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 This studio album is one of the best works of Vangelis, among Blade Runner and 1492. Oceanic is really splendid and thrilling, far better than the previous Voices, which left me somewhat disappointed. A pure masterpiec
Close your eyes and sit back: The cd starts off with the feeling that you are leaving port. Just wonderful the emotions this music brings about. Islands of the Orient and Fields of Coral are the best tracks on the disc. I even used Dreams of Surf in my wedding.
"Oceanic", like previous Vangelis inspirations, "Chariots of Fire" and "Blade Runner" transcends rhythm and melody to become a spiritual experience. Where it takes you will depend on you, but it will evoke a response or even a journey if you give it a chance. My first encounter with "Oceanic" was not impressive, just listening to snatches of a few tracks as somebody else played the CD. But when I completed it entirely, it engrossed both my attention and imagination. The music sank into the background as my response welled up and the tracks seemed to build on each other somehow. Every time I listen to it now I get ! ! a different response, but it has turned into a meditative experience that I relish. "Oceanic" is a great title because this CD is deep and different every time you look at it. The tracks sampled here on Amazon give a very good taste of the overall flavor of the CD.
Undoubtedly Vangelis's most "new-age" album to date, "Oceanic" is eminently listenable, yet altogether too insipid to warrant a strong recommendation. Thinking back to some of his previous albums, I am led to the conclusion that Vangelis's strength lies largely in his ability to create simple yet brilliantly evocative melodies. This ability was exemplified right from the beginning (witness "To the Unknown Man"); it continued with "Chariots of Fire", "Antarctica", and "1492" (among others), and peaked with the scintillating "Direct". Unfortunately, this melodic mastery is not apparent in "Oceanic". The tunes warble in and warble out innucuously enough, but none of them have a melody line that's anything close to memorable. The resulting experience is somewhat passive: the tunes warble in the background, or even "wash over you" (as one reviewer put it); but lacking a strong central theme, they don't come out and grab you as good music should. In the result, "Oceanic" is a somewhat disappointing work, well below the standard of Vangelis's previous material. Those who enjoy new-age, warble-type music (and from the number of times I've used "warble" in this review, you can guess that a lot of warbling goes on throughout the album) may well find something of value here. Indeed, if your tastes are _strongly_ new-age, then don't be put off in the slightest by this review. As for me, however, "Oceanic" just doesn't pack enough punch.
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