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Topic: review of Man on the Rocks, To mr Mike Oldfield< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
mart Offline




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Posted: Mar. 03 2014, 06:10

To Mr Mike Oldfield,

As far as I know you read this site, and these words are written by a diehard fan from the beginning of Tubular Bells in 1973. Like every time when a new album is coming out I am one off the first at the shop to by it, and this was also last Friday. Without hesitation I bought your new album “Man on the Rocks”(the super deluxe edition), although I had my doubt, since the word came out that you would be a Rock album. In the past we had your albums Crises, Discovery, Islands, Earth Moving and Heaven’s open which had song numbers. But most of those albums they had also an instrumental piece (except Earth Moving) which cricked up the album’s. So I hoped seeing that you would bring out a instrumental version off the album. But my hope faith away by hearing the instrumental version, where you did not take the trouble to play the words on your guitar or any other instrument. Also when you compare this album with the above albums it is very simple without any emotion. So my Friday after listening to the three cd’s in the box turns out into a very dark day. I am sorry to say but this album is the worst music in my opinion you ever made. For you as composer and multy instrumentalist who wrote and played over the years the most complexity music you have to agree with me that this album was a very simple and commercial composition for you to make. Perhaps you wrote the album after your appearances of the opening of the Olympic of your return to Virgin has anything to do with it. But Mike listen to your own words you are not a song writer, so don’t do it. Know what your words were in the past “play one note and mean it”. The time you touched deeply my soul with your music we have to go back to your music you wrote at the millennium. For weeks and months I was deeply touched by every note you played. But now nothing not even a trilling. Okay the small minutes of your solo’s in the new album you let us know that you still have it. Sorry Mike but you hurt deeply my feelings. Where is the composer who wrote Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, Incantations, QE2, Taurus 2, Crises, Amarok, The songs of Distant Earth and I thank you for those intense incredible music pieces . I really miss the Oldfield with his powerful depressive complex music, you’re finger picking playing on the red Gibson. For now I feel that the album is not it’s money worth. Mike you are an great composer and musician. You proved over the years. But we also know that you do everything your own way, I have always respected that. Over the last days I am chagrined, down and disappointed and that’s mostly because the man who was my Maestro isn’t that anymore. And Mike let me give you some advise when you are planning to make more of this kind of music, please retired than completely. Let us enjoy what you wrote in the past and don’t degrade yourself more than the album Man on the Rocks. Every word I wrote above is my feeling and meaning about your music.

Mart
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tubular_trekkie Offline




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Posted: Mar. 03 2014, 12:28

Really?
Can't say I agree at all. I love the album and I can't agree with the idea that it represents some terrible nadir in his career.

I confess I don't understand the argument that he's somehow lost his way by deciding to produce pop/rock songs instead of complex long-form instrumentals. He's always diverged from the TB/Ommadawn/Amarok template. Yes, some of the previous albums of this type have had an instrumental track on them as well, but not in every case.
I don't mind what he does to be honest. The results are usually impressive regardless of style, genre or length of composition because he's such a talented man.  :cool:


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- from 'Collected Sayings of Muad'Dib' by the Princess Irulan
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Harmono Offline




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Posted: Mar. 03 2014, 15:38

Quote
So I hoped seeing that you would bring out a instrumental version off the album. But my hope faith away by hearing the instrumental version, where you did not take the trouble to play the words on your guitar or any other instrument.


The instrumental versions were released because a few fans suggested it when his PA asked if they had any ideas for deluxe and super deluxe editions. At this time, the album was already finished, I believe. They, as well as the demos and alternative mixes of four tracks, were kindly given to us as a bonus. I agree that the instrumentals are not really a great thing to have, but no one ever said they would be anything more than the songs minus vocals.

Quote
Also when you compare this album with the above albums it is very simple without any emotion.


Two words, simple and emotion. What is simple, and was Mike Oldfield never into "simple"? He certainly has been into this kind of music ever since his childhood. And so have I, for that matter. I often find it frustrating when a fan of an artist says something like "This is not what you're about. Go back to your roots." Normally musicians have much wider taste in music than their fans, and too often it results in silly talks about the artist selling out and not having emotion.

More complex harmony and instrumentation do not automatically induce more positive and more complex emotions. You can play one note and mean it. I'm a witness.
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Nezzico Offline




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Posted: Mar. 03 2014, 16:57

Well, its a bit difficult to understand - why Mikes newest work results in so many disappointments. Mart, you only one of them.

