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Wanderer Group: Members Posts: 119 Joined: Aug. 2002 Posted: Oct. 20 2003, 07:13 I have a question for the forum: "Is it better to aim high and fail, or to aim low and succeed?" I was looking over some old posts in the forum comparing reactions to different albums in Mike's discography. It struck me that "Heaven's Open" is a generally better regarded album than "Voyager". It also struck me that the most common complaint about Mike's most recent output is that it lacks ambition, that Mike is treading water by dabbling in concepts and techniques that are somehow "beneath him". Albums like "Voyager", "QE2" and "Guitars" are not among the most highly regarded music in Mike's canon, though they rarely get trumpeted as his worst ever either - languishing on the level of mediocrity. Why is this? Judging from what I've read on the forum archives and other forums on the net the logic goes like this.... ...they are simple, short, accessible instrumental pieces - they follow a very traditionalist musical structure and are really quite conventional genre exercises. And although they work fine within the confines of the genre, they are too "safe", "mainstream" and "commercial" for some fans - who point out that flops such as "Amarok" and "Heaven's Open" may have had their aesthetic shortcomings, but at least they dared to fly in the face of convention and do something new. Personally, if I was faced with the choice I would rather listen to a conventional, mainstream album which is done well ("Voyager", "QE2") than an experimental exercise done poorly ("Heaven's Open", "The Orchestral Tubular Bells"). A far far better thing of course to listen to a piece of music blessed with originality and quality ("Amarok").... Still, aiming high and failing ("The Millennium Bell") is certainly better than aiming low and still failing (half the pop and so-called R&B on the charts today). Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Oct. 20 2003, 07:35 I think it's generally not a good exercise to "aim" when making music. When I listen to Amarok, I get the feeling that Mike just did "something", and ended up with a masterpiece. I don't think that, since the beginning, he planned a complex 60-minute instrumental covering various moods, genres and techniques, etc etc. I think it's kind of a mistake to either let ambitions overtake you and try to do something supreme (the aforementioned Millenium Bell), or just stop giving a damn about it and go around doing things you can do in your sleep (Five Miles Out). If you just to something you feel *inspired* to do, most certainly, it will turn out well, no matter what it is - pop, progressive rock or avant-garde. At least, that's my personal experience. But I prefer an ambitious thing done poorly, too. At the very least, it can be vaguely interesting. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: Nov. 03 2003, 07:35 I believe that any musical style or genre, be it rock, rap, country, pop, orchestral, blues or anything else, can sound great if you have talent and a good idea. No musical style is 'beneath' anybody if they do it well. That's why I like artists such as Harry Chapin: anyone can write and play a song, but not just anyone can do it well. About aiming high or low, I agree with Sir Mustapha that it is better to just let your inspiration take you than aim for a specific ambition. If you try to do something grand and you don't have the inspiration, it will end up like Millennium Bell, OK in places but far below what you aimed for. On the other hand, the reverse is also true. A collection of short, simple songs can be great if you have that inspiration, I'm thinking of the early acoustic Bob Dylan albums especially. There is nothing especially fabulous about a man and a guitar, but he turns it into something more. -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Nov. 03 2003, 07:51 When you're creating music,first of all,you need to "flow like a river" all your musical thoughts,not to force anytime to create something that would be "the masterpiece". I see Heaven's Open as Mike being other person really,being Michael Oldfield(see the cover!. Voyager,as well as EM,both albums were not Mike really wanted to do,it was the record company's suggestion to do it so. Sometimes I have a feeling that Mike's fans are always looking for great albums like on the early days,TSODE as well as Amarok on each new release from him. Come on,Mike is a human being,not a god,he has his good moments as well as the bad ones,and we have to understand it...but another question on: if each album that Mike had released was much like TB,HR,Ommadawn,Incantations,Amarok or TSODE,would you have enjoyed,even repeating the formula? For me,I like diversity whitout loosing his distinctive style.Always making something different.I have the feeling that even when Mike's not on his best,he made music that,for me,was much better than the current scene.His music is different from the average,even with the pop tunes from EM. My pennies on. -------------- "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

bugular tell Group: Members Posts: 482 Joined: Mar. 2003 Posted: Nov. 03 2003, 17:09 with an album like TMB it was a good idea but somehow the music didnt join together, and as MO fans we generaly expect that, heavens open, ok so the songs were ok, but MFTB was really quite good, all be it for the rather annoying "jazz" bits, Amarok for me was a huge let down, i see that its a wonderfuly constructed peice of music but again it doesn't fit together well in my opinion, i have tried many times to get into it but i can't, maybe i have to listen to it on a whim! TSODE is a fantastic album and creates the mood of relaxation and calm just as i think the heavens would, so for me this works, Voyager , if mike was pressured to make it, works well also, i can feel what the music is trying to convey, open countryside, misty mountains, galic way of life etc...., and while i do not dislike anything mike has done there are certain albums that i feel could have been done better, but then maybe im one of those cloth eared nincompoops, hehehe i think that Mike aims high at the start of all of his projects but then loses something on the way through them, his earlier albums were a lot less pressurised in the way that he was full of ideas and emotions to fuel them, it seems that in the later part of his career, he has had ups and downs, maybe if the record companies left him to create with the feeling and emotion that once infused his music the results would be a lot more pleasing, and a little more promotion(for a NON TB album) would be a wise move! I have taken enough of ur time thanks for reading!   Bugular Tell -------------- Light travels faster than sound, thats why some people appear bright until you hear them speak Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Nov. 05 2003, 13:27 Quote (bugular tell @ Nov. 03 2003, 18:09) with an album like TMB it was a good idea but somehow the music didnt join together... I do have the same opinion about it. Nice idea,but the result...   -------------- "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

DanishDonJuan Group: Members Posts: 137 Joined: Sep. 2003 Posted: Nov. 07 2003, 04:50 In general I would say that it is better to aim high & fail, since you can fully control your ambition & hopes, but not necesarily the outcome. In music I agree with Sir Mustapha & Tati in letting the music flow & not adding pressure on yourself to make something great. I think pressure tend to limit creativity. I do not agree however that albums such as MTB or Amarok was flops. I enjoyed them & they were both original, even if they lacked commercial success. If Mike aspired for commercial success he would not be Mike & would loose all that I love about what he does. Money isn't everything, enjoying what you do & doing your best I think is far more important. I think Mike has managed to both enjoy himself, trying hard & still have some success & a lot of money too. To me that is a success story. I like what Tati wrote on not expecting Mike to make a TB album everytime. She made a great point, a repeat of the TB/Amarok formula would decrease the originality of the albums & so would loose its exitement eventually. Pizza & Pie may be nice, but I prefer variations & applaud Mike's courage to try something new, even if it "fails". -------------- If every road we traveled were the easy, we would be weak, and would eventually think every road difficult. If every road we traveled tough, we would be strong and eventually think no road to be difficult. Its the tough road that leads to happiness. A smooth sea never made a great sailor. Back to top

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