Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

Pages: (6) < 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 >

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

Topic: REVIEWS of Man On The Rocks, Post your review and/or read others here< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
GusFogle Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 198
Joined: July 2011
Posted: Mar. 14 2014, 23:55

Well, I've been holding off on my review of the album. Having just heard it all the way through for the 6th time I believe I've finally reached a decision.

I have no intention of "tearing the album" apart but I will give my honest opinions:

Highlight of the album:
Moonshine- for me the best track on the album. To my surprise I found it tugging at my heartstrings with the nostalgic lyrics and pleasant Celtic melodies. Still, considering it is a reworking of a piece Mike wrote 20 years ago, I'm not sure how much credit can be given for originality. For the record I think it sounds NOTHING like U2.

Lowlights of the album:
Sailing- this song is simply bad. The fanatics that blindly follow every note Mike farts out will defend it as being "lighthearted and fun" but truthfully it is wanna-be Nashville pop-country at its worst. A dreadful, dreadful piece of music. Cringe-worthy. And for the record I have heard this song more than any other on the album, considering it was the first single released back in November, and no it hasn't improved with each listen.

Irene- well...it was all fine and good (even though I don't like these kind of Rolling Stones songs- I'm more of a "Ruby Tuesday" kind of guy) until the ridiculous "Dude looks like a lady" Las Vegas brass section came in.

Notable mentions:
Following the angels: despite the negative feedback this piece has gotten from many fans, I actually quite like the vibe of this piece. It almost has a "Knockin' on heaven's door" or a Bruce Springsteen "The River" attitude. Unfortunately these good qualities are undone by the over-length of the song, and the over-used gimmick of modulating from one key to another as a cheap way of prolonging the same musical idea over and over.

I give myself away- again despite the lukewarm reception from fans, I found this piece quite pleasant. It would have been far more appropriate and poignant if Mike had sung the piece, however. As it is it serves as a somewhat anticlimactic and uneasy end to the album.

Man on the rocks, Chariots, and Nuclear for me were the next best songs on the album. Only because they were unique compared to the likes of the generic "Minutes" and "Dreaming in the wind". I felt like the song "man on the rocks" had a lot of potential but never really fully developed. As it is it feels too repetitive and formulaic. Same goes for Chariots and Nuclear. It feels like most of the songs on the album consist only of "verse, chorus and solo" and that a "bridge" section is missing.

Other thoughts:
Oddly enough the other tracks on the album did not strike me as either particularly good or bad. Castaway, Minutes and Dreaming in the wind were all extremely by the numbers and unremarkable sounding to my ears. Even the guitar solos on these songs were very perfunctory and uninspired.

If I had to give it a rating it would be something like 2 out of 5.

*awaits onslaught of comments telling me how I'm a cloth eared nincompoop/not a real Mike Oldfield fan and not worthy of the genius of this album*
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
MasterGeek.MX Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 47
Joined: Sep. 2012
Posted: Mar. 15 2014, 02:59

Quote (Matt @ Mar. 12 2014, 05:42)
Here's my thoughts...

When it was announced that Mike was going to make an album of rock songs, I think most here had at least *some* idea of what that might end up being. It wasn't going to Amarok 2 that was for sure but would it be Earth Moving 2? I guess in some ways it is, though Mikes choice to use only one vocalist (Luke Spiller) I suppose invites comparisons to Heavens Open which had all of the songs sung by Mike himself. Luke is certainly a fine choice for many of the tracks. I personally wonder if the album would have benefitted by feeling a bit more varied if the choice of vocalist had also varied a bit?

The album after a few listens certainly seems to contain some strong melodies and Mike saying it would be personal is certainly reflected in the lyrics! Sailing is nice enough and fairly catchy. Moonshine fun, the title track itself I absolutely love particularly when it ramps up a few gears in the middle. Dreaming in the Wind is another standout track for me. Very few tracks *don't* have anything much going for them when I listen to the Album. Irene doesn't do much for me it has to be said, a bit too simple in lyric, melody and style. I can imagine Irene being a fun track when played live and I understand why Mike wrote it. Lots of good guitar work in various songs keep things interesting even when the songs themselves are a bit more mediocre.

The album finishes with "I give myself away", a track that has a melody that isn't Mikes, lyrics that aren't Mikes, vocalist etc. etc. etc. and even a general style that doesn't seem particularly like Mikes. A contribution to the arrangement and some guitar work seem to be all there is so why is it there? Listening to the demo with Mike singing it himself and I feel I understand why it is there, Mike is opening his soul a bit in this album and the words of "I give myself away" just match everying he wanted to say at the end of the album. I just think it would have been more poignant if Mike had been the vocalist in the final album track.