There are some facts, to point out this time:

1. Mike has worked together again with other really good musicians!!!
2. Real drums, real bass - minimal use of synth - and these few sounds  very well selected  
3. a well known producer with a full bandwith of different succesful artists
4. The new songs have so much differences, a bunch of different moods and styles - and in my ears they sounds fresh but mostly 'oldfieldish' in any way
5. The most lyrics have a concrete relation to Mike personal life
6. Songs like Castaway, Motr, Ditw or Moonshine have their own nice development - not totaly complex, but what does that mean?
7. last but not least: the best guitar works since ....
8. Its no secret, that the next instrumental work is already in Mikes head

Its usual, that a new album doesnt meet every fans expectations, and some works in the past are indeed not Mike greatest - what seemed to be logic ... - but ime MOTR delivers some of Mike best song works at all and i hope it will be a commercial success to Mike again.
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First_Excursion Offline




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Posted: Mar. 04 2014, 03:31

Quote (tubular_trekkie @ Mar. 03 2014, 12:28)
He's always diverged from the TB/Ommadawn/Amarok template. Yes, some of the previous albums of this type have had an instrumental track on them as well, but not in every case.

Yes, but the "pop" style tracks on some of those previous albums retained the delicious novelty that drew some of us to Mike in the first place.

Reading this review flashed me back to 1989 and the utter disbelief I felt when I got the Earth Moving CD home. :D

I imagine most of us do indeed have a broader taste in music that isn't limited solely to that of Mike Oldfield and his contemporaries. Certainly that is the true for me. There are plenty of artists who did; and (inb4 "you're living in the past") do the more mainstream stuff very very well, but to my ears, Mike is not one of them.

If this wasn't one of Mike's albums I wouldn't have even listened to it. I don't think I will be listening to it again. :p
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Nezzico Offline




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Posted: Mar. 04 2014, 04:48

The MOTR album works as a follow up to Mikes most succesful chart hits - Moonlight Shadow and Shadow on the Wall. These songs have their own fans, and these fans are presumably in focus of the new album. Other expectations will hopefully fullfilled in the next album, which is already announced as instrumental work.

My feeling is, that discussions like these, are in this moment a bit too early, because a lot of people havent heard the album them self until now and so they are not able to judge with their own opinion.
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simmo2005 Offline




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Posted: Mar. 04 2014, 04:58

Anyone spot that the track 'Minutes' is a kind of reworking of 'lake constance' - the orchestral track from TMB? The melody is I reckon ??
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tarquincat Offline




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Posted: Mar. 04 2014, 05:14

Can't really take a review seriously when it is quite obvious the person does not like Mike's Vocal Song output.

We knew a year ago this would be an Album of songs, don't buy it & complain there are no long instrumental tracks.

I like the album, it is fun & easy listening, there are some great guitar solos. It is not re-defining Pi, but didn't expect that, what I expected was an album of songs.
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qjamesfloyd Offline




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Posted: Mar. 04 2014, 07:30

If Mike did read that review, do you really think it makes any difference to him? No it doesn't. Mike has always been an enigma, he has always done things his way, don't forget this is the man who on one hand gave the world Tubular Bells, and on the other Don Alfonso!! Some people love Don Alfonso, some think it's the worst song ever recorded, but it's all part of Mike's history. As the new album is also part of his history. He said he wrote some songs that were very personal to him, so good on him for recording them. If you don't like the songs that's your choice, go and listen to something else, or write your own song. For me I like 99% of what Mike has done, that is because I really get what he does, and If I could make music like anyone, it would be Mike. I think people spend to long being negative towards Mike, when we should celebrate being fans of one of the most unique composers ever. Syd Barrett left the musical world way to early, who know what else he could have really done if things would have been different for him. If Mike had gone the same way, have a look and listen to what we would have missed out on, but we didn't.
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Covenant Offline




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Posted: Mar. 04 2014, 07:44

I have to say I laughed a LOT at the post.
Initially putting forward the "credentials" of being a 'fan' since TB...
And yet, apparently a total lack of knowledge of Mike's output in the last 41(+) years.

So, in counter... One entire album with Sally (where Mike did most of the music, and sang and contributed to lyrics IIRC)

Don Alfonso / Speak (Tho' you only say farewell) / Froggy went a courting / On Horseback / Guilty / Into Wonderland / Sally / Rite of Man.... You get the point?

(No.. you just wanna rant about MotR, we know...)

Michael has 'always' written and recorded songs.
Some more succesful than others (hold Five Miles Out against Discovery against Heaven's Open)

But to decry Man on the Rocks as anything other than the triumph that it is is ludicrous. The title track alone is the single most powerful song that he has ever produced. Are there weak points? Of course there are, even the most Classic albums have weak points, but as a whole this album SHINES with the most open, honest and personal content (lyrically) that we have ever seen.

