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Topic: Some Thoughts, i.e., What is Incantations like, etc.?< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
The Big BellEnd Offline




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Posted: Mar. 26 2006, 13:48

I love it's colliery band sound.

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I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY.
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 26 2006, 14:39

Quote (The Big BellEnd @ Mar. 26 2006, 13:48)
I love it's colliery band sound.

do tell more. If they sound like Incantations, I want to find out about them.

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"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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EeToN Offline




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Posted: Mar. 26 2006, 15:06

To get a more varied picture before you buy it, Incantations is one of my least favourite albums by Mike, but still has its great moments.

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If I were music, I would be Enigmatism.
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Sir Mustapha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 26 2006, 16:43

I'll try to give a full picture here. If you decide to buy it, be aware that until Light + Shade came, Incantations was the longest of his albums. I recommend it to any potential Mike Oldfield fan, but it's important to keep in mind that, along with Tubular Bells, it's one of his most unique albums. You have to be able to enjoy one single bit of music being played many times, over and over. If you can do that, you'll probably stick around with Incantations for a long time.

For one, it combines an orchestra with aboryginal music, synthesized and tuned percussion, rock 'n' roll with quasi-new-age. One of the best aspects of it, though, is the unique, fluttery kind of sound. It sounds like candy. Listening to it, you'll do like the Backyardigans when they found the Flying Rock atop the Stone Step Hill: "Float, Flutter, Fly". It soars. At times, it's like a jet plane. At others, it's like sleeping inside a cloud. It's even a bit sad, at times, but it's not Robert Smith.

If you can't stand repetitive music, you'll need some kind of strategy. Either learn to like it, or just do like George Starostin once brilliantly put it: enjoying it like good red wine, taking a sip now and then and just enjoying the taste in your mouth. Or just stick around with Tubular Bells III instead. If you can stand repetitive music, though, go for it, go for it again, and go for it some more.


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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
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Ray Offline




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Posted: Mar. 26 2006, 18:37

In English - Bloody Brilliant, er.... if you will excuse my French!!!

Ray :cool:


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Looking out over the harbour in Peel.......
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MrKeith Offline




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Posted: Mar. 28 2006, 10:15

Without doubt this is Mike Oldfield at his absolute best. It was the first Mike album I ever bought and I was mesmerised by it at the time. 26 years later, it is still the most fantastic of achievements.

There are parts where it is repetitious and it does lag in places but part one is superb, Hiawatha is intriguing and often discordant, the start to Part 3 is triumphant and the build up to the finale on Part 4 is just sheer musical heaven!!!!

Every part of Incantations is charged with emotion for me.

Will forever be one of my Top 10 albums of all time.
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: Mar. 28 2006, 19:41

I've said this so much it's a mantra: Incantations is the soundtrack of my life. Some of it might be repetitive (it's based on one chord progression--up a fifth, down a tone) but it's amazing where he goes with it. Inc contains gorgeous chants, a piece of the Song of Hiawatha ("Hiawatha's Departure" section), and an except from Ben Jonson's play. It's beautifully and skillfully woven together and conjures up very interesting images for many of us--of places, seasons, etc. It has worked in every aspect of my life from dancing, running, driving, giving birth, thinking, though rarely just listening (except in the beginning when I had no choice cos I had mono). If it's not played at my funeral (that is, if there are such things by then and we aren't run over by an asteroid, etc.) I will come back and haunt them all--hopefullly not for many, many years. :O  :O I've never been so passionate about any work by anyone. Gee, this sounds like borderline fanaticism, yikes. But...it's really, really great, IMNSHO. :)

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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 28 2006, 21:30

Music peaked with "Incantations".

--------------
"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: Mar. 28 2006, 21:41

Hmmmm......I am thinking (way out loud) that this topic probably needs to be merged with another, similar one....so....stay tuned (actually, you have time to grab a cup of coffee, a night's sleep, read a book, and go for a swim....not necessarily in that order.... cos I need to catch a moonboat to dreamland and back first).  :D

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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
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arron11196 Offline




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Posted: Mar. 29 2006, 02:11

Is that from that beautiful song "cry me a river?"  :D

psst... Incantations for me has it's great moments, like the trumpet section from Part I. The rest I've yet to become acclimatised to, but I do agree that on average it's better than most other conventional music. (But then so is all Oldfield for me)


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Arron J Eagling

Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature.

(insert the last 5 mins of Crises here)
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 29 2006, 08:28

Quote (arron11196 @ Mar. 29 2006, 02:11)
psst... Incantations for me has it's great moments, like the trumpet section from Part I.

That's what I call the Trumpet Pavane, and it is currently my favourite section. This will be temporary: my favourite will revert to the first 3 minutes of Part 1 again eventually.

--------------
"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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The Big BellEnd Offline




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Posted: Mar. 29 2006, 11:31

That's what I call Colliery Band sound

I love part one espesh the above bit.


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I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY.
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 29 2006, 12:51

Where can I hear other Colliery Band, especially something like this?

I think that this is one of the sections that sounded the best in the original studio version. The live versions of the trumpet section just didn't sound as good.


--------------
"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: Mar. 29 2006, 21:10

Maybe I shouldn't listen to "Fountain of Salmacis" when in the mood to merge. :)

Arron--were you talking of the moonboat? No...it's an actual boat that I hop on each night--it sails on past the second star to the right and straight on to dawn. ;)  (Err....or is that the way to Neverland? I am a poster child for GPS, even in the sky. ) :D

The trumpet section is indeed sweet. BTW, last night, Inc I came up on the random iPod shuffle while I was running on the treadmill--the chant shook me out of the boredom/fixation on speed and distance that I was sinking into 35 minutes into the workout (I've started pushing up to 5.5 to 6 mph--still not quite up to my 6-7....but I'm still finding it unpleasant and impossible to forget that I'm working out at even that speed--not like getting lost in dance). Hope I can keep this up until ready to hit the road again. Today was just as bad--guess I'll go back to the complete Inc rather than the i-shuffle and pretend I'm running through the countryside and see if it helps.


