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Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Dec. 16 2008, 05:12 ...by removing some tracks, adding others, and rearranging the order. Better for me, anyway.   01. The Doges Palace (instrumental version) 02. Pacha Mama 03. Lake Constance 04. Mastermind 05. The Doges Palace (album version) 06. Art In Heaven (studio version) 07. Liberation 08. Broad Sunlit Uplands 09. Amber Light 10. The Millennium Bell (about 50 minutes long) -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: Jan. 03 2009, 14:18 I've been puzzled by this thread. When you say that you've made a Mike Oldfield album better, are you being serious or is this an in-joke? -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Jan. 03 2009, 15:03 Quote (wiga @ Jan. 03 2009, 14:18) I've been puzzled by this thread. When you say that you've made a Mike Oldfield album better, are you being serious or is this an in-joke? Admittedly, much of what I blather on about is part earnest and part tongue-in-cheek, so I shouldn't be surprised if I come across as confuzzling. I apologize for that, wiga. In all seriousness, I don't consider my edits or rearrangements to be, in any way, artistically superior to Mike's creations. However, rearranging things can sometimes work nicely for arbitrary listening experiences. So, the simple answer is no, I was not serious when I said "I've made The Millennium Bell Better". But I seriously believe the album could have been better.   -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: Jan. 03 2009, 16:16 So is this a list of your favourite Millennium Bell tracks in a renewed order. You like 8/11 of the tracks and with the addition of the "Thou art in Heaven" track from Tr3s Lunas? I like TMB pretty much as it is but may I add "Moonlight Shadow" as track 12.   -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Jan. 03 2009, 17:26 I don't understand how anyone could dislike Santa Maria! Back to top

