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Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: April 04 2003, 03:39 I'm listening to Tubular Bells right now, for the first time in ages, and I think that now I've finally realized why I find this album so odd. What I used to think about it is that it is 'very good for a debut album but inferior to his later (epic) works'. But now I feel that it isn't really inferior, it's just very very different. This is of course the same Mike who did the later albums, but somehow it has a really different feel to it, a kind of  'bathroom' feeling if you know what I mean, whereas Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, and Incantations give me that large outdoors feeling, all sloping landscapes, enchanting woods, and clear blue skies if you know what I mean. Only after Incantations did he return to making 'bathroom' albums - Platinum is a prime example, but it goes for QE2, Five Miles Out, Crises etc. as well. I think he himself said that thing about the bathroom, about how he tried to build a studio that's like a big bathroom for Platinum. Now don't take this bathroom thing too seriously, I'm just using this word to describe in what way I feel TB to be different from his later 'epic' works. The later ones are like real symphonies in a more or less classical sense, while TB is 'just' some weird guy experimenting around with different styles and techniques and patching it all together to make a 'big' work. Not that that is exactly a bad thing, no really. But I get a feeling that if, purely hypothetically, he'd made Platinum right after TB and left out Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn, and Incantations, my perception of his work would be very, very different. He'd still be one of my favourites for sure, but I'm not entirely sure if he would have made the same, almost immeasurable (sorry if this sounds pathetic) impact on my life that he did as it is. So what do you think of this? Am I just talking rubbish, or is there something to it? Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: April 28 2003, 10:28 Maybe I don't know *exactly* what you mean, but TB definitely has a different flavour. I think it's a very... teenager album. It's angsty. it's aggressive, it's reckless and it's noisy. His later albums are more relaxed, more "mystical". But TB is very urban and concrete. You know, it's clearly an album filled with emotion, and not very good ones. I can feel these differences very clearly even between TBI and II. Don't know about the bathroom thing, but that's probably because of the "urban" feeling I'm talking about. There's a lot of energy and tension. Yet, some moments are simply divine, like the first 10 minutes or so from Part II. That organ solo is one of the most beautiful moments of music I have ever heard. -------------- 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

tubularbills Group: Members Posts: 528 Joined: Aug. 2000 Posted: April 29 2003, 16:59 "Urban & Concrete" is a very good description of Tubular Bells. not just the sound, but the structure too. It's not very "flowly" like other epic albums. themes and variations often change kind of quick. and the actual bells in the album don't seem to echo like they do in TB3. kind of like they're just in a basement, not outdoors. Hopefully they'll sound better in the 2003 version! -------------- Terrible, Wonderful, Crazy, Perfect. Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: April 30 2003, 05:00 I also realized now that there was in fact a large span of time between the composition of Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge. Sure, HR hit the shops only about one year after TB, but he did compose TB years before its release. I mean he first wrote it, than recorded the demo under less than favourable circumstances, then carried it around for a year or more before anyone would finally take it, then recorded the whole thing again, and then probably had to wait another few months for its release, then he did the concert, moved to his new house, and I guess that only then he really sat down and began to put together HR. Plus of course, his personal circumstances had undergone a complete change, from stealing potatoes in London to living in a mansion in the Welsh hills; so it's probably no wonder that HR sounds different after all. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: May 06 2003, 17:20 Everyone will appreciate TB in different way's, for some ( predominantly newer and younger fans) it sounds old fashioned, ropey and imperfect whilst for others its elegant, powefull and bathed in a timeless quality that even Ommadawn can't match. Its strange when I hear fans associating the words 'urban' and 'concrete' with it. For me I really can't imagine two less apt words to describe it, but it's interesting to hear how different people percieve it. The reason the great trilogy ( TB, HR, Ommadawn) fit so well together is that they are quite difinately out of the same musical stable in every concievable way. They all have this lovely timeless pastorial atmosphere whilst at the same time taking in a kind of A to Z of human emotions, and whats more all of this is done with such an amazing mix of instruments. No one as in NO ONE has made such a harmonious mix of acoustic and electro-acoustic instumentation as Mike did on TB, HR and Ommadawn thats where his genius is. Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: May 07 2003, 09:44 That's something good music is about, it means different things to different people. At least, Part 1 has this "urban" feeling very intensely, where it seems Mike is trying to be bigger than the world and running in all directions. TB is a very "teenager" album. It's angty, aggressive, reckless and yet, disturbingly naive. I notice this very much when I listened to TBII, that sounds really like an "adult" TB. -------------- 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: July 04 2003, 08:24 For me, its rather strange listening to Tubular Bells. I don't think its at all unprofessional or amateur, but, to my ears at least, it does sound rather different. It's not just the slightly eerie atmosphere, but the guitar and organ sounds that never again appear in Mike's music. There's the harsh Telecaster solo of the 'Fast Guitars' bit, the booming organ directly afterwards, the steel acoustic guitar in 'Latin'. These are all great sounds, but they are so different from the sounds that would appear later in Mike's other long works. The slightly agressive atmosphere is also unusual, and prehaps means that I can't really get 'into' Tubular Bells as much as some other works, so it won't be my favourite album. Part Two of the album is also rather unusual by Mike's standards. It has the droning bagpipe section, which is echoed by the Thunderstorm in Hergest Ridge, but I just can't stand that drone. The Piltdown Man is also completely unexpected and irregular. To me, while it does have some great upbeat music, it just stands out like a sore thumb. I suppose part of this is because I'm not thrilled with his first long instrumental albums. I don't consider Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn his 'great trilogy' at all, I just find them good albums with some really good parts in them. I suppose I'm a guitar freak, I love listening to guitar, and these albums don't exactly have amazing guitar parts in them, certainly not to the extent of Incantations parts 3 and 4. Personaly, I consider Mike's 'great trilogy' to be Five Miles Out, Crises and Discovery, probably because they have the long instrumentals, more guitar oriented, but broken up with songs on the other side. But back to Tubular Bells. I certainly don't think it's a bad album, not by any means. I just think it's an unusual album. It's certainly unlike anything I had heard before. -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: July 05 2003, 01:00 Having just finished listening to Tubular Bells again, I think I know why I find it so different. It's the emptyness of it in places. OK, so its not exacely ambient music, but while some of the main tunes are going on, there is very little backing music. I refer especially to the intro bassline for the finale, and the guitar piece before the Sailors Hornpipe. While these are both great tunes, there is very little going on underneath like there is on Mike's other works. I think that's it. -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: June 07 2004, 10:18 Quote (Sir Mustapha @ April 28 2003, 10:28) some moments are simply divine, like the first 10 minutes or so from Part II. That organ solo is one of the most beautiful moments of music I have ever heard. I have it running around my head today on a loop - and it sounds very beautiful indeed. -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

