Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

Pages: (3) < 1 [2] 3 >

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

Topic: Re recording to be called Tubular Bells 2003< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Blue Dolphin Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1232
Joined: Nov. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 09:06

I just looked at the image at wea.de. I really like that concept! Beautiful blue bell with those blue skies and clouds on the background. (no jokes about tubularsoft Winbell v 1.3)  :p

--------------
-The mark of a good musician is to play one note and mean it-

Mike Oldfield - 1980
Back to top
Profile PM 
qjamesfloyd Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1349
Joined: April 2001
Posted: April 10 2003, 11:41

Nice to see new pic's of Mike,although in the colour ones he does'nt look to happy,i prefer the black and white photo!!!
Back to top
Profile PM 
Holger Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1506
Joined: Feb. 2003
Posted: April 10 2003, 13:40

Forgive me the comment, but he does look kinda tired and old on those photos. Not that he isn't allowed to, at his age... How old would he be by now? 49?

PS: But at least he got rid of that hair-dye!
Back to top
Profile PM 
TOBY Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1562
Joined: May 2002
Posted: April 10 2003, 13:51

He's got quite chiseled looks these days doesn't he? Crap photos though don't know what they're all about, I'm all for a natural backdrop but can't they think of something more imaginative?

If the bell image is indeed a crop from the new version it has to be said it doesn't look half bad, from what we can see. It's CGI I think but it looks like its been done well for a change and I like the rendered backdrop reflecting on the chrome, nice.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Korgscrew Offline




Group: Super Admins
Posts: 3511
Joined: Dec. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 14:46

I'd actually rather they didn't think of anything more imaginitive - I feel that's the problem with the pictures, they're trying too hard to be 'clever', 'art' or something like that. Number 4, the black and white, seems the most flattering to Mike, but it's wrecked by having what looks like a tatty old decorating sheet hung in it (though to Andy Earl's credit, the positioning of the pole suspending it obeys the rule of thirds quite nicely ;)). Removing the backdrop would help, if it wasn't for the fact that it would then mean that Mike was backed by the bright white sky shining through the trees, which would distract all attention from his face, parts of which are appearing as white themselves. I don't find the pose of Mike against the tree too bad, though the way his hands are in his pockets makes it look a little like he has a large stomach (not as bad as in the colour version of the same setup, though! ). The leather jacket's also a bit shiny for my liking...

I think my favourite is number 3, though the colours are a tad on the cold side, making Mike look rather old and pale. A tweak of the colour balance helps, but really, taking it on a day with warmer light, or in a different setting would have helped. The fill-in flash he's used doesn't help the matter, I almost always find that doing that provides a rather hard light (bouncing it off a gold reflector would be the answer, though it would either take an assistant stood there with it, or a couple tripods that might be a bit inconvenient to carry into the woods). The light area right next to Mike's face means he blends into the background a bit (it's also not too dissimilar in tone to Mike's face).

I see what he's trying in the first one, with just having the eyes in focus to draw attention to them and nothing else, but certainly for this photo, it doesn't do anything for me (perhaps because it means that the only things in focus in the picture are Mike's rather bored looking eyes).

Number 2 doesn't do anything for me...it's all dull and grey, and Mike looks like he's pregnant. I used to use a big roll of paper as a backdrop for portraits, which despite being dirty and covered in footprints (anyone curious about it can see what it looked like here), somehow appealed to me more than what's hung up behind Mike there.

Andy Earl has taken some great photographs in his time, and even some good ones of Mike...somehow his last lot (both these and those for Tres Lunas) seem to be rather lacklustre, with a feeling that neither of them are really enthusiastic about the job in hand.

