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Arby Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: July 2000 Posted: July 07 2000, 09:29 Hello all. I'm really only here because I would like some info that it seems I can't get from people who sell music. I'm sure I could go from store to store and would eventually find out something, but I've got the internet. So why not ask Mike Oldfield fans? I myself am not a fanatic. I guess you could say I'm a fan. I would be a fan with a great deal of criticism to offer, however. I think Tubular Bells was positively inspired, for lack of a better description. But seriously flawed. I don't like the extremely hokey sailor piece tacked on to the end. I don't like the howling man. What a horrible thing to do to such an amazing piece of music! And I can certainly do without Mike's verbal introduction of musical pieces, leading up to the tubular bells finale. The bells sound fine, but the same somewhat bland getting played again and again -? Still, I picked up tubular bells the other day. I didn't have it in my collection, which I've just started to increase again after having to sell all my CD's. It's a long story. I was reminded of the music when I heard it playing on the radio and thought, Wow! I forgot how good it was (where it's good). Now I see all these albums by Mike Oldfield, but I don't know anything about them. Someone said the Tubular Bells remake is blah. Is that so? Is there a version of Tubular Bells that doesn't include the hokey sailor and howling man stuff? Hergest Ridge is so sweet, until the 'dark clouds' music intrudes on the second side. And the sleigh bells - Yech! Did he not think that what he had done with the rest of the album was good enough? Just picked up Guitars. Amazing sounds, but most of the tunes are too bland, too bluesy and too downbeat. I'm really disappointed. I do like Mike Oldfield. But I have my criticisms, is all. And I'm certainly interested in exploring what's on offer at present. Been a while since I looked. Cash and other factors enter in. Thanks in advance. Back to top

Thea Cochrane Group: Musicians Posts: 445 Joined: Nov. 1999 Posted: July 15 2000, 11:45 Try Ommadawn then and then Amarok (although you mind find Amarok a bit strange, it grows on you) Back to top

GMOVJ Group: Members Posts: 273 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: July 17 2000, 04:10 Hi, All things here are only my personnal opinion This is a very hard question : What are MO record to try first ? Arby, you said that you don't like Piltdown Man (when Mike is shouting in TB) nor Sailor Hornpipe... This is your right, but now, knowing this, I really don't know what to tell to you... Those parts are IMO and I'm sure for all fans some of the most popular pieces ! Same thing for you opinion in Hergest Ridge, the 'dark clouds' as you said are often said as the best part or the Climax of HR (Fans, Stop me if I'm wrong ) and without it, HR would lack something. But let's try to orientate you by some little reviews (I'll try to keep in memory that you don't like 'strange' things (Pitldown man and The Bell announcement), 'raugh' things(Piltdown Man and Thunderstorm) and 'Folk' things (The Sailor Hornpipe). It very hard for me, because I like (almost) everything ! - I guess you will like TB2, even if someone said this it was blah... Very calm, beautiful, but there's also a restructure of Sailor Hornpipe, called Moonshine at the end, there's still a MC during the Bell section, and always this Piltdown Man you don't like. - Yes Mat : Amarok is one of the most popular album in MO community, but, I don't think Arby will like it, it's really strange, even if all melody are very beautiful, it may be find it too "insane" (sound goes everywhere sometimes...) - Ommadawn is really THE very good choice to begin. - You may like Incantations, not every parts, this is sometimes very complex and/or repetitive. Maybe you'll find it too long (wich I disagree !)... - Try The songs of Distant Earth, it's a very calm and beautiful album even if its Enigma instpiration and massive use of synth can disapoint. - You've got all 'semivocal' albums, where instrumental are often very great (Crises, Five Miles Out... yes specially Five Miles Out, Platinum - hum not sure you'll like this...), but you must know that they do include songs, not only instrumental. Arby, you may try to read all other forum to have an idea. Our discussion are not always very clear (because we're talking about very specific thing, well known by us...), but ask your questions and we will be pleased to anwsear. - BTW, I don't know TB version that doesn't includes PiltDown Man and Sailolr Hornpipe (and I think this would be a crime ) Hope I help, and sorry for this too long message. GMOVJ -------------- Cheers, GMOVJ [URL=http://tubular.fodplanet.com]http://tubular.fodplanet.com[/URL] - The french speaking mailing list Back to top

rosko Group: Members Posts: 184 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 17 2000, 05:55 Unfortunately, it seems that Arby might be a "cloth-eared nincompoop". Back to top

