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Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells II

Mat Snow, Q, October 1992

IN 1973, THE 49-minute progressive-rock classic Tubular Bells not only seeded the Virgin empire by selling 16 million copies but also set a benchmark of acclaim which its then 20-year-old creator has yet to achieve again. Now on a new record label, Mike Oldfield seeks to reverse the long-term decline of his music's profile by attempting a project at once all too obvious and, for that very reason, breathtakingly perilous.

Total word count of piece: 493

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