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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
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ThisName Offline




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Posted: April 29 2006, 08:21

I listened to it again last night, and there is something in the stature of the music that makes it almost tower over everything he has done. I don't mean to say its better, i just mean in terms of scale, it is like a giant archetiecture that is so massive as to be overwhelming. The music reminds me of a huge puzzle, or riddle, it sucks you in, and you dont know why or how and you just go where it takes you. I know this sounds weird, but incantatins has an almost scary quality to me, just in its magnitude. I must say though, that the opening to part 2 is the most beautiful music i think mike has written, the way he is able to keep this long slow idea going and building it. I also love the dialogue between the guitar and bass, so simple, like a lullaby. Also the guitar solo in part 3, is that the longest guitar solo in recordd history or what? Its mammoth!

All in all, this album is unlike anythin else in the whole of recorded music!


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www.ryanyardmusic.com
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hiawatha Offline




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Posted: April 29 2006, 11:47

How about that very short part after the trumpet/etc and just before "Diana, Luna, Lucina"? It is missing from the live versions. It would be a candidate for "best music ever" if it wasn't so short.

--------------
"In the land of the Dacotahs,
Where the Falls of Minnehaha
Flash and gleam among the oak-trees,
Laugh and leap into the valley."
- Song of Hiawatha
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Alan D Offline




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Posted: April 29 2006, 12:43

Quote (Inkanta @ Mar. 30 2006, 02:10)
it's an actual boat that I hop on each night--it sails on past the second star to the right and straight on to dawn. ;)  (Err....or is that the way to Neverland?

I know it ought to be J.M. Barrie who comes to mind when I read that quote; but actually it's James T. Kirk. I wonder if that's something to regret (the displacement of an original by a copy) or to rejoice in (the growth and perpetuation of a myth)?
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: April 30 2006, 19:13

Quote (Alan D @ April 29 2006, 11:43)
Quote (Inkanta @ Mar. 30 2006, 02:10)
it's an actual boat that I hop on each night--it sails on past the second star to the right and straight on to dawn. ;)  (Err....or is that the way to Neverland?

I know it ought to be J.M. Barrie who comes to mind when I read that quote; but actually it's James T. Kirk. I wonder if that's something to regret (the displacement of an original by a copy) or to rejoice in (the growth and perpetuation of a myth)?

Heh, amazingly I still think of Barrie before James T., though thoughts of Kirk's instructions to his pilot are not far behind.

BTW......the Moonboat to Dreamland that I hop on each night is actually an illustration painted by Hugh Williams. I have the print close at hand and as a "child of the moon," find the image very relaxing and meditative. Here is a picture of it.


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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris."
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Alan D Offline




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Posted: May 01 2006, 03:31

Quote (Inkanta @ May 01 2006, 00:13)
the Moonboat to Dreamland that I hop on each night is actually an illustration painted by Hugh Williams.

I haven't come across the name Hugh Williams, but your lady in the moonboat has a distinctly late-Victorian look about her, so I assume he's an artist from that High Victorian/late PreRaphaelite era?

If I'd been looking at your picture while reading the quote I'd unhesitatingly have thought of Barrie, and Kirk would have been secondary. Fascinating how our minds work, and what triggers association.
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moonchildhippy Offline




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Posted: May 01 2006, 08:54

I assume he's an artist from that High Victorian/late PreRaphaelite era?
Quote (Alan D @ May 01 2006, 08:31)
Quote (Inkanta @ May 01 2006, 00:13)
the Moonboat to Dreamland that I hop on each night is actually an illustration painted by Hugh Williams.

I haven't come across the name Hugh Williams, but your lady in the moonboat has a distinctly late-Victorian look about her  

I've had a look on that page I love that "Moonboat to Dreamland "picture, I'm thinking how great it would look on my wall  :).

Other favourites on the site are
www.illusionsgallery.com/Northern-Gods-Decending

www.illusionsgallery.com/Valkyries-Vigil.html

www.illusionsgallery.com/Night-Fairies.html

www.illusionsgallery.com/fr-mid-eve.html

www.illusionsgallery.com/GS-Star-of-heaven.html

I do seemto remember finding cards of the latter two,  I'll have to frame them and display on my walls.

Strange how the topic has gone from the discussion of Incantions  on to art,   but I think that artwork and Incantations    would work well together.

Incidentally I was playing Incantations last night,  great music for Beltane (May Day) eve.  I do agree Incantations is one of Mike's  greatest works, but nothing can quite surpass Ommadawn as my personalfavourite :) .  Upon first hearing Incantations I don'tknowwhy Richard Branson had a look of horror upon his face . There's room in the music world for both Punk and Mike, each to his/her own asthe saying goes.

BTW with it being Beltane I'm in frivolous mood. Been dancing around to"Thunderstorm/Martian "section of Hergest Ridge,along with Portsmouth and Cuckoo Song, Happy Beltane folks     :) .


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I'm going slightly mad,
It finally happened, I'm slightly mad , just very slightly mad

If you feel a little glum to Hergest Ridge you should come.


I'm challenging  taboos surrounding mental health


"Part time hippy"

I'M SUPPORTING OUR SOLDIERS

BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!!
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