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Topic: What is a fan?

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Silver Negus Offline

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Posted: Nov. 07 2007, 11:51

We all have different peceptions about who is a fan of an artist/e. I haven't and will not listen to most of Mr Oldfield's recent albums, as they are not really my type of thing. However I like his earlier music.
I guess a lot of people, like myself haven't and will not see Mr Oldfield in concert,. And I'm not too fussed about 'Changeling' and so forth, and infact only have about three of his albums.

I think maybe I am not a massive fan, but since the age of 5 or 6, have found Tubular Bells a little special, and even now the goosepimpels will move up my arms when I listen to it, and it's like listening afresh all over again. To learn how people can learn from their experiences and adapt, is even more fascinating. We can make something of our lives no matter what our backgrounds, and maybe thats what my opinion is of his music.

larstangmark Offline

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Posted: Nov. 07 2007, 20:16

I'm see myself as a huge Tangerine Dream fan. I love the first 6 albums. The next 4 I think are OK. I don't care much for the 50 or so albums they did after that.

There are Pink Floyd fans who don't like anything after the first 3-4 albums.

If TB gives you the goosebumps, they I'd say you're a Mike Oldfield fan. It's Mike's problem that he haven't lived up to your expectations ever since!

I didn't buy any of Mike's albums after Heaven's Open (I bought TB2 and TSODE, but I sold them soon afterwards). To me HR, Ommadawn and Incantations are the really essential MO albums, and I refuse having someone tell me I'm not a proper fan.

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"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith

Matt

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 04:40

There seem to many varieties of fan. Some wanting to collect everything Mike has ever produced, some wanting to reproduce his playing or try their own similar styles, some just liking a few albums.

I guess most people here find something a bit special about some of Mikes music. I certainly do.

However, the important issue is that Silver only has three of Mikes albums! Wow, so much wonderful music you have yet to discover

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"I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels"

raven4x4x

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 04:59

I must be one of the full blown crazy fans. I have every one of Mike's albums, and I certainly intend to get every one that he releases in the future. I've been listening to Mike's music for about ten years now, and since I'm only twenty years old that's a fair propotion of my life. Mike was the first musician I really fell in love with (musically speaking...), and after all the years and all the other bands and artists I've adored he is still the most important to me. So yes I am one of those fans who has to hear pretty much everything he's ever done. Of course I don't love everything he's ever done, some of it I wouldn't say I even enjoy at all, but overall he's given me more musical pleasure than anyone else I've ever heard.

I can relate to Silver Negus's fandom in a way, though. I'd consider Yes one of my other favourite bands, and yet 90 percent of my favourite Yes songs come from only three albums- The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge. This is a band with a 30 year career, and yet it's only those three albums I really love. Still, they're some of my very favourite albums of all time, so I'd still consider myself a big Yes fan.

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arron11196 Offline

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 05:37

My word ya wee nippa! I remember when you were just turning 18

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Arron J Eagling

Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature.

(insert the last 5 mins of Crises here)

Silver Negus Offline

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 12:51

Quote (Matt @ Nov. 08 2007, 04:40)

Yes I only have about three albums. However I heard a lot whilst growing up.

Its weird because I never wanted or would ever go out to collect anything Oldfield related. A few years ago I was walking through a centre in Newcastle, and a copy of Tubular Bells was directly in my eyeline. It was a silver booklet with a gold cd inside. Then after many months I happened to be outside a very cheap chatty music shop, waiting for a bus. I glanced round and saw a slim cd box with the Tubular Bell logo on. I went in the shop and bought it, it was an orange cd with Jam n spoon remixes of Far Above The Clouds etc.

The latter two cds got stolen from me, from someone I thought a freind. Then, In Winchester I walked into a charity shop, looking for some cheap presents and bumped into a copy of Tubular Bells, on a high shelf. It was a cassette, with the original sleeve I think. So I bought it for 50p.

The only thing is, is although I was not much interested in the jam n spoon remixes originally, but bought the cd anyway, I miss some of those tracks, as they were good. And will maybe not come across a similar cd again. And also I liked that silver booklet with the gold cd, '25 Anniversary' thing. And can guarantee I will never come across that again.

What can we say, what a horrible ex freind, stealing from me.

Sweetpea

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 14:12

"What is a fan?" is an interesting question. I imagine there are endless permutations and combinations, so I won't attempt strictly defined parameters. In my own experience, MO fandom seems to have been hovering in the background for most of my life. In hindsight, I don't know if I was a 'fan of Mike Oldfield', even though I was most definitely a 'fan of Ommadawn', and later a 'fan of Tubular Bells II'. Then, later a compilation and Guitars were nice but not obsession-inducing. A year or two ago, I decided to get a few more MO albums, but I didn't give them a proper listen (i.e. several plays with no distractions). I guess I sort of see my exposure to the "Live at Montreux" footage, less than a year ago, as the turning point from casual to serious fanhood. After that, I joined TubularBoard (about eight months ago - doesn't seem that long), got at least fifteen more MO albums, been listening to MO everyday, and have MO as my desktop wallpaper. Errr... gee, I'm starting to scare myself!

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"I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty

Silver Negus Offline

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 15:38

Quote (raven4x4x @ Nov. 08 2007, 04:59)

Interesting stuff Raven. What does 'fandom' mean?

olracUK

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 17:01

Being a fan to me, means showing more than a passing interest, following snippets of news, visiting websites. My ears pricking up and noticing songs by that artist. There are many levels of fandom though.