I do not doubt there are many who would have liked to have heard 'some' purely instrumental tracks on the disc but given that;
a) The 2 disc set has exactly that.
b) The 3 disc set has Mike raw and demo-ing (unheard of!;)
c) Even before MotR was RELEASED Mike had openly stated that he was working not only on his next project - but also a prequel to Tubular Bells.

... I think it is safe to say the long-form instrumental ideas are perhaps being held for those projects.

So, in a nutshell...

CHILL!
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scienceguy Offline




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Posted: Mar. 11 2014, 06:18

Quote (Covenant @ Mar. 04 2014, 07:44)
I have to say I laughed a LOT at the post.
Initially putting forward the "credentials" of being a 'fan' since TB...
And yet, apparently a total lack of knowledge of Mike's output in the last 41(+) years.

...to decry Man on the Rocks as anything other than the triumph that it is is ludicrous. The title track alone is the single most powerful song that he has ever produced. Are there weak points? Of course there are, even the most Classic albums have weak points, but as a whole this album SHINES with the most open, honest and personal content (lyrically) that we have ever seen.

I do not doubt there are many who would have liked to have heard 'some' purely instrumental tracks on the disc but given that;
a) The 2 disc set has exactly that...

I could not agree more.

IMO the Instrumental versions are sufficiently rich and full to the extent that they actually work extremely well in their own right, even with the vocal track simply muted. :)

In fact, upon reflection I think it would sound really cheesy to have Mike "playing the vocal" using his guitar, and hence the instrumental versions are much better as is. ;)

To have produced 'fully' Instrumental tracks would have required a complete rewriting and restructuring of each and every vocal song which obviously was never going to happen...

Quote (Covenant @ Mar. 04 2014, 07:44)
Even before MotR was RELEASED Mike had openly stated that he was working not only on his next project - but also a prequel to Tubular Bells.

Please can you kindly confirm what is the information source for this? :)

I have now seen this information posted more than once... I don't know how I have missed this! ;)
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Covenant Offline




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Posted: Mar. 11 2014, 07:57

Quote (scienceguy @ Mar. 11 2014, 11:18)
Quote (Covenant @ Mar. 04 2014, 07:44)
Even before MotR was RELEASED Mike had openly stated that he was working not only on his next project - but also a prequel to Tubular Bells.

Please can you kindly confirm what is the information source for this? :)

I have now seen this information posted more than once... I don't know how I have missed this! ;)

His PA, Caroline Monk, gave that info out on the Mike Oldfield Personal Facebook page. He had started on it as soon as MotR was completed.

(There is a little debate as to whether this will be a *Prequel* or be Tubular BElls IV... Which started a little flood of fan created covers for each project.. see them here..  TB0 or IV cover gallery
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knife edge Offline




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Posted: Mar. 11 2014, 14:11

My little 2 cents...

I think that the feelings about MOTR are so controversial because it's not only an entirely songs album, but also a "strange" kind of songs for Oldfield tradition, because they are quite "normal".
His past songs were:
- very easy listening but with brilliant and outstanding arrangement (Moonlight Shadow, Five Miles Out, To France, Holy... yes Holy, listen what happens under the voices, etc.)
- very funny and "happy drunky" (Don Alfonso, Froggy went a courting, etc.)
- dreamy and again very brilliantly engineered (Northpoint, others...)
- bucolic and simply pure musical poetry (On Horseback and few others)

All with very original musical ideas. Mike's musical ideas.

The songs of MOTR, despite being very nice and pleasant to listen to, are imho quite "mainstream".

It's not a bad album, but it seems strangely not so "Mike-ish" as a fan can expect.

Anyway, despite we like it or not, given that is at least "a good album" that has "refreshed" Mike's music writing, we can see it at least as a good present from Mike, waiting for the next album, probably instrumental, which is very probable: Man on The Rocks can be seen in many ways (as the debate on the forums states), but for sure it shows to be NOT the last album of a great artist.
Remember that Amarok couldn't have existed without Earth Moving preceeding it.

Go Mike and continue to do the music you like.
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bee Offline




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Posted: Mar. 11 2014, 16:55

...well...a few days on and I cannot stop playing it  :D I have an hour drive to and from uni and it's been great listening and slowly discovering something 'amazing'!

I admit to feeling surprised when I first listened...not too sure if it would grow on me...but I liked it and Irene really stood out,  but then Castaway and Moonshine and now I think this album could be one of his best. You just have to listen...there are so many references to previous tracks, I quite like that, but it has, very definitely, it's own strong identity.  

The thing with Mike's songs is that they initially sound (to my ears - I'm not a musician) simple, but there are layers and layers and layers really cleverly woven together that only reveal themselves gradually.  They unfold.


