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Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Nov. 21 2006, 19:00 From the Amarok Mailing List: Quote Crystal Horizon Public Relations announces the re-publication of "Mike Oldfield: A Man and His Music" by Sean Moraghan     * Long out of print, this seminal biography is available again from amazon.co.uk, priced £10.39     * The book asseses the career and music of Mike Oldfield, concentrating on his earliest music, and finishing at Tubular Bells II Interview: Q: Why make this book available again? S.M.: Well, people were spending silly money on the internet for old second-hand copies. Now print-on-demand technology allows out of print books to be republished, and this one looks pretty handsome... Q: Mike's official biography is due to be published in 2007--- S.M.: And I look forward to reading it. Until then, this book offers an appreciative look at his work while not stinting on critical analysis of his career. Q: Your book finishes with Tubular Bells II. S.M.: Yes it does. I cant say I've been bowled over by the stuff that came out since. Except for the 'Guitars' album. That one has some incredible music on it! Details: Title: Mike Oldfield A Man and His Music Pages: 183 Publisher: Booksurge, North Carolina, USA   www.booksurge.com Price: UK £10.39         USA $15.99 To contact Crystal Horizon Public Relations: crystalhorizon_publicity@yahoo.co.uk To contact Sean Moraghan: earthsoulrocknroll@hotmail.com -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

ImAFoolAndImLaughing Group: Members Posts: 536 Joined: Feb. 2006 Posted: Nov. 21 2006, 19:22 That's good news! and very timely - prevented me paying a stupid amount for the one I'd seen on Ebay!   -------------- "I was in this prematurely air conditioned supermarket and there were these bathing caps you could buy that had these kind of Fourth of July plumes on them that were red and yellow and blue and I wasn't tempted to buy one but I was reminded of the fact that I had been avoiding the beach." Back to top

nushky Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: Nov. 2005 Posted: Nov. 22 2006, 06:20 Thanks, I just ordered a copy ! Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Nov. 22 2006, 16:28 I am very happy to hear this.  Makes a good Christmas present. -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Nov. 22 2006, 17:14 It's a good while since I read it - I must dig out my old copy and see if I still disagree with almost everything he says about what's good and what's bad ..... (At least, that's how I remember it; maybe my memory has inflated the differences! ) Back to top

willy Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: Oct. 2004 Posted: Nov. 23 2006, 10:40 I hope the dozens of typos have been amended. An interesting book though generally a bit harshly critical. Back to top

nushky Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: Nov. 2005 Posted: Dec. 21 2006, 10:43 I just finished it a few days ago, and I must admit that I was a bit surprised (not to say shocked) to read the author dismiss some classics albums (QE2, Five Miles out, Crises) as not inspired and lacking melodies, and being crap ..... Obviously I don't think the same about these and I suspect the author to be unhonestly biaised. This is not what i was expected from such a book : to tell people what is bad and what is wrong in sometimes harsh terms. I don't understand the motives to write a book about someone and describe his achievements as negative in nearly half the pages. Nevertheless I suppose it is still an interesting source of information (alhough not error free : the guitar L5 is mentionned during the incantation/platinum, it is obviously the L6S that should fit in the text) Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Dec. 21 2006, 11:20 Quote (nushky @ Dec. 21 2006, 15:43) I don't understand the motives to write a book about someone and describe his achievements as negative in nearly half the pages. My thoughts about the book exactly! Back to top

glasgow_tubular Group: Members Posts: 215 Joined: July 2006 Posted: Dec. 22 2006, 06:18 amazon book Is this book worth buying? its not got an image so not sure. Has Anyone read it? -------------- www.myspace.com/allaroundmyhat Back to top

Plus..Tubular Bells! Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: Sep. 2006 Posted: Dec. 22 2006, 07:07 I've used this book as a reference, especially for my notes for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.  I treat it like Wikipedia - not a bad place to start, but not a great reference.  The material is highly derivative from other sources and not well written, but on the other hand is a good single reference if you are looking for a particular detail. Overall, a good read, but not a great read.  It's a good resource in my collection but it points me to other resources (such as Karl Dallas's interviews) rather than being a good source in itself. Should you buy it?  If you appreciate Mike's music - yes.  If you are trying to convince someone else of the merit of his music, this is not the best place to start (lend them Ommadawn instead). I hope that's helpful. Back to top

glasgow_tubular Group: Members Posts: 215 Joined: July 2006 Posted: Dec. 22 2006, 07:09 cool thanks. yeah its for myself, just to read for interest really. Might get it then aye thanks -------------- www.myspace.com/allaroundmyhat Back to top

