Customer Reviews
Often overlooked but perhaps his finest - By: Tim Lintott, 13 Jun 2008 
Written & recorded while fresh from the Killing Fields project &in the throes of a messy marriage beak up, this is an impressively impassioned if often very angry affair - a long way from the cool experimentation of Tubular Bells or Ommadawn.
The heaving, desperate title track stands out, but all eight stand up on their own while making a fine whole, the closing instrumental bringing the strands together while trying to find some final peace.
Barry Palmer's vocals stand out for me - he is a seriously overlooked rock singer.
Very Good - By: AJ, 31 Mar 2008 Really like this album,quite up tempo sound with lots of singing yes singing on it quite different to a lot of Mikes earlier albums,some excellent guitar work through album.This album reminds me of Islands another favourite of mine from Mr Oldfield.If you like Mike Oldfields early works you should enjoy this album I find it very uplifting.Its great;
Magic! Purely magical mix of celtic rhytmes, modern instruments and two magnificent voices! - By: Maciej K., 23 Sep 2007 There is a lot of CDs on my shelves, but I count only a handful of albums so incredibly powerful & charged with magic as this one. Mike Oldfield, who really doesn't need to be introduced anymore with his world fame, took old celtic (Scottish, Irish & Welsh) & popular English rhytmes & completely transformed it, to make one of the most original & powerful modern musics. He is using technically advanced instruments (including synthetisers, etc.) butin the same time he managed to keep old magicin his works - there is simply no way to describe the fascinating & unique sound he so achieved. Although he is mostly famous for the instrumental music, he is also the author of the already legendary song "Moonlight Shadows" (not included here) & on this CD you will find no less than SEVEN songs, interpreted by two greatly talented artists, owners of particularly magnificent voices: Maggie Reilly (who also interpreted "Moonlight Shadows") & Barry Palmer. This album is pure magic & since I discovered itin the 80s, I listened it may be about one hundred times. And the magic still works! It is worth to give it a try - & if you like it, try the precedent album, "Crises", which includes "Moonlight Shadows".
Great album - but it could have been near perfect! - By: Simon Slator, 17 Oct 2002 
Within just two years, Mike had gone from the loose folk/hard rock fusion of "Five Miles Out" to the almost-sterile "Discovery". Locked awayin a Swiss studio within sight of Lake Geneva, Mike recorded his 9th studio releasein 11 years armed with a good set of songs, but a bad sense of selection.
Most of the tracks on "Discovery" rate a lot higher than those on "Crises". "To France" is one of those songs that just hits you - a left-of-centre pop song about the exile of Mary Queen of Scots, containing some of the most powerful guitarwork Mike would produce during the 80's. The other single, "Tricks of the Light" is actually quite catchy & harmonious yet it feels too quirky & swamped by the use of the Fairlight. The remaining vocal tracks are listenable, but nothing too special.
Fortunately, once you're passed the hit-and-miss vocal songs, you're presented with the 12min instrumental, "The Lake". It starts off shimmering & pastoral building into what sounds to me like an instrumental version of Status Quo!! Nice touch! The album rounds off with a true grand finale, propelled to epic proportions by the drums of Simon Phillips battling against Mike's blistering guitar. It's worth buying the album just for this track alone.
When a reviewer says "it could've been better", you don't expect to find evidence to prove it. In reality, "Discovery" truly could have been better. In 1984, Mike would also record "Crime of Passion", its B-Side "Jungle Gardenia", "In the Pool" (B-Side to "To France") & "Afghan" (B-Side to "Tricks...") - all of which are significantly better than Discovery's weaker moments. With over 30min of disc space remaining, Virgin could have at least included these as bonus tracks to give the listener the full scope of Mike's workin 1984.
If you enjoyed "Five Miles Out" or any other Oldfield album from the 80's, "Discovery" will not disappoint. If not - buy it anyway just to hear "The Lake"!!
Hugely entertaining and contrasting album. - By: , 21 Oct 2000 Although I possess most of Mike Oldfield's album's this still has to be one of my favourite's.Although appearing to be largely unknown(and unappreciated) by the masse's it contains some wonderfully lively tracks such as "Poison Arrows" & these are tempered by quieter tracks such as "Crystal Gazing".The masterpiece,like good wine is left 'til last."The Lake" is as good if not better than anything Mike has written & would compare very favourably to any instrumental piece on any of his album's.Definitely a good buy(I can't say anything else as it's my kid's favourite album!).
