TwyliteMagick
Group: Members
Posts: 14
Joined: Dec. 2004 |
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Posted: Jan. 03 2005, 08:24 |
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Is it possible you lot could read this review for my college work & give me your opinions? Thanks
In 1973, the classic cult film The Exorcist was unleashed on the unwary public. Apart from the antics of the young girl possessed by evil spirits (like the famous head spinning scene), the film was most remembered for the atmospheric theme tune, Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells”.
It may be because of this film that Tubular Bells is one of the most instantly recognizable albums of all time. That is to say, the opening theme of Tubular Bells is. The rest of the album appears to be overlooked and unjustly ignored.
In 1973, a twenty year old Mike Oldfield had made a record (written at the age of eighteen) that no body noticed. One American record company told Mike “Send him back to the studio and tell him to put some lyrics on it and then we'll listen to it”, which of course defied the whole concept but, somewhat ironically, later on, Mike Oldfield did put lyrics of sorts to part two, referred to as “The caveman song”: “one night I just demolished half a bottle of Irish Whisky, and said "give me a microphone", and that's what happened”.
It was Richard Branson who finally put faith in him and signed him as the first artist to the all new Virgin Record Company.
This album changed the world of progressive music forever. With “that” opening theme, Mike Oldfield stormed the album charts spending a week at number 1 in the UK, 13 weeks in the top 10 and 247 weeks in total.
Tubular Bells is a unique creation because it embodies one of the main genres of the 70’s known as progressive rock. The album combines rock with folk and jazz along with changes of theme and pace that are key in defining prog rock.
At that time in the charts (1974), Glam rock had taken control with bands like Slade, Sweet and Wizzard regularly topping the singles charts whereas The Bay City Rollers were to be found at number 1 in the album charts. Along with other prog rock bands like Yes (Tales from Topographic Oceans), and Rick Wakeman (also from Yes but releasing a solo album ‘Journey to the centre of the Earth’), Mike Oldfield reached number one with a genre of music many once classed as enjoyable but unmarketable. Tubular Bells was greeted with a mixture of fascination and enjoyment. The late, great DJ John Peel had said that the album was “a record which quite genuinely covers new and uncharted territory, with music that combines logic with surprise, sunshine with rain”.
The album uses (in total) around thirty different types of instruments and vocals and Oldfield himself plays twenty three of them including grand piano, glockenspiel, assorted organs, percussion, and guitars, tubular bells (naturally), concert timpani, and moribund chorus and over 2000 tape overdubs, (where the tape is recorded onto again and again to add more instruments) were reportedly used although this has almost completely been discounted.
Other contributors to the album include Oldfield’s sister Sally on “girlie chorus” and Vivian Stanshall (most famous for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band) as master of ceremonies. Because Oldfield had brought many previously unfamiliar instruments to the wider pop-rock audience, Oldfield and company thought that the instruments should be introduced to the listeners in case of confusion. The story goes that Mike Oldfield saw Viv working near by. When approached, Viv agreed to introduce the instruments and became the only intelligible voice on the album.
While some of the album is dark and atmospheric (“that” opening again) some is calm and peaceful. The penultimate section of the second song has been dubbed “the musical equivalent of sitting by the sea”, it being calm and relaxing, certainly reminding the listener of the gentle lap of the waves.
As the calming song draws to its climax, Oldfield (being Oldfield) promptly destroys any sense of peace (and perhaps dignity) with a great and rousing folk version of The Sailor’s Hornpipe. This is a more obvious example of the way that theme and tempo change smoothly and effortlessly.
Mike Oldfield always stated that Tubular Bells was not as he had wanted due to the pressure to get the album completed in the time he had at the studio. In 2003, Mike Oldfield released “Tubular Bells 2003” to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary. Speaking in 2001, Oldfield hoped that he would record the album as “faultlessly as I possibly can. All the parts where I was playing this organ, I'll have a real string orchestra, which is what I wanted”. However, many people feel that the 2003 edition cannot surpass the original Tubular Bells, as the new version has been split into sections on the CD and lacks the rough edges that make Tubular Bells what it is.
This album having reached its thirtieth anniversary is still as fresh and vibrant as it was in 1973. Mike Oldfield could be an acquired taste with some sections sounding discordant and untidy at first which may need listening to more than once for the full subtlety to be fully appreciated.
For anyone who has never experienced any of Mike Oldfield’s creations, Tubular Bells is probably the best one to start with. And for those who have, put the 2003 edition on, turn the volume up loud, and relax…
//Positive and negative points fully welcomed and any mistakes that I've made//
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"Whatever happened to the teenage dream?" It shrivelled and burned in the flames of reality, to become the fuel that destroys the next generation.
Still, no worries, eh?
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