EeToN Group: Members Posts: 845 Joined: Sep. 2001 Posted: June 07 2004, 15:12 Quote (raven4x4x @ July 04 2003, 14:24) There's the harsh Telecaster solo of the 'Fast Guitars' bit, the booming organ directly afterwards, the steel acoustic guitar in 'Latin'. These are all great sounds, but they are so different from the sounds that would appear later in Mike's other long works. The slightly agressive atmosphere is also unusual, and prehaps means that I can't really get 'into' Tubular Bells as much as some other works, so it won't be my favourite album. I agree with you more or less. However, in concerts in 1979-1983 Mike showed how Tubular Bells would sound in his new "style". The original TB is not my favourite but this Taurus- or Crises-like TB is one of my all time favourites! -------------- If I were music, I would be Enigmatism. Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: June 07 2004, 15:25 Heck, the agressive side of Tubular Bells is one of its best aspects. In the way it sums up teenage angst, this is Mike Oldfield's "Quadrophenia". He'd only show glimpses of this "rebellious" attitude later on, like in Crises, but Tubular Bells is angry in an unique way. It's a great album to put on when you're frustrated. It matches with your mood and then lifts you up. -------------- 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

familyjules Group: Members Posts: 1190 Joined: May 2004 Posted: June 08 2004, 05:24 Quote (familyjules @ June 07 2004, 10:18) Quote (Sir Mustapha @ April 28 2003, 10:28) some moments are simply divine, like the first 10 minutes or so from Part II. That organ solo is one of the most beautiful moments of music I have ever heard. I have it running around my head today on a loop - and it sounds very beautiful indeed. I played part two of TB last night and I think the bit that was running around my head yesterday is different to your favourite part, Sir M.  I was thinking of the melody line directly after the harmonics, which come to think of it isn't played on an organ at all, whereas I think I'm correct in thinking your favourite part is *after* that bit, right? Still TB part two does indeed have some wonderful music.  Back in the day I remember everybody used to play part one and maybe the Piltdown Man section of part two and kind of disregard the rest, but I think the opening few minutes of part two is amongst the most beautiful and peaceful examples of Mike's work and gets somewhat unfairly forgotten and put in the shade by the more famous intro and finale of side one. Coming back to the original topic of the thread - I do think that there are parallels between the first few minutes of TB part two and Hergest Ridge.  They seem to share that pastoral glow. Jules -------------- I like beer and I like cheese Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: June 08 2004, 05:58 After becoming more familiar with TB, and it becoming one of my favourite albums, I am still unable to express the general feel of the album, and what makes it so different from Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn etc. My point about the simplicity of it still stands, especially in Part One, but I just get this really different feeling from it, not really an emotion, just a feeling. The best time I ever had listening to this album was when it was raining outside and I was watching the rain hit the window and listening to the sound of the rain like percussion with the music. Prehaps that sums it up in a way. This still doesn't make much sense, but that's what I get from it. I think... -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: June 08 2004, 07:20 Jules - yes, I think you got it. Actually, I love the whole intro of Part 2, from the beginning up to the bagpipe guitars (not that it gets worse from then on, but it becomes radically different), counting the harmonics, the repetitive chord progression, but especially the Farfisa solo, accompanied only by guitar, that culminates in the mandolin. That part, specifically, is my favourite moment in the whole album. -------------- 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

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