I've got a bit obsessed with Dreaming in the Wind ...there's one bit - I don't know what the musical term would be, but at 4:33/4/5  there's some great guitar, but it's what is going on underneath, something changes to a new level, and it reminds me so much of the end of Ommadawn side one.  But this in  Dreaming is incredibly subtle....and really profound.  I absolutely love it.

Despite some dark and very sad themes the album is curiously upbeat and sunny, moving forwards and very strong.  I can see it being successful for these reasons...it's great to drive to.  I really think America will love this, maybe more than the UK?

It is getting better the more I listen so, to anyone who has dismissed it, you might want to give it another few listens.  There's lots more to hear than simply songs.

This all bodes well for the instrumental, and I can't wait for that now - it could well be another Amarok. :O


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scienceguy Offline




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Posted: Mar. 11 2014, 17:12

Quote (Covenant @ Mar. 11 2014, 07:57)
Quote (scienceguy @ Mar. 11 2014, 11:18)
Quote (Covenant @ Mar. 04 2014, 07:44)
Even before MotR was RELEASED Mike had openly stated that he was working not only on his next project - but also a prequel to Tubular Bells.

Please can you kindly confirm what is the information source for this? :)

I have now seen this information posted more than once... I don't know how I have missed this! ;)

His PA, Caroline Monk, gave that info out on the Mike Oldfield Personal Facebook page. He had started on it as soon as MotR was completed.

(There is a little debate as to whether this will be a *Prequel* or be Tubular BElls IV... Which started a little flood of fan created covers for each project.. see them here..  TB0 or IV cover gallery

Nice one!  And AWESOME news! ;)
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TheMann Offline




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Posted: Mar. 12 2014, 03:40

I think MOTR has great moments, some pretty decent songs and played with great skill throughout. It is not his most distinguished work ever, far from it, but certainly not a bad album. Some wonderful raw guitar solos, too! But, I agree, Mike, the next time, why not get together the very same band and record a long instrumental piece. Played, not programmed ... Would be fantastic. (Preferably, totally lacking any reference to TB).
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qjamesfloyd Offline




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Posted: Mar. 12 2014, 05:45

I still have not got the album :( so can't comment on anything other than Sailing, which I like, and still get's regular radio airplay, but at least Mike has moved on from the electronic/computer music of recent albums, which fans wanted, and is recording with other musicians, which fans wanted, and real instruments, which fans wanted.

I am really looking forward to hearing the album soon, and also seeing where he goes with his next release.
Welcome back Mike :)
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Nexus6 Offline




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Posted: Mar. 15 2014, 07:00

Quote (bee @ Mar. 12 2014, 02:55)
...well...a few days on and I cannot stop playing it  :D I have an hour drive to and from uni and it's been great listening and slowly discovering something 'amazing'!

I admit to feeling surprised when I first listened...not too sure if it would grow on me...but I liked it and Irene really stood out,  but then Castaway and Moonshine and now I think this album could be one of his best. You just have to listen...there are so many references to previous tracks, I quite like that, but it has, very definitely, it's own strong identity.  

The thing with Mike's songs is that they initially sound (to my ears - I'm not a musician) simple, but there are layers and layers and layers really cleverly woven together that only reveal themselves gradually.  They unfold.


I've got a bit obsessed with Dreaming in the Wind ...there's one bit - I don't know what the musical term would be, but at 4:33/4/5  there's some great guitar, but it's what is going on underneath, something changes to a new level, and it reminds me so much of the end of Ommadawn side one.  But this in  Dreaming is incredibly subtle....and really profound.  I absolutely love it.

Despite some dark and very sad themes the album is curiously upbeat and sunny, moving forwards and very strong.  I can see it being successful for these reasons...it's great to drive to.  I really think America will love this, maybe more than the UK?

It is getting better the more I listen so, to anyone who has dismissed it, you might want to give it another few listens.  There's lots more to hear than simply songs.

This all bodes well for the instrumental, and I can't wait for that now - it could well be another Amarok. :O

Quote
I've got a bit obsessed with Dreaming in the Wind ...there's one bit - I don't know what the musical term would be, but at 4:33/4/5  there's some great guitar, but it's what is going on underneath, something changes to a new level, and it reminds me so much of the end of Ommadawn side one.  But this in  Dreaming is incredibly subtle....and really profound.  I absolutely love it.


Yes... It's the DRUMMS.... Love it:-)
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Delfín Offline




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Posted: June 19 2014, 19:33

Just another "Mike, you hurt my feelings - where is the man who composed 'Tubular Bells and..." kind of message.


Just boring  :/  :zzz:  :zzz:


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qjamesfloyd Offline




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Posted: June 20 2014, 07:16

Exactly, if he just did albums like Tubular Bells, people would be complaing about that and asking him to make something different, I like the fact his albums are so eclectic.
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