Mike Oldfield
„QE2“
Folk, Pop, Wold, Prog. Black Vinyl, original Version 1980.

With his previous album, "Platinum" (1979), Oldfield broke new ground in terms of commercialization by dividing the album into one longer song and several shorter ones. This trend continued on "QE2." He also used a vocoder to distort vocals. Unusually for Oldfield, he included two cover songs (ABBA's "Arrival" and "Wonderful Land" by the Shadows). Equally unusual was the large number of guest musicians, including Phil Collins (drums on tracks 1 and 2) and singer Maggie Reilly.

We're dealing with a lot of instruments here, which are woven into complex, yet simpler and more catchy melodies. I wouldn't categorize "QE2" entirely as prog, as it has influences from folk, electronic, pop, and world music. 

Let me state this upfront: Mike Oldfield is a master of multiple instruments and a magnificent composer. However, I am a fan of his early works. Therefore, my subjective opinion will be less lenient. This does not change the technical prowess of a master like Mike Oldfield.

"Taurus I," at 10:17 minutes, is the most progressive song and, for me, the heart of the album. "Sheba" sounds to me like a Disney or musical song. And even that, the master pulls off. "Conflict" is a short, instrumental, and varied prog song. Despite its multitude of instruments, "Arrival" is too polished and bland for my taste—a problem I have with many cover songs. 

That brings us to side B. Another cover. Shadow's "Wonderful Land." A very cheerful track. It's catchy, I'll give it that. "Mirage" is too hectic for me, but "QE2" makes up for it with its medieval flair. "Celt" and "Molly" (for his daughter), on the other hand, are unremarkable to me.

Conclusion

Maggie Reilly's voice is a joy. So are the many different instruments. I can't deny the technical sophistication of "QE2." And even though I consider this album mediocre, I still enjoy listening to it. A contradiction? Perhaps, but it has a cheerful charm nonetheless. I already listen to enough heavy, dark music.

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

No AI was used in the making of this Review.
©01.08.2026