In general the production feels to me quite "non-Mike", much like the sound of any other artist. Listening to the demos that Mike produced this was clearly his intention. Where the songs head a bit towards intrumental (the second half of Dreaming in the Wind or the second half of Following the Angels for instance) I feel we are hearing a bit more of the more unique "Mike Oldfield" sound and I'd have preferred a bit more of that.

Mike is known in the past for using vocals and lyrics as an instrument rather than focussing purely on what the words actually mean all the time. Sometimes this has irritated people a bit (the grammer police dislike of "4am in the mooooorning" for instance) but I've always felt the lyrics flowed in the songs quite well. I am not sure the same can always be said for this album. Mike's writing here and getting across his emotions about each subject area seems to me to end up with some lyrics that don't flow as well as lyrics of previous songs he has written. This at times seems to me to be accentuated by Luke Spillars enthusiastic (overenthusiastic? ) take on the vocalisation. However the raw emotion is certainly put across.

So I love listening to various bits of this album, the title track "Man on the Rocks" is currently the highlight for me, I can imagine listening to and enjoying the album in the future but the aspects of Mikes music I enjoy the most aren't present enough on MOTR for me to give it a five star review. I'll go for 3.5/5 :)

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!

--------------
Hailings from a Mexican Mike Oldfield's fan.

Y chingue su madre el que no le guste Campanas Tubulares!
Back to top
Profile PM 
larstangmark Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1759
Joined: Mar. 2005
Posted: Mar. 15 2014, 05:52

Quote (GusFogle @ Mar. 14 2014, 23:55)
Sailing- this song is simply bad. The fanatics that blindly follow every note Mike farts out will defend it as being "lighthearted and fun" but truthfully it is wanna-be Nashville pop-country at its worst. A dreadful, dreadful piece of music. Cringe-worthy. And for the record I have heard this song more than any other on the album, considering it was the first single released back in November, and no it hasn't improved with each listen.

I didn't like most of what Mike did after 1992 and I actually like Sailing. Mike has written and/or recorded generic and (techincally) quite unremarkable rock/pop songs from time to time since the 70s, putting his stamp on them by adding a few instrumental quirks and a guitar solo.
Some fans propably said the same thing that you do about Sailing about Into Wonderland, Mistake, Family Man, Tricks of the Light, Shine, Flying Start and most of Earth Moving and Heaven's Open.
Some songs are meant to be like that. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I don't think of them as failures.


--------------
"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
Sir Mustapha Offline




Group: Musicians
Posts: 2802
Joined: April 2003
Posted: Mar. 17 2014, 10:42

I'm writing this review having heard the album exactly once, just half an hour ago. And why so soon? Because I enjoyed the album much, much more than I thought I would. I was prepared for a lukewarm, heavily-hit-and-miss experience, but overall I found myself enjoying the music quite consistently. I can only name two misfires, in fact. Following the Angels is an okay ballad, but it goes on for way too long at the end, as if trying desperately to reach the "anthem" status. And Irene is, well, just tasteless; it rocks quite nicely, but making a song like this about a hurricane is pretty insensitive. Why not make it about something else?

The other songs were surprisingly effective, with good dosages of earnest emotion, and good songwriting. Yes, some of them sound quite generic, but that is not a problem per se; music can be generic and good, if there is actual craft and effort, and there is plenty of that. Off the top of my head, I can name Moonshine and Man on the Rocks as highlights. Maybe because they were near the beginning of the album? Who knows. All I know is that I really, relaly like them. And Sailing is honestly baffling: by principle I should hate this song, but I like it!! It's so simplistic and almost banal, but somehow, the magic just happens. And it's a song about being rich! And I honestly don't care! And really, if Rush could write a song about a car and get away with it, why can't Mike write a song about a boat?

Definitely going to listen to it again. But I abhor the idea of sitting through the instrumental disc. This is not Tubular Bells + vocals, it's a vocal album by nature! Taking the singing away is like taking the saxophone away from A Love Supreme. Okay, I exaggerate, but the point remains.


--------------
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
Profile PM WEB 
Jesse Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 394
Joined: Aug. 2007
Posted: Mar. 17 2014, 14:24

Quote (Sir Mustapha @ Mar. 17 2014, 10:42)
I'm writing this review having heard the album exactly once, just half an hour ago. And why so soon? Because I enjoyed the album much, much more than I thought I would. I was prepared for a lukewarm, heavily-hit-and-miss experience, but overall I found myself enjoying the music quite consistently. I can only name two misfires, in fact. Following the Angels is an okay ballad, but it goes on for way too long at the end, as if trying desperately to reach the "anthem" status. And Irene is, well, just tasteless; it rocks quite nicely, but making a song like this about a hurricane is pretty insensitive. Why not make it about something else?