Moz Group: Musicians Posts: 600 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Jan. 05 2009, 07:40 I was just coming in here to see if you made The Millennium Bell better by playing Amarok instead.   -------------- Twitter: @benbarden Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Mar. 11 2009, 16:04 Quote (wiga @ Jan. 03 2009, 16:16) ... the addition of the "Thou art in Heaven" track from Tr3s Lunas? Wiga, "Art In Heaven" and "Thou Art In Heaven" are two different tracks. There's an explanation (and an interesting discussion) of "Art In Heaven" in the Berlin 2000 forum: click Quote (nightspore @ Jan. 03 2009, 17:26) I don't understand how anyone could dislike Santa Maria! Nightspore, I don't dislike "Santa Maria". I don't particularly like it, either. Actually - and this applies to much of MB -  I think the music is rather fine, but the lyrics are distracting. Which is too bad because, in other works, Mike's use of vocals is very often inspired. I think I've said elsewhere that, in most MB cases, I'd rather he'd gone with voice-as-instrument than with words. Quote (Moz @ Jan. 05 2009, 07:40) I was just coming in here to see if you made The Millennium Bell better by playing Amarok instead.   -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Mar. 12 2009, 20:28 Quote (Sweetpea @ Mar. 11 2009, 16:04) Nightspore, I don't dislike "Santa Maria". I don't particularly like it, either. Actually - and this applies to much of MB -  I think the music is rather fine, but the lyrics are distracting. Which is too bad because, in other works, Mike's use of vocals is very often inspired. I think I've said elsewhere that, in most MB cases, I'd rather he'd gone with voice-as-instrument than with words. I don't find the lyrics distracting, because I don't actually know what they are! They're sung softly and liltingly (which seems appropriate given that the song is about a ship), and the lyrics aren't printed on my copy of the CD. Does anyone have them handy? Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Mar. 13 2009, 19:54 @ Nightspore: the lyrics aren't on any copy of the booklet!  Anyway, the first voice says "La Santa Maria", the choir says "San-ta-Ma-ri-a", then it is as follows: Far the horizon Hove to the wind We're sailing the sea To the edge of the world Bow to the waves All to the earth's end We're sailing the sea To the edge of the world -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Mar. 14 2009, 05:53 Quote (Ugo @ Mar. 13 2009, 19:54) @ Nightspore: the lyrics aren't on any copy of the booklet!  Anyway, the first voice says "La Santa Maria", the choir says "San-ta-Ma-ri-a", then it is as follows: Far the horizon Hove to the wind We're sailing the sea To the edge of the world Bow to the waves All to the earth's end We're sailing the sea To the edge of the world Thanks, Ugo. I'm scratching my head as to why Sweetpea finds those verses distracting. Actually, they're the most metrically rigorous verses that I can think of in MO's work: to those who know something about poetry, the first two lines of each stanza begin with a trochee; the third line in each is wholly iambic, and the fourth are wholly anapestic. I doubt that Mike consciously played with the metre to create an effect; but the abrupt change in sound pattern certainly is in keeping with the "change in world view" idea that you associate with explorers like Columbus. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Mar. 14 2009, 05:55 Whoops, the third line isn't wholly iambic; only the first words are. That's what I get for posting too quickly. Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: Mar. 14 2009, 15:30 Quote (Sweetpea @ Mar. 11 2009, 16:04) Wiga, "Art In Heaven" and "Thou Art In Heaven" are two different tracks. There's an explanation (and an interesting discussion) of "Art In Heaven" in the Berlin 2000 forum: click I haven't heard a "studio version" of Art in Heaven. Does anyone have a link? -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Mar. 14 2009, 21:06 @ Wiga: the studio version of AiH is nearly identical to the so-called 'live' version, because Mike had lots & lots of pre-recorded parts on that show - the live instruments, apart from his guitars, were really few. Maybe you've already heard some of the studio version: the wonderful (IMHO) scene of the galloping horses in Tr3s Lunas does not feature "Thou Art in Heaven" but an excerpt of this track, with the TAiH vocals superimposed. I have it as a FLAC file from Greg Adams' great Old Tin Boxes compilation. Whatever the source of that FLAC is - was Greg or someone else lucky enough to get hold of the original, promo-only CD? - I don't care, as it sounds great. I've uploaded it on Rapidshare, but apparently the long URL doesn't work. Maybe this does. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: Mar. 15 2009, 11:44 Thanks Ugo - it took some downloading and Flac converting but the effort was rewarded with 13.30 minutes of rousing  Mike Oldfield. I wondered if it was working ok at the start of the piece - with the long deep drone - leading up to - 1.30 Let There be Light - 3.30 ambient beat with thrashing drum sound - 4.30 driving drums and TAIH tune - 6.00 driving drums getting louder - 8.00 drum beat change and guitar - 10.00 guitar crescendo - 11.00 closing tune - 12.00 crazy smashing, drums, guitar, Christmas bells !! 13.00 - Smash!! Can you tell I'm excited    - it's the first time I've heard this studio version - to---day. This is what it's all about - this is why we're here -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Mar. 15 2009, 12:41 @ Wiga, glad you liked - I too did a lot, the first time I heard it. But what's this about "FLAC converting" ? Most players (inlcuding Windows MP and Winamp) can play FLAC files without converting them to anything, and with Nero 7 you can also burn them on CD without converting them to anything. So why bother? By the way, the long droning note at the start is exactly as it is on tle live version. But it's accompanied by applause and cheering on that version, so you don't easily realize that it's nothing more than a droning note. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: Mar. 15 2009, 14:53 The media player wouldn't take the FLAC file directly so had to install the cone VLC player. Help with FLAC is 2 years old. -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Mar. 15 2009, 18:56 Quote (wiga @ Mar. 15 2009, 14:53) The media player wouldn't take the FLAC file directly so had to install the cone VLC player. Help with FLAC is 2 years old. There's a free converter called "Super" that will convert FLAC files in a trice... The point is that older versions of Nero etc won't handle them, and I for one am not going to pay $$ to upgrade software every time someone invents a new kind of file. As for "Art in Heaven", this is one piece by MO that I think he was very wise not to release. In my opinion, it's awful - and made worse by tacking something - Beethoven's 9th - which is so obviously superior in every way. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: Mar. 16 2009, 05:46 Nightspore, are you talking about the studio version or the live one from the Berlin 2000 DVD? For me the live version contains possibly my favourite of Mike's epic guitar solos. I've never heard such an amazing sound from a guitar. -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4761 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Mar. 16 2009, 07:35 Raven, I've heard only the studio version, and to be fair I listened to it only once. So I'm quite prepared to keep an open mind about the live version. I think what I disliked most about the piece - the studio one, anyway - was the contrast between the dark, unmelodious, brooding bit in the middle and the ultra-melodious Beethoven at the end. It just seemed too jarring to me - and I've never liked ultra-well known classical pieces put in a popular context anyway. (It's OK with "Etude" from The Killing Fields because hardly anyone knows that piece. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer also avoided that trap quite gracefully.) Back to top

wiga Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: Sep. 2008 Posted: Mar. 16 2009, 07:56 The studio version has more ambient breaks, - but there is no getting away from the fact that Art In Heaven - (studio and live) is great concert material. It's stirring, lively and inspiring drama, drums and GuITar - a successful piece of work in it's own right. As for it slotting into Sweetpea's track 6 of TMB album - that would be a "no no" for me - it would stick out like a sore thumb, and overwhelm and overpower the more subtle and tender sensibilities expressed in the album. Nightspore - I don't think any poetic persuasion is going to induce Sweetpea to enjoy the vocals in "Santa Maria".     -------------- Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon. Back to top

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