Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

Pages: (4) < 1 [2] 3 4 >

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

Topic: Some of Mike's best work< Next Oldest | Next Newest >

Unregistered





Posted: Nov. 30 2001, 18:02

Whilst I am not a MO die-hard fan, I went through a period where I would play this album virtually non-stop. Rather than get tired of the songs, I found that at each listen there was something new to discover, even after weeks of repeated playing.

The creativity flowing from this album is truly amazing. Listening to it late at night is always an experience to treasure. It has the power to alter your emotions, some sections occasionally move me to tears, and there are very few artists capable of such a thing.

I love the way certain melodies are repeated and reworked throughout the duration of the album. It makes it feel like a whole and complete 'story', a self-contained piece of work.

Best Bit?: 'Clear Light'.
Back to top
raven4x4x Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1535
Joined: Jan. 2002
Posted: April 06 2002, 01:00

Tubular Bells II is one of the greatest albums ever! It follows the original closely, but in my opinion surpasses it in most places. My favourite tracks are Sentinel, Dark Star, Clear Light, Red Dawn, The Bell and Altered State. Altered State is cool, but silly in places, while Sentinel has to be one of the best starts to an album he's ever done. Dark Star is cool, Red Dawn is a brilliant Guitar pirce, and The Bell is brilliant. However, my favourite track on the album is Clear Light. It is such a beautiful piece, especially with the acoustic guitar at the end. So briliant, I'd say it was evil.

One of the strengths of this piece is that there isn't any bit that I would say "don;t like this!" It is all really good, and the hypnotic bits of 'part 2' before Tatto are very nice. The whole album has a warm feeling about it, and sems much more personal than the original, not as distant in places.

I love all the Tubular Bells Albums, and II and III aree incredably close for 1st place on my 'best album list'.

--------------
Thank-you for helping us help you help us all.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Baggiesfaninessex Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 682
Joined: Mar. 2002
Posted: April 06 2002, 02:43

I respect your opinion raven but there is no way that TBII would have existed without TB1. It is so similar...however there is nothing wrong with plagirising one's own material.

Both TB1 and 2 are fine albums, far better than TB3, but as for the best - TB1 - the original. IMHO - it broke new ground...

--------------
“A dog is not intelligent. Never trust an animal that's surprised by its own farts.” - Frank Skinner
Back to top
Profile PM 
theweightless Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 604
Joined: April 2001
Posted: April 07 2002, 13:35

wanna gues what is my favourite track on this album... biggrin

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




Group: Super Admins
Posts: 3511
Joined: Dec. 1999
Posted: April 07 2002, 17:19

I'd actually argue that it sounds less personal than the original, that the heavy production on it places something that's like a sheet of glass between Mike and the listener.
There are parts on Tubular Bells where you can hear Mike breathe - I think that lends a very intimate feel to those parts and it's something you never get in Tubular Bells II.
The wilder parts are without the aggression that's present in the original record. Some of those electric guitar sounds on Tubular Bells are really raw and cutting...it's not the same comfortable palate of sounds that's there on Tubular Bells II, there are parts that are slightly more disturbing, more eery, more unnerving. Of course, not everyone sees it that way.
Back to top
Profile PM 
raven4x4x Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1535
Joined: Jan. 2002
Posted: June 23 2002, 00:22

All the Tubular Bell Albums are good in their own way. If Tubular Bells II sounds too modern I would say that TB1 isn't modern enough. Tubular Bells 1 is the least favourite of the TB Albums for me, but it still beats much of his other work. I can't decide between TBII and III, they are both excellent albums I tend to like the one I just listened to recently.

--------------
Thank-you for helping us help you help us all.
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Bell(end) Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1051
Joined: July 2005
Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 09:53

But Raven, without TB1 you wouldn't have your precious TB2 or 3!!! I think saying that hearing Mike breathing being intimate is odd but I understand that the feel of the sounds is better in TB1 that 2. There are tunes enhanced in TB2 that weren't so good in TB1 so all in all they are equally good IMO  :)

--------------
When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D
Back to top
Profile PM 
Sysiyo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 245
Joined: Feb. 2003
Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 14:14

It's true that without the original Bells there wouldn't have been any of the remakes (or possibly even Mike Oldfield as we know him), but that doesn't make the albums any better. Personally, I appriciate it for the fact that it led to a lot of good albums, but as an album in itself it is a somewhat inferior work. A first album, where the artist is still learning a bit about what he is doing, and as such not as good as his following works.
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
Sir Mustapha Offline




Group: Musicians
Posts: 2802
Joined: April 2003
Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 14:29

I think the huge opposition of ideas between the overall public and critics (Tubular Bells is his greatest work) and the fans (Tubular Bells is one of his worst) has little to do with the actual content of the album. Sincerely, if Tubular Bells were one of his most obscure albums, I doubt that there would be so much bitterness directed at it in the fan community. It would probably be some kind of "hidden gem", a forgotten masterpiece, a cult classic, a fan favourite.