The other songs were surprisingly effective, with good dosages of earnest emotion, and good songwriting. Yes, some of them sound quite generic, but that is not a problem per se; music can be generic and good, if there is actual craft and effort, and there is plenty of that. Off the top of my head, I can name Moonshine and Man on the Rocks as highlights. Maybe because they were near the beginning of the album? Who knows. All I know is that I really, relaly like them. And Sailing is honestly baffling: by principle I should hate this song, but I like it!! It's so simplistic and almost banal, but somehow, the magic just happens. And it's a song about being rich! And I honestly don't care! And really, if Rush could write a song about a car and get away with it, why can't Mike write a song about a boat?

Definitely going to listen to it again. But I abhor the idea of sitting through the instrumental disc. This is not Tubular Bells + vocals, it's a vocal album by nature! Taking the singing away is like taking the saxophone away from A Love Supreme. Okay, I exaggerate, but the point remains.

Agreed!

With every point you made...scary! :)

Irene is quite bad too
Back to top
Profile PM 
Herod Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 85
Joined: Jan. 2004
Posted: Mar. 20 2014, 08:25

I like "Sailing". Maybe it's the G7 chord that makes it sound too simplistic.

I've tried to play the chorus with this chords:

C G D- A-
C G D- F

and it became for some reasons more Oldfield-ish to me :D


--------------
The last 80 seconds of 'Amarok' are one of the reasons for being happy to live in this planet.
Back to top
Profile PM 
TheMann Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 103
Joined: June 2004
Posted: Mar. 24 2014, 04:35

A major swedish newspaper gave the new record the grade 0, where the scale was 1 - 5, with 5 being best, and 1 being rubbish. Yes, that's correct, "0".

Probsably meaning something like "avoid to any cost", or "worst record in the history of mankind". I am speculating here, there was no definition.

I understand that music is subjective, and that even some MO fans just don't like MOTR. However, in this case, I think this is so totally unfair, ridiculous. Their motivation was something like "I used to love MO and defend him strongly, but I now realise that he hasn't done anything worth listening apart from (possibly) Tubular Bells and Five Miles Out".

Amazing. Surely this says more about this reviewer and his newspaper than about Mikes output? Interesting enough, the same newpaper gave 4 (out of 5) for Music Of The Sphere six years ago ("Very very good").

Sh*t, I mean, I don't rate MOTR amoung his best 10 records, and surely there is not much typical MO elements in the musíc, but surely the songs are fairly mainstream at worst? Did the reviewer hear the solos? If any of these songs were presented as by "U2" or "Bowie", then I am pretty sure that the same reviewer would have given a considerably higher rating.

Well, I can't prove that, can I?
Back to top
Profile PM 
Platinumpty Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 173
Joined: May 2011
Posted: Mar. 24 2014, 12:58

Okay - I've finally had enough time to live with the deluxe edition of MOTR and have a few thoughts to share, track by track.  I had a fair idea what to expect and was only surprised a couple of times by what MO had created, whilst nevertheless enjoying the album as a whole.

Sailing - a fairly throwaway, uptempo track.  It's inoffensive and the novelty of hearing Mike do slide guitar adds value but it's eminently skippable.

Moonshine - nice to hear a coherent lyric from Mike (about the Irish exodus to the USA) and a pleasant enough song.  There's much to enjoy - the Edge-like guitar lines, military snare drumming and Celtic elements.  I can imagine this going down well as the second single and working in the US market.  I could be wrong.

Man on the Rocks - the first high-point.  A genuinely good song, especially when Luke really lets rip.  It's the first "hair on back of neck standing up" moment on the record.  Not sure about its lyrical consistency.  Doesn't feel much like it's about escape from addiction.

Castaway - another powerful one, but a slow-grower.  Great buzzsaw guitar from Mike and the somewhat inarticulate lyrics can perhaps be excused as the song is, I think, from the point of view of a child hearing his parents fighting in the room next door.  "Cast away" is really how the title should have been written.

Minutes - harmless, quite fun, drifts by.

Dreaming in the Wind - This does seem to be becoming a fan favourite and I can see why.  The progressions and melodies are perhaps the most "like Mike" of anything on the record.  It has a dreamy feel and fantastic guitar solos.  Quite Chris Isaak, as others have noted.

Nuclear - Knockout rock song indebted to Queen and Muse.  It's well OTT but that's kind of the point.  Great crescendo.

Chariots - very commercial funky rocker.  Shadow on the Wall meets U2 again.  Quite remixable I suspect.  Third single I hope and my personal favourite.

Following the Angels - this is where it starts going wrong.  Either this or I Give Myself Away belong on this album as a closer but having both in close proximity ends the album with a bit of a slump.  Luke just doesn't excel at this sort of balladry, which needed weightier production in any case.  There's kind of an annoying downward key progression that doesn't really work as well.  The alternate mix is better actually.

