The Complete

Retrospective compilation issued in 1985 giving an overview of Oldfield's work in 10+ years. It is not a "best-of" type compilation but rather an introduction to his eclectic body of works and his evolution as a composer from complex instrumentals to his most recent hit singles.
Originally issued on double LP, each side was themed:
⦿ A: The Instrumental Section - contains short pop/folk instrumentals from the 1970s and 1980s, many of which were non-album tracks, previously issued on singles very much sought-after by collectors.
⦿ B: The Vocal Section - contains all hit singles that Oldfield had from 1982 to 1984.
⦿ C: The Complex Section: contains excerpts from Oldfield's first 4 albums (1973-1978) when he composed sides-long instrumental works, plus an excerpt from his soundtrack for the film The Killing Fields (1984).
⦿ D: The Live Section - contains all previously unreleased live tracks from Oldfield's tours in 1981 and 1982 with The Mike Oldfield Group. For many fans, these tracks were the main interest of this compilation, the versions of the songs performed here are far superior to their original studio recordings.
More details on the origins of the tracks included in The Live Section:
● "Sheba" followed by "Mirage" are from the concert in Essen, Grugahalle, Germany, on April 1st 1981. They were also made available later on the deluxe edition of QE2 (opens in a new tab) in 2012.
● "Platinum" was recorded in Hannover, Eilenriedehalle, Germany, on April 2nd 1981. Apart from this track the rest of the concert can only be found on bootlegs (opens in a new tab).
● "Mount Teide" is from the 1982 tour in Germany. It is probably either from the concert in Bremerhaven (01 Nov. 1982) or from Köln (14 Oct. 1982 or 2 Nov. 1982). This version of Mount Teide is NOT from the Köln concert from 6 December 1982 that was released in the Deluxe edition of "Five Miles Out" (opens in a new tab) in 2013.