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tarquincat Offline




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Posted: May 22 2024, 15:43

It is a real shame that the Official Store only has Tubular Bells for sale.
Is there just no market for any of his other releases ?
Even a “Best of” ?
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 24 2024, 03:13

You can buy all his albums there, if you click on the "discography" tab.

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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 24 2024, 03:18

I just realize that they must have used chat GPT to make that "discography" section. Very sad.

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shenry Offline




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Posted: May 24 2024, 12:19

Some crazy prices on the links on that discography page! Clicking on Ommadawn takes you to Amazon and price tag of £137!! Oof, no thanks.

Funnily enough, I see the 2010 special edition of Hergest Ridge is still a decent £30. A bargain for that fabulous package. I thought it was out of print ages ago, but seems to be still available.
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shenry Offline




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Posted: May 24 2024, 12:20

Quote (larstangmark @ May 24 2024, 03:18)
I just realize that they must have used chat GPT to make that "discography" section. Very sad.

Why do you think it's chat GPT? Is it just the style of writing? I admit it's a bit shoddy. I find it hard to spot AI written stuff, I have to say though.
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 24 2024, 13:07

Quote (shenry @ May 24 2024, 12:20)
Quote (larstangmark @ May 24 2024, 03:18)
I just realize that they must have used chat GPT to make that "discography" section. Very sad.

Why do you think it's chat GPT? Is it just the style of writing? I admit it's a bit shoddy. I find it hard to spot AI written stuff, I have to say though.

Generic adjectives like "affecting" music. Statements like that QE2 contains two of Mike's "Most loved instrumentals". Five Miles Out is "Vibrant work". The only thing mentioned about Discovery is the place where it was recorded, and we're presented with the obvious factoid that Heaven's Open is released as "Michael Oldfield".
Tubular Bells 2 is famous for being Mike's fifteenth album.

The style is typical for chat GPTs style of presenting a few easily accesible facts about something in an aimless flow of standard phrases.


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"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
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hergest fridge Offline




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Posted: May 27 2024, 14:17

An opportunity missed to keep Mike's music and legacy going. It's run without any care , and a half hearted feeling , why bother to explore when no seems really bothered , and unfortunately that includes Mike himself.
If anyone bothered to buy the RSD Hergest ridge demo ( I did) the lack of creativity that went into that was shocking.
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 28 2024, 08:44

Quote (hergest fridge @ May 27 2024, 14:17)
An opportunity missed to keep Mike's music and legacy going. It's run without any care , and a half hearted feeling , why bother to explore when no seems really bothered , and unfortunately that includes Mike himself.
If anyone bothered to buy the RSD Hergest ridge demo ( I did) the lack of creativity that went into that was shocking.

I think it shows how much effort you have put into marketing and management, no matter how famous you are.

Whoever is trying to sell his records through that page, have a very vague idea about who Mike is, who his fans are and what his music sounds like.


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qjamesfloyd Offline




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Posted: May 30 2024, 02:16

Quote (hergest fridge @ May 27 2024, 19:17)
An opportunity missed to keep Mike's music and legacy going. It's run without any care , and a half hearted feeling , why bother to explore when no seems really bothered , and unfortunately that includes Mike himself.
If anyone bothered to buy the RSD Hergest ridge demo ( I did) the lack of creativity that went into that was shocking.

I think there is only 2 people keeping his legacy alive, Robin Smith and Robert Reed, which is sad really. Mind you, I am fully expecting yet another best of album sometime!!
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Sentinel_NZ Offline




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Posted: June 01 2024, 00:00

Quote (shenry @ May 24 2024, 12:20)
I find it hard to spot AI written stuff, I have to say though.

Here's a classic example of an AI-written movie review, found at IMDB, for the Francis Ford Coppola film "Megalopolis".  This could well serve as the locus classicus for the phenomenon:

" 10/10
An intellectual triumph
cdeligia
18 May 2024
Megalopolis is a cinematic tour de force that unflinchingly dissects the precarious state of contemporary American democracy through a chilling parallel with the fall of the Roman Empire. Directed with audacious vision, the film's chaotic narrative structure mirrors the tumultuous reality it seeks to critique, deftly illustrating how systemic instability can erode even the most resilient of republics.

