Tubular.net :: Mike Oldfield Forums Discussion, news, reviews, fan music, and more.
	Search :: Members :: Help :: Guidelines

Pages: (3) < [1] 2 3 > [ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

timshen Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: Mar. 2001 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 11:14 Just hear Pres De Toi and Lakme and I really like them. I prefer the bonus version of Pres De Toi over Closer by far (which I find really boring). Lakme is alos great - I don't know why some have said it's the worst thing Mike has done, I find it a return to the great "B-Side" releases Mike used to do. Some great guitar work and trademark Oldfield sounds. I've not managed to get Cook's Tune yet but have heard that it's a beautiful folky arrangement, which certainly tickles my fancy. What do you think? -------------- Expect Great Things. Attempt Great Things. Back to top

The Man who is He.. Group: Members Posts: 75 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 13:05 The bonus tracks I think are even worse than the poor album they appear on. Complete tosh. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 13:22 I don't hear any trademark Oldfield sounds in Lakme at all in fact it took me a while to believe this was actually a track done by him. Apart from his guitar I'd be hard pushed to hear any trademark Oldfield sounds in the whole of L+S. If however plonky synth noises and unimaginative drum loops are the 'new' Oldfield trade mark then I guess the albums full of them. Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 13:25 Quote (The Man who is He.. @ Oct. 12 2005, 13:05) Complete tosh. Here is tosh in his own words. Complete! -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 13:26 Thank you Mike for both bonus tracks! Pres de toi as you said Timshen is much more interesting than Closer, and that tune would have fitted in well with the other tracks on Voyager, perhaps replacing 'the hero'   Lakme is great, I can envisage this as one of his 70s singles, like Portsmouth and In dulci jubilo   Without the bonus tracks I would give L+S 8.4/10, with the bonus tracks it gets 8.7/10   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 13:54 I suppose under reconsideration sounds like the vocoder would definitely be considered trademark, I guess thats why I love TOAA so much, it does sound strangely nostalgic. I'm not against Mike doing cover versions per-se just bad trance cover versions of semi operatic pieces. I suppose he could have done a cover of Lakme in the 70's and it probably would have sounded ok but Mike's ear for a good musical arrangement seems to be not what it used to be. (to put it mildly). His cover versions of Portsmouth and In Dulci Jubilo worked wonderfully because the arrangements, although contemporary, were subtle, well balanced, fantastically played and most importantly sympathetic to the original  piece. Not things I would describe his murder of Lakme as being. Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 14:27 Quote (TOBY @ Oct. 12 2005, 18:54) Not things I would describe his murder of Lakme as being. At least his apparent 'murder' of Lakme won't be well-known, unlike G4's murder of Bohemian Rhapsody! LOL   I would say that it would have sounded better in the 70s, but I like the trancey version too and thats what we have been given!   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 14:49 The real issue about the bonus tracks is whether it's worth waiting through the longer-than-usual gap before they start. I'm afraid that for me, it isn't. The polarisation of my own opinions about the tracks on this album is starting to trouble me. It really is 'love' or 'hate', with very little in between. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 16:02 I really wouldn't let it bother you Alan, I don't think there's anything wrong in being conscious of knowing what you like and dislike. I wouldn't let Mike's musical failings make you think the problems are with you. I mean I have very clear reasons in my head for justifying what I dislike about L+S, just as much as I have about liking the tracks that I do. Mike may well come up with bizarre, and slightly condescending, comments like 'only 20% of them (us fans) get the real spirit of my music' but if he's implying I'm not one of those 20% despite knowing all his albums inside out and following his career almost since I hit puberty, then god only knows who those 20% actually are! And I'm not sure Mike does either,  its possibly part of the reason very few people buy his albums anymore. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 16:30 Yes, I know you're right Toby. But like you, I love the guy's music, and I very, very much don't want to be unduly negative about the stuff that doesn't seem to suit me. I guess we could start wearing 'We are among the 20%' Tshirts? Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 16:35 Quote (Alan D @ Oct. 12 2005, 19:49) The polarisation of my own opinions about the tracks on this album is starting to trouble me. It really is 'love' or 'hate', with very little in between. But that's good, Alan, because the music has had a strong effect on you. We can't expect to like everything. There's nothing worse than music that just washes over you. It has done something even if it has made you dislike it. Once again, a sign of great art. I really, really do like the bonus tracks (esp Lakme), but like you, have no idea why there is that space between them and the main body of work. At first I thought the cd player in my kitchen was gefagenheisted because the count was going the wrong way, then it dawned on me slowly that it was extra material. The only other thing is that I think it a bit unfair that some people have been unable to get these tracks on their cd's. That's just daft, and surely encourages illegal copying? -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 16:36 Thats a great idea Alan we could all be the '20% gang'. In fact Mike should have a special section of MO.com that only the chosen 20% can gain entry to upon answering the question 'do you like Lakme? If the answers yes you're in. Oh dear, that wouldn't include me then   Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 17:32 Quote (bee @ Oct. 12 2005, 21:35) gefagenheisted What a fantastic word! I presume you made it up? It has a lovely scrunchy discrugulated feel to it. On the back of the 20% Tshirts, we should have the words: 'I've been gefagenheisted'. Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Oct. 12 2005, 17:53 Yes, Alan, it is made up. I find it particularly useful when electronic things don't work properly. Another favourite of mine is 'dicombobulation'...marvelous! P.S Put me down for a tee shirt! Lakme could be written cleverly inside the tubular ring logo thing. Only those that know would know!! bee -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Oct. 13 2005, 03:13 While I couldn't say the bonus tracks are highlights of the album for me, I do seem to prefer them over their "corresponding" album tracks (Closer and Romance). Lakme is particularly nice at the beginning (before the drums) and end (the guitar), and not that very nice in between, but it's OK. I can see where the QE2 comparisons are coming from. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: Oct. 13 2005, 08:04 To me, the bonus tracks are not better or worse than anything else on the album. I haven't listened to Closer or Pres de Toi enough to pick a favourite, but I'm not particularly fond of either of them. Lakme, while I'm also not hugely fond of it, is perhaps my favourite of the dancy pieces. Nowhere near the worst thing he's ever done in my opinion -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

