Sentinel_NZ
Group: Members
Posts: 168
Joined: June 2021 |
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Posted: Oct. 15 2023, 02:35 |
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| Quote (familyjules @ Oct. 14 2023, 06:58) | | Quote (Sentinel_NZ @ Oct. 12 2023, 23:21) | | Quote (larstangmark @ Oct. 12 2023, 15:12) | | the HR cover is kind of lame, |
I believe that's why it was upgraded in 2010 because I'm not sure anyone was ever entirely happy with the original. The updated version is far more pleasing, although even then it could probably have been better since the fibre glass type glider, even the whole idea of powered human flight, is arguably too contemporary and mundane for the premodern, other-worldly, pastoral style of music (apart from the full frontal electric guitar assault of side 2 of course). Something more along the lines of Return to Ommadawn or possibly something in the manner of progressive rock album cover artists William Roger Dean (Yes) or Paul Whitehead (Genesis) could have been a better fit. But then overall Mike's team was remarkably conservative with their album cover design choices at least for albums 2-4. Nothing really iconic, creative, or reflecting the music, going on with them at all. |
Whilst personally I would avoid the much overused word "iconic", I'd say that the David Bailey photograph of Mike used for Ommadawn makes for a very striking cover, and is definitely one for the ages.
I'm not a fan of retrospectively changing the album sleeve images, as Mike did for both Hergest Ridge and Incantations. They may have been flawed, but those are the images we associated with the music for decades. Just leave them be, says I.
Jules |
On 2nd thought, when you put it like that, I can appreciate the Ommadawn cover. Simple, no nonsense, but it has a kind of deep power, much like the music itself. The original Hergest Ridge cover is not great and I like the upgraded version much more. There's nothing wrong if you think of it as the cover of the 2010 remaster/mix, which is a quite different musical experience, so a different product, different packaging, that seems reasonable. With Incantantions, unlike Ommadawn, it's not really a very flattering portrait of the artist. He looks uncomfortable and kind of gooberish, unlike the quietly brooding, Mona Lisa-like mysteriousness and handsome debonair air of the Ommadawn study.
With Return to Ommadawn, that's one of my favorite covers for any album. It's absolutely brilliant, in my opinion, and really fits with the music. It was possibly conceived in response to Man on the Rocks also, to mark the album as totally distinct from the bland, useless AI-generated sounding soulless, lifeless, watered down throwaway corporate rock of that record; instead, here was something that went deeper into Oldfield's progressive, pastoral, ancient Celtic and Brythonic-infused spiritual roots than anything since the original quartet, and arguably even surprised their unparalleled magic. Also, someone said Mike had been enjoying "Game of Thrones" and wanted something reminiscent of that, and even though Robin of Sherwood (84-86) is the last word in medieval TV as far as I'm concerned, who are we to quibble with the artist's inspiration. In fact, in that sense, Return to Ommadawn becomes something of a spiritual sibling to Clannad's equally haunting and timeless soundtrack (Legend). I'm sure Mike must have been a longtime admirer of that album.
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