The screenplay navigates a labyrinth of political intrigue, social unrest, and ideological extremism, echoing the historical disintegration that befell Rome. This intentional disorder in storytelling serves as a profound metaphor for the modern world's volatile dynamics, underscoring the fragility of democratic institutions in the face of rising neo-fascism and pervasive disinformation.

Cinematographically, "Megalopolis is a masterclass in visual storytelling. The stark, fragmented scenes reflect a society on the brink, evoking a visceral sense of urgency and despair. The performances are universally compelling, with the ensemble cast delivering nuanced portrayals that capture the multifaceted threats to democratic governance.

In an era where the specter of authoritarianism looms large, Megalopolis is not just a film but a prescient warning. It implores us to heed the lessons of history and remain vigilant, lest we witness the collapse of our own democratic ideals.

This film is an intellectual triumph, demanding reflection and action from its audience."
..

There isn't a single shred of a genuine organic human voice to be found in that composition...and yet, you can't say it's objectively bad writing.  Goodness knows how universities and high schools are going to deal with students handing in pieces of work like this, what criteria they will use to spot robot-generated essays and the like. What a nightmare.
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Sentinel_NZ Offline




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Posted: June 01 2024, 00:13

Quote (larstangmark @ May 24 2024, 03:18)
I just realize that they must have used chat GPT to make that "discography" section. Very sad.

Personally, I disagree. Nothing about those capsule reviews/info boxes reads as AI/ChatGP to me. (At least for TB through to Five Miles Out).  They are rather quite human and affectionate and natural, showing a real genuine affiliation for the subject matter, hitting on names, places, times, etc. as opposed to the cold, soulless, nonspecific, generic grab bag of dissertation-level thesaurus extractions all seamlessly stitched together like production line robots assembling the parts of a Tesla that you see ,for instance, in the selection in the comment above.  Most importantly, to my mind, the comments on the various albums, although not exactly what you might call completely unbiased, are pretty much true and correct and fair assessments.  There's not too much hyperbole or pure and outright nonsense and lies, deviating wildly from the truth or reasonable balance as an AI composition might do (Again, refer to the Megalopolis review for comparison).

The only glaring problem is that the description of "Five Miles Out" is repeated, being placed next to "Crises" as well, which lacks its own summary piece; and that, for whatever reason, once they got to Crises/Discovery, thru Tres Lunas they stopped trying to produce complete, brief but detailed summaries of each album and instead only offer one or two short pithy sentences for each one; although normal service is then, strangely, resumed for Light + Shade and Music of the Spheres and the other compilations and Opening Ceremony disc.
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Sentinel_NZ Offline




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Posted: June 01 2024, 00:32

Quote (tarquincat @ May 22 2024, 15:43)
It is a real shame that the Official Store only has Tubular Bells for sale.
Is there just no market for any of his other releases ?
Even a “Best of” ?

There certainly is...at Discogs you can get great deals on all his works and pretty much any else you could ever want, in any format.  

Go to: Mike Oldfield Discogs

Or ebay if you prefer them: Mike Oldfield Ebay
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Sentinel_NZ Offline




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Posted: June 03 2024, 01:09

Quote (qjamesfloyd @ May 30 2024, 02:16)
Mind you, I am fully expecting yet another best of album sometime!!

That's a good call, it's only right that there ought to be issued a complete retrospective of Oldfield's entire career, 1973-2023, up to and including the Tubular Bells IV demo and Return to Ommadawn (they could skip any material from Man on the Rocks but some people seem to  like Nuclear so I suppose it could go in there).  In other words, the absolutely definitive survey of his whole oevre, featuring appropriate selections from each and every album.  Obviously that would make it a lengthy set, so probably a double vinyl and maybe even double CD, and ideally with the most recent remasters and best versions of each.  I can easily see such a release strongly reinvigorating interest in Mike's wider body of work for a long time to come, which could only be beneficial for the world.  Surely someone is thinking along these lines and preparing something like that.
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nightspore Offline




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Posted: June 04 2024, 09:14

Quote (Sentinel_NZ @ June 01 2024, 00:00)
lest we witness the collapse of our own democratic ideals.

AI will have to do better than that to produce a convincing review. It has a very "average" feel about it: no idiosyncratic imagery or risk taking, and even throws back Western democratic prejudices in our faces. Comrade.  :laugh:
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Platinumpty Offline




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Posted: June 11 2024, 07:21

Quote (Sentinel_NZ @ June 03 2024, 01:09)
Quote (qjamesfloyd @ May 30 2024, 02:16)
Mind you, I am fully expecting yet another best of album sometime!!

