Tubular Bells - still shines after all these years

I've just been listening to Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. A stunning album, with some aggressive and soaring guitars, which really set the mood and atmosphere to the music. This album is a classic - and most people only recognise the first 4 minutes or so as part of The Exorcist soundtrack. They ought to listen to the entire album.....

I've long been a fan of this album - first heard it when I was two years old on a Ferguson record deck that my parents had back then. Had various copies of it on tape and then CD over the years. It still sounds superb to this day. Also have the vinyl - must give that a spin sometime, when I haven't had a few beers....

It's the first time I've got round to playing this on my current setup - not sure why I didn't dig it out earlier. I've got the 2000 HDCD pressing and the detail, bass depth and instrument seperation is simply stunning - I think this will be in the tray a lot this week. It's also on the iPod for listening at work tomorrow.

Tubular Bells 2003 also sounds excellent - a fresh, modern, open, airy and 'bouncy' remake of the original. Have tried to get the DVD-A version in Virgin to try with my Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2, but no luck as yet. Orchestral Tubular Bells is also a nice listen too!

 

I actually like TB2 as well - not heard the '3 version. I've got 1 on both vinyl and 8track cartridge

 

I always found it a major bore, except for the marvellous version of the Sailor's Hornpipe, which concludes it. Thankfully, this was available separately on a CD I found in Munich - this one:

Some good tracks, including the Oldfield version of the Shadows' "Wonderful Land", with which the ABC in Oz used to finish off its daily broadcasts, along with suitable pikkies.

 

I've got the SACD version of Tubular bells - its great!

 

I've got the SQ quadraphonic vinyl version

Bob

 

funnily enough thats the bit i absolutely deplore.. a matter of taste eh

________
Colorado marijuana dispensary

 

I've got Music Wonderland - in fact I have pretty much all of Oldfield's releases on CD. Tubular Bells II is excellent, Tubular Bells III is dissapointing - it just doesn't seem to have a sense of direction or common theme. I just couldn't get into that one. The Millenium Bell doesn't really follow a common theme as such, but does have quite a few highlights.

 

I still like TB and find it's a good audition cd too - maybe because it's so familiar that I am very sensitive to hearing differences or new information on it.

Ommadawn is also really excellent. Mike Oldfield apparently used to suffer from really severe shyness and went thru some psychological treatment after, I think, the time of Incantations, which transformed his personality but also seemed to mess up his music - his work after that time has been much more commercial and for me lacks the spirit of the early stuff.

 

Indeed!

 

Agree about Ommadawn - a brilliant album. The Fureys (Irish folk band) also did a cover of part of it called Amadan. It's very difficult to find - I *hopefully* still have the MP3 around somewhere, as it was impossible to get the CD of and the MP3 took some finding! Hergest Ridge isn't bad either - more mellow and quiet. He certainly did go through some treatment during the recording of Incantations - can't remember what it was exactly, but I recall reading it sometime ago.

Incantations is an excellent album as well and as you say, his music changed considerably afterwards. Two other albums worth checking out that weren't commercial and more experimental are Amarok and Heavens Open (although a lot of HO does err on the commerical side, 'Music from the Balcony' is excellent - almost like a follow up to Amarok. Amarok was actually intended to not be 'commercial' as Mike Oldfield purposely made it difficult for Virgin to market (for some reason, he had a thing against Branson). In fact, if you listen to the bit of Morse Code in Amarok, it actually translates to 'F--- You R B'.

 

Ommadawn is class, I've got this and also Hergest Ridge (?) which completes the trilogy as far as I recall...

 

Had a good listen to Hergest Ridge, followed by Ommadawn, followed by Incantations on the iPod this afternoon. If you like Ommadawn, I highly recommend Incantations.