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Topic: Anyone feel like Taurus II is underated?, Or anyone feel some song is overated.< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
raven4x4x Offline




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Posted: Jan. 23 2008, 02:54

Five Miles Out was also one of the first Oldfield albums I ever heard. It remains one of my favourites, but I've grown to like Taurus II less over time. It's all quite pleasant, but nothing really stands out as particularly brilliant to me. The strange fast bit (the one that's also in Orabidoo) always sounded rather awkward so close to the start, and I much prefer the way it's done in Orabidoo.

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xxbbcc Offline




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Posted: Mar. 07 2008, 18:56

In my opinion, Taurus II and Orabidoo are beautiful pieces - wildly chaotic at some times and very peaceful at others. They're also better if Orabidoo is played right after Taurus II. Family man unfortunately breaks them apart on the album, but they really belong together.
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nightspore Offline




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Posted: Mar. 30 2008, 22:07

Taurus II is my favourite Mike Oldfield piece as well; it's extremely intense emotionally. I actually don't care for any of the records up to and including "Incantations", which I can't stand. The early records are clever and melodic but they don't express much feeling (except for "Tubular Bells", where the sinister feeling no doubt explains excerpts of its being included in "The Exorcist"). But all the  records after Platinum (except the pop song albums) have an uncanny ability to express pure joy. "The Wind Chimes I" is superb, and "Tubular Bells 2" is far better than "Tubular Bells". "Amarok" is excellent, too, although spoilt by its attempts to annoy Richard Branson.
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Sweetpea Offline




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Posted: Aug. 31 2008, 14:50

Quote (xxbbcc @ Mar. 07 2008, 18:56)
In my opinion, Taurus II and Orabidoo are beautiful pieces - wildly chaotic at some times and very peaceful at others. They're also better if Orabidoo is played right after Taurus II. Family man unfortunately breaks them apart on the album, but they really belong together.

I agree with you, xxbbcc. For a while, I had no complaints about FMO's track order. These days, I'm sorta wishing that "Taurus II", "Orabidoo", and "Five Miles Out" were all together, forming one continuous piece. Which is how I now have them on my playlists. It comes to about forty-two minutes, which is comparable to Hergest Ridge. I do like "Mount Teide", and I've even overcome the Hall & Oates association to form a liking for "Family Man", but I guess they don't really compliment the core pieces.


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"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
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Chris Ibberson Offline




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Posted: Aug. 11 2011, 06:30

Quote (D Seph @ Mar. 26 2007, 20:35)
Then the deep deep sound, which I LOVED hearing (a beautiful vocal solo) from Taurus I. It revisits alot of old tunes, which I always loved.

This is my favourite vocal from Maggie Reilly and always will be...

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Delfín Offline




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Posted: Oct. 30 2011, 21:19

Quote (xxbbcc @ Mar. 08 2008, 00:56)
In my opinion, Taurus II and Orabidoo are beautiful pieces - wildly chaotic at some times and very peaceful at others. They're also better if Orabidoo is played right after Taurus II. Family man unfortunately breaks them apart on the album, but they really belong together.

I think it's the other way around!! 'Family Man' makes them even more interesting and linked together because it creates a hiatus between them that improves the experience of listening them both as 'Orabidoo' marks a "return" of some melodies from 'Taurus II' after a fresh, catchy song that made you forget them completely.


If put one after the other, Orabidoo would sound as a mere extension of 'Taurus II', losing the most of its uniqueness and identity, and working as a tail of the other track.


By the way: II rules as much as any other long instrumental from Mike, probably the best, after 'Tubular Bells', 'Incantations' and (MAYBE) 'Ommadawn.


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equinoxe Offline




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Posted: Oct. 31 2011, 02:05

"Five Miles Out" is a perfect album without any weak moments. "Taurus II" is for me one of the best instrumental pieces, Oldfield made ever. We have in here not only wide range of instruments but above all we have a perfectly arranged musical structure that sound like a story. Very clever, and intelligent music. We have no chances to listen this days a music of that quality. No chances. Todays music is so flat, no dynamics, no ideas, and i'm talking about all music, from pop, rock to a new future electronic music. Ofcourse there are exceptions but not many.

Returning to FMO, i think, Mike has used the best fuzz guitar effect of all albums. The sounding of those screaming solos like on 1:06, 1:19 to 1:39, the section from 3:05 (amazing combination of hard rock riffs, vocoder, horns, guitar solos and just maginificent mixture of robotic linn drumm, shakers and real percussion) or 13:45.

