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Matt Group: Admins Posts: 1186 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: April 24 2008, 09:53 The recording of the premiere concert of Music of the Spheres sounds great to me. Much better than I had expected. One thing that puzzles me a bit though is the number of mistakes made by Mike in the guitar parts. While the odd mistake is - as others have mentioned - inevitable there seem to be more here than would have expected. Listening to some other live performances from Mike I haven't noticed the same number. Am I missing something and the accuracy of playing is what you would normally expect from Mike or is it "sloppier" than usual? If so - why? Lack of practice? Nervousness? Seems unlikely given the many many concerts he has successfully performed over so many years. Maybe just fear - expecting rabid MO fans to suddenly stream out from behind concrete pillars like orcs in the mines of Moria   -------------- "I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels" Back to top

Harmono Group: Members Posts: 759 Joined: May 2005 Posted: April 24 2008, 10:24 First I thought that maybe it was disruptive for Mike having to follow the conductor, but youtube vids show he didn't actually look that way very often? He did look at the sheet music, maybe that wasn't comfortable for him? I was a little surprised that he decided to use the sheets. I think Mike's timing wasn't bad, but there are some wrong notes in really inconvenient places. At least he didn't completely drop out at any time. Maybe he just needs better glasses.   Back to top

Chicular Group: Members Posts: 240 Joined: Sep. 2004 Posted: April 24 2008, 10:48 Apart from the obvious bum note on Harmonia Mundi i can't hear any other obvious mistakes.  On Silhouette he plays it slightly different to the original, Shabda sounds a bit out of time to me and there's a different note played on the Tempest which i put down to Mike just trying something different.   Are these where you see the mistakes? Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: April 24 2008, 11:14 I haven't actually heard this but i can offer some thoughts.Mike,as we know,is an enourmously talented guitarist.However he has been made to make a lot of mistakes live.I have a version of Platinum live on an ancient VHS and he drops bum notes all over the place.There are also mistakes all over the Montreux DVD.While we expect Mike the live guitarist to be as pristine as Mike the studio guitarist.However in the studio one can take as many passes of a part as required to nail it,live you have ONE.I love Mikes playing and have speny many many hours trying to learn from it,and cannot criticise his skills but.....he does have a tendency to drop bum notes live.In this case i would say it's nerves.he's predominanyly performed on electric guitar.Classical guitar is a much more difficult instrument to play.The fingerboard is much wider. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Matt Group: Admins Posts: 1186 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: April 24 2008, 11:16 Quote (Chicular @ April 24 2008, 15:48) Apart from the obvious bum note on Harmonia Mundi i can't hear any other obvious mistakes.  On Silhouette he plays it slightly different to the original, Shabda sounds a bit out of time to me and there's a different note played on the Tempest which i put down to Mike just trying something different.   Are these where you see the mistakes? You raise another possibility - that I've got "bum ears" and the playing is just fine! I'll have another listen and try and note down the timings of the bits that stood out for me as not sounding quite right... -------------- "I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels" Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: April 24 2008, 11:19 LOL! -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Harmono Group: Members Posts: 759 Joined: May 2005 Posted: April 24 2008, 11:31 Quote (The Caveman @ April 24 2008, 17:14) Classical guitar is a much more difficult instrument to play.The fingerboard is much wider. That's exactly why I think it's easier to play classical guitar. There's indeed a possibility that Mike didn't consider some of the notes he played mistakes, and that I have bum ears too. Also I have always, when listening to orchestral/classical music, found that I prefer the version I've heard first, especially with symphonies and I have listened to the studio MotS at least ten times more often than the live MotS. Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: April 24 2008, 11:57 Interesting.I love to play classical guitars but find them hard work as i'm used to electric and standard acpostics.I find that classical necks are like boats!Horses for courses. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Harmono Group: Members Posts: 759 Joined: May 2005 Posted: April 24 2008, 12:16 I have these huge bratwursts where my fingers should be, so no eg. for me. Yep, horses for courses. Back to top

Tayniee Group: Members Posts: 132 Joined: April 2008 Posted: April 24 2008, 12:22 That's a question that fascinates me, I know he's a great musician.  We can't know for sure but the obvious answer would be anxiety and disassociation problems. There's playing an instrument in the safety of your own space but playing when under scrutiny is another matter When I try to imagine what it might be like for him I draw on the fact that I get very nervous if I have to do a presentation to my peers. I know I'm good at my work but if I'm in a situation of scrutiny (by peers) I lose my sense of 'greatness' so to speak.           -------------- As we all know, endings are just beginnings. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: April 25 2008, 02:33 Quote (Matt @ April 24 2008, 09:53) Maybe just fear - expecting rabid MO fans to suddenly stream out from behind concrete pillars like orcs in the mines of Moria   By foul craft, Tubular.net has crossed Orcs with Oldfield fans? And I thought the admins here were so... non-evil. Then again, Korgscrew did threaten to barbecue brains over burning bones. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

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