10. Mike Oldfield, “Secrets / Far Above The Clouds” (from “Tubular Bells III”, 1999)
An epic ending to the third installment of Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” series. The second album, released in 1992, was nothing special – just a song-by-song remake of the first that, save for a few moments, only made me compare it to the original, which always shone in that comparison.
Fortunately, with the third album Oldfield took a different approach and created something new and much better than part II (although, of course, far from the first). And it ends epically with those two pieces that should be listened to together.
11. Moby, “Extreme Ways” (from “18″, 2002, and “Bourne Ultimatum” soundtrack, 2007)
The Bourne Trilogy are the best spy movies ever – better than my previous favourite, “Spy Game”, or any Bond flick (even the new ones, which, by the way, wouldn’t be that awesome if it weren’t for Bourne, as their realistic approach was greatly inspired by it).
And while I like to return to those movies once in a while, it wasn’t until recently that I actually noticed that amazing piece of music, starting with that distinctive high pitched sound playing over the last shot of the movie, and then accompanying the end credits. In the franchise’s first installment it was just instrumental, and later it contained Moby’s vocals.
Sometimes I just play only the credits of the movies, just to listen to that song combined with the movies’ last scenes.
BONUS TRACK: 12. Mike Oldfield, “Amarok” (from the album “Amarok”, 1990)
This single, 60-minutes long “song” that makes the whole “Amarok” album was a big “screw you” to Richard Branson and Virgin Records, made by Oldfield because of contractual obligation, but nevertheless it remains an amazing and epic work. I first gave it a listen several years ago, when I first got it. I saw how long it is and decided to sit that hour out and listen to the whole of it – just because it was so long. I managed to do it, but never came back again… until last year. I gave it another try. I didn’t finish, but over the next days I realized that some pieces stuck in my head. So I tried again, and then again, and again, and the unbelievably complex and everchanging piece started making more and more sense…
Now I know it by heart and can always remember what will come next. I also noticed all those more or less subtle messages pointed at Branson and when I return to this album-song I’m always in awe for Oldfield and his ability to make music that while being an artistic kick in someone’s ass, still is unbelievably awesome.
***
That was the year 2010. Let’s see what 2011 has in store for me. The hopes are high because there are new albums released or to be released by artists I follow (Coheed and Cambria, U2, A Silver Mount Zion…) that I still haven’t listened to.
It already started well, with the amazing end credits song from “Mass Effect” game I finished recently:
And with that I wish myself a musically great year 2011!