I think I've said enough...
Back to top
Profile PM 
TOBY Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1562
Joined: May 2002
Posted: April 10 2003, 16:11

By suggesting they need more imagination I was kind of angling at the points you made rather than thinking along the lines of going over the top. (eg the awfull, embarrassing cover of Voyager) Something like what David Bailey achieved with the cover shots of Ommadawn is what I had in mind. I thought the photo's done for the 'Boxed' booklet were done well, nice straightforward shots of Mike at ease with all his musical instruments, say's it all really. In a way it would have been quite a nice shot to re-do one of the 'Boxed' photos and have Mike sitting with all the instruments used on the new recording spread out around him.

Some of these new shots actually look like candid 'off shoot' portraits, which in fact they may turn out to be I suppose. It has to be said, generaly speaking, portraits of Mike haven't been a strong point for me, the 'I can't really be arsed with this' look does seem to stretch from the beggining of his career to now, he's obviously not a man at ease infront of the camera which is fair enough I suppose. I liked the cover portrait of Earthmoving done by Hypnosis it worked well in an age before Photoshop and Ommadawn is a superb image as are the others from that shoot which appear in the Elements book.
Back to top
Profile PM 
theweightless Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 604
Joined: April 2001
Posted: April 10 2003, 17:03

umm..sleeve of a single..what that means? is this another joke..

--------------
ASMK
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: April 10 2003, 17:22

'Introduction' is one of the names I've read in quite a few places (on the Net and elsewhere) for the initial piano theme. So maybe the sleeve is for a single release containing the new recording of the 'usual' 4'15'' edit, from the beginning of TB.  :)

--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
Pedrini
Unregistered





Posted: April 10 2003, 17:40

We have now, two things:
1. The first single: Tubular Bells 2003 Introduction. The most famous part of the album.
2. The 'new' image of Tubular Bells, the 'clearer' that was announced some days ago and, in my opinion, it's exciting.
Let's wait for hearing!!!
Regards from Torremolinos, Costa del Sol, Spain
Back to top
Korgscrew Offline




Group: Super Admins
Posts: 3511
Joined: Dec. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 17:52

Sleeve is a term from that comes from the days of vinyl records - it refers to the printed packaging.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Blue Dolphin Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1232
Joined: Nov. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 19:36

I agree with Korgscrew about those photos (yeah, being a filmer myself I can imagine a photographer's eye, although it's actually a different area, so...)

But my favourite is number 1, in which the lens focus more on Mike's eyes. And with those blurry sheets and trees on the background. Maybe it's because I like techniques. I also like number 4, because it makes Mike a bit younger. Number 3 tends to make Mike's head "flatter", which makes him look like a granny.

I'm also glad that he got rid of his blond hair. I guess he's beginning to age now and that the "dance" scene is completley dissapeared now (I think). He wants to focus on much serious things, like TB 2003 and he's Music VR projects.

Although he will be 50 soon, he looks older than that. He has a bit of a fallen face. Look at the cover of the Voyager (which I personally think is nice). That was in 1996, seven years ago. He looked rather fine to me in that period, no "beer belly" yet. From that time he began to look older and got his "beer belly".

But that wasn't a suprise to me, considering the fact that he has been drinking heavily in his teen years and in the Ibiza period. He also used some drugs in those periods, so those elements play a role in that.

Oh well, enough chit chat :) Let Tubular Bells come!


--------------
-The mark of a good musician is to play one note and mean it-

Mike Oldfield - 1980
Back to top
Profile PM 
Blue Dolphin Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1232
Joined: Nov. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 19:42

Bit of a mistake in my last post. Heavy smoking is also a factor for looking old. And Mike didn't use a lot of drugs.

--------------
-The mark of a good musician is to play one note and mean it-

Mike Oldfield - 1980
Back to top
Profile PM 
TOBY Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1562
Joined: May 2002
Posted: April 10 2003, 19:55

Reading between the lines (no pun intended) I think he's dabbled a fair amount, quite often admittedly so. Also spending a lot of time in the sun isn't good for your skin, being Scottish myself I look extremely youthfull for my age. ;)
Back to top
Profile PM 
christopher Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 270
Joined: Nov. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 20:16

I quite like the new bell picture.  If you look closely you can see in the reflection an ocean and waves... bottom right I believe.  

