It's not a negative review, but man this guy doesn't know his c*ck from his ********.Has two classic sythesiser instrumentals tracks: 4.5/5, August 19, 2007
By dfle3 (Australia) - See all my reviews
This album is, I think, an entirely synthesiser based recording. However, the variety of sounds emanating from the synthesiser more than make up for the lone instrument. I can't remember when I first heard music from this alum. Perhaps I heard some tracks before Peter Weir released him famous Australian World War I movie "Gallipoli" [based on an historical event that is used and abused to define Australia as a nation]. Some of the noises the synthesiser creates makes me think of war time noises, so perhaps that is why director Peter Weir used the track Oxygene II from this album, or my viewing of the movie influences how I interpret sounds in the cd.
Before I begin discussing the tracks on this cd, I'll just let it be said that the album cover art is one of music's best-right up there with Midnight Oil's album "Red sails in the sunset" [reviewed here by me].
Now, to the music. There are six tracks on this album, ranging from under three minutes long to over ten minutes long. Each track is called "Oxygene", followed by a Roman numeral from 1 to 6.
Oxygene I sort of sounds like a prelude to something. It's slow and delicate in nature, with some bits sort of sounding like a vessel being repeatedly filled with liquid. If you've ever seen those novelty performance tv shows, some sounds are akin to that old tv faithful of a saw being played like a violin-a mournful sound. A sound like a glockenspiel [or whatever it is called] is also apparent, when a heavier soundscape comes into play, perhaps presaging the classic Oxygene II.
One thing that surprises me is the delineation of the tracks-the LCD display on your cd will separate the tracks one way, and the album cover has slight variations on track length. To me, in some cases, both definitions are wrong-as I have certain tracks starting sooner than either the cd or the cover have them starting.
That being said, pretty much all of the tracks "bleed" into eachother. Around the time that the first track has "watery" sounds, there are also sounds which make me think of shells whistling over your head [as in wartime]. Another thing that surprised me was the feeling of joy I felt once I felt that the prelude to Oxygene II was beginning in the first track-I had a sort of Meg Ryan in the restaurant scene experience in the movie "When Harry met Sally". Don't know what that was all about-I just felt really happy listening to this bit. I hadn't heard this album for ages, until I relistened to it last night, purely to review it for here.
The second track, Oxygene II, has a terrific melody and vitality to it. The synthesiser plays the main melody in a high pitch. It races along at a fast pace, making me think of machine guns...or a rapid heartbeat...or galloping horse! Further into the track the melody changes sound and becomes more haunting. The music sounds alien and then it becomes very desolate-like the sound of a fierce wind lashing sand at you.
Track 3- has a more creepy sound...gothic, perhaps, or regal. A very low-down sound, with the reappearance of the sound like a saw being played like a violin. The tracks starts to "bleed" into Oxygene IV with the sound of birds...seagulls, perhaps.
Oxygene IV-the second classic from this album. Again, you hear the sound of wind, there is a really cool, low-down rhythym, with a very nice, melodic riff over the top of that. The song bleeds into the next track with some more 'watery' sounds, or 'stoner' sounds, depending on your view.
Oxygene V-continues bleeding from the previous track then becomes more like a church organ...solemn. It then becomes heavier in tone, not unlike parts of the third track on this album.
Might have mucked up in my note taken, as I'm not sure what part of the following refers to track 5, and when I start to comment on track 6:
There is a change of vibe-the riff becomes insistent, suggestive of either track 2 or perhaps 4. There are some nice uses of stereo 'widgy widgy' effects [i.e. if you are wearing headphones, the sounds migrate to one side of your headphones to the other, etc.].
There are more 'desolate' noises, like windswept sand, plaintive seagulls etc. Perhaps some noises can be likened to the Earth 'breathing' or perhaps it is more like the sound of waves rolling in and out of a beach.
Towards the end, you hear some Latin American sounds from the synthesiser-like maraccas, perhaps.
In conclusion, this is a terrific album-tracks 2 and 4 are pop classics, and the rest is what I would call very good 'hot bath' music!
Check out the movie "Gallipoli" to see and hear how well Oxygene II works to create tension in this movie.
If you like this kind of music, I have reviewed or recommend the following albums:
Cocteau Twins-Blue Bell Knoll [synth music with lyrics, not in English]
Air-Moon Safari [synth music with English language lyrics]
Patti Smith-Horses ['arty' music with poetic lyrics]
Midnight Oil-Bird Noises [an EP with a terrific instrumental...the title track. Has a "The Shadows" type vibe to it].
Gary Numan [don't have anything of his, but I must get a hits cd one day-he was a British pop singer who made some terrific synthesiser based songs].
Just by the by, some heavy metal acts dabble in instrumentals or trippy type music, e.g. Black Sabbath's very nice and trippy track "Planet caravan" and Metallica's cool rhythym based instrumental "Orion".
GEEEZ!A recent review on Amazon.
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