Just love the using of bagpipes throughout entire album. It's curious because here, in contrast to "Ommadawn" the bagpipes was used like an addition to a hard rock feeling, and therefore those pipes has very angry, sharp and aggressive sounding, not only peacefull - brilliant! Also like the way Mike is using the vocoder - as an instrument device.

Next thing a like about this album is a combination of real drums with a synthetic ones. It's make this album very unique. The begining of "Taurus II" is very robotic when linn drum start the very first seconds and that slowly the real drums, hi-hats and kettle-drums are entering together. On 3:05 we have first the basic linn drum rhythm and on 3:19 the real drums are entering (Morris Pert?). Like also those shakers working on 3:05. Not sure but think those are also from linn drumm.

The track has incredible dynamics. It has silent motifs passing to the louder. Sudden changes of quite and loud with all that sharp rock sounding makes it amazing dynamics.

I'am not sure that track is underrated. This is one of Mike's music faces. This album is the most progressive and hard-rock album made by him (i know that "Crises" was supposed to be the most hard-rock album, but in my opinion it isn't). Every fan likes one album more than other for some reasons. We can choose from peacefull chillout melodies to an angry hard riffs. :)
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Roland19Deschain Offline




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Posted: Mar. 01 2012, 06:30

Five Miles Out was the first album I've ever heard. It was just so different than other music, I was fascinated. Then my father gave me old mc cassette The Best of Elements and it was clear that my life will no longer be the same :).. I've learned to play guitar(and to listen to his music) and during the time even other instruments. World was orbitting around music  :D . So for me, it will stay as the number one. I like every song from this album the same way.  :) (btw I still have that cassette but it's not playable anymore :/  :laugh:)
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AUTOMATIC 18 Offline




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Posted: Aug. 12 2012, 14:57

Taurus II has some nice bits. I like the guitar solos and the percussion, overall it's only ok. It meanders a bit. I still listen to this LP and I like the title track, Oribadoo and Mount Teidi. Great LP cover!
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Dave in Ledbury Offline




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Posted: Sep. 26 2012, 19:48

I've been listenng to a lot of Mike Oldfield recently. Taurus 2 is really starting to shine as one of THE great MO pieces for me. Its themes and changes and build-ups really do all fit into one complete piece for me.
I was really pleased at the weekend when my daughter listened to it all on the way to a party in the car (OK - she was a captive audience, but if she doesn't like something, she'll turn it off!;).
The best section for me is the build up from the 'heartbeat' part -sheer genius composition.


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MasterGeek.MX Offline




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Posted: Sep. 29 2013, 01:18

The three Taurus are Amazing. And the albums where they are. And in FMO, in Orabidoo, I love the part when says "And I can pay someone else to make the orchestrations!" and the Timbales start.

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AUTOMATIC 18 Offline




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Posted: Sep. 29 2013, 04:13

Taurus II overrated? Hmm, Well it's not as captivating as Ommadawn, Incantations and Platinum 1-4 which is a concise rock masterpiece in my mind. I love Mike's solo guitar voice on Taurus II, the piece meanders a bit and I have to be in the mood to follow it all the way through, if not it does not grab my attention enough. It seems to be rough ideas patched together and the disco bit at the end is a bit too Boney M for me now. Still if I was stuck on a desert island with Scarlet Johansson and no other Oldfield LP I'd probably be happy enough with it!
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First_Excursion Offline




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Posted: Sep. 30 2013, 04:33

For me Taurus II is the peak.
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TheMann Offline




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Posted: Feb. 04 2014, 03:32

Quote (Sir Mustapha @ Mar. 27 2007, 15:07)
[...] and most damn irritating arrangements (yes, I'm looking at the distorted chants near the end, you betcha). It's very, very, very, very overblown, though, so I guess it had to have some fans. :)

I agree that this chant is among the worst passages ever in Mikes production. However, I think the rest of the piece is fantastic.

I completely disagree that the rest is average melodies; I rate it pretty much higher than anything on Amarok or TBIII.

The live version from Cologne is pretty unbelievable. One of the best performances in Mike's career; everyone is playing brilliantly, great feel, and perfect balance. (With the exception of Maggie, who is too present)
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nightspore Offline




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Posted: April 14 2018, 02:19

This is a bit off-topic but has anyone noticed that in the Morris dancers section there's a sound like chickens being released? Morris dancers are often a figure of fun (for example in I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again; maybe Mike was having a bit of a laugh himself?
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34 replies since Mar. 26 2007, 20:35 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

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