Album of the Day

Mike Oldfield had a worldwide smash with his 1973 debut after its title track was excerpted in horror blockbuster The Exorcist; 14 albums later, the multi-instrumentalist finally released a sequel, TUBULAR BELLS II. Moving from longtime label Virgin to Warner Music, Oldfield relocated from England to Los Angeles to record the 1992 collection with Trevor Horn, and he has credited the producer with providing a greater emphasis on rhythm. While the resemblance to its landmark predecessor is clear, the set is distinguished by strong world music influences and shorter songs (“Sentinel,” “Tattoo” and “The Bell” were singles) and became a chart-topping, double-platinum hit in the U.K. TUBULAR BELLS II will be released on blue marbled vinyl for Record Store Day.