TheMann
Group: Members
Posts: 103
Joined: June 2004 |
|
Posted: Feb. 19 2015, 04:10 |
|
Hi,
only now have I realized that there is a 'Lost Version' available of Ommadawn. Here are my impressions ...
First, I should say that I always have considered Ommadawn as an album in its own division. One of a kind. Nothing can be compared to it. It is untouchable, magic, impossible to conceive, impossible to imagine that a single person could construct something like it. So totally mysterious, so elaborate, so deep and crafty musical ideas weaved into something of enourmous complexity. Its strange title, giving away nothing, the enigmatic choirs .. And, above that, playing skills beyond words; guitar solos blowing away your head. If it is not considered as one of the richest composition in history in 100 years, then it is a true epic scandal.
Ommadawn is such an artefact in the history of music; would a message from an advanced alien civilization sound like this...? (Not literally meant).
There are also plenty of amazing live versions, both those around 1980, but even some very recent (99, 2006) are quite complementary and powerful.
I expected the 'Lost Demo' to be of very bad sound quality and, frankly speaking, pretty uninteresting.
But I am very surprised! Wow, how interesting it is to get this unique insight in how the music took shape! So totally different the early version is to the final version, in terms of structure. So, this is what he was doing, trying out the material in many different ways.. combining stuff, mathematically; trying to optimize how to lay out the underlying smaller set of ideas... Totally fascinating, far beyond the experience to simply listening to it.
Although I certainly think that the Demo is very far from as powerful as the Final version, it is still a very beutiful and interesting piece. Almost standing on its own, due to being so different. I really like some sections. Also, I appreciate details such as the way the lyrics if sung, slightly different.
I was shocked by the I SAY I SAY dialoge, totally ruining the piece; but, on another level, I now can laugh about this monty-python-style thing, and if it is true that 'Ommadawn' really means 'idiot', then I can see why Mike tried this idea out. A good plan in the first place, but not working out when implemented.
This process, of re-recording the same material, and letting it slowely mature: I believe some later recordings would have been equally improved from 'really nice' to 'instant classic'. E.g., (IMHO), Songs of Distant Earth, where he had some amazing material but seemed to take some shortcuts too often.. I often had the impression that live versions of Mikes music were enriched; in particular in the 80-84 era, where the interplay between the musicians and some little variations of the material often added value to the already great material...
Yrs
|