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Baker's Dozen

An Ommadawn Chorus: Mike Oldfield's Favourite Albums
Gary Kaill , January 23rd, 2017 10:59

As Mike Oldfield releases new album Return To Ommadawn he guides Gary Kaill through 13 albums that he listened to before he began making music - after which he never listened to much music at all

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Satie - Gymnopédies
I have a real love for this whole period: the early 1900s up to about 1940. And not just music - I love so much of the art as well. I really like the Impressionists. I love Dali too, love all of that stuff. And I think Gymnopédies fits in really well with much of the work of that period. I've always gained a great deal of pleasure from so much of the art of that era. I visited Renoir’s house and I went to the Monet museum. Can I play it myself? Oh yes! Well, I used to play what we'll call a version of it. I don't actually read music, you know. But yes, it was a great inspiration to me. As were the movements of the period as a whole: just wonderful people. A really exciting time for music and art.