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jeremyroberts Group: Members Posts: 139 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 15:20 Mike Oldfield has made so many great albums. I mean... really fabulous albums. I don't want him to record another Ommadawn. I don't want him to do what he's already done... But... I've bought Light & Shade today. Okay I've only heard the first 4 tracks of Shade. Those voices    I would like to have all the tracks on U-Myx and remove all those terrible synthetic voices. It's sad there isn't a Umyx version of Surfing, I would have sung it myself.   Some good moments, though. But some very very embarassing ones as well. I don't know if I'll keep the album.   Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 15:27 Do you like QE2 and Five Miles Out? People used to say the exact same things about vocoders. You'll get used to it in no time. Back to top

jeremyroberts Group: Members Posts: 139 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 15:33 I love QE2. I like vocoders. I use one myself. But I don't like the sound of the fake voices at all. Vocoder isn't a fake voice, it's a synth modulated by a voice. It seems the aim of those softwares is to try to sound realistic. What I don't like on "Light & Shade" is that Mike Oldfield used them as if they were real voices. I'd have liked if he had used it like an instrument and not like a singer. There's a great potential in those softwares for someone who wants to use them as if they were a new kind of synthesizers. Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 16:12 Quote (jeremyroberts @ Oct. 14 2005, 21:33) It seems the aim of those softwares is to try to sound realistic. What I don't like on "Light & Shade" is that Mike Oldfield used them as if they were real voices. I'd have liked if he had used it like an instrument and not like a singer. It seems to me that he has used them like he has always used his singers - as instruments.   Back to top

Moz Group: Musicians Posts: 600 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 16:12 Give it time.  Listen to it a few times and see if the album grows on you.  I felt exactly the same as you when I first heard the album, but I enjoyed it after a few listens.  If you don't enjoy it after that, well, fair enough - at least you've given it a chance though. -------------- Twitter: @benbarden Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 16:30 Quote (Holger @ Oct. 14 2005, 16:12) It seems to me that he has used them like he has always used his singers - as instruments. It's a shame that the Vocaloids don't have the ability to pull a Maggie Reilly and get the hell out of there while they have time... -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

jeremyroberts Group: Members Posts: 139 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 16:55 I'm getting used to the synthetic voices... But it takes a lot of efforts. I've been listening at least 3 times to Shade in its entirety. Nothing from Light yet, since I can't play it in my computer because of Umyx. It's growing on me. Who would have believed it?   Haven't heard "Ayghellik" yet either lol (except the excerpt on the website). (makes me think: when I first heard Songs of distant earth, I didn't like it that much... now I really love it, so maybe I'll like Light&Shade, but I know I won't love it the way I love TSODE). Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 17:17 Quote (jeremyroberts @ Oct. 14 2005, 21:55) I can't play it in my computer because of Umyx. Yes you can. Close down the U-myx panel, then open My Computer, right click on your CD drive and choose 'Play'. Back to top

Navaira Group: Members Posts: 481 Joined: Jan. 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 18:03 I'll be entirely honest with you now: I wish he used vocaloids more, because I am absolutely thrilled with "Surfing" and think it's fantastic. I think it's his only 'real' experiment on this album and it works a treat. I also think there's exactly 35 seconds of really classic, fantastic Oldfield stuff on this album. You're welcome to guess which 35 seconds I mean. -------------- http://www.raygrant.com :: My album 'Exorcism' is out on iTunes now Back to top

arron11196 Group: Members Posts: 826 Joined: April 2005 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 18:22 Perhaps the TOAA guitar solo? -------------- 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

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Oct. 14 2005, 18:25 Or maybe the solo from Surfing? (Best solo in the whole L&S IMHO) ? -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Oct. 15 2005, 04:40 I'd bet on Tears of an Angel (though I haven't timed it! ) Back to top

CuNimb Group: Members Posts: 222 Joined: July 2003 Posted: Oct. 15 2005, 05:56 If there was U-myx version of the gate I would turn everything off for the duration of the track! -------------- Happy? ha ha ha.... Back to top

