Baggiesfaninessex
Group: Members
Posts: 682
Joined: Mar. 2002 |
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Posted: Aug. 25 2014, 15:19 |
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| Quote (First_Excursion @ Aug. 06 2014, 19:48) | | Quote (Bell Boy @ Aug. 04 2014, 10:48) | | Is it better than the last 5-6 MO albums……… ??????? |
Easily but that's not saying a lot. 
There are several terrific ideas that are worthy of much more development but are prematurely discarded which I find frustrating. It's like a patchwork comprised of little bits and pieces, most of the time it doesn't actually seem to be going anywhere. If it does it suddenly seems to go backwards.
Overall I think of it as a caricature of Mike Oldfield really. It sounds like Mike on the surface, but it doesn't strike me with any of the jaw dropping cool that Mike used to be capable of. It doesn't build and develop the themes in such a coherent way; and neither side culminates in a spectacular or especially noteworthy finale. |
I disagree. I was listening to Sanctuary for the 3rd time earlier today and I find it is refreshing that it doesn't linger on themes for too long. Tubular Bells was both minimalist in the opening, hypnotic section and a masterclass in short, sharp sections highlighting variety in other sections of Part 1. Rob does similar - not that it matters whether he does or not. Less is often more and when I finish listening, I just look forward to the next spin when I can hear some of those changes again - tune to tune - just as I did with Tubular Bells all those years ago.
The closing sections of Part 1 are fabulous. I think the tunes are as good as, if not better than, many featured on the albums they seek to emulate. But that's personal opinion and is possibly driven by a now sated desire to have more of this style of music faithfully recreated on non-synthesised instruments.
For those who say it's all been done before - of course it has. But there is always room for more excellent music and musicianship that we desire. Unfortunately, as has been mentioned on these forums for many years now, Mike simply doesn't compose and develop ideas like this anymore - this outshines everything since Amarok. I hear 'quotes' from QE2, Five Miles Out and Crises, so Sanctuary doesn't restrict the tribute to the 'classic Oldfield era' of the 70s.
Great stuff!
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“A dog is not intelligent. Never trust an animal that's surprised by its own farts.” - Frank Skinner
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). of course it is some kind of "compilation" of older (not to say 1973- ~1980) M.O.-works put into two parts of a tune. but on the other hand, as stated here before, it does not "sit" on themes for too long as M.O. did in that periode of time. on the 1st listen I'd rate it over everything Mike himself has produced since TMB. sure it DOES sound alot like HR, Inc. and Ommadwan mostly (I'm still stuck at Pt. 1 while writing this "review"), but not in a way that I'd have to say "why should I listen to it when I have the originals?". there's still enough own spirit/touch in it to make it a worthwile listen. so .... a big "thumbs up" frome me..... 