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Topic: Can anyone help with First Excursion?, It's reminiscant of something else...< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
arron11196 Offline




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Posted: July 08 2005, 05:10

Hi all,

Was listening to Boxed for the first time, and that first riff in First Excursion... I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before amongst Oldfield's work. Does anyone know where it's quoted?

Thanks in advance,


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Arron J Eagling

Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature.

(insert the last 5 mins of Crises here)
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familyjules Offline




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Posted: July 08 2005, 05:37

Quote (arron11196 @ July 08 2005, 05:10)
Hi all,

Was listening to Boxed for the first time, and that first riff in First Excursion... I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before amongst Oldfield's work. Does anyone know where it's quoted?

Thanks in advance,

I think there's a musical phrase in First Excursion that was reworked for Incantations.  Somebody else will be able to be more specific.

Jules


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Rob Miles Offline




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Posted: July 10 2005, 17:41

Hello everyone

First Excursion is the closest thing besides the soundtracks to Reflections and (one tiny bit of) The Space Movie which tells you what the pre-exigesis Incantations would have sounded like- that HR PT 1 oboe-bit guitar sound and the whole general background-as-the-top-line approach expresses the withdrawn feel that Mike had at the time.

Of course, post therapy and it's all in your face.

Rob
:-)?
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arron11196 Offline




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Posted: July 11 2005, 04:29

:/  ahh.

I don't have Incantations yet...

Maybe it was just deja vu...

Thanks though guys. I'll look out for those sections... (off to Amazon.co.uk...)


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Arron J Eagling

Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature.

(insert the last 5 mins of Crises here)
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familyjules Offline




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Posted: July 11 2005, 05:21

Quote (arron11196 @ July 11 2005, 04:29)
I don't have Incantations yet...

Then what are you waiting for?!?!  Buy it.  NOW!!  Don't just sit there!!!

;)

Jules


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olracUK Offline




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Posted: July 11 2005, 19:59

Erm..hate to be a dissenting voice, but (don't you always know a "but" is coming?) I personally always felt incanttions to be overblown, overlong. Bits are sublime, some of his best guitar work, an some great themes. Just too much of it and not enough progression.

First Excursions, along with Stars End showed Mike had hope, and doubt too..Exegises blew that away. And we were left with the Leviathan that was Exposed.


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familyjules Offline




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Posted: July 12 2005, 04:35

Quote (olracUK @ July 11 2005, 19:59)
Erm..hate to be a dissenting voice, but (don't you always know a "but" is coming?) I personally always felt incantations to be overblown, overlong. Bits are sublime, some of his best guitar work, an some great themes. Just too much of it and not enough progression.

First Excursions, along with Stars End showed Mike had hope, and doubt too. Exegises blew that away. And we were left with the Leviathan that was Exposed.

I always used to feel that way about Incantations too - that it was overlong and lacking in progression.  More recently I heard it with fresh ears and its triumphs far outweigh its deficiencies for me.  I think it's one of his masterpeices for sure.

First Excursion on the other hand I find to be dull guitar noodling which goes nowhere.  In fact I find most of Mike's collaborations with David Bedford (especially the ones Bedford has a hand in the composition of) to be somewhat tedious.

Jules


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arron11196 Offline




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Posted: July 13 2005, 07:22

Quote (familyjules @ July 11 2005, 05:21)
Quote (arron11196 @ July 11 2005, 04:29)
I don't have Incantations yet...

Then what are you waiting for?!?!  Buy it.  NOW!!  Don't just sit there!!!

;)

Jules

Ahh,

Well you see Jules, the thing is I don't want to buy lots of albums in a short period of time. There are afterall, only 7 left to get and I only bought Tr3s Lunas about 3 months ago.

Gotta eek out the pleasure.

:)


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Arron J Eagling

Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature.

(insert the last 5 mins of Crises here)
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: July 26 2005, 20:32

Quote
always used to feel that way about Incantations too - that it was overlong and lacking in progression.  More recently I heard it with fresh ears and its triumphs far outweigh its deficiencies for me.  I think it's one of his masterpeices for sure.


I agree. It is a masterpiece, IMTNHO. I love the way the themes, musically and lyrically, are integrated. In my world, it progresses. :)

Quote
First Excursion on the other hand I find to be dull guitar noodling which goes nowhere.  In fact I find most of Mike's collaborations with David Bedford (especially the ones Bedford has a hand in the composition of) to be somewhat tedious.


I've been on a FE kick lately and find it brooding, energetic, and passionate--much is packed into its approx. 6 minutes. Other pieces on that CD, e.g., "The Path" or "Algiers" -- which l love -- I find meditative, pleasant, happy, and relaxing. On the other hand, when I listen to FE, I am left with various longings for everything from walking on Hergest Ridge in December mist to the first freshly squeezed cider of autumn to collecting falling leaves to a storm over Keuka Lake to a country lane in white blossoms against a purple sky and strands of gold to something I don't even know.


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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: July 26 2005, 20:46

Oh bugger. Sometimes I don't know why I get up in the morning. I thought this was an Elements thread, not Boxed (which explains why I wasn't finding this thread where I thought it was....). "The Path" is on Elements whoops. I have Boxed on vinyl & seldom haul it out. But...in looking through it, I am suddenly inspired to remedy the situation.  :)

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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Feb. 06 2008, 07:17

Old subjsect i know but  the first phrase of First Excursion was resurrected (albeit with echo)at the of Woodhenge a couple of years later.A blatenet and clear quote.Both suberb tracks though.

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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Feb. 07 2008, 03:13

Quote (The Caveman @ Feb. 06 2008, 07:17)
Old subjsect i know but  the first phrase of First Excursion was resurrected (albeit with echo)at the of Woodhenge a couple of years later.A blatenet and clear quote.Both suberb tracks though.