timshen Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: Mar. 2001 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 06:31 If you want to hear/download the bonus tracks just go to the topic "Cook's Tune" under this L+S forum and scroll down for a link.... -------------- Expect Great Things. Attempt Great Things. Back to top

tubular_trekkie Group: Members Posts: 366 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 08:31 Bonus tacks? Not sure really, I suppose they might be alright for puncturing tyres and such... (Sorry I couldn't resist that   ) Anyway, Pres de Toi is okay I think, but I probably wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there. Wouldn't be without Lakme though! Have yet to hear Cook's Tune; why does all this exclusive bonus track malarkey seem to be so geeky? Not that I mind, but still... -------------- "The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future." - from 'Collected Sayings of Muad'Dib' by the Princess Irulan Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 11:33 Well... I agree with others here about "Prés de Toi", it sounds very 'grander' than "Closer", which I find appropriate to a tune that used to be (and of course still is) a hymn. "Lakme," on the other hand, I'm not sure... I can't get to grips with what Mike had in mind while doing this. I mean, this is supposed to be the well-known 'flower duet' from Delibes' Lakme, right? Then why is the main theme almost unrecognizable? I've heard lots of versions of this theme, even weirder ones , but the duet's musical theme never underwent such changes as it did here. In other words, I think that Mike's "Lakme" is a very cool piece on its own (I love all of Mike's dancey output) but it is bad as a version of Delibes' theme. I think I can accept it more if I try not to think that it is indeed a version of the 'flower duet' theme, but to think that the theme was only an inspiration for Mike to try out FruityLoops. As I seem to remember that the track was originally labelled as "FruityLoops demo", this last hypotesis of mine may very well be true. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 12:55 Thanks to the link from Tubular Man, I downloaded the bonus tracks (WMA? F***ing hell!, and already deleted them. 'Prés De Toi'... Look, I'm a fan of 'Closer' exactly because it avoided the overdone, clichéd "cathartic" trick Mike likes so much. And this 'Prés De Toi' thing just goes the opposite way, using the incredible power of "Bagpipes not sounding like bagpipes". And 'Lakme' is... eurgh. It took me quite a long time to recognise what the melody is (it's frequently used here, in its "operatic" form, in car commercials), and once I did... gee, Mike. Stop. Please. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ] Pages: (3) < [1] 2 3 >

Forums | Links | Instruments | Discography | Tours | Articles | FAQ | Artwork | Wallpapers
Biography | Gallery | Videos | MIDI / Ringtones | Tabs | Lyrics | Books | Sitemap | Contact


Mike Oldfield Tubular.net