--------------
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 
Sysiyo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 245
Joined: Feb. 2003
Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 14:38

Opinions tend to polarise.
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
raven4x4x Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1535
Joined: Jan. 2002
Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 22:21

Quote (The Bell(end) @ Aug. 11 2005, 22:53)
But Raven, without TB1 you wouldn't have your precious TB2 or 3!!! I think saying that hearing Mike breathing being intimate is odd but I understand that the feel of the sounds is better in TB1 that 2. There are tunes enhanced in TB2 that weren't so good in TB1 so all in all they are equally good IMO  


Actually, in the three-and-a-bit years since I wrote my original words, my opinions have completely changed. I now like the original Tubular Bells a lot more than the sequels. By the way, I never suggested that the orignal was bad, and of course I realised that without the original the sequels could never exist. Just at the time I loved II and III so much that I would have rated just about any album below them. I've very much changed my view about the sequels now: I still like them but a lot of albums have risen above them in my personal list. Amarok has now replaced them on the top of my favourite album list.


--------------
Thank-you for helping us help you help us all.
Back to top
Profile PM 
RICHARDGORMLIE Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 98
Joined: Nov. 2004
Posted: Oct. 22 2005, 10:28

i think tubular bells 2 is one of the best cds mike has done in years with songs of the distant earth coming a close second.
Back to top
Profile PM 
jonnyw Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 522
Joined: Oct. 2005
Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 18:52

Tb2 is the greatest album ever created! i fell asleep to it as a baby! (im young) and ive never felt so attached to a peice of music like i do the whole album. i bought the dvd of its premier at edinborugh and i love it. it is the greatest album ever written, if it wasnt for it I wouldnt love music, and I certainly wouldnt be able to play so many instruments! because listening to it as a child made me want to be able to do ALL of what i could hear, its beutiful.

--------------
Grand piano.
Reed and pipe organ.
Glockenspeil.
Bass guitar.
Vocal chords.
Two slightly sampled electric guitars.
The venitian effect.
Digital sound processor.
And Tubular bells.

Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com

Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
RICHARDGORMLIE Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 98
Joined: Nov. 2004
Posted: Oct. 19 2006, 17:35

i thought that tubular bells 2 was one of the finest cds mike has done in ages.

:p  :p
Back to top
Profile PM 
oldfieldfan06 Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 6
Joined: Nov. 2006
Posted: June 29 2007, 11:01

my fav tracks from TB II:

The Bell
Tattoo
Moonlight
Altered State
the sixth track- how is it called?  :/
Back to top
Profile PM 
Sweetpea Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1476
Joined: April 2007
Posted: July 08 2007, 14:51

Quote (Pacha Daddy @ Oct. 03 2000, 21:21)
I think the first thing that catches the ear in TB2 is the way it plays off the original. For the first few listens, I think that mindset dominates. Then you slowly begin to appreciate it on its own merit.

I came to Tubular Bells II without a familiarity with Tubular Bells, which I'd only tried a couple of times years before. So, aside from recognizing the piano tune in "Sentinel", I didn't realize it was a reworking of all the original TB themes. Since getting into TB2003, discovering the connections has been thrilling for me. It's made me more appreciative of TBII - and I was already in love with it.


--------------
"I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Big BellEnd Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 971
Joined: Jan. 2004
Posted: July 08 2007, 17:31

I love it, and TBIII

--------------
I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ebony Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 172
Joined: June 2007
Posted: July 08 2007, 18:05

TBII is awesome, I have to say.  But then again, I think the original TB is just as awesome.  There's a rawness to the original that TBII doesn't have (it's too polished) but it hasn't lost the magic that made me love TB so much.
Not too keen on TBIII though.  Maybe it's cause I haven't listened to is as much as the other two, and though there is some really good bits in it, to me it just lacks the magic of the previous ones.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Taurus 4 Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 46
Joined: Aug. 2007
Posted: Sep. 01 2007, 06:25

Tubular Bells II is right up my street. I'd always known the second side, for some reason, so finally getting the album about five years ago introduced me to the equally brilliant first half.

Personal favourites are Sentinel, Clear Light, Weightless, The Great Plain, Sunset Door, Tattoo and Altered State. Absolute melodic genius throughout, and a definite contender for my favourite MO album (the other being Incantations).

I like TBII more than TBI and TBIII, although all three are great to me. The Edinburgh version of Tattoo is the pinnacle of music, especially the "comedown" before Altered State, which isn't on the studio album.
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Big BellEnd Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 971
Joined: Jan. 2004
Posted: Sep. 01 2007, 17:02

it's what Trampolines where invented for.

--------------
I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY.
Back to top
Profile PM 
70 replies since June 28 2000, 20:57 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

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

Pages: (4) < 1 [2] 3 4 >






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