Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

Pages: (2) < [1] 2 >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Topic: Interpretation of Amarok fairy tale, (My own one...)< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 09 2009, 09:42

@ admins: sorry if this has already been done. If it was, you may merge this into another topic.

Here's my interpretation of the various elements in the Amarok 'fairy tale' as written by William Murray in the booklet.

- The two men are Mike Oldfield and William Murray. I'm not labelling them as 'the optimist' and 'the pessimist' because the tale itself doesn't, but I think that Mike is the one who describes what the statue does, and William is the one who doesn't hear anything at the end.

- Their journey to find the statue is the process of recording the Amarok album.

- The statue is the album itself. Most of the things it does, according to the man who describes it, are actually featured in the album. It is not a statue but it is not a man either, because the music on the album is not a tangible entity, although it was created by a man.

All comments are welcome! :)


--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Caveman Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 2178
Joined: Jan. 2008
Posted: Feb. 10 2009, 07:55

Could be right.I haven't read it for a while though.Did give it a lot of thought as a kid when the cd first came out.It seems to have so many contradictions though,just like the album.From memory there's a line about the place could have been Africa or Ireland or anywhere else.The music does have elements of both countries in it and a ton more so it could well be that William was thinking about or listening to the album as he wrote it.Sadly we will never know what William was thinking when he wrote it as he passed away a few years back.I do think it's probably just a stream of conciousnes thing that people have always written.Lennon was a good example as was Kevin Ayres.
But after all "it's only a fairytale innit" :laugh:


--------------
THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 10 2009, 08:48

@ Caveman: sure it's only a fairytale, everyone knows that. :D However, I don't think it's a stream of consciousness and I also don't think it's a Lennonesque nonsense tale; I think it was very carefully planned and written, and maybe Mr. Murray rewrote it several times. I agree with you that he must've written it while listening to the album, because, as I said, some of what he wrote does actually mirror the album. The mention of Africa and Ireland (of all places) in the first line is certainly not accidental, because the album does definitely contain Irish and African music (although it also alludes to blues, country and other typical American styles). So, in a nutshell, I think that the story and the album complement each other, and it was a real shame for it to be omitted from the remaster.

--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Caveman Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 2178
Joined: Jan. 2008
Posted: Feb. 10 2009, 10:18

Absolutely agree with you on that.I kept the booklet from my original copy which broke and kept it in the case with the re-master.The original was so much better.
 Regarding the fairytale you've really got me thinking about this.I must re-read it tonight.Certainly the story reflects a great many things within the music and the more i think about it the more paralells i find.I'm going to have a listen to it tonight (it's on my Ipod as well which is never far away from me)and read the fairytale.
Really good topic man!


--------------
THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 10 2009, 18:50

I'm glad that you like the topic, and I'm glad about your reaction to it. ;) I need to re-read the story as well, everything I wrote above is just from memory [check out my signature.... :D]. If I can find any more details connecting the story and the album, I shall post them here. Right now, however, off the top of my head I can remember the Amarok Player (a cute little app for playing CDs, especially Mike's, starting from a particular point - identified by a section of music or even a line of lyrics... it's still floating around the WWW somewhere...) attributing titles to the individual sections of Amarok, titles which were different from Mike's official (?) ones. Some of those titles were taken straight off lines from the story and the music, in those sections, mirrored perfectly what the lines said. This is why I think that the story is closely connected to the album. I shall write more about this when I come back home and get to read the story again, as well as my translated version - I don't have neither of them here on my laptop, and I don't have the album with me... I didn't bring it on purpose, because where I am right now I'm quite busy, and I rarely get a full hour of free time to play it... :D

--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4770
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Feb. 10 2009, 18:58

My Amarok booklet has no such text... Is this something restricted to earlier editions? Could someone either post the tale or a link to it. (I note a reference to statues; certainly MO has a thing about them in, eg, Maestro.)
Back to top
Profile PM 
Harmono Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 759
Joined: May 2005
Posted: Feb. 10 2009, 20:28

Nightspore, here's the story. Wasn't very hard to find. ;)
Back to top
Profile PM 
Matt Offline




Group: Admins
Posts: 1186
Joined: Nov. 2002
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 04:48

hmmm, I always thought it was just a bit of fun but re-reading it now I wonder about one aspect of the story:

The men go in search of the beautiful statue could be taken to mean Mikes progression and search through musical styles and technology to create better and better music.

Not getting any closer as they walk could mean Mike thinking his changes in musical direction and use of technology over the years weren't getting him any closer to better music.

Walking backwards - going back to his roots and using less technology on Amarok (not much synth at all really). Better music was actually where he started out!