Thea Cochrane Group: Musicians Posts: 445 Joined: Nov. 1999 Posted: April 04 2007, 16:51 I bought this book a few years ago (not for silly money, it was in a regular book shop at the time) and it was probably a mistake to read it whilst I was still buying the albums because it made me start with low expectations. I suppose an album singing the praises of every single album would be of limited use as well but... well let's just say that the authors opinions don't match mine and may not match yours. Back to top

manintherain Group: Members. Posts: 546 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: April 05 2007, 04:34 Quote (Mat Cochrane @ April 04 2007, 22:51) ... well let's just say that the authors opinions don't match mine and may not match yours. As far as I remember the book is a compilation of a huge pile of articles and interviews written by lots of authors. Therefore I wouldn´t say the book does reflect Sean Moraghans opinion. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: April 05 2007, 09:03 The chapter which talks Ommadawn was a bit scary to me,and I didn't know Mike was afraid of himself while recording his masterpiece   -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: April 05 2007, 16:26 Quote (manintherain @ April 05 2007, 09:34) Therefore I wouldn´t say the book does reflect Sean Moraghans opinion. It certainly does. He doesn't hesitate to express his personal opinion about pretty well every piece of work - which he's perfectly entitled to do, of course. But for me, he fails too often to see the strengths in the music he dismisses. Back to top

Navaira Group: Members Posts: 481 Joined: Jan. 2005 Posted: April 06 2007, 12:32 Well if the only post-TB2 album he liked was Guitars, I don't have any reasons to get the book -- I believe it's the worst Mike Oldfield album ever... -------------- http://www.raygrant.com :: My album 'Exorcism' is out on iTunes now Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: April 06 2007, 17:55 Quote (Navaira @ April 06 2007, 12:32) Well if the only post-TB2 album he liked was Guitars, I don't have any reasons to get the book -- I believe it's the worst Mike Oldfield album ever... Quote Well if the only post-TB2 album he liked was Guitars, I don't have any reasons to get the book -- I believe it's the worst Mike Oldfield album ever... You should get it if you haven't read it. I think every fan should read it if they want to seriously know the man behind the music. I agree with Alan I think there are huge swathes of highly subjective opinions regarding the individual albums I don't agree with but the general premise of the book - that Mike going through very full on, controversial and some say dubious psychological reprogramming in the late 70's prior to Platinum completely altered and reshaped the atmosphere, emotional depth and arguably the general quality of pretty much all his music after that. The book makes a lot of valid points and is well worth reading. I wouldn't worry to much about whether or not your opinions of individual albums is going to be changed any, but its definitely interesting reading about what was going on behind the scenes during the various chapters in Mike's troubled and highly erratic career. I'm really looking forward to reading Mike's own personal version of events when his book comes out in May - its been a long time coming. Back to top

Marky Group: Members Posts: 390 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: April 07 2007, 03:03 I reviewed this book, somewhat unconventionally, in Dark Star, shortly after publication. The review is available on my web space (http://markcslattery.spaces.live.com/) and the author wasn't immensely happy because he wrote to Dark Star and they printed his response in the following edition. I hope the proofing of this edition has been revised..... You can find the review (A Man and His Pencil) on the Oldfield section and I think it can be seen on the front page too if one scrolls down. I don't mind strong opinions even if they are contrary, but I do expect him to explain or justify his opinions, and this is why I find some of Moraghan's views harsh. Some of his views are no more than stuff you'd hear or say down the boozer. A bit of a shame. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: April 07 2007, 04:16 Toby's right of course - if you want to know more about the man, you should definitely read the book. (It's pretty much all there is that's available anyway.). But I think it does have serious flaws in the judgements it makes; and all those typos that Marky noted do surely suggest something about the care with which it was written. Back to top

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