Irene - it's an okay Stones-y rocker.  I kind of prefer the instrumental version.  The lyrics add very little.  Nice to hear Oldfield do a Keith Richards ragged guitar line - good ending but it's a bit of a B-side.

I Give Myself Away - I find Oldfield's own rendition on the demos CD far more affecting.  I'm not religious but this song could have worked as well as a secular love song (in true gospel tradition).  Again, Luke undersells it.  And as others have noted, a fairly lacklustre production job leaves only the guitar to carry Mike's signature.

The album could have been better sequenced I think and dropping a couple of tracks would have helped (although by modern standards punters might have felt short-changed).

For me it's a 6.5/10 - there's still life in the old dog yet and, at times, fleeting brilliance.

Tracks that made my 13-hour "Best of Oldfield" Itunes playlist - Sailing, Moonshine, Man on the Rocks, Castaway, Nuclear, Chariots, Dreaming in the Wind, Following the Angels Down (alternate mix), Irene (instrumental), I Give Myself Away (Mike vocal) - hey, I'm generous!
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
First_Excursion Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 279
Joined: Aug. 2012
Posted: Mar. 26 2014, 01:49

Quote (TheMann @ Mar. 24 2014, 04:35)
Yes, that's correct, "0".

I can whole heartedly relate to that.
Back to top
Profile PM 
AUTOMATIC 18 Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 30
Joined: Aug. 2012
Posted: Mar. 26 2014, 06:53

I bought this LP last week and I must say the production is superb. That's simply because Mike employed some of the best session musicians in the business. The vocalist is superb and holds the listener to the songs. He reminds me of some 70s classic rock singer. Now the songs, at first some seem simple but after a few listens they seduce you. 'Man on the Rocks' has a great chorus and nice arrangement. The opener 'Sailing' is rock pop perfection. One of my favourite tracks is 'Castaway' as it crawls with 70s style organ and then the drums come in big and wide with a rock solid punch. A very nice surprise in this track that keeps me going back for more. A lot of people will probably say, it's not Mike at his best or he'a better doing instrumentals, well Mike has is best work behind him, that's for sure but he's been making records for over 40 years and this is a record he is making for himself. A straightforward rocker. One thing I did notice is that some of the guitar solos are a bit lacking in emotion, some of the tones are a bit nasal. Some of fluidity is lacking in the playing. What I mean is the solos don't shine like on previous albums. It's like Mike takes a backseat as to not get in the way. He should be shining like Brian May would on his records. We all know Mike is a superb guitarist. For me it's not 'Crises' or 'Discovery' but it's a good all round rock album and a bit of relief from the drab rock of today. One a final note, it's a blessing to be able to buy an actual LP from one of my favourite artists in this day and age of the sterile and boring iPod generation.
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
changeling Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 15
Joined: May 2007
Posted: Mar. 28 2014, 10:12

Hi, I don't use this forum much to post but its pretty exciting when Mike releases new music. Isn't it!?

To anyone that is interested enough to take the time to read this, thanks ! and yeh well it's just another opinion of a work of art so it pretty much means nothing anyway lol but this is certainly a perspective :) so cheers

I really like this album.

I have found throughout the years that for myself, I usually either love an album straight away, or sometimes hear an album that challenges me a little in some way on the first few listens...which more often than not I end up really loving!
On the odd occasion there's always an album that you don't like from the first listen and that doesn't really change no matter how many chances you give it.
I also think that where you are in your life effects your connection to a musical expression as much as that also effects the expression of the creator of that music. So I guess sometimes that's how we all get in and out of sync with different music and we don't all agree on the same albums .deep! lol
I enjoyed reading the differing opinions about Man On The Rocks.

For me, when I first played it I had no incling at all what it would be like..I've followed no build up read nothing about it . I only knew that one was being made.
So I'm like, ok it's a vocal album. Damn!
That's cool.. Don't get me wrong I love mikes vocal songs..I think from the outset (and let's be honest most of us would agree), I always hope that I'm going to hit play and be transported on some new crazy mind blowing Mike style instrumental journey..

So what do we have here? A band.. Ok not a new concept but a dedicated singer from start to end on every track.
I really like the idea of this and in a way I like the idea of this kind of being an old school way of making an album. A band. A team that plays on all the songs , they get crafted together , at least recorded , and a sound across an entire album being unique to that album.

So I hear the first track.
Cool. The arrangement.. Classic. Steel acoustics , electrics , drums , keys.
Slide guitar ! Sweet licks Mike very understated very deliberate classic blues rock. Ok. Even his tone is rawer. Production is vibrant.

I like the fact that there's this new young sounding voice coming out at me.it adds to this intersting old skool vibe but kind of not at the same time thing going on sonically here.. The singers tone and general inflections sound nice..
Definitely good to hear a young rock singer with a pretty interesting voice, albeit performing someone else's words, collaborating with a legendary musician and a great sounding band around him on this really nicely written catchy folk pop rock blues song. Whatever you want to call it.!