That's a good call, it's only right that there ought to be issued a complete retrospective of Oldfield's entire career, 1973-2023, up to and including the Tubular Bells IV demo and Return to Ommadawn (they could skip any material from Man on the Rocks but some people seem to  like Nuclear so I suppose it could go in there).  In other words, the absolutely definitive survey of his whole oevre, featuring appropriate selections from each and every album.  Obviously that would make it a lengthy set, so probably a double vinyl and maybe even double CD, and ideally with the most recent remasters and best versions of each.  I can easily see such a release strongly reinvigorating interest in Mike's wider body of work for a long time to come, which could only be beneficial for the world.  Surely someone is thinking along these lines and preparing something like that.

Challenge accepted:

The Complete Mike Oldfield (Redux)

CD1:

1. Tubular Bells Opening
2. Hergest Ridge except (oboe and trumpet from side 1)
3. Ommadawn (last 8 mins of side 1)
4. In Dulci Jubilo
5. Argiers
6. Incantations - Side 3 Except
7. Guilty
8. Platinum Live Excerpt (from original Complete MO)
9. Platinum - Northstar (2012 remix)
10. Woodhenge
11. Sheba
12. QE2
13. Celt
14. Family Man
15. Mount Teide
16. Five Miles Out

CD 2:
1. Moonlight Shadow
2. Taurus III
3. Crises Except (ending)
4. To France
5. The Lake
6. Etude
7. Evacuation
8. The Path
9. The Wind Chimes Excerpt (ending?)
10. Northpoint
11. Blue night
12. Far Country
13. Amarok Excerpt (including 15/8 fast strum section)
14. Music From the Balcony Except
15. Heaven's Open

CD3:

1. Sentinel
2. Let There Be Light
3. Ascension
4. The Song of the Sun
5. Mont St Michel
6. Serpent's Dream
7. Far Above the Clouds
8. Summit Day
9. Four Winds
10. Pacha Mama
11. Broad Sunlit Uplands
12. Firefly
13. Angelique
14. Resolution
15. On My Heart
16. Castaway
17. Nuclear
18. Return to Ommadawn Excerpt (end part 1)
19. Tubular Bells IV Intro

Yes, I know I'm probably pushing the possible length of a CD... so if forced I'd drop tracks 8 and 11 from CD 1, tracks 11 and 15 from CD2 and tracks 4, 10 and 16 from CD3.

Let the abuse commence!
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Platinumpty Offline




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Posted: June 11 2024, 07:30

Incidentally, it pains me to have no room for Waldberg (The Peak), Jungle Gardenia, Legend, anything from Exposed, Piano Improvisation, In the Pool, Oribadoo and more...
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nightspore Offline




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Posted: June 11 2024, 07:38

I thought at first the title of this thread is "Official Stare", which is what you get on the covers of several MO albums  :laugh:
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Sentinel_NZ Offline




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Posted: June 11 2024, 16:45

Quote (Platinumpty @ June 11 2024, 07:21)
Challenge accepted:

The Complete Mike Oldfield (Redux)

CD1:

1. Tubular Bells Opening
2. Hergest Ridge except (oboe and trumpet from side 1)
3. Ommadawn (last 8 mins of side 1)
4. In Dulci Jubilo
5. Argiers
6. Incantations - Side 3 Except
7. Guilty
8. Platinum Live Excerpt (from original Complete MO)
9. Platinum - Northstar (2012 remix)
10. Woodhenge
11. Sheba
12. QE2
13. Celt
14. Family Man
15. Mount Teide
16. Five Miles Out

CD 2:
1. Moonlight Shadow
2. Taurus III
3. Crises Except (ending)
4. To France
5. The Lake
6. Etude
7. Evacuation
8. The Path
9. The Wind Chimes Excerpt (ending?)
10. Northpoint
11. Blue night
12. Far Country
13. Amarok Excerpt (including 15/8 fast strum section)
14. Music From the Balcony Except
15. Heaven's Open

CD3:

1. Sentinel
2. Let There Be Light
3. Ascension
4. The Song of the Sun
5. Mont St Michel
6. Serpent's Dream
7. Far Above the Clouds
8. Summit Day
9. Four Winds
10. Pacha Mama
11. Broad Sunlit Uplands
12. Firefly
13. Angelique
14. Resolution
15. On My Heart
16. Castaway
17. Nuclear
18. Return to Ommadawn Excerpt (end part 1)
19. Tubular Bells IV Intro

Yes, I know I'm probably pushing the possible length of a CD... so if forced I'd drop tracks 8 and 11 from CD 1, tracks 11 and 15 from CD2 and tracks 4, 10 and 16 from CD3.