OK, maybe it's better just not to try and read too much into these things ;)


--------------
"I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels"
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Caveman Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 2178
Joined: Jan. 2008
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 05:32

@Nightspore.That was what i meant about the remaster being pants.The orginal booklet was really well laid out.If you can find a secondhand version of the original i'd recommend it just for the booklet.
 I'm sure there is a hidden meaning to the fairytale.When i've got some time i'm going to sit down and ponder this.hang on.....when do i ever get time?!?!Time to go live in a cave somewhere cos i NEVER seem to have time to ponder anything at the moment.Modern life.....a pain in the butt!!!


--------------
THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4770
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 06:09

Quote (Harmono @ Feb. 10 2009, 20:28)
Nightspore, here's the story. Wasn't very hard to find. ;)

I stand duly reprimanded, Harmono. No doubt you will swat me with your red-hot pepper!
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4770
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 06:17

Quote (The Caveman @ Feb. 11 2009, 05:32)
@Nightspore.That was what i meant about the remaster being pants.The orginal booklet was really well laid out.If you can find a secondhand version of the original i'd recommend it just for the booklet.
 I'm sure there is a hidden meaning to the fairytale.When i've got some time i'm going to sit down and ponder this.hang on.....when do i ever get time?!?!Time to go live in a cave somewhere cos i NEVER seem to have time to ponder anything at the moment.Modern life.....a pain in the butt!!!

I've read the fairy tale now (thanks, Harmono), and I think it's simply taking a swipe at those who seek to find arcane meanings in Mike's work. The final "cloth ears" remark is picaresque, Bakhtin-like, in its carnivalesque pulling-the-rug-from-under-the-feet of those who would look for that sort of thing. In a nutshell, MO is saying "Look, try to find meanings if you want, but in the end the music is just to be enjoyed".
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Caveman Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 2178
Joined: Jan. 2008
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 07:38

You're probably right.However when it was released Mike himself put up £1000 of his own money as a prize if you could solve the 'riddle'.Turns out (and i only found out from someone on here)that the answer was the morse code bit that spells out "F**k Off RB" meaning Branson).Maybe the fairytale was put in there to try and confuse people or to throw them off the scent.Shame William Murray has passed away cos if there is a meaning (aside from the references to the music which are really quite blatant)only he'd know.

--------------
THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 10:04

OK, now that, thanks to Harmono, I do have the story handy, I can better state my points by using quotes...

A long time ago, in a place which may have been Ireland (but could just as easily have been Africa or Madagascar)...

I think I have already explained this. Ireland is chosen because it is the land of myths, like this tale, and folklore, because the album features lots of folk (or folky) music. Africa [Madagascar is, of course, part of Africa! :D] is chosen because of the album's finale.

But it was also said that it produced a noise, a sound, or several sounds from time to time.

Other than the album Amarok, the statue may represent music in general. It produces both noise and sounds because music can actually be made with noise as well as with sounds.

"Do you feel exhausted as I do?" said the first man.
"I've felt better," said the other "but we much achieve our aim."


The recording of Amarok may well have been exhausting for Mike, given all the anger that he's poured into it. This is maybe the only instance in the story where both men represent aspects of Mike.

About walking back to get to their goal, I agree with Matt above. Very good! :)

It was as if a great rock had been hurled from the heavens.

Maybe the statue in the tale was an otherwordly creation [after all, many people say that beautiful music sometimes feels otherwordly], which came to earth as a meteorite which broke when it fell, and the statue was within it. After all, "Amarok" may well mean "I'm a rock".

It roars like a baboon

There are many points in the album where the guitars actually roar.

murmurs like a child

After TV-AM, at 39:17, there's a very nice "murmuring" acoustic guitar section.

rustles like water in a glass

This may refer to the Hoover section, starting from 16:11.

sings like a lover

All the sections where Mike uses the so-called "screaming guitar" à la Brian May can be defined as passionately singing. A good example is at 43:50.

and laments like a priest.

The "Rachmaninoff" melody sounds to me very like a lament, in all statements of it. Maybe it's only my impression.

Imagine a creature with a melody for a voice.

This is what, I think, positively identifies the statue as a symbol of music. The descriptions above identify it as a symbol of the Amarok album.

They fell quiet. a long time passed.

The very first time I read the story, I had no idea what this may have meant. But, considering that the album was meant to last one hour, "a long time" may well be one hour. They are listening to what the statue is producing - i.e. the album.

"Doesn't look like we're going to hear it, does it?"
"I have heard it."
His friend looked at him sharply. "But there was no sound. None. What are you talking about?"