I call myself a Norwich City FC fan, but couldn't name the current squad, so I guess many "true" fans would sneer at me. As if there was a points system and I'm only on 2 out of a scale of 10.

The point I suppose is that you call yourself a fan. And that's what counts for you. Doesn't really matter what others think.

As far as my Oldfiled fandom goes, I'd put myself on an 8. Got all the albums, a few rareities and have followed his music and career for over 20 years. ( OMG that's more than Raven has been alive for

)

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The answer is 42 - but what is the question?

larstangmark Offline

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 17:33

It's not about having all the albums. It's about how much you like the ones you have.

Strangely, some of the artists I love most have (later in their respective careers) done the some of the most horrible music ever created. I've heard truly appaling music by Tangerine Dream, Yes and Genesis. But I think that if I own more than a couple of albums of an artist that I really enjoy a lot, then I'm a fan. But on the other hand I would not advise anyone to check out "Invisible Touch", "Open Your Eyes" or "Goblin's Club" because these albums don't have any of the qualities that made me love other albums by said artists.

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"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith

jonnyw

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Posted: Nov. 08 2007, 20:33

I have quite a few of his albums.. Some I like better than others, And I own a copy of changeling, I liked it, but I still wouldnt say that I am a massive massive fan.. And part of me really doesn't like the word "Fan"- after all, isn't it a shortened version of "Fanatic"? and I wouldn't say I am Fanatic. I see myself Understanding his music better than haveing a "Deep spiritual connection" or anything like that. I think That only really exists for me in my connection in my own music, My own connection to my own instruments, and those who work around me.

I must admit there are times I listen to something else and say "This is the greatest music ever written" and then go and Listen to mike and say the same thing.

Really good question, and is making me think about what "connection" I have to his music. A lot of it is sentimental - a breakdown between my favourite of his albums would be;

TBII - hugely sentimental between me and my dad,

And

Amarok - in huge admiration for his abilities. I think thats probably the case with other artists/musicians here, where you listen and say "How on earth did he come up with that?!" I never usualy sit and say "what does he MEAN by this" - because I would only do that with my own music at the end of the day.

I think that we have to remember that "Fan" is probably a really bastardised word depending on the person at hand. Where I see one person as a Fan(atic) others may not. Personally, these days I don't want to be a fanatic for anyone, However I can be in endless admiration fror the guy, and not want to look into what he is doing right now in his personal life (whats he thinking of/who does he care about/what foods does he like/does he prefer petrol or diesel engines) - I consider myself the latter.

At least, That's my idea of it all.

--------------
Grand piano.
Reed and pipe organ.
Glockenspeil.
Bass guitar.
Vocal chords.
Two slightly sampled electric guitars.
The venitian effect.
Digital sound processor.
And Tubular bells.

Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com

Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com

Sweetpea

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Posted: Nov. 14 2007, 03:35

Quote (jonnyw @ Nov. 08 2007, 20:33)

part of me really doesn't like the word "Fan"- after all, isn't it a shortened version of "Fanatic"?

Even though I described myself as a 'serious fan' (perhaps a better term would have been 'unapologetic'? 'curmudgeonly'? 'resigned'??), I don't really take the word, or it's baggage, all that seriously. Regardless of origins, its use is so broad as to encompass every degree from slight to extreme. At its most basic, I equate 'fan' with 'appreciator'.

Quote

I think that we have to remember that "Fan" is probably a really bastardised word depending on the person at hand.

Hey, you've used one of my all-time favorite words - 'bastardized'! I'm not clear on your meaning, here, but I suspect it may be similar to what I was just talking about?

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"I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty

Moz

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Posted: Nov. 14 2007, 03:47

Olrac's explanation of "fan" works for me.

I'd probably be an 8, maybe even a 9 - I like all eras of Mike's music and have almost all of his CDs. I've been to see him play live once (in 1999, for the Then and Now tour), and Mike's music has been a major influence in my own music. I also run lyricless.com, a site where the fan music lives.

However, I don't collect every possible release from Mike and I don't get them on multiple formats (CD only thanks). I would buy all of the tracks I don't own if they were available, though. I don't buy many compilations even if they have a few tracks I don't own, because I would rather just have the tracks I am missing. I do have the four disc Elements boxset though.

I think we all get bonus points for posting at Tubular.net!

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ImAFoolAndImLaughing Offline

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Posted: Nov. 14 2007, 12:07

Quote (Moz @ Nov. 14 2007, 03:47)

Olrac's explanation of "fan" works for me.

The four-disc Elements Box-set is a must for Mike fans, anyway, Ben - where else will you find a CD version of The Path, Live Punkadiddle, and Vivaldi's concerto?

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"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."

jonnyw

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Posted: Nov. 14 2007, 12:21

Quote (Sweetpea @ Nov. 14 2007, 08:35)

Quote

I think that we have to remember that "Fan" is probably a really bastardised word depending on the person at hand.

Hey, you've used one of my all-time favorite words - 'bastardized'! I'm not clear on your meaning, here, but I suspect it may be similar to what I was just talking about?

Youre right, it just means altered in more ways in one, usually in a bad way.

--------------
Grand piano.
Reed and pipe organ.
Glockenspeil.
Bass guitar.
Vocal chords.
Two slightly sampled electric guitars.
The venitian effect.
Digital sound processor.
And Tubular bells.

Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com

Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com

Moz

Group: Musicians
Posts: 600
Joined: July 2005

Posted: Nov. 14 2007, 18:35

re: Elements - I think you could say the same about the Platinum Collection, but I don't have that. I might get it though.

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Twitter: @benbarden