Let the abuse commence!

Not bad bro...I would like to see a couple more tracks from "Tubular Bells II", "Tubular Bells III" (a career-spanning Mike Oldfield greatest hits/best of album lacking "Man in the Rain" would never earn a "take my money!" from me)  "Music of the Spheres", "Tr3s Lunas" and "Night+ Shade",and the absence of a Taurus II excerpt strikes me as a glaring omission; in my estimation, Taurus II is Mike's absolutely greatest ever work, and in particular, the "Sana Rosana" section his finest moment, bar none; this excerpt would be "the very first name on the team-sheet", as it were, if I were calling the shots; indeed, Taurus II is as far as I can tell the very last word in progressive rock itself and even one of the greatest longform symphonic compositions since Max Bruch's violin concerto (1866), Tchaikovsky's many masterworks, Dvorak's New World Symphony (1893) and possibly one of two others along those lines; otherwise, at first glance, a fine selection.  (Probably on more careful scrutiny I would find more to nitpick, omissions and inclusions that I could never agree with, but I don't think that's necessary...it's a pretty good selection and a worthy effort).

Speaking in all seriousness, I wonder if the relevant labels are even thinking of issuing something like this? Surely it must be a desideratum, both for the record buying public and the music publishers.  And it would be a fitting way to officially mark the end of MO's incredible, unparalleled recording career.  Basically, it would be nothing short of the greatest "greatest hits"/retrospective album/package of all time...It would make "The Beatles 1962-70", Abba Gold, etc. look like Elmo & Friends' Sesame Street Karaoke Sing-A-Long Party.
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Platinumpty Offline




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Posted: June 14 2024, 06:58

Thanks for the kind words. I'm probably one of the few Taurus II dissenters on here (but then so is MO, remember he left it off his "Two Sides" compilation). I find it lumpen, repetitive and awkward. There are bits of it I like but a lot of it is a bit of a drag. I actually prefer Music From the Balcony ( :O )

I did have Man on the Rain on there at first, but then it is so similar in style, instrumentation, structure and melody to Moonlight Shadow that the need for brevity made me boot it. I also considered Serpent's Dream. But that's the pain of a compilation. Inevitably you're leaving stuff off you'd include were it longer.

Still - fun to do. Maybe we could have a massive fan vote (if more people were active on here) and put the results to Universal.

Now would also be a good time for a "rarities" collection, including things like Afghan, Legend, Indian Lake and that thing he did for the Bruce Parry charity CD. Plus I'm sure Mike must have loads of reels, tapes and files of unreleased bits and pieces the archivists would adore. Take a leaf out of Neil Young's book Mike and bare all (though not in a Voyager cover way, that was a bit much).
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: June 14 2024, 15:47

Quote (Platinumpty @ June 14 2024, 06:58)
Thanks for the kind words. I'm probably one of the few Taurus II dissenters on here (but then so is MO, remember he left it off his "Two Sides" compilation). I find it lumpen, repetitive and awkward. There are bits of it I like but a lot of it is a bit of a drag. I actually prefer Music From the Balcony ( :O )

If I had get to hear "Tarurus II" for the first time today, I'm not sure what I would think. I have tried my best to do a "clean listen", ignoring that I fell in love with the piece when I was eleven years old.

In the first few minutes, there are a couple of really random segues between sections, that I guess is a bi-effect of Mike using a computer as a composition tool for the firs time, but the shifts between sunshine and dark clouds make up for it. "The deep deep sound" is a really dramatic and intense piece, in which Morris Pert is the real hero.

But after that....

The "Sana Rosana" section is probably the first time Mike went full on Disney. It's quite repetetive and wears outs welcome quickly. The "big happy ending" is there in TB and HR also, but these sections were becoming a bit too "nice", beginning with this one. I'm not a big fan of the Crises ending either, or the last five minutes of Wind Chimes or of the dreadful Amarok ending. It's like Yanni featuring Paul Simon.


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