Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]


Question: Favourite Voyager Track :: Total Votes:81
Poll choices Votes Statistics
The Song of the Sun 12  [14.81%]
Celtic Rain 3  [3.70%]
The Hero 1  [1.23%]
Women of Ireland 6  [7.41%]
The Voyager 2  [2.47%]
She Moves Through the Fair 1  [1.23%]
Dark Island 8  [9.88%]
Wild Goose Flaps its Wings 13  [16.05%]
Flowers of the Forest 5  [6.17%]
Mont St Michel 30  [37.04%]
Guests cannot vote
Pages: (3) < 1 2 [3] >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Topic: Favourite Voyager Track, Favourite Voyager Track< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Alan D Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 3670
Joined: Aug. 2004
Posted: Oct. 31 2005, 14:44

Quote (EeToN @ Oct. 31 2005, 18:14)
It's actually not Mike who's listed on the booklet as the arranger of Mont St. Michel but Robin Smith.

That's interesting isn't it? I wonder who he is, and why he was involved?
Back to top
Profile PM 
arron11196 Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 826
Joined: April 2005
Posted: Oct. 31 2005, 15:42

Was he not the conductor, of sorts, who took the musical ideas off of Mike and orchestrated an accompanyment?

--------------
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)
Back to top
Profile PM 
EeToN Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 845
Joined: Sep. 2001
Posted: Nov. 01 2005, 06:37

Quote (Alan D @ Oct. 31 2005, 20:44)
That's interesting isn't it? I wonder who he is, and why he was involved?

AFAIK he's the same Robin Smith who collaborated on Light + Shade on tracks First Steps and Ringscape. There his role is listed as "additional keyboard arrangements", the same as in case of Christopher von Deylen. Anyway he's a keyboardist and played in Mike's band at the TBIII Premiere and at the Art in Heaven show.

--------------
If I were music, I would be Enigmatism.
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
EeToN Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 845
Joined: Sep. 2001
Posted: Nov. 01 2005, 06:40

Hah, looking at a Robin Smith page I'm not sure anymore whether they really are the same person. :)

--------------
If I were music, I would be Enigmatism.
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
EeToN Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 845
Joined: Sep. 2001
Posted: Nov. 02 2005, 07:24

Quote (Alan D @ Oct. 31 2005, 11:26)
In the case of Mt St Michel I sometimes wonder if Mike himself might have struggled a bit with the over-the-top romanticism of it all

He made the same decision regarding Lake Constance, after all.

--------------
If I were music, I would be Enigmatism.
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
Alan D Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 3670
Joined: Aug. 2004
Posted: Nov. 02 2005, 09:48

Quote (EeToN @ Nov. 02 2005, 12:24)
He made the same decision regarding Lake Constance, after all.

Indeed he did. Good point. Clearly there's a lush romantic side of MO that needs to be heard!
Back to top
Profile PM 
New Incantation Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 85
Joined: Sep. 2007
Posted: Oct. 12 2008, 07:17

It has been a year or so since I last listened to this album, which probably says more about how I rate it compared to other MO offerings than anything else.

Unfortunately my view hasn't changed since I last settled down in my cosy bed and listened to Voyager - it is not as accessible or easy on the mind taken as a whole. I wouldn't necessarily say it is the weakest of his collection, but I just have problems trying to marry the New Age, the mystical Gaelic influences and Mike's own personal embellishments into the album.

As much as I enjoy all three genres on an individual meritorial basis I found it hard to digest all three at once with this album.

So much so that only one or two tracks stand out for consideration. Mont St Michel, gets the mix almost right until about half through and its goes into a kind of "Punkadiddle" crescendo, which really doesn't work for me at all.

My favourite, therefore, would have to be Wild Goose. The mix is perfect, it is visionary, full of emotion, haunting & evocative.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Holger Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1506
Joined: Feb. 2003
Posted: Oct. 12 2008, 09:51

Quote (New Incantation @ Oct. 12 2008, 13:17)
I wouldn't necessarily say it is the weakest of his collection, but I just have problems trying to marry the New Age, the mystical Gaelic influences and Mike's own personal embellishments into the album.

As much as I enjoy all three genres on an individual meritorial basis I found it hard to digest all three at once with this album.

Indeed; while I don't have a problem with Mike going Gaelic at all (he has done it to great effect in the past, after all), as soon as the New Age element comes into the mix, it just doesn't work for me. (It is however interesting to hear how he "nailed" this particular style - he was, after all, hardly the first to do it; I could imagine that if someone was really into this particular sound, Voyager would be a gem in his / her collection.)

Quote
So much so that only one or two tracks stand out for consideration. Mont St Michel, gets the mix almost right until about half through and its goes into a kind of "Punkadiddle" crescendo, which really doesn't work for me at all.

Interesting - that part, to me, is the single most interesting thing about Mont St Michel. If it wasn't for that part, I think I wouldn't really care for this track at all.

Quote
My favourite, therefore, would have to be Wild Goose. The mix is perfect, it is visionary, full of emotion, haunting & evocative.

Agreed: this is by far the most interesting track on the album, IMO. I'm not sure I'd call it perfect; the simplistic new age-y harp arrangement doesn't really do it for me (much of the album suffers from that phenomenon, actually). If it wasn't for that though...

The only other thing on the album that really does anything for me is the folky middle section of Dark Island. A lot of the other tracks have nice tunes, but the arrangements really spoil them as far as I'm concerned.
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Oct. 12 2008, 19:00

Why have so many people got it in for Voyager? It's one of Mike's albums I can always listen to. "Dark Island" is my favourite.
Back to top
Profile PM 
raven4x4x Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1535
Joined: Jan. 2002
Posted: Oct. 13 2008, 00:59

I wouldn't say I've 'got it in' for Voyager, it's just that I don't find it especially interesting to listen to. Admittedly I haven't listened to it all that much, but when I do I find that most of it just isn't memorable. None of it really remains with me after it's over.

--------------
Thank-you for helping us help you help us all.
Back to top
Profile PM 
New Incantation Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 85
Joined: Sep. 2007
Posted: Oct. 13 2008, 08:25

Quote (nightspore @ Oct. 13 2008, 00:00)
Why have so many people got it in for Voyager? It's one of Mike's albums I can always listen to. "Dark Island" is my favourite.

We all have differnt personal tastes, which can only be a good thing otherwise we'd end up as very boring people: one man's meat and all that.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Taurus 4 Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 46
Joined: Aug. 2007
Posted: Oct. 13 2008, 08:35

Mont St Michel. The orchestra surging through it pushes the track - and the album - into greatness.
Back to top
Profile PM 
51 replies since June 24 2004, 06:34 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

[ 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
Mike Oldfield Tubular.net