Marky
Group: Members
Posts: 390
Joined: Sep. 2005 |
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Posted: May 14 2007, 07:32 |
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I have finished the book now over Friday to Monday, and feel its voice is very definitely authentic Mike Oldfield. Its content is clearly consistent with him. I did expect a few more happy anecdotes about his later recording work - but it deals mainly with his relationship with Branson & Virgin, with his mental state, his family and his therapy. I sometimes wondered if he was leaving the period after the early 1980s for a separate volume, but having finished the book I feel he has simply said what he wanted to. He isn't a natural story teller and admits this.
Its notable that he keeps nearly all the names of his girlfriends and wives and children and private details out of the book. That's wholly consistent with who Mike is. In that way, its not the sort of ravagingly honest warts and all soul baring volume one can find. Mike is simply too private for that, and maybe too respectful of others. He hardly mentions his marriage to Sally or time with Anita - its almost as if they hardly existed. And maybe that's what they would want too. Did I want that sort of information? Well, yes, a little - in so far as I know that a book of my life would not be complete without reference to significant others.
On the plus side, its Mike's voice very distinctly. It is interesting learning about his family life as a child, which has been so much of an issue for the rest of his life and his music. It is well written - simply put, but touchingly expressed. His delicate soul is apparent. It was fun to learn about the balloon ride with Branson and about Clyde the lion - something I'd not heard a full story of before, only rumours.
There will not be a second book unless its about his philosophy of things in some way. There are short break away chapters for that in this book, so again, I think he has said his piece now. This is probably all we will get from him until and unless somebody decides to rake his life over and somehow opens up others to talk about him. And I don't see that happening (a) because its hard work and his friends seem to respect his privacy and (b) because he's not bankable at the moment and while that could change, the prospects for it seem limited.
Its an interesting book, Changeling. But its not as great an insight as I was hoping for, and in the end, I suppose, it tells us what most of the seasoned listeners or readers already know about him, only in his own words. That's still useful and welcome, but if you have been a very long time Oldfield fan (and lets face it there are plenty of us around: I got into MO in 1984) I think the book is less than you might have hoped for. I hope that sounds fair, even if its a trifle disappointing.
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