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Topic: Any opinions?< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Tansy Offline




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Posted: Mar. 27 2006, 05:42

@Hello to you Spartanx15 :) your post is very moving,thankyou for sharing these thoughts/experiences. The movie "The Killing Fields" is one that has always stayed in my memory,and of course it's sound track which IMO compliments the movie content/images perfectly.
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: Mar. 28 2006, 19:26

Indeed, welcome Spartanx15 and thanks for sharing your experience.  As someone with the inside "emic" perspective, it's moving and helpful to know your thoughts on the Killing Fields' music.

I've never been able to watch the movie. Not that I'm only up for The Happy Little Elf--type films, but hmm....just deleted a couple of paragraphs containing a reasonable explanation (I won't be one to ever forget the effects of hatred, ignorance, and genocide or how easily society can slip onto such a dark and evil path, though).

Friends who have watched the Killing Fields and are not familiar with Mike's music have remarked how well it fits with the film--one made that comment to her husband while watching when it was first out in theaters. It was nice to hear.

IMHO parts of TKF are among the most gorgeous pieces that Mike has composed. I've been listening to it a bit more lately since uploading to the iPod. Listening to it sends me to the same place as Gorecki's 3rd symphony. I can nearly get through the music intact (i.e., without dissolving into moroseness), thinking about how such horribly evil actions can have such antithetical reactions in the composition of such hauntingly beautiful music.

M-C

p.s. Very cool that Incantations is your favorite MO work. :)


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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
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spartanx15 Offline




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Posted: Mar. 28 2006, 19:51

First off I would wish to express my great thanks for all the nice welcomes I have received from so many members here. This is a once in a life time experience for me. I have not seen a BBS that has such great folks.

I somehow think there is a good reason for that. The compositions of a great composer we all share in common.

I also believe, from what I hearing here, is that there is also a social conscious that is unique to persons who appreciate great music and are moved by it, in a common direction.

I know that I am moved to actions many times listening to MO works.

Ah, yes - I should explain something. I am a Native American so Incantations would naturally draw me in. Growing up in the Tribe we learn these things early on. So there is my connection.

Back on topic. "The Killing Fields" is a work that blends wonder and trajedy, love / hate, the ultimate resolve of Men ( in the general sense ), the dedication of all people and the horror that they are capable of. When you consider that the events of the times occured in an area of the world where "civilization" has existed longer than western european cultures and was one of the greatest cultures to have been seen on our World. The Khmer are a really a wonderful people. The events of the day caused a holocost which mirrored The Holocost. We should, all, pay as much attention here as we do in other area.

I returned to Cambodia in 1999. I was truly depressed by the ruin and decay. There will be many years before Cambodia returns as a true culture. But they are trying. They just need our assistance.

The music from film truly does justice to the story line. Just the trak "The Trek" not only aludes to the travel through the jungle, but would serve equally well when you see Ankor Wat rising before you in the morning mists. Such beauty, thousands of years old, timeless.

"The Burial" can be used to augment the loss of all those millions, the boy just being a single symbol of each and every person cut down for the reson of being "educated".

I listen, still, to each track and consider the value of each set to current times in Cambodia and anceint times.

Ah, as a side bar, do you all now that the primay temples of Ankro Wat are in the EXACT same alignment as the Great Pyramids of Giza ?

Well, must be off for abit. My Labrador is calling for his evening walk and ball chasing time.

Again my great thanks for such a wonderful welcome.

Travis
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imhotep Offline




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Posted: Feb. 09 2007, 09:39

Hello people.

I bought the HDCD version of the CD today and it was good hearing this album once again.
My dad brought me up on Mike's music and he had this LP.
I do love the film very much and it always makes me cry.

My favorite tracks from this album are:
Etude
Evacuation
Good news
and all the various Pran themes
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Bassman Offline




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Posted: Mar. 11 2008, 18:14

In the early to mid-eighties there was a mild infatuation with the Fairlight CMI.  MO was certainly not immune to it's charms, but I think very few people (including him) recorded it right.  The only guys that I feel came close were Peter Gabriel and Alan Parsons.  Vinyl compression usually killed whatever fidelity was present on the master.  When Discovery and The Killing Field came out on CD I was delighted the increased dynamics brought me close to how the albums were SUPPOSED to sound.  Like pulling wool out of my ears.

As an aid for composing the movie score it probably aided MO immensely, but when the visuals are subtracted from the music something gets lost.  I guess because it's such an incredible film.  Which is not to say the album sucks.  It's an really good album that was ahead of it's time, with more than enough high points to merit one's attention.  Etude, Evacuation, Bad News... all interesting and lovely pieces.
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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: Mar. 14 2008, 02:55

I remember buying that LP as soon as it came out. It bored me. But it was a good soundtrack. Several other noteworthy guys sounded about the same soundtrack-wise.......Trevor Rabin, Eddie Jobson.........most would think of Vangelis, but he wasn't my fav. either at soundtracks. I though Tangerine Dream found thier calling with soundtracks, most notably(from the same period), "Firestarter" and "The Bounty". But, "The Killing Fields" was a good soundtrack, just a boring "album" to really try to get into and it found it's way into the closet after 1 or 2 plays. The Fairlight was kinda responsible for it sounding so "written out", a term a producer freind of mine and I agreed described it and "Islands" later on(except Northpoint which is in my top 5 MO songs). This was pretty much the start of the MO computer phase leading up to VR games and such. Songs of Distant Earth was another EXTREME example of being "written out".....event by event. But once he bounced back with TB2, I was a happy camper!! 1992 was a fine year. TB2 was a contributing factor.
Jim


