Tubular.net :: Mike Oldfield Forums Discussion, news, reviews, fan music, and more.
	Search :: Members :: Help :: Guidelines

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

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 11:22 I always thought that the churchbells near the end of Far above the clouds could link with the man venturing up the mountainside, never to be seen again, does this mean that he jumped from the top or something? I also thought that the Man in the rain was a metaphor for Mike's musical career, the fact that 'nothing was ever heard from him again, except for the sound of Tubular bells' I really thought this would be Mike's last album, maybe it was going to be but he changed his mind after TBIII had been recorded, what do others think? -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 12:41 I think I've suggested an answer to this in the other TB3 poll thread we've been using, here: http://tubular.net/forums....w;st=20 It's a symbolic language - a way of saying that this is the thing to remember me by. Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Aug. 11 2005, 16:27 Well thanks Alan, I'm glad there was more than one person that had thought about this otherwise everyone would just think that one person was being too deep   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Wayfarer Group: Members Posts: 308 Joined: June 2002 Posted: Aug. 12 2005, 15:01 No mistery here. I'm sure that it's just that Mike is The Englishman Who Went Up a Mountain But Came Down a Hill. Well, Hugh Grant did it the other way round, so why not Mike?   -- Wayfarer -------------- My homepage - www.thewayfarer.info My search - www.cannotbefound.com My community - www.taurusiv.net My luthier - www.artluthier.com Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Aug. 13 2005, 05:19 Mike himself had this to say about the ending: "After the very last bell, it's like cracking an egg and out come all these millions of birds, and some church bells. To me, church bells sound like jazz, because they're all slightly out of time. So I made a little jazz rhythm from a church bell sample. So, after everything, it's ultimately a positive ending. It's a bit like a death and then a rebirth. You don't know what's going to happen but it feels like a new beginning." Rebirth is quite an important theme for Mike, him having been through a kind of rebirthing therapy himself, which was a big turning point in his life. Another rebirth could be seen as being his move from Virgin, and there again we see that image appearing of the egg cracking and birds flying out... The egg cracking is very symbolic, as it means the destruction of one thing in order to give birth to another. Looked at another way, it's the casting off of something old and restrictive, in order to fly off and be free. I would not associate the bells with anything funerial - it would be a single tolling bell if that was the implied meaning. I would rather interpret them as being celebratory, or perhaps just another sound of the peaceful countryside to keep the birds company (man's presence in the countryside, but a peaceful and benevolent presence...on a stereotypical level at least - I don't feel that any deeper discussion on that would be either relevant or appropriate here). They could be bells for a christening (or if we really want to push at the boundaries of believable interpretation, a reference to Christianity itself, and through that, a reference to resurrection). I just don't want to be standing nearby when those church bells come out of the egg. If Mike ever opens a B&B, remind me not to order breakfast in bed... Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 13:00 Quote (Korgscrew @ Aug. 13 2005, 05:19) The egg cracking is very symbolic, as it means the destruction of one thing in order to give birth to another. Looked at another way, it's the casting off of something old and restrictive, in order to fly off and be free. And don't forget the use of the egg on the sleeve of Heaven's Open...like you say, an important image for Mike. Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

Sysiyo Group: Members Posts: 245 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 15:35 And if I've understood correctly, the cover of Heaven's Open was developed from a concept artwork planned for the original Tubular Bells. Which makes a pretty full circle. Back to top

MyCoalField Group: Members Posts: 34 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 15:52 Thank the lord that he ultimately chose the waves idea for tubular bells then... I think the Heavens Open cover is the worst MO album cover (closely followed by voyager) Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 16:01 lol   For me it's the Millenium Bell cover, too confused, all great album covers keep it simple like Crises and TBII etc   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

