Guitars (Mike Oldfield album)
1999 studio album by Mike Oldfield
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Guitars is the 19th studio album written and performed by British musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1999. The concept of the album was to only perform it using guitar-like instruments.
| Guitars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 May 1999 | |||
| Recorded | Roughwood Studio, Buckinghamshire | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, new age | |||
| Length | 42:40 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Producer | Mike Oldfield | |||
| Mike Oldfield chronology | ||||
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Background
Oldfield plays all the music on the album, using only guitars of various types. This includes using Roland MIDI-equipped guitars[2] 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
- "Muse" – 2:12
- "Cochise" – 5:15
- "Embers" – 3:51
- "Summit Day" – 3:46
- "Out of Sight" – 3:48
- "B. Blues" – 4:30
- "Four Winds" – 9:32
- "Enigmatism" – 3:32
- "Out of Mind" – 3:46
- "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
Charts
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (Promusicae)[5] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||