Mike Oldfield

From the Source

QE2 serves as Mike Oldfield's sixth studio album and comes at a time in his musical career where his move towards pop influences and stylings is well established. QE2 is home to two cover versions of original pop songs - ABBA's 'Arrival', and The Shadows' 'Wonderful Land' - both given the unmistakeable makeover of Oldfield's masterful hand.

QE2 marks the beginning of Oldfield's Taurus trilogy, with the original 'Taurus' being conceived within the album. With guitar work which is thickly atmospheric, and pulsating yet haunting simultaneously, and truly showcasing the beauty of the human voice, Oldfield remains as innovative as ever. With the track 'Celt' drawing strong influences from Oldfield's personal interest in all things Celtic, it's almost impossible to fight the urge to strap a few bells around your ankles and dance along.

Says Oldfield "I don't actually sit down and say, 'Right, I'm going to compose something.' I just love playing things. I play the piano, or I play the guitar. I always improvise. I don't think that I'd play anything that I loathed. If I find something that I think is nice, I'll play it again, and if it seems really good enough I'll put it down on tape. Then I'll think of what else can go with it. Once thing leads to another, and then I'll find one more bit and stick that on, just building, building, building - until I've got a whole thing."