Man On The Rocks

Album: Man On The Rocks (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the title track of Mike Oldfield's 25th album. Recorded in the Bahamas, it was produced by Oldfield with Stephen Lipson (Jeff Beck, Paul McCartney) and features bassist Leland Sklar (Phil Collins, James Taylor) and drummer John Robinson (Michael Jackson, Daft Punk).
  • The genesis of the record was when Oldfield started playing Rolling Stones records, paying fresh attention to the drum clatter. "I listened to the snares," he told The Daily Telegraph. "And I started experimenting with these old blues slide guitar sections in open G tuning, which is what Keith Richards uses."
  • Oldfield tried singing the songs himself at first, before recruiting Luke Spiller from The Struts to interpret his words. "I thought: let me see if I can sing like Mick Jagger," he told The Daily Telegraph before adding that unimpressed with his efforts, he called his record company. "I asked them to recommend a rock vocalist with a really high range and I was instantly pointed toward Luke Spiller of The Struts. I went online and thought: yeah. He did a much better job of sounding like a rock star than me."
  • The title song is about addiction: "Not necessarily to drugs or alcohol," said Oldfield, "it can be to certain kinds of relationship patterns, about an addiction to failure."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.