First Excursion is one of my favourite Mike Oldfield tracks,and I must`ve listened to it hundreds of times.But it wasn`t until a year or so ago when I listened to the second side of Platinum for the first time in god knows how long that I heard that connection.Like you say it`s the exact same guitar phrase that appears in there. I just couldn`t believe it had taken me over twenty five years to relate the two pieces of music.
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captainjjb Offline




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Posted: Feb. 07 2008, 04:37

in compositional style it is similar to the title track from Instructions for Angels - another classic and another Bedford collaboration.
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Feb. 08 2008, 02:48

Can't say i've heard of that one.By Collaboration do you mean Oldfield's playing on it?
 Going back to First Excursion,I heard Woodhenge a few years before (I was very young)and then i got Boxed when i was about 12.It took me a while to try to figure out the connection.Couldn't put my finger on it.Regardless of the simmilarities though they are both wonderfull tracks that show Oldfield doing what IMHO he does best.....playing the electric guitar.


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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Feb. 08 2008, 03:41

Quote (The Caveman @ Feb. 08 2008, 02:48)
Can't say i've heard of that one.By Collaboration do you mean Oldfield's playing on it?
 Going back to First Excursion,I heard Woodhenge a few years before (I was very young)and then i got Boxed when i was about 12.It took me a while to try to figure out the connection.Couldn't put my finger on it.Regardless of the simmilarities though they are both wonderfull tracks that show Oldfield doing what IMHO he does best.....playing the electric guitar.

That`s kind of how it happened for me as well,although I would`ve been about 13/14 when I first heard Platinum.Then like yourself bought Boxed a couple of years later.

Instructions For Angels is indeed another collaboration between Bedford and Oldfield.It`s probablly not as atmospheric as First Excursion or Woodhenge for that matter.But Mike`s guitar sound and kind of "freeform" playing on it is certainly reminiscent of those two tracks.It`s definetly a must hear though just for the sheer power of the thing.Bedford`s great big organ sound battling it out with Mike`s soaring Guitar.Sounds unbelievable when you`ve got it cranked right up to eleven.Places like Amazon usually have a few Bedford albums up for sale at reasonable prices if you`re interested.
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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Feb. 08 2008, 06:12

Thanks for that.I will be tracking that down.I have Stars End,The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner and The Odyssey already.All great cds if you're in the right frame of mind (the Sirens has some sublime palying form Mike),as they are not exactly easy listening.Is Instructions....later than the Odyssey as form about 1974 on Bedford released an album a year as did Oldfield.I thought that The Odyssey,released in '76,was the last.If there's more i'm there.
 Am i alone in really enjoying Bedford's work?There seems a general feeling of not liking his work with Oldfield.It's chalenging sure,but i find it very rewarding.Not accounting for taste i guess
  :)  :)


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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Feb. 09 2008, 07:27

Well flicking back through my old vinyl I can`t find Instructions For Angels anymore.So it must`ve gone the journey when I sold some of my old records when I was strapped for cash a few years back.I seem to remember it came out after The Odyssey though Possiblly around 77/78.I`m pretty sure it turned out to be his last album during his time on Virgin in the mid seventies. I`ve kept a rip of the title track on my hardrive fortunatly so all is not lost.

I did stumble accross those other three albums you mention amongst my old vinyl though.And I agree with you about The Sirens btw.I`d certainly put that track down as one of the highlights from Bedford`s albums for me.The Rio Grande was always another track I was really fond of as well.As his albums go as whole entity`s though I think the only one I really perservered with was Star`s End.I have`nt listenened to it in a long time I must admit.But despite it`s kind of grand "of the time" concept and numerous atonal moments.I always really enjoyed listening to that album from start to finish.

The only other album I`ve had of his was the "On A Rhythm Of Mike Oldfield" one.Which to be honest I just didn`t get at all.Another album long since consigned to a 2nd hand record dealer I`m not ashamed to say.This was a release that came out sometime in the mid nineties and was a strange piece based around Mike`s infamous bass line from Tubular Bells.It also featured some stuff he`d done with Tom Newman on there as well.There`s a couple of his other albums that I`ve always been curious about hearing but I`ve never actually got round to buying.Notably Riqel 9 I think it was called and his Stars Cluster Nebula album which both appeared during the 80`s.

Getting back to the original topic of the thread here a piece of music that always reminds me of First Excursion to some extent is the Robert Fripp and Brian Eno track Evening Star.Another fantastic piece of music imo.I would`ve loved to have heard a collaboration between Oldfield and Eno I have to say.Especially if Mike could`ve come up with something anywhere close to his guitar playing on First Excursion.Sadly though given his current musical direction,and selling of old instruments etc.I think the time where he could seemingly just pick up his guitar and come out with that kind of emotive genius is long since over.
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: Feb. 09 2008, 11:47

Quote (Dirk Star @ Feb. 09 2008, 07:27)
I would`ve loved to have heard a collaboration between Oldfield and Eno I have to say.

That's exactly what Mike would need, but I'm quite sure those two would be on eachothers throats within minutes.

Just imagine for a minute what TSODE would have sounded like if Eno would have been the producer. It could have been a very good album.


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The Caveman Offline




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Posted: Feb. 11 2008, 08:19

I had the On A rhythm of MO on CD.Hmmm didn't get it either.Star Clusters etc was the only album on Oldfield Music.
 It really saddens me that Mike may not play electric with such passion again though.  :/


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trcanberra Offline




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Posted: April 26 2008, 04:13

Yes, made me think of that Reflections doco straight away.
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