Any Mike Oldfield Fans

[qjamesfloyd]

I have long talked about my love of Mike Oldfield, but I wondered if there any other fans here, some people might have only heard of Tubular Bells, and that famous piano intro, but, for me that overshadows him and his career, he has made 26 albums over a 50 year plus career, and has covered lots of different genres and styles, he has made long and short instrumental music, generic vocal songs, film music, his ability for playing different instruments to a high standard is legendary, but his true voice is with the guitar, like Mark he plays a unique fingerstyle, it's classical in nature, and he has a great violin like vibrato. The reason my signature mentions Knopfler, Gilmour and Oldfield is because of the melody and emotion they all bring to their playing, and Oldfield in particular, for me, hits those height more than most. He has many greats tracks and albums to enjoy. He is also a fan of Mark,  I have mentioned before he owns an MK Signature Strat, and used it on his last album, he has also said he rarely listens to other peoples music, but did say he heard Private Investigations on the radio and loved it.

[JF]

I love Mike Oldfield too

I like very much his 1973-1984 era. From Tubular Bells till Discovery
I teach rock history in a school, and I often talk about Tubular bells during my lessons. Not only about the famous piano intro, but also about the finale, based on the Ravel's Bolero structure.

After Discovery, I must admit I haven't listened that much of his discography.

I wrote several chronicles about him. There will be more with albums-anniversaries. This year I will write about Tubular Bells and Crises.

https://textes-blog-rock-n-roll.fr/mike-oldfield/

[Robson]

I like Mike Oldfield too. My favorite albums: Ommadawn, The Songs of Distant Earth, Voyager, Guitars and of course Tubular Bells

[ds1984]

Platinum and QE2 for me.

[qjamesfloyd]

It's great to see some fellow fans. I don't have a favourite era, to me there is great stuff from Mike throughout his career, just like with Mark. This May will mark the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells, it is also my 50th year too, that album is so special for me, when I first started to hear music properly, and not just chart stuff, this is one of the 3 big albums that made their mark on me, alongside Brothers in Arms and Dark Side of The Moon, it really is a unique album, and it still amazes me that it was written and nearly all played by one person so young!!! and also someone who was so introverted and shy, he was not prepared for the fame at all.
 It's also interesting that in this era of making perfect recordings, with computer software etc, Tubular Bells is far from perfect, some of it is badly played, out of time, etc, but it doesn't matter, it all adds up to an astonishing finished product, there are good reasons for that of course because of the limitations he had to record it. I understand him wanting to re-record it in 2003 and it does sonically sound a lot better, and better played, but nothing would have been able to surpass that original album.

What do people think about this incredible album?

JP, I though you would be fan, as I had already written your pieces, and I look forward to your Tubular Bells and Crises articles too.

[qjamesfloyd]

Just announced is the 50th anniversary re=release of Tubular Bells, including the album mixed into Dolby Atmos,  Tubular Bells/In Dulci Jubilo (Music for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, which is stunning, but there is also this bad news:

Of particular interest brand new eight-minute track Tubular Bells 4 Intro, which may well be the last thing ever recorded by Oldfield.

Mike Oldfield retired from releasing music in 2018, after giving up touring many years previously. In the months after his last album, Return To Ommadawn in 2017, Oldfield toyed with going the whole way and making a fourth and final instalment of Tubular Bells in time for its 50th anniversary. Work began in earnest, and Mike felt he had finally cracked the secret of being able to successfully return to and rework the opening motif. A fascinating eight-minute taster was sent to his A&R team. And then, nothing. Mike decided against continuing. Five years later, this final paragraph of the Tubular Bells story is being released as part of this 50th anniversary celebration.

It is great to have 8 minutes of new Tubular music, but has he really retired from releasing music This is so sad.

[Pierre]

Northstar is one of my favourite song period
Platinum has some strange things on it but any live version of the whole concept I'll listen from start to finish.

I love the rythm part MO plays on that track live

[JF]

I love the rythm part MO plays on that track live

 

[qjamesfloyd]

Yes, the live version of the whole Platinum suite is better than the album version for ne.

Here is one of my favourite performances from Mike, Maya Gold from the Tubular Bells 2 premier concert in Edinburgh, such emotional playing, and a lovely guitar tone.

[qjamesfloyd]

Happy 70th birthday Mike. You have given a lifetime of incredible music. A true musical genius, and a legendary composer and guitarist.

[Robson]

Tonight (maybe in the night) I will definitely listen to "The Songs of Distant Earth" I love this album.

[qjamesfloyd]

Great idea, it's a wonderful album.

[Robson]

Great idea, it's a wonderful album.

 

[qjamesfloyd]

Tubular Bells was released 50 years ago today, happy birthday. A landmark album, there has been nothing quite like it since. Here is an amazing fact about the album and Mike. In surpassing Hergest Ridge(his 2nd album) for the number one album, Oldfield became only the second artist in history to replace himself at the top of the UK album chart, after the Beatles in 1963, and again in 1964. The feat was later achieved by Michael Jackson and David Bowie, although on both occasions this followed the death of the artist. Prior to the 2020s, the album had re-entered the charts in every decade since its release, most recently appearing in the week ending 22 March 2018 (its 287th week in total) As it has just been re-released again, I expect it will enter the chart in the 2020's too, quite a thing for an instrumental album, a debut album too, recorded by a then unknown 19 year old.

[2