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Berdi Group: Members Posts: 3 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 14:56 Hey, Ive just recently bought The complete Tubular bells collection (TB 2003, TBII, TBIII) and have been literally blown away by it. I would like to get more of Mike's work, and I was wondering if you had any recommendations of what to get next. Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 15:00 Amarok is widely accepted as the ultimate by fans, but that may be jumping in at the deep end, try Ommadawn, Crises, The songs of distant earth and then come back for more recommendations!     See below for other people's recommendations   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Sonilink Group: Members Posts: 393 Joined: Jan. 2005 Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 15:29 If like instrumantal stuff get Amarok or Ommadawn, platinum, Tr3s lunas, Light+Sade If you lke vocal stuff try Crisis, Discovery, Island,Earth Moving, or Heaven's open (thats a good one) -------------- Take the Time Back to top

The Big BellEnd Group: Members Posts: 971 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 17:28 Amarok is is widely discribed as the ultimate by Amarok fan's. -------------- I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY. Back to top

moonchildhippy Group: Members Posts: 1807 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 18:13 Hi Berdi,   Welcome to TubularBoard.  I don't know if you prefer vocal or instrumental tracks, but Five Miles Out has both, check out Taurus II or Orabidoo.  Voyager is more "Celtic", "Wild Goose Flaps It's  Wings" and the brilliant Mont St Michel. TSODE has to be my favourite 90's album after TB3. Mike's latest offering of Light and Shade, is his best IMHO since TB3, but I love Mike's first four albums Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge,Ommadawn and Incantations.  TB is  IMHO better than the 2003 version, TB 2003 doesn't move me as much as the original, (must be a sign of old age , or could it be TB was a part of my youth), As a kid in the 70's the cover of TB was (and still is) very iconic. HR was inspired by the Herefordshire countryside, Mike would often walk on Hergest Ridge, and would be able to see The Ridge from The Beacon his one time home on nearby Bradnor Hill.  Ommadawn is also a favourite, especially amongst fans. Ommadawn is my own personal favourite, check out the climatic guitar finale to Part 1,makes me feel so alive  .  I can find my emotions can alter so many times with Ommadawn, I can feel frustration, sometimes sadness, and Ommadawn can make me cry, but it can make me feel so happy, energised,  "On Horseback" makes me want to smile, an album with a happy ending     . Re Amarok, Iwouldn't buy it, yet anyway, it isn't one for the uninitiated.  The first time I played it, it was "WTF have I got   here"?   .  Apparently my love of Mike's music would drive my husband nuts.  It's  only in the last few weeks I've had opportunity to play Amarok, maybe it might grow on me with more playings. -------------- 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!! Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Nov. 25 2005, 21:44 Indeed, welcome to the Board, Berdi! As others have said, I'd recommend Ommadawn, Incantations, The Songs of Distant Earth, Amarok, and Five Miles Out--IMHO2 they are great instrumental albums if that is your cup of tea; FMO is a good seguey into some of the vocal stuff, though it's primarily instrumental. In the next series of purchases, you might try QE2, Platinum, Crises, and Voyager. For vocal-oriented albums, perhaps Discovery, which also includes a sweet instrumental piece at the very end, "The Lake." You might also try his brand new one--many of us actually like it. Get everything else, eventually. I find it pretty challenging to predict who will like what when it comes down to it. You might try reading through some of the notes in Richard Carter's discography (see the main page of tubular.net and click on "Discography" in the side bar to get to them--look to the right after clicking) to get a sense of the albums for yourself--not only for other musicians involved or the instruments, but for other information that might capture your imagination. -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 04:30 I feel a need to add a word of warning here. If I'd been in your position, having enjoyed the 'bells' albums, and the next album I'd bought had been Amarok, I probably would never have bought another Oldfield album. It is, shall we say, musically 'extreme'. I'd recommend leaving Amarok till later. Once you know Ommadawn, Hergest Ridge, Songs of Distant Earth, then if Amarok has the negative effect on you that it has on some of us, it won't matter so much. And if it turns out to be just what you want, then what a pleasant surprise you'll get. Back to top

