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Topic: Different music from Mike, different kinds of fans...< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
bennyboy Offline




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Posted: Sep. 04 2001, 13:13

Here is a theory I would like to put up for consideration:

Mike has not "lost it". Neither is he any more of a genius than he ever was back in the "glory days" of Tubular Bells et al.

My theory is that Oldfield keeps changing his musical style to suit himself. These changes can be enchanting or alienating depending on your point of view. Back in the eighties, many people thought that Mike moving into songwriting was a "sell out" to commercial formulas, wheras others like me found some pleasent and catchy tunes and enjoyed controversial albums like "Earth Moving" and "Islands".

When Mike moved into more radical means of experimentation with "Amarok" and "Music From The Balcony" some considered them to be works of genius, whilst others found them to be overlong cacophonies of disonant noise.

Things haven't changed much. Nowadays Oldfield has adopted more of a crossover style (or pastiche style to his critics both in and out of fandom), "borrowing" from different musical genres and covering several styles over the same record (ie "Tubular Bells III", "The Millennium Bell"). His instrumental pieces are short, and even his longer symphonic pieces are broken up into movements on CD (ie "Tubular Bells II" & "Tubular Bells III"). Some have criticized his current work as being patchy and derivative whilst attempting to cover all bases for commercial reasons. Others like myself see the nineties as probably his most progressive period, with no two albums of his in the nineties sounding alike.

My theory is THIS: Mike has not "lost it". He is still a talented composer, and his work in whatever given style he has done recently (ie heavy metal, ambient, flamenco, techno to name but a few) has been exceptional. Wether or not he has "lost it" depends on wether you like that style and/or what direction you think he should be heading in. Mike has shown over the years that he doesn't really give a s--t about finding one particular style, which can make his music by turns fascinating and disappointing.

I think that what music of Mike's you like and what you don't reflects very much on you as a fan.
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Ugo Offline




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Posted: Sep. 04 2001, 17:08

You're perfectly right, even if I said more or less the same in an angry message I posted some time ago, called BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS. Mike makes music mainly for himself. If we like it, well, he's pleased. If we don't like it, he just does not care. smile

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Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
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rosko Offline




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Posted: Sep. 05 2001, 12:37

You have inflicted severe head injuries to what we call "the nail".

That was worse than my "internet story" joke. Oh well...
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timshen Offline




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Posted: Sep. 06 2001, 13:02

And that nail makes different clanging sounds with each of Mike's albums!

I agree that you cannot NAIL Mike down to one type of music - he embraces most types but maintains his unique style at the same time - he is aHEAD of his time! People like to HAMMER him for this, but I feel it's an asset! For myself, I like to listen to different albums of Mike's depending on what mood I'm in - he has it all, so I don't get bored with his music.

Sometimes I fancy slow classical guitar, then heavy rock, then classical, then blues, then folk, then celtic, then crazy and zany, then space agey, then jazz, then spoken word, then african, then indian... and so on. He has it all (even kind of rap in 'sunlight'). Other musicians get boring with time, but for me Mike's musical variety keeps a freshness there when others have gone stale!

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Expect Great Things.
Attempt Great Things.
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Dervish_D Offline




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Posted: Sep. 07 2001, 02:21

I think we should not discuss about styles that changed during Mike's career. A certain style is just ones own personal way to describe what you think during the process of composing. It just depends on what your subjective likes or dislikes are and in which time you live in. Consider if Bach have had the opportunity to use synthesizers, wouldn't he at least try it them out? More over, Mike has said, he hates the sound of saxophons but you find one in "Music from the Balcony". Why? When he wrote "Amarok", he claimed to disdain computers and synths at all. So what? Changes in your points of view take places everyday. And this is not a sign of inconsitency, just a sign of a constant learning and exploring process. This is something valueable because nowadays lots of people tend to have their strict opinions and views.

This is one aspect. The other I want to refer, is about his recent music:
Either, don't I believe in a loss of his talent or something. However, I think that his recent methods of producing music are too unimaginative or better to say, can be improved (sorry). In the 70s there was something in him that wanted to be relieved. This made him compose music that was so intensively thought through and complex; every detail had to be right. Nowadays this changed a bit because in formerly composing was not just waiting for inspiration, drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and finally playing just something. No, you had to WRITE something down (refer Amarok inlay), you had to think about / with the instruments you want to use because noone other (e.g. the computer) was able to play them except from you and, what I consider extremely important, you HAD TO DISCUSS with someone about what you composed and you had to be open-minded for other's points of view.
This is something I think Mike has hidden behind his technical perfection and the new technology he planted around him. However, every word remains just speculation. Perhaps I am completely wrong. Nevertheless, I try to find my own answers and ways in thinking about music. I read an article about Vangelis's recent "Mythodea"-event in Greece and he stated, he would try to be as objective as he can be with his music and thus he composes from completely nothing, no images, no feelings. I believe that music still remains something subjective. Objectivity would limit music to pure description and that is just not the point why I like music.
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ChiRho Offline




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Posted: Sep. 13 2001, 09:58

I have played some of Mike's music to other people and, after making the obvious film link from the opening to TBptI, they seemed to like bits of TBIIptI, but not HR. Other people that I have spoken to love HR, and Is, but find TB and TBIII too "commercial". IMHO, people can do what they like, and if Mike fancies experimenting with a change of style, then why not? Some people call my taste in music unconventional (but I fail to see how "a little bit of everything" can be out-of-the-ordinary)

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TimHighfield Offline




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Posted: Sep. 14 2001, 07:00

One of my friends has been listening to the compilation made by me and cp. We found out that, after one listening, he reacted more postively to the second disc (as in vocal tracks and such) than to the first one (where the prominent guitar was not favourable viewed). But not a bad response.

The interesting thing about this was that the person/victim in question was lent the compilation on the basis that they had become hooked on a certain track that they called "The Happy Song". Not everyone reacts like that to Amarok, do they? wink

Anyway, the main reason for this post is that I just want to say that everyone has different tastes, and like different things. It's been said before, but I felt like repeating it.

-Tim-
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bennyboy Offline




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Posted: Sep. 14 2001, 11:33

That's exactly it! That's exactly what I was a saying!

If you say that Mikey's music is crap, that's fine.

He can be a genius or mountebank and still he hasn't "lost it".

Everything is a matter of taste, and there is no accounting for that.
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timshen Offline




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Posted: Sep. 14 2001, 11:41

To say Mike has 'lost it' may be right dependant on what the person means by 'it'! 'What is 'it'?' is therefore the pertinent question to ask.

If 'it' means his early more 'hippy'(for want of a much better word) sound then it is largely true he has lost 'it'. However, that does not mean he has lost his mastery of music - he merely moves onto different 'its' as he is led!

Hope this makes sense!

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Expect Great Things.
Attempt Great Things.
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bennyboy Offline




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Posted: Sep. 15 2001, 05:44

Are, the differences and errors in communication that make us human!!!!

LOL!
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