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Crying to heaven
And will our voices be heard
Or will they break Like the wind
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Bassman Offline




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Posted: Mar. 23 2008, 01:01

"Grave Of The Fireflies" came out in 1988 (the original anime version).  I've been imagining what the end result would have been if MO had created the score for that film.  The movie is heart-shatteringly good already, but perhaps MO might have given it a different flavour while keeping the visuals at the same emotional potency.  Any thoughts, peeps?
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trcanberra Offline




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Posted: May 16 2008, 07:46

Quote (tom @ Feb. 25 2001, 17:16)
it seems that everyone likes requiem, and good news, but what about pran's departure, and more importantly, etude... this is a brilliant track that seems to have been totally overlooked. Listen to it! if it doesn't hit you straight away, turn it up some more!

These are my two favourite tracks - time to start a poll perhaps?

Overall, patchy (IMHO), as expected from a soundtrack out of context, wish they had included some more of the music from the film.
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: May 16 2008, 08:25

I find the film incredibly moving.The scene around Pran being taken from the Emabassy nearly has me in tears everytime!The soundtrack fits it so well.But as you say it is a bit disjointed as an album.I believe it was edited for release by David Bedford.Mike found it a hard project to work on apparently.Not really surprising.Over all though i like the soundtrack even though i don't listen to it all that often.

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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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trcanberra Offline




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Posted: May 18 2008, 07:15

Quote (The Caveman @ May 16 2008, 08:25)
I find the film incredibly moving.The scene around Pran being taken from the Emabassy nearly has me in tears everytime!The soundtrack fits it so well.But as you say it is a bit disjointed as an album.I believe it was edited for release by David Bedford.Mike found it a hard project to work on apparently.Not really surprising.Over all though i like the soundtrack even though i don't listen to it all that often.

Just bought the DVD of the movie - haven't watched it in years but remember being very impressed way back when.  Looking forward to watching it soon.

Managed to play the CD a bit louder today with no one else home, seemed to improve it :)
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: May 18 2008, 07:36

Quote (The Caveman @ May 16 2008, 13:25)

Quote
Over all though i like the soundtrack even though i don't listen to it all that often.


Yeah that`s my feelings about it as well.Some of the orchestrated sections are really good and I kind of would have liked to have heard some of them developed a little bit for an album release.That`s not to say I don`t like the rest of it.It`s just that some of the more fairlight tension building sections etc.Tends to make it too mood distracting for it to work as an entire musical whole to me.

This album was really well recieved by The Times newspaper I always remember.Where the reviewer made particular note of how impressed/surprised he was by Mike`s Pran`s theme.It`s a long time since I`ve listened to it though.Or seen the film as well for that matter.
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: May 18 2008, 07:41

Requiem i love to bits!I like choral music although i don't really own any but this is wonderful!The way it builds from the soprano and becomes this huge wall of voices.Shivers down the spine everytime.

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THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
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wiga Offline




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Posted: Nov. 22 2008, 07:35

Quote (bennyboy @ Nov. 15 2000, 08:23)
Yes a really frightening album.

Interesting isn't it - is this a really frightening piece of music or not ?

I rarely listen to "The Killing Fields", but lately I have allowed myself to listen more carefully and with dispassion, set apart from the Cambodian story line. To do so feels like walking on sacred holy ground to some extent, - hearing the music in it's own right, out of the harrowing context it was made to enhance.

In this instance it is not that "scary" to me, in fact it could have been titled - "Crises II" and I wouldn't have known any difference. "Evacuation" sounds like an early electronic techno dance sound and Mike Oldfield could have invented "techno" here.

However, the fact remains that I know the story, and as such "Evacuation" also sounds dark and demonic. The real life story behind it makes it frightening. I can't divorce the music from the story.


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Barn's burnt down - now I can see the moon.
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Atrastorm Offline




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Posted: April 08 2009, 12:37

like most have already said it's a sacry album and probably mikes darkest too.
But that atmosphere is what makes it good, it was ment for a film and it shows the atmosphere needed.

It would be interesting to see what style film score he would do now with his classical slant
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Scatterplot Offline




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Posted: April 08 2009, 13:57

It should be a scary album, and film too. That stuff really occurred.

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We raise our voices in the night
Crying to heaven
And will our voices be heard
Or will they break Like the wind
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RICHARDGORMLIE Offline




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Posted: May 10 2009, 21:17

i had to listen to this album a go few times to get used to it as it is different to other oldfield albums.  but i would give each piece of music on this album 10 stars.  it is a masterpiece in my opinion.
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AUTOMATIC 18 Offline




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Posted: Aug. 12 2012, 14:47

This LP is synth heavy and I hardly ever listen to it. The music works better in the film. 'Etude' is amazing though and shows Mike's genius for a great arrangement!
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