timshen
Group: Members
Posts: 684
Joined: Mar. 2001 |
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Posted: Aug. 29 2005, 22:53 |
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From the oldfield.de site comes the first reveiws in English - First Steps and Surfing - WARNING -SPOILERS AHEAD..
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CD Preview Light and Shade Teil 3: "First Steps"
by Hendrik Schiwon hendrik@oldfield.de
First Steps [ TRACK 04 of Light 9:59]
First Steps is a collection of his different Tr3sLunas-Game-themes which he used in his game. It begins with a sentimental Variation. Shortly after a slightly modified repetition, this CD-track gets an unexpected, surprisingly positive “Upbeat” at Minute 2:30 which makes the piece more alive.
With a good “Bass-Line” and advanced improvisations it continues until Minute 5:30, when it gets more quiet, but not for a long time. With kettledrums, you are transferred to the Tr3sLunas-Island section, where in the game you will visit the dolphins and tortoises. Sadly very suddenly and rough, at Minute 6:55 until 7:48, the music changes to a lovely new guitar sequence combined with synthesizer parts. The slightly modified Islands section is continued after that section with a screaming guitar, as we know from the game, and together with a new undistorted one, they lead it’s way until the song fades away.
Mr. Oldfield did a very big favour for me. I am very glad that he published this game track together with “Ringscape” on an official Album.
Especially this theme always made me pause in the game. I remember that I stopped at the tree in the game every time I played it, to grab my guitar and to play it as good as I could. It is a catchy tune which I always have in my mind, like the Tubular Bell theme.
I have to say that always, when I start playing guitar, this is the first melody which comes out of my fingers!
Surfing [ TRACK 04 of Shade 5:37 ]
The Song Surfing is one of the slower pieces of this CD, which even contains Lyrics again. As in all of his Songs, he used his Vocaloid software again, but this time with a lot of perfection.
Mr. Oldfield used an overlay of approximately five voices which are a bit shifted in time and different in their heights, which leads to a mysterious and somewhat marvellous harmony.
Who thinks Surfing is related to beach sports, as I have read in several forums, will be bitterly disappointed.
It´s related to the Internet, as far as I could hear:
"Surfing, I'm surfing, I’m hooked and I am searching, like fallen right into the net.
Morning and evening I’m flying and dreaming, I can't keep it out of my head.".
The bass line is not importunate and has a pleasant speed. Although I haven’t heard any of his older albums for a long time, the voices and the height of them immediately reminds me of CRISES, best compared with the part: "The watcher into the Tower...".
After 3 minutes several Synthesizer melodies and effects start to play which sounds like some of Jean Michell Jarres´s Oxigene excerpts, but don’t nail me on that.
Shortly afterwards Mikes typical distorted, crying guitar appears.
After one minute and 20 seconds this insert ends and the Vocals continue until this song ends with Mike Oldfield´s guitar. It is a pleasure to hear many beautiful and marvellous sound effects during this Vocal song.
Immediately after my first listening, I fell in love with the song! For now it´s my absolute “Highlight” as well as Nightshade and Resolution, on which I will comment later to them.
This song should definitely be published as a single
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Expect Great Things.
Attempt Great Things.
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The Gate! 
