difference in Mick's vocals, where he definitely sounded younger before, and now is obviously older. About the only way to describe his voice from the past to his voice of today, would be to say his vocal is more matured. Although older and more matured, he does not sound bad, instead, despite the slight layer of distortion he sounds great.

The other noticeable difference between the songs today and their versions from the past probably has more to do with the times, when everyone seemed to have more abruptness in their tempo. It was part of the times and the style that was comfortable then. So, songs then definitely seem more rushed, but it wasn't just the Stones. It was everybody, it was the sixties.

The new Blue & Lonesome doesn’t really feel or sound much like the stuff the Stones made long ago, instead it's much better, and it sounds like a good 'ol band of buddies with amazing chemistry, giving a batch of old time blues numbers a Rolling Stones make-over.

The skeptic in all of us might still be wondering...is the Jagger/Richards songwriting partnership kaput, or are these guys just out of gas...running on empty? What's the real deal here?

IMO - Keith Richards has still got it, his Crosseyed Heart solo album from last year is full of good stuff.

Maybe this album will get the guys more motivated to get an album of new songs in the works, let's hope so. Until then we have this new album to enjoy.

Rate this 4 Stars

Blue & Lonesome

1. Just Your Fool (Originally written and recorded in 1960 by Little Walter)

2. Commit a Crime (Originally written and recorded in 1966 by Howlin’ Wolf - Chester Burnett)

3. Blue and Lonesome (Originally written and recorded in 1959 by Little Walter)

4. All of Your Love (Originally written and recorded in 1967 by Magic Sam - Samuel Maghett)

5. I Gotta Go (Originally written and recorded in 1955 by Little Walter)

6. Everybody Knows About My Good Thing (Originally recorded in 1971 by Little Johnny Taylor, composed by Miles Grayson & Lermon Horton)

7. Ride ‘Em On Down (Originally written and recorded in 1955 by Eddie Taylor)

8. Hate To See You Go (Originally written and recorded in 1955 by Little Walter)

9. Hoo Doo Blues (Originally recorded in 1958 by Lightnin’ Slim, composed by Otis Hicks & Jerry West)

10. Little Rain (Originally recorded in 1957 by Jimmy Reed, composed by Ewart G Abner Jr. and Jimmy Reed)

11. Just Like I Treat You (Originally written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in December 1961)

12. I Can’t Quit You Baby (Originally written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Otis Rush in 1956)

Amazon Recall – Power Adapters – update 12-01-2016

Amazon Recall – Power Adapters – update 12-01-2016

Amazon is recalling Kindle Fire tablet power adapters!

Amazon's adapters for the seven-inch tablet that were bought between September 2015 and March 2016 are being recalled.

This new recall also extends to the adapters for the UK Fire Kids seven-inch edition.

The company first issued the recall notice back in March, but it has been re-issued by Trading Standards again this week.

According to Amazon, when the power adapter gets pulled from the wall socket, the adapter assembly can easily break apart and create a risk of electrical shock.

Amazon is advising all affected customers to stop using the adapter until a replacement is received.

An Amazon spokesman said: 

"Customer safety is our top priority, and we are proactively offering to replace these power adapters with a new adapter, free of charge. We encourage customers to exchange their original power adapters using the process below. Please discontinue use of your original adapter. Until you receive a replacement adapter, you can use the included USB cable connected to a computer or another compatible adapter to charge your tablet."

Contact www.amazon.co.uk/contactus if your power adapter is among those affected.

You can also visit www.amazon.co.uk for more details.

Power adapters sold in other countries, shipped with Fire HD and Fire HDX tablets, or displayed below are not affected and need not be exchanged.

Tove Lo - Lady Wood - Review

Tove Lo's Lady Wood doesn't have the big hit standout singles that she had on her 2014 debut, but that is what makes this an album worth playing again and again.

Her style is her own, she gives us songs that flow forth in chapters and this album features the first two chapters, the first half of a double album. The songs on this album follow the chapters  "Fairy Dust" and "Fire Fade." The third and fourth chapters "Light Beam" and "Pitch Black" are to be included on Tove Lo's third studio album that will come in 2017.

Lady Wood is a richly produced album that blends your modern tech-house sound with all the elements of dance-pop that Tove Lo fans crave.

With regard to the album's title Lady Wood Tove Lo says "it's kind of like saying a chick with balls, but since we don't have balls, it's lady wood."

She lives hard and fast in an all out self deprecating fashion, losing control of herself and relishing every moment of the experience.

With her second album she is triumphant in further exploring emotions that she is unable to control and can't ever be contained.

"Fairy Dust" is when I hear the fans shouting my name and I’m about to hit the stage. "Fire Fade" is when it all sort of starts to wear off and I’m losing connection with the fans a bit, and I’m trying to get back to that first chase. You feel vulnerable there. It's where you start to reveal your true self.

Tove Lo - describing the chapters of Lady Wood

The album is shorter than her first and lacks the big hits that might be expected, but don't let that put you off here. The surprising appeal of this album is the lack of tracks that might otherwise get overplayed, instead this is a whole album of very strong material that can be played over and over.

Rate this 3½ Stars

Internet Outage – Don't Panic!

Internet Outage – Don't Panic!

Yes, a number of big name websites are down, but your internet is not.

A number of popular sites and services are under siege right now suffering from a DDOS Attack. The attack has taken down Airbnb, Box, Boston Globe, Freshbooks, Github, New York Times, Reddit, Shopify, SoundCloud, Spotify and Twitter.

As a result of this DDOS, there is a massive outage of DNS provider DYN's many popular sites.

DYN is tracking the outage, and will post any news, as this is ongoing. They will announce updates as soon as they discover anything further about the length of outage, causes, and other sites affected.

They are also saying that the DDOS attack seems to be affecting its customers on the U.S. East coast, and the ones more specifically Managed by DYN.

Some European and Asian users accessing these sites do not seem not to be encountering these same problems, so it would seem this is a location based problem.

DYN engineers are working hard to determine the source and resolve all issues.

I say, Don't Panic!!!

It's definitely not the first time we've suffered from such attacks, and it will not be the last. One thing for sure, these things do pass, and usually systems that suffer from these attacks take this a notice to reinvest and strengthen their systems to be better prepared for future attacks.

In the meantime there's plenty of other things to do right now that probably deserves your attention more than the sites affected above.