The solo is pretty cool it's so mike and it fits the vibe perfectly..
Quirky and fun but not stock at all.
The song sounds very bright, free.. Happy . Catchy! Man! I can't believe how many incredibly melodic hooks from different songs on this album pop into my head on a daily basis at the moment !
Defiantly not bad. At all really..

I think there are so many things to like about his album . It's a challenging album in the sense that at the start it was most things I didn't want and didnt meet my expectations in terms of a lengthy instrumental journey .

This is indeed a lengthy instrumental journey, but of an entirely different kind.
Wall to wall lyrics and I might say.. There were many moments of really good lyric writing .. Some not so but overall really good I think .

I like the actual music to the songs , they all offer good variety but still maintain the overall album feel and that is one of the strengths of his album.. Along with its generally relaxed but very cool , classic sounding attitude .
It's an interesting and entertaining musical and lyrical statement.
And certainly not what I was expecting and that is what I expect I will love so much about it.

It feels pretty fresh and honest and musical and fun and the fact that I felt a little uneasy at first I think is a good thing. You can be predictable even in your unpredictability !


God bless you Mike and may you keep surprising us

Cheers


--------------
"Terrible, wonderful, crazy, perfect"

                       Mike Oldfield 1998
Back to top
Profile PM 
changeling Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 15
Joined: May 2007
Posted: Mar. 28 2014, 11:14

Quote (El Mystico @ Mar. 07 2014, 13:48)
It's so interesting: trying to assess where this will sit in history's retrospective of his career.
For me, this is a bit like Woody Allen. I love Woody. I don't think he's made a bad film (except Stardust Memories). But with films like Blue Jasmine, Match Point, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, somehow this old man is back on form.
For me, Mike moving away from the electronics of Tres Lunas and Light and Shade, and back to the electrics of MOTR, with the associated guitar solos, is a refreshing breath of life. (I do like Tres Lunas and Light and Shade - but for me this has more life in it).
I think several of the songs are some of the best he's written.
And the guitar solos are uniformly wonderful - although each has such a different feel.  
For me the weakest track is Following The Angels. But there, I find the demo better. Maybe something was lost in the translation.
And I love the fact that he is already working on the prequel to Tubular Bells.  This man is out of retirement.
How can we thank Danny Boyle and Caroline Monk enough?



I agree with a lot of what you say here . I think Mike even said he was sick of the cut and paste style of more electronically produced music and one of the reasons for doing music of the spheres was almost to exorcise that style of music production in a sense!... Out demon Out!
I think too that some of the songs on MOTR are brilliant and some of the best we've heard and I agree that there is a lot of life in this album too.
Prequel to TB??!!! Really ?! *frantically googles* amazing!


--------------
"Terrible, wonderful, crazy, perfect"

                       Mike Oldfield 1998
Back to top
Profile PM 
bee Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1227
Joined: Jan. 2004
Posted: Mar. 31 2014, 08:43

I am embarrassed to say (although this is quite funny) that in Sailing I thought Mike was singing "I'm ripped" :D and not 'I'm wrecked'...I am reliably informed that being ripped is no bad thing ;)


Also, I noticed something about the cover of MOTR - it has many handprints on the rock...and there are also many hands on the cover of Islands...so I was curious if there's a connection there at all, or is it just coincidence do you think?
:)


--------------
....second to the right and straight on till morning....



You heard me before
Yet you hear me again
Then I die
Till I call me again
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ghostmojo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 94
Joined: Mar. 2009
Posted: Mar. 31 2014, 18:07

When you have more money than sense, and the biggest decision to be made that day is whether to spend it on your yacht, in your pool or on the beach - then you come up with crap like this :zzz:

I never thought I would see the day when I couldn't wait for the listening experience to be over with a new Oldfield record. This is just blandness writ large and also a complete eclectic mix of stuff that sounds like other people - hints of U2, Dire Straits and others. None of it actually sounding like Mike Oldfield. If it wasn't for his trademark lead guitar style (which in itself is starting to sound repetitive with the same licks recurring) you really wouldn't know who the hell this is.

I made the mistake of buying the double CD hoping that perhaps the instrumental version of the album might have something going for it having just yawned my way through the vocal version. Well it doesn't. It is a con to release a second disc as an instrumental album when it is just the other album with the vocals switched off. No added bits of guitars or other flourishes - no alternate versions - just a lazy arse rip-off of a disc with same crap but no singing. Well actually that is perhaps a good thing because the pop vocalist he chose to work with is just uber pop crapness in extremis.

It's not that I dislike his song-oriented albums. There has been great material released with a whole raft of different male and female vocalists (including Mike himself) in the past. He has as much talent for the perfectly crafted pop or rock song or ballad, as he does for the lengthy instrumental. The only trouble is that neither is in evidence here.

