Guitars (Mike Oldfield album)

Guitars is a record album written and performed by Mike Oldfield, released in 1999 (see 1999 in music). The concept of the album was to only perform it using guitar-like instruments.

Background

Oldfield plays all the music on the album, using only guitars of various types. The most remarkable usage is that of his Roland MIDI-equipped guitars,^[2] which he uses to trigger drum samples and produce string-like sounds. "Four Winds" is a four-part work, whose sections are musical portraits of the four compass points (North, South, East and West).

The Live Then & Now 1999 tour was in promotion of this album, and Tubular Bells III.^[3]

Track listing

1. "Muse" – 2:12
2. "Cochise" – 5:15
3. "Embers" – 3:51
4. "Summit Day" – 3:46
5. "Out of Sight" – 3:48
6. "B. Blues" – 4:30
7. "Four Winds" – 9:32
8. "Enigmatism" – 3:32
9. "Out of Mind" – 3:46
10. "From the Ashes" – 2:28

Inner cover photo

The liner notes has a photo of Oldfield surrounded by some of his guitars, which he used on the album. From the classical (Spanish acoustic) guitar at the top (and slightly to the right) going clockwise, the guitars are as follows:

• José Ramírez Classical guitar
• Fender Stratocaster, salmon pink (1962)
• Martin O-45 Parlour Guitar
• PRS Custom 24 with Roland synth pickup
• Fender Stratocaster, sunburst (1972)
• PRS Custom 24
• José Ramirez Flamenco guitar
• Wal 4 string bass guitar
• PRS McCarty Thinline

References

External links

• Mike Oldfield Discography - Guitars at Tubular.net