Blue Dolphin
Group: Members
Posts: 1232
Joined: Nov. 1999 |
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Posted: April 27 2002, 21:07 |
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Hello everyone. You finally get to hear from me. Didn't check tubular.net for a couple of days.
So, I was downloading both "To Be Free" versions, and at the same time reading this forum topic. I was thinking: "oh man, reading all this makes me think Mike has dissapointed us". So, one version was downloaded (the ethnic version). I played it and it was like: "Why does everybody hate this? It is not bad, but it is not great either". After reading through the forum I realised everybody was listening to the remixed version. (Oke, we all know this by now, I'm just in the mood for a lot of typing )
My comments about the ethnic version: Sounds fun, I like the synth bass sound. (Lets not forget that Mike recorded the stuff in Germany because the studio there had a lot of cool synthesizers. Sounds moogy to me, the bass sound!) At first when I heard the vocals, it reminded me of some Enigma songs (but that's explainable, Michael Cretu is a friend of Mike, so copying is not difficult ). The voices don't really do much to me... and, as Vladimir said before, it sounds a bit like a Jean Michel Jarre song from "Metamorphosis". The funky drumbeat... well, yeah... hmmm, it's sounds fun at first, but it is not Mike.... and why is it still a drumcomputer????????????????? Where the f@#$*&ck is Simon Philips or Pierre Moerlen? Where are the real drums? The last real drum I heard was from TB3, I guess. Most of that didn't sound real either. I was a bit dissapointed that Earth Moving had no real drums (it is a great album, don't get me wrong), but I think EM would have sound much better with real drums. Drumcomputer is soooo cheap (don't get me wrong, I sometimes like drumcomputers, but they have to match the music, so, with Jarre like music). But I do like the african voices in the background of To Be Free....
The remixed version: ah well, just a remix by some jerk....... don't pay attention to it . (although I like the synth bits a bit, sounds a bit "popcorn" 'ish) Listening to this version makes the songs really sound like a britny s. (I have a difficult time just by saying those words) album.
My conclusion: the original version (the ethnic one) is not bad, but it doesn't really do much to me. Indeed it is just made for commercial succes. I will not be suprised if I will see it on MTV or TMF (Dutch MTV like channel with nothing but sh&*$&t) where I never have seen a single Mike O. videoclip before. But To be Free is certainly better that the song "The Millenium Bell"
I hate the Millenium Bell. I had good reactions about it first, some are good (track 1 and 2), but the rest.. yuck... that's why the album is just dusting away in my collection. So, I reeeeeeeeeally hoped Mike had improved himself by releasing a GOOD album. I didn't expect an Amarok II, but To be Free will do... I guess.... although I am still a bit dissapointed.
But let's not jump to any conclusions yet. Maybe the rest of the album sounds better. Only time will tell.
Oh yeah, by the way, I once commented about some realaudio samples that were put on the Music VR site. I liked the one that was on the right in the middle. It had a nice warm guitar sound, and if you put some vocals on it, it maybe sounded oke. Before I heard To be Free, I was thinking it would sound like this. Well, it proved out not to be... oh well....
Greetings everyone!
-------------- -The mark of a good musician is to play one note and mean it-
Mike Oldfield - 1980
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