DarkFeline Group: Members Posts: 144 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 06:45 Definitely The Songs of Distant Earth!!! -------------- Who's your mummy, where she go? Back to top

oney Group: Members Posts: 30 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 11:15 like others i woul go for "Amarok" but, if you want a couple of songs as well as a briliant instrument track go for "discovery" good to see you here and hope that you continue deeper into the world of "light and shade" which is mikes great music, lots of darkness which makes you love the light all the more when mike shines it on us Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 11:46 Quote (Alan D @ Nov. 26 2005, 03:30) I feel a need to add a word of warning here. If I'd been in your position, having enjoyed the 'bells' albums, and the next album I'd bought had been Amarok, I probably would never have bought another Oldfield album. It is, shall we say, musically 'extreme'. Again, I find it incredibly hard to predict who will like what, and that's why I suggested reading about the albums. You can spend lots of time reading comments on the various album-specific forums, or in the "this is my favorite because topics" but when it comes down to it, you're the only one who knows, Berdi. My first album was Incantations and the second one Tubular Bells. If that second album had been Earth Moving or Heaven's Open, I'd have freaked out, become disenchanted and possibly never have bought another MO album! OK....maybe not HO--at least it contains "Music from the Balcony." Other people love those works. I would have been ready for Amarok as the second album, but I was warned, as are you. I had been told by the guy who sent it to me (we did an exchange--I got the better part of the deal, methinks! ) that it was magickal, mystical, mysterious, funny, "out there" (well..."out  there" wasn't the exact phrase--but I was warned that it wasn't your typical album! ), so I was prepared. I knew that an entire MO mailing list shared the Amarok name, so it must be sort of special. If I had purchased it at the same time as the other four that I mentioned, I have no idea what I'd have played next--maybe I'd have placed their names in a hat and drawn out one name after the other. Having said that, in the mid-80's I ordered a ton of MO vinyl imports and I have no idea how I decided what to play first among that group. Wish I had payed more attention to such processes (kinda like the hat idea! ). As has been said fairly often, Mike's works are so varied that there is something among them for everyone, and we gravitate to various works for many different reasons. You might even find yourself liking his other more recent works. In any case, you are about to embark on quite a fun musical adventure! Enjoy! -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

Sonilink Group: Members Posts: 393 Joined: Jan. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 14:57 I don't think it's a good a thing to begin with amarok, I mean after evrything you will listen will seem not as good -------------- Take the Time Back to top

Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Group: Members Posts: 1548 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 15:10 Yeah, I agree, but you might as well start with any album you can find, even Earth Moving... I remember first hearing that when I was 13 and thinking: Wow, this is great   I'm not joking... right from the beginning I loved it, so I don't think there are too many do's and dont's   -------------- "And now we're going to play Platinum!" Back to top

The Man who is He.. Group: Members Posts: 75 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 15:30 The best thing about Mike, is that even his poorer albums still have that special something. But you got good advice here, listen to the bells albums again, and decide (or try to) what style you like the best. The medi evil parts rolling around like celtic fog, the bluesie type parts, or the Techno style of TB3??? So much in those albums, isn't there? Back to top

The Man who is He.. Group: Members Posts: 75 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 15:34 ............And hey, if you're like me you'll spend ages deciding what CD to put in the player, and in a few years time (when you have more Mike CD's) you'll decide to listen to some Mike Oldfield. You will then spend equally as long trying to decide which Mike CD to play... Back to top

Sonilink Group: Members Posts: 393 Joined: Jan. 2005 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 15:57 Quote (Piltdownboy on horseback 22 @ Nov. 26 2005, 21:10) Yeah, I agree, but you might as well start with any album you can find, even Earth Moving... I remember first hearing that when I was 13 and thinking: Wow, this is great   I'm not joking... right from the beginning I loved it, so I don't think there are too many do's and dont's   Wow it must be weird to hear that, as first oldfield, you must have benn thinking "Why does he make instrumantal stuff it's so weird"   -------------- Take the Time Back to top

moonchildhippy Group: Members Posts: 1807 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: Nov. 26 2005, 18:22 I was in Waterstones (UK Book chain) earlier on today, I happened to look through this book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.  I agree with some of the selections in there, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera - by Queen, Led Zeppelin  and Led Zeppelin II,  Let It Bleed and Exile on Main St- the Rolling Stones.  When it came to listing Mike Oldfield, guess which album was listed, Tubular Bells, yes as much as I love TB, why do most people seem to think Mike only makes albums with Tubular Bells somewhwere in the title   . I feel there's been a grave omission, as Ommadawn isn't included too.       Ommadawn is IMHO Mike's finest work . I do get fed up when I hear people say that Tubular Bells is the only decent album Mikes ever made. TB was my introduction to Mike's music, unless you count hearing Portsmouth and In Dulci Jubilo, as I remembered them from being a (hippy) child of the 70's, but I didn't know they were by Mike at the time     . -------------- 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!! Back to top

Deadcalm Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 752 Joined: Nov. 2004 Posted: Nov. 27 2005, 09:17 The Thing about Mikey Albums is u cannt just do a Quick Listen and Like or Dismiss ... Even the Pop Period Albums still have lots of interesting Sections in them... Its hard to recommend any in order bar the "Obvious"   Personally I bought them in Order of release and I still think thats a good Policy as you can see how things developed so to Speak ... You Lucky Guy !! lol lots of goodies waiting for u !! Back to top

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