Navaira Group: Members Posts: 481 Joined: Jan. 2005 Posted: Oct. 15 2005, 08:04 Almost right: the first 35 seconds of Tears of an angel. Fab stuff, reminds me of Incantations a lot and I really wish it progressed from there for at least 5 minutes. Sadly, after 35 seconds it's over and he returns to being Enigma. -------------- http://www.raygrant.com :: My album 'Exorcism' is out on iTunes now Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Oct. 15 2005, 09:34 Well, I'm completely wrong actually. I thought you meant the guitar passage that begins about 3.15. Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Oct. 15 2005, 10:16 Quote (Navaira @ Oct. 15 2005, 13:04) Almost right: the first 35 seconds of Tears of an angel. Fab stuff, reminds me of Incantations a lot and I really wish it progressed from there for at least 5 minutes. Sadly, after 35 seconds it's over and he returns to being Enigma. I thought that was odd too, i don't mind it changing, but it changed far too quickly!! I love vocoloid/cantor, I guess because I'm a child of technology I am less resistant to it being used by Mike. As for favourite bits of L+S. It's between TOAA and Sunset at the moment   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Sentinel101 Group: Members Posts: 44 Joined: Mar. 2000 Posted: Oct. 15 2005, 13:09 I listened to the mp3-files on oldfield.de where Mike describes how the music of L&S emerged. I think his current approach quite boring. He goes into the studio, turns on the computer, clicks and presses some buttons and waits what is happening then. He doesn't seem to have a goal or anything. At the moment I listen to TSODE and it's magnificent how much better it is than L&S. I mean it's over ten years old and it's technically far ahead of L&S, the synthesizers and effects are woven together so stunningly well. The real voices and choirs have so much emotion that will never be achieved by any software. I think it has something to do with its concept. Mike wanted to write a soundtrack for a book which he liked very much, so he had a mission, a goal that he wanted to achieve. He had his visions of the story and wanted to nail them down as music. This approach is so much better and exciting than waiting for something to happen. You need a driving force when you want to create something memorable. I hope that Mike finds another story that fascinates him and that he wants to paint with his music. Otherwise he will continue to be the technically superior musician who has no goals anymore. Just my little sad lament for Mike Michael Back to top

timshen Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: Mar. 2001 Posted: Oct. 16 2005, 07:24 I think mike had a general vision or concept ('Light' songs and "Shade' songs) but with very little real integration that has marked many of his albums. Each song has a vision (even if one is to bring a preset to life!!!! but there's not a notable flow. Overall though, I appreciate the vison/s of L+S and have had some great moments listening (to most of it that is :-))   -------------- Expect Great Things. Attempt Great Things. Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Oct. 16 2005, 10:20 I actually don't see how the intro of 'Tears Of An Angel' could develop any further without Mike turning all GAWTHIC and stuff. And this may be highly personal, but if I were to choose between computer Mike and GAWTHIC Mike, I prefer the former! By this time, I think the conclusion I've reached about Mike Oldfield is quite a sad one... I couldn't care less about his guitar playing, not to mention the solos everybody raves about so much. Take 'Surfing' and 'Tears Of An Angel' and laud it as much as you can, but I've heard similar solos by Mike before, and they were all much, much better. The stuff I like the most in Light And Shade are the songs themselves (not all of them, that is), and when Mike's guitar is there to deliver the melody, all's perfect. But his solos... Maybe he just didn't allow himself enough time and effort to truly develop his guitar soloing into something complete. It's like he wasn't willing to solo at all, but felt forced to because of the empty spaces in the songs. But then again, I'd rather have no solos at all instead of having "doodle-doodle-deedly-doodlydooddodooeldeodleolydoo" a la 'Quicksilver' all over the album. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Oct. 16 2005, 10:44 I'm not sure I only like TOAA because of the guitar solo. I thinks its probably the only track on the album with lots going on and any sense of an emotional edge.   One ot the reasons is just generally think Mike's recent stuff doesn't really cut it for me is that his wonderful guitar playing has taken an utter back seat to everything else. He said in those recent interviews that the guitar is his real voice and I wholly agree with him however I would say his voice is now struggling to be heard under a blanket of bland synth sounds and drum loops. There is certainly very little of his wonderful acoustic work on L+S. In fact there hasn't been much really nice acoustic work from him, on the albums at least, since Mont St Michel, though I suppose Serpents Dream was quite nice but I aways though he over produced that track, the live versions sounded way more alive. I guess Mike is just anable or unwilling to write technical music nowdays, for the guitar or indeed anything, its a shame though because I think its what most of us love about him. Back to top

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