XXV: The Essential
Encyclopedia
XXV: The Essential is a compilation album
written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield
and released in 1997. The Roman numerals
XXV are to represent that this is a compilation pieces of the first 25 years of Oldfield's work.
and Warner Music labels.
Oldfield's version of "Women of Ireland" although from his previous album of new material, "Voyager", was released as a single from this compilation album in 1997 and titled "Women of Ireland XXV".
The track "Tubular Bells III" is an early version of the main introduction theme ("Source of Secrets") from Oldfield's then forthcoming album, Tubular Bells III
. The differences between this version and the album version are there is a male vocal instead of a female vocal and there is different instrumentation.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
and released in 1997. The Roman numerals
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
XXV are to represent that this is a compilation pieces of the first 25 years of Oldfield's work.
Background
The 14 track album features songs from the first 25 years of Oldfield's career, when he was on the Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and Warner Music labels.
Oldfield's version of "Women of Ireland" although from his previous album of new material, "Voyager", was released as a single from this compilation album in 1997 and titled "Women of Ireland XXV".
The track "Tubular Bells III" is an early version of the main introduction theme ("Source of Secrets") from Oldfield's then forthcoming album, Tubular Bells III
Tubular Bells III
Tubular Bells III is the 18th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1998. A sequel to Oldfield's 1973 Tubular Bells and his 1992 Tubular Bells II albums, it was released on the 25th anniversary of the first Tubular Bells album....
. The differences between this version and the album version are there is a male vocal instead of a female vocal and there is different instrumentation.
Track listing
- "Tubular BellsTubular BellsTubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
" – (Excerpt) 4:16 - "Hergest RidgeHergest Ridge (album)Hergest Ridge is the second record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1974 on Virgin Records.Oldfield was not comfortable with the public attention that had come from the success of Tubular Bells, and retreated to the English countryside to work on the follow-up...
" (Excerpt) – 4:54 - "OmmadawnOmmadawnOmmadawn is the third record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1975 on Virgin Records. The cover photograph was by David Bailey. It peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was reissued in June 2010 with additional content.- Album history :...
" (Excerpt) – 6:57 - "IncantationsIncantations (album)Incantations is the fourth record album by Mike Oldfield, released in late 1978 on Virgin Records.The first Oldfield to be divided into more than two movements, it is the second longest work Oldfield has ever released...
" – 4:38 - "Moonlight ShadowMoonlight Shadow"Moonlight Shadow" is a pop song written and performed by English multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, released as a single in May 1983 and included in the album Crises of the same year. The vocals were performed by Scottish vocalist Maggie Reilly, who had joined Mike Oldfield in 1980...
" – 3:35 - "Portsmouth" – 2:00
- "Good News" (from The Killing FieldsThe Killing Fields (album)The Killing Fields is the 10th record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1984. It was the soundtrack album for the film of the same name and it is the only full score written by Oldfield...
) – 1:44 - "Sentinel" (Tubular Bells IITubular Bells IITubular Bells II is the 15th music album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1992. The album - the first for his new record label, Warner Bros. Records, following an acrimonious departure from Virgin Records after twenty years - was conceived as a sequel to Oldfield's 1973 Tubular Bells...
) Remix – 3:56 - "The BellThe Bell (song)"The Bell" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in April 1993. The single features a restructured, shorter version of "The Bell", from the album Tubular Bells II.- Master of Ceremonies and Instruments:...
" (Remix) – 3:06 - "Let There Be LightLet There Be Light (song)"Let There Be Light" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1995. It is from the album The Songs of Distant Earth and uses audio from the Apollo 8 space mission.- Music video :...
" – 4:19 - "Only Time Will Tell" – 4:25
- "The Voyager" – 4:22
- "Women of Ireland" – 6:27
- "Tubular Bells III" (Excerpt) – 3:40
External links
- Mike Oldfield discography - XXV at Tubular.net