As for the photos... EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!  Where did Mike find this High School photographer? First, Mike needs some make-up to cover up those Billy Joel sagging eyes.  Next, someone should tell him that his hairstyle is QUITE OUT-OF-DATE!  Then, he should get some hair-dye and retouch it with some good highlights.  And finally, get back the professional photographer he had for TB3 and Guitars.  He looked very good and well kept in those photo's... not Keith Richards like and tired like he does in these new photo's!  

Not really sure what he is aiming for with those nature backdrops.  Not my album though.  Good cover... really good cover of the bell!!! :)

Christopher
Back to top
Profile PM 
Korgscrew Offline




Group: Super Admins
Posts: 3511
Joined: Dec. 1999
Posted: April 10 2003, 20:25

This is the thing...Andy Earl was the photographer who took the pictures for TB3 and Guitars.

As for picture number 1, I don't mind the out of focus background - it's the fact that so much of Mike's face is out of focus that I find rather gimmicky. I think the pose would work quite well if Mike didn't look rather uninterested and it was maybe autumn, with some more reddish colours on the forest floor (not too likely with it being a pine forest, of course). I think it's mostly the lighting (and choice of lens) that makes Mike face in no.3 look rather flat. I think what Mike's hair needs is mostly just a bit of arranging...
Back to top
Profile PM 
MusicallyInspired Offline




Group: Musicians
Posts: 1445
Joined: June 2001
Posted: April 10 2003, 23:43

I love this new bell artwork. I can't wait to see the whole picture, if that's truly how it will look.

--------------
BrandonBlume.com
"The beauty in life is in the embracing of the variety of things. If all the world was blue there would be no colour blue."
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: April 11 2003, 06:01

All of the pictures, especially the black & white ones, look to me like test/demo pictures. Maybe the 'real' ones will be a little better, but I don't think Mike will change his hairstyle. :)

--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
tubularbills Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 528
Joined: Aug. 2000
Posted: April 11 2003, 12:28

For those who didn't really like the pictures of MO: think of this...

If he wanted to re-do TB, then would he have used the same pictures of him without a shirt on again? (remember those ones on the inside cover of the original TB?). nothin like a 49 year old man shirtles.....UGH! (no offense Mike!;).

so in that retrospect, i think i like the new pictures, compared to what they could be!


--------------
Terrible, Wonderful, Crazy, Perfect.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Tati The Sentinel Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 3360
Joined: Feb. 2002
Posted: April 11 2003, 13:50

Maybe Mike´s reason for not dying his hair again is because in 1973 his hairdo colour was that one we see on the new pics!

I didn´t like the pics,he seems older than he is,and every pic you see from him since 2000 when his hair is brown,not the "Ibiza Blonde"(like on TL) or "Tesco Blonde"(from TBIII),it´s terrible!

The hair cut...uck!
No,no,no....

The clothes...see pic#3 and I did reconize the Tres Lunas jacket on it!

I did expect the hair colour,but not looking that way!

Andy Earl took the pics for TL and Simon Fowley the ones from TBIII.

I was expecting to see him like this:

(this pic is from 2002,and the last I saw from him before the new ones)


--------------
"But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014

"I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
Tieò_mesaèného_svitu Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 88
Joined: May 2002
Posted: April 11 2003, 14:32

I like the title "Tubular Bells 2003" much more than "The Re recording." It means Mike's skiped 1999 Tubular Bells (TB4-TB2002) :p

And the pictures... I'm so happy Mike isn't blond anymore. He really looks to be a little older on the photos but it seems as if they were taken early in the morning. Maybe Mike was just tired.
My father is getting nervous because I'm staring at him. I'm trying to compare him to the new pictures because he is only a week younger than Mike. I always compared him to Mike. This is the first time my father looks younger... But it's not a tragedy.
;)

Oh, and the new picture of the bell is really beautiful.
Back to top
Profile PM 
41 replies since April 08 2003, 13:20 < 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