I am glad I am not the only one here who thinks so. I am a big fan and have been there since 1973. But after 40 years it seems that the guy has finally run out of steam. Well that's life in the Caribbean for you!

Oh and even the cover design is bland and forgettable and if you think about it Man On The Rocks can mean something quite different (than a positive statement) ;)


--------------
" ... if you feel a little glum - to Hergest Ridge you should come ... "
Back to top
Profile PM 
GusFogle Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 198
Joined: July 2011
Posted: Mar. 31 2014, 18:41

"Man at rock bottom"?

"Man on a yacht"?

 :laugh:
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
First_Excursion Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 279
Joined: Aug. 2012
Posted: Mar. 31 2014, 23:55

Quote (Ghostmojo @ Mar. 31 2014, 18:07)
When you have more money than sense, and the biggest decision to be made that day is whether to spend it on your yacht, in your pool or on the beach - then you come up with crap like this :zzz:

/thread
Back to top
Profile PM 
Inkanta Offline




Group: Admins
Posts: 1453
Joined: Feb. 2000
Posted: April 13 2014, 18:04

I finally have a moment to collect my thoughts about MOTR—wish I had a few more (minutes and thoughts), but if I wait much longer, Mr. Oldfield will have released his prequel to Tubular Bells!  We were asked by Mike's PA to stop over to amazon and review.  I don't have a rubric to know how I'd rank it on a star basis, so I am not doing so. Compared to what? Other MO works? Similar genre? Which one(s)?  I just can’t do it, so instead I offer this up in a star-less, rambling sort of way. Sigh.

My review was written after repeatedly listening to the three-CD set, i.e., the Luke version, instrumental, and demo (i.e., Mike on all instruments and vocals). I've posted it here and over on the AML.

Packaging. A word to UM:  Good grief! I just love to open a package and have everything fall out all over the floor.  Not.  Then there is the certificate. It could be replicated as easily as a diploma from Miskatonic University.  They should have been numbered and watermarked. Then there is the liner note situation.  Are you aware that some of Mike's fans are over the age of 40? As such, some of us post 40ers struggle to read print—especially tiny print on patterned backgrounds having little contrast. I need a pair of reading glasses in every room and compartment of my pocketbook. Guess I need stronger ones. Thankfully my coworker returned from a conference recently with magnifying glasses. But still....  Next time would you consider using more contrasting print and backgrounds? A larger font wouldn't be disliked, either. Thank you.

On to the music. Some random thoughts:

• I wish for the ability to do song genealogy the way that some of you do, e.g. Mr. Miles [AML member]. At times various pieces remind me of other works (both of Mike’s and others';), but I cannot go back to the component DNA proteins/twiddly bits. /-:

• Vocal vs. instrumental.  For those of us preferring instrumental music, we may have to sit this one out. The best thing to do with the instrumental version of MOTR is to invite your friends over for a karaoke party. Are there any riffs in there that are not in the vocal versions? My cloth ears couldn’t detect any, though there are some pieces that pop out more on the instrumental, e.g., the Incantations 3 rhythm on “Castaway.” In any case, in this time, space, and experience Mike's work manifested this shorter song/rock form. If MOTR attracts a new audience to Mike's music we may need to be there to support them upon exposure to his back catalog. Hang tough!

• Lyrically IMHO this is his strongest composition (of the lyric-song-based albums).

• Mike vs. Luke on vocals.   I happen to love Mike's voice and given the themes of the work it feels extra personal when he sings them. Luke does a respectable job on the songs and brings a younger audience to MOTR.  Not a bad marketing strategy.  It would have mixed it up even more to have a couple of the pieces sung by a strong female vocalist. So ideally Mike on some, Luke and Maggie.2014 on others.  I expected the package to include the videos. What's with that? Many of us haven’t been able to view them for whatever reason.  Including them in the package would have been considerate.  From what I’ve seen, I like the way Luke moves—very kinetic guy. He is going to be performing at least one piece out with his band and it would be fun to watch. He looks a bit like a young Freddie M, but not vocally. Vocally from bands past, maybe Marc Almond of Soft Cell, but there is someone else….   I have actually come to like Luke’s voice.

• The album is very elemental. Air, fire, water, and earth—they are all represented. Drinking whiskey/moonshine, canyons, sailing, going nuclear, and dreaming in the wind.

• I thought initially that this was an album of a broken relationship, but it’s about many different things.

• Back-up band. There was a time that Mike wouldn’t have needed one. They do well—I wonder how much latitude they had to interpret and do their own thing? Next time I think he should use local musicians. Ommadawn was made with local musicians—some like Les had quite a bit of input—and look at the result! Brilliant.