This may have various meanings. To me, the most obvious ones are these: (A) Mike could hear the whole album in his head before recording it, while his friend, i.e. William Murray, obviously couldn't; (B) William actually heard the album, but it sounded too disjointed or too weird to him... it didn't sound musically sensible, it made no sense as a piece of music... while, to Mike, it all made perfect sense. That's why Mike says that he's heard it, and William says that there was no sound, i.e. no music.

"Cheer up, cloth-ears," he said, "it's only a fairytale, innit?"

The last line, I think, refers to the readers - we shouldn't look too deep into what we've just finished reading. Which, by the way, is the contrary of what I'm doing right now. :D However, I should also underline the occurence of "cloth-ears" here and of "cloth-eared nincompoops" in the Health Warning. It's hard to tell which came before (the Health Warning or the story?) and maybe it's also hard to tell who actually wrote the Health Warning (Mike or William?). The fact that the same wording appears in both places is, I think, striking.

I think that I've beaten my own record for a post lenght here. Now it's up to you all! :)


--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Caveman Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 2178
Joined: Jan. 2008
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 11:54

My final point is the fact that you can hear Mike murmuring "not to be listened to by cloth eared nicompoops"during the record so i reckon it would be the recording before cover's health warning.

--------------
THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 16:44

@ Caveman: who tells you that Mike didn't overdub that bit over the recording after he (or anyone else) wrote the Health Warning? :p We can't have any idea at all about the chronology of events on Amarok, all we have is what we actually can hold in our hands. And that's only the tip of the iceberg, IMHO. :)

--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4770
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Feb. 11 2009, 18:51

Ugo, you probably deserve an award for such detailed analysis! It clearly is a psychological trait of Mr Oldfield that he likes to hide things of significance in his creations (the two VR games are obvious examples). I think he does this in Amarok as well, but then says to himself, "nah, this is just pretentious; it's whether you enjoy the music that counts". So I think his mood changes as he writes; and it's not possible to find a unified, unchanging position behind his work (the way you can in, for example, a Beethoven symphony).
Back to top
Profile PM 
The Caveman Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 2178
Joined: Jan. 2008
Posted: Feb. 12 2009, 08:23

@Ugo.It's bit like the "which came first.The chicken or the egg?".I guess we'll never know.Unless we ask the man himself (Mike of course cos we can't ask William).However i don't really think we'd get a straight answer from Mike about this either.
 Good analysis though and you could well have a point.It's funny how this cd is either loved by those of us who get it or baffles people who don't.I personally reckon it's one of the best things he's done since the 70's.I must admit although i loved it from the first time i heard it it took me a few listens to actually make any sense of it.It's such a huge peice of music with so much going on that it takes a while to get the head around it.So i guess i'm not suffering from being cloth eared. :laugh:


--------------
THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 12 2009, 14:22

Quote (nightspore @ Feb. 12 2009, 00:51)
[...] and it's not possible to find a unified, unchanging position behind his work (the way you can in, for example, a Beethoven symphony).

Even a Beethoven piece sometimes changes as it goes along. The "Moonlight Sonata" starts with (what I interpret as) deep sadness, and ends with (what I interpret as) furious rage. The Fifth Symphony starts with the menacing "Destiny Theme", and ends in a very joyful climax... almost the same as the Ninth, which, from an uncertain and dramatic beginning, slowly ascends to the ultimate musical expression of joy. :)


--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4770
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Feb. 12 2009, 22:57

G'day Ugo. I agree with what you say. What I meant was that Beethoven didn't suddenly change his attitude towards a piece half way through; he would never (for example) have tacked something like "Moonshine" on to one of his most emotionally wrenching pieces (the way Mike did, of course, in TB2). What I mean is that composers such as Beethoven were serious from go to whoa, whereas MO often isn't.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Ugo Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 5495
Joined: April 2000
Posted: Feb. 13 2009, 07:57

Quote (nightspore @ Feb. 13 2009, 04:57)
What I mean is that composers such as Beethoven were serious from go to whoa, whereas MO often isn't.

Thanks for the explanation. I seem to recall having read somewhere (maybe here on tubular.net?) that Mike did his shorter, folky, jokey pieces (inlcuding "Don Alfonso") to somehow counterbalance the serious, complex aspects of his longer works. But I may be completely wrong about this. :)

P.S:: Are you Australian?


--------------
Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian
Back to top
Profile PM 
33 replies since Feb. 09 2009, 09:42 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Pages: (2) < [1] 2 >






Forums | Links | Instruments | Discography | Tours | Articles | FAQ | Artwork | Wallpapers
Biography | Gallery | Videos | MIDI / Ringtones | Tabs | Lyrics | Books | Sitemap | Contact

Mike Oldfield Tubular.net
Mike Oldfield Tubular.net