Hergest Ridge

Released in 1974 as the follow-up to the world-conquering Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge represents Mike Oldfield's attempt to process sudden fame through rural isolation. Recorded at The Manor and inspired by the ridge near his home on the English-Welsh border, the album consists of two side-long movements. While it lacks the iconic 'horror' associations of his debut, it is arguably more cohesive, utilizing a more sophisticated sense of arrangement and thematic development. The album is famous for its 'thunderstorm' section in Part Two, where Oldfield overdubbed ninety separate guitar parts to create a unique, buzzing orchestral texture. Despite reaching number one on the UK charts (only to be replaced by Tubular Bells), it was initially viewed by some critics as a lesser sequel, though modern reappraisal often cites it as his most beautiful and purely pastoral work. It remains a foundational text for both progressive rock and the nascent new age movement.