• Individual pieces:

“Sailing.”  Catchy water tune. The song takes nearly too long to build and do anything. Initially I thought the song was about feelings of confinement in a relationship, couched in a happy, catchy tune. But I guess it’s just about the freedom of being out on the open waters, sailing. Beware of ear worms.

“Moonshine.” I prefer Mike’s “Whiskey in the Wind.”  Initially I thought someone at UM told him to change the title because he already was “Dreaming in the Wind.” How much stuff in the Wind can there be? But I guess Mike decided on the change himself. In that he already has a song called “Moonshine” it would have made more sense to call this one “Liberty” if he didn’t want to call it “Whiskey in the Wind.” Whiskey and moonshine were developed by people who had emigrated from the British Isles and Celtic music is the antecedent of bluegrass—I love the Celtic feel to it. Fire in Water.

“Man on the Rocks.” An earthy song of addiction.  Mike launches into the lyrics on the demo.  The Luke version has a short introduction reminiscent of Sigor Ros' “Helvetica.”  I really like this song of hope. Mike said in an interview that the addiction is singing—this is similar to the airplane singing in “Five Miles Out.”  Musically, it reminds me of an earlier work and I haven’t been able to hone in on it.

“Castaway.”  Water.  This would not have been out of place on FMO particularly the section beginning at 3.43 on the demo. 4:17 on the Luke version. As mentioned, the rhythm becomes very Incantations part 3 (fast part)…then an FMO-type riff. The rhythm is more pronounced on the demo. The addition of slide guitars is nicely trippy. The piece concludes with drumming reminiscent of Mickey 3d (around 6:23), e.g., his “Storiz.” To an extent, we experience new music through and informed by our individual musical histories, so some of my references probably sound a bit weird.  

“Minutes.”  This earthy-airy-philosophical piece feels like the aftermath of a relationship breakup or separation from loved ones, regardless of reason. Birds are a recurring theme among Mike’s music. Wonder what it is about birds for him? It reminds me of all the references to “weather” in Neil Finn’s/Crowded House’s music.

“Dreaming in the Wind.”  Luke does a great job on this airy song. Written from the prospective of the one who has died and whose ashes have been scattered in the wind, it reminds Mike, too, of “Moonlight Shadow.” I am not really reminded of MS. I love the imagery and lyrics as well as the music, which reminds me very much of “Trick of the Light.”

“Nuclear.”  I like Mike’s voice on this fiery piece, based on his current struggles and informed by the experiences in Belgium during WWI of his maternal grandfather whom he never met. It seems to also pertain to a relationship breaking up. When he sings of the brothers gone, I thought he meant his own sons now living somewhere else, rather than the brothers in arms who perished during WWI. “A heart of broken glass”…pretty emotional stuff. It would go well with “Inner Child” from TBIII. It’s reminding me of something from perhaps Tres Lunas that I am not locking on to. Ideas?

“Chariots.” Fire. Fighting—reminds me of a bitter relationship ending where both parties are so bloodied and bruised that they have to be carried off the field. Lots of “twiddly bits” here—“Mastermind” from TMB and speaking of TBIII, musically, it feels very similar to “Outcast, ” progression-wise. It ends with a nod to TSODE’s “Ascension” rhythmically.  I really like this one.

“Following the Angels.” Airy and not much to say about this one. Probably my least favorite piece, though it isn’t a bad song--just not my cup of tea.

“Irene.” Arggh. People have already mentioned artists such as ZZ Top. This is nearly my least favorite one. It reminds me of the Stone Temple Pilots—it is only missing Scott’s megaphone. I’d probably like it if they used a megaphone. This is a skipper for me.

“I Give Myself Away.” Great wedding/handfasting song. Something about the way he says “believe me” reminds me of “believe it” on “Surfing.” (-: Around 40 sec. I am reminded of a Kayanis song, which is ironic, since I only know about Kayanis through music shared by one of the AML members!

Bottom line:  It is a solid rock album to be enjoyed if you like that sort of thing and otherwise skipped. I look forward to inviting people over for karaoke! :D


--------------
"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
Back to top
Profile PM 
MusicallyInspired Offline




Group: Musicians
Posts: 1445
Joined: June 2001
Posted: April 13 2014, 23:17

Sailing - Fun track. The slide-ish guitar leans a bit too close to country for me, but not enough to not enjoy it, let alone the whole song. I love the progressions, especially the unexpected lift to the minor chord in the pre-chorus. Simple but all very effective. Great track.

Moonshine - At first this song never interested me at all, but then I grew to love it the more I heard it. Love the celtic elements and the Edge-like delay on the guitar. Toe-tapping catchy goodness. I don't care at all that it's Song of the Boatman. I actually don't consider it unoriginal at all. Besides, Mike has never been a stranger to recycling his past works.