MyCoalField Group: Members Posts: 34 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 16:19 yeah that was pretty poor wasn't it. I actually gave that album to my Uncle in the States. Then some months later felt bad that I didn't have the full Mikey collection and went out and bought it again....God obsession can be a nightmare. We are probably straying from the topic of this post but I have to say I hope the new album doesn't feature Mike "Scowling" Oldfield and his metal machines. If he has found a happy place (mentally) then these images are somewhat contradictory to that fact. With the album title light and shade he could actually use an Ikea logo on his album cover.....(only kidding folks) Anyway have to go put kids to bed so cheerio for now Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 16:24 Quote (MyCoalField @ Aug. 14 2005, 21:19) yeah that was pretty poor wasn't it. I actually gave that album to my Uncle in the States. Then some months later felt bad that I didn't have the full Mikey collection and went out and bought it again....God obsession can be a nightmare. We are probably straying from the topic of this post but You crazy fool!    That sounds like the kind of thing I would do to be honest   As for straying off topic, please do! I started this post and I don't mind at all, I'm going to make a new poll........ -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Aug. 14 2005, 19:14 Quote (The Bell(end) @ Aug. 14 2005, 21:24) As for straying off topic, please do! I started this post and I don't mind at all I beg to differ Please don't...of course, we can all cope with minor diversions, but if a thread goes permanently off in the wrong direction, it's just annoying (and if you think that sounds draconian, things here are more relaxed than they used to be in that department...). It can make discussions difficult to find again (if you remember having a discussion about Crises, you'd probably not think of looking under Heaven's Open, for example, so if you start talking about Crises in the Heaven's Open forum, people are going to have a hard time finding what you say about Crises there), and it can also put people off who'd otherwise have said something useful (the more of a mess things get, the more put off people are...a lot of people don't like wading through stuff which has nothing to do with what they thought they were going to be reading about - imagine how annoyed you'd be if you bought a book about Mike, only to find that eight out of the twelve chapters were about Dolly Parton). Anyway, yes, Heaven's Open's cover was originally intended for Tubular Bells, at the time when they wanted to call it Breakfast In Bed (which is why I made the breakfast in bed comment earlier...). The original picture had the egg with blood dribbling out instead of yolk, which was altered to sky dribbling out, and the birds were added. I do think there's meaning in his choice of that image for Heaven's Open, and the link of the birds and the egg back to Tubular Bells III is very interesting. Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: Aug. 15 2005, 04:16 Quote (Korgscrew @ Aug. 14 2005, 19:14) The original picture had the egg with blood dribbling out instead of yolk Thank God that was scrapped!  The album would have sold about 10 copies.  I for one would never have gone near it!  Ewwwwww!! Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Aug. 15 2005, 11:54 Quote (Korgscrew @ Aug. 13 2005, 10:19) I would not associate the bells with anything funerial I think that's exactly right. They're surely the opposite - a symbol of life (at least for Mike). On the birds and eggs front, one might also give a nod to the freeing birds from cages episode in Maestro. Back to top

Cinos Group: Members Posts: 68 Joined: Aug. 2005 Posted: Aug. 28 2005, 15:04 I'd just like to imagine the man in the rain disappeared. Perhaps because he wasn't accepted in this world, or his job here was done. Moved on another/next world/plane, quite simply. Suicide doesn't fit into it, IMO.   Back to top

tubularbills Group: Members Posts: 528 Joined: Aug. 2000 Posted: Sep. 22 2005, 22:00 you know, the first time i ever heard this album, i thought that it was a bit of a suicide note. not so much because of the church bells at the end, but the vocals in Far Above The Clouds. but that was just the first listen. and really, the church bells at the end make me feel pretty good. kinda like "everything is all right". like the man in the rain was going to jump, but then the rain went away and things are OK again. -------------- Terrible, Wonderful, Crazy, Perfect. Back to top

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

Forums | Links | Instruments | Discography | Tours | Articles | FAQ | Artwork | Wallpapers
Biography | Gallery | Videos | MIDI / Ringtones | Tabs | Lyrics | Books | Sitemap | Contact


Mike Oldfield Tubular.net