Tuesday 23 June 2015

To France (Mike Oldfield, 1984)

I must admit this song is one of my favourite short songs by Mike Oldfield. Its remarkable balance between pop elements, folk roots and progressive visions gives birth to a delicate and well arranged track. Maggie Reilly's voice is a winning point here, and so are some old fashioned sounds, coming from Oldfield's huge collection.

This song also was a successful single release.


The lyrics about the Queen of Scots Mary's exile in France are also well written, but the sung melody is the actual pearl of "To France", IMHO. Rich and delicate, this theme is like a musical embroidery, a light and bright acoustic drawing. The acoustic instruments are wisely mixed to the electric ones, so that a full-bodied Fender Stratocaster's solo empowers this gentle tapestry. Sure, it's just a song... but oh my, what a song!

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