Known for being Mike’s sister and her 1979 hit, Mirrors, talented multi-instrumentalist Sally Oldfield is something of an overlooked pleasure. John Renbourn discovered her while performing with her brother in their late 60s duo Sallyangie, and she hit her stride as a solo recording artist at the end of the 70s, after a decade of session work. Mirrors gathers up the best of her recordings for the Bronze label. At a time when the folk-influenced female voice seemed everywhere (see also Kate Bush, Judie Tzuke, Renaissance’s comeback, etc), Oldfield had a sweet, pure quality which shone right through.
The album is roughly divided into pure commerciality (Mirrors, You Set My Gypsy Blood Free, the funky Rare Lightning) and the more complex, Tubular Bellsinfluenced stuff (Songs Of The Quendi, anybody?) The story is brought up to date with two pieces that demonstrate where Oldfield’s currently at – ambient chill-out versions of A Land I Can See (an update of Waterbearer’s A Land In The Sun) and Mirrors. Draw your own conclusions.