GMOVJ Group: Members Posts: 273 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: July 17 2000, 12:03 --> "give peace a chance" ! Arby knows what he likes, that's all. He said himself he was not a fan. Really honnest ! Maybe later, he will like everything ! We must let him time. Message to Arby : There's a sentence that comes really often when a fan talks about Mike Oldfield's Music to someone else, and I do think this is true : You've got to let things grows on you. Even if you don't like it at the first hearing... Personnal Example, Thunderstorm in Hergest Ridge is FULL of complex and mixed melody, but at the first hearing, I only heard the same notes, with all this too loud guitars doing the same thing (tatita ta tatita ta etc...). After the second hearing, it becames one my favorites piece of music, and IMO HR without this section would be uncomplete, like Mussorgski "Picture at an exhibition" without ~The Great Kiev Door~ ('raugh thing') and Gnomus ('strange thing'), or a Dvorak Symphony without a 2nd movement. Last, you said : Quote The bells sound fine, but the same somewhat bland getting played again and again I hope I understand well what you want to say. Yes, it's always the same pattern, but just listen to Bolero, composed by Ravel. This is one of the most popular classical composition. It last about 15 minutes, and there's only one musical schema, repeated and repeated, adding instruments, each one playing the main pattern, switching pattern with the next one, etc... and this during 95% of the song. And only at the end, you've got these new 16 'mesures'. It's exactly the same in Minimalist music and with The Bell. All right, there's no MC in Bolero I hope you'll find something you really like in all music that Mike Oldfield composed Cheers, GMOVJ [This message has been edited by GMOVJ (edited 07-17-2000).] -------------- Cheers, GMOVJ [URL=http://tubular.fodplanet.com]http://tubular.fodplanet.com[/URL] - The french speaking mailing list Back to top

Arby Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: July 2000 Posted: July 17 2000, 14:08 Hello to most of you. I had deleted my bookmark to this forum. I didn't think anyone was going to bother. Anyway, Thanks for the comments. Believe me, I've listened to my Mike Oldfield favorites many times. I haven't listened to anything in some time, that's all. And I lost track of Mike's career for a while. All I wanted was some sort of idea what he was offering. I only like instrumentals, for example. I really like Tubular Bells, but not parts of it. I see so many Tubular Bells offshoots out there, it's confusing. And try asking folks in the music stores questions. They don't look interested in talking to you for one thing. They may be friendly enough, but they give me the impression that I'm holding them up. Probably am. That's brutal North American work culture for you. And I know it's spreading. Anyway... I had Ommadawn in my collection for many years, many years ago! I remember the feel of it. It was so so. Unlike Tubular Bells (the original, anyway), I found it finished up great. I've listened to Guitars repeatedly. I just don't like Blues, nor do I like western cowboy and Indian-sounding music. But the 9th track blows me away. And I don't mind the 4th track, I think it is. I can tolerate the 1st and the 10th. The rest of it does nothing for me, and for $20 that's not satisfactory. I don't have lots of money. Don't get me wrong. Guitars is great music. The sound is awesome. Someone who likes the particular line-up here is going to be 110% satisfied. Back to top

Arby Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: July 2000 Posted: July 17 2000, 14:20 Actually, I don't have any problem with vocals, per se. I would be misleading you to say so. I just found Mike Oldfield's TB, Ommadawn and HG to be so wonderful, but damaged by incongruities that were tossed in - as if by someone sabotaging the works - that I started to desire to hear what I felt I had been deprived of. Know what I mean? I once heard a little of 5 Miles Out, I think it was. It sounded good. I just gotta win the lottery here first. Then I can stop fretting about money and shoot for the works. What I don't like won't matter, then. But unless you explore, you can't discover what you will love for the rest of your life. My philosophy is that most of what this money-driven world offers us is crap. Everyone is scamming everyone. But that's not why you explore. You explore for the 1% that isn't crap. That's all that matters. Later... [This message has been edited by Arby (edited 07-17-2000).] Back to top

GMOVJ Group: Members Posts: 273 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: July 18 2000, 03:56 Hi Arby, Howowow ! Keep I understand that you don't like some part of TB and I don't blame you for this. This (Bolero-thing) was only discussion ! But, saying this, you must understand that it's hard for us to write you some review... Not because we don't want to post, but because we think 'OK he don't like this "Piltdown Man", "MC" and "Thunderstrom" and seems to prefear quiter things, so I will not talk about this album, nor this one, nor this one...' A kind of auto-restriction For discussion about philosophy, well, english is not my mother language, so, I don't understand everything. But I know that : When I discover Mike Oldfield, I discover one part of my 1 non-crap percent and something I will love all my life. Cheers, GMOVJ PS : And if you want, you can read some things about North Amercan Culture in 'USA Fan Forum', I found it very interesting... -------------- Cheers, GMOVJ [URL=http://tubular.fodplanet.com]http://tubular.fodplanet.com[/URL] - The french speaking mailing list Back to top

Arby Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: July 2000 Posted: July 18 2000, 15:38 Whatever. I know nothing about Bolero anyway. I think that that's classical. If it's the piece I'm thinking of, I don't care for it. I hope there's no problem with my using good English -? In any case, I'm happy. If this is a discussion, and I'm only discussing things, I hope that that's okay too -? In any case, I'm satisfied, as I said. People have given me the information they possess. That's that. I don't really have anything more to add. Enjoy the music! Bye for now. Back to top

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