Man on the Rocks - What a powerful track, especially with the background vocals. Great emotion by Mike in his soloing. Not much else to say, really. Great track! One of the best on the album. Nice progressions, too.

Castaway - I love this song. I love how it progresses. At first I disliked the percussion that comes in halfway through. It sounds like there's a gate on it that's just a tad overzealous. It also bothered me that they sounded slightly distorted. I'm not sure if that's due to the brickwalled mastering or the actual intended mix. I decided I liked it as it sounds raw and unapologetic. Perfect for the tone of the song. The solo is also probably the best and most pure on the whole album. It actually reminds me of the solo from No Dream.

Minutes - Another one I didn't seem to like when I first heard it. Sounded too generic. However, it also somehow grew on me. I also don't mind that much of this song is a reworking of Lake Constance from TMB.

Dreaming in the Wind - This one still hasn't latched onto me. Not really a fan. It's probably my least favourite on the album. Many have said that it sounds a lot like Moonlight Shadow....maybe a bit, it has elements in the percussion and the acoustic guitars, but then so do half the songs on this album. Don't know, it's ok. I like the progression halfway through the song and how it keeps stepping out of scale. I enjoy that creativity. Challenges the mould.

Nuclear - A powerful emotional track. It's pretty good, but not one of my favourites. Not a fan of this sort of progression, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it. Nice work, Mike!

Chariots - Love this track. Though, I'm appalled that the horrid mastering destroys the intense and impacting percussive ending to the song. You can hear the cymbal crashing heaving in and out and it muds the entire mix right out. Fantastic composition, though. Feels a lot like something from Earth Moving.

Following the Angels - This one is tied with Castaway as my favourite from the album. Unlike someone said earlier, I actually really liked the way the progressions drops the key in the chorus, mirroring the lyrics. It also adds well to the anthem feel when it repeats and sounds like it's raising a key, which is a nice trick. The choir that comes in makes it sound huge and...I just love it. I'm a sucker for build-ups, though.

Irene - I take it back, this one is my least favourite. Not much lyrical quality, and the style is not really my taste. I can see how it can be somewhat catchy, but it never really goes anywhere and just repeats.

I Give Myself Away - I was surprised to see this on the album. Can anybody share the story behind its inclusion? Actually, is there somewhere where one could read the stories behind all the songs on the album? I know the original and have played it myself at a few live events. It's a nice version. I notice the lyrics are slightly different. Great energetic solo in the middle of it. I have heard it done better, though. Still, great job, Mike!

Overall, fantastic album. I was half-expecting something lesser, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying it throughout. 9/10!


--------------
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 
Sir Mustapha Offline




Group: Musicians
Posts: 2802
Joined: April 2003
Posted: April 30 2014, 11:55

Quote (Inkanta @ April 13 2014, 18:04)
“Man on the Rocks.” An earthy song of addiction.  Mike launches into the lyrics on the demo.  The Luke version has a short introduction reminiscent of Sigor Ros' “Helvetica.”

Sorry to nitpick, but I think you're referring to Heysátan, am I right? You possibly have a mislabeled MP3 in your collection, because I'm sure Sigur Rós never titled a song after a typographic font. :)

--------------
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
Profile PM WEB 
Cavalier (Lost Version) Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 598
Joined: Nov. 2010
Posted: June 21 2014, 19:26

Quote (Inkanta @ April 13 2014, 18:04)
.
“Nuclear.”  I like Mike’s voice on this fiery piece, based on his current struggles and informed by the experiences in Belgium during WWI of his maternal grandfather whom he never met. It seems to also pertain to a relationship breaking up. When he sings of the brothers gone, I thought he meant his own sons now living somewhere else, rather than the brothers in arms who perished during WWI. “A heart of broken glass”…pretty emotional stuff. It would go well with “Inner Child” from TBIII. It’s reminding me of something from perhaps Tres Lunas that I am not locking on to. Ideas?

Maybe this?.
http://tubular.net/forums....;t=9220

Funnily enough I ran into that topic last month and didn't give it much thought.  Epitaph comparisons pre-date Nuclear's ascendance and I, for one, wouldn't deny similarities.  On the other hand, if not quite in 12-bar Blues territory, this is unlikely to be the first time that anyone's heard this kind of chord progression, as some opinions on No Man's Land suggest.

Quote (Inkanta @ April 13 2014, 18:04)
.
Then there is the certificate. It could be replicated as easily as a diploma from Miskatonic University.  They should have been numbered and watermarked.


Is there something horrifying you're trying to tell us about yourself, Inkanta? :D


--------------
"Who was that?"
"That was Venger - the force of Evil!  I am Dungeon Master - your guide in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons!"
Back to top
Profile PM 
100 replies since Mar. 04 2014, 07:08 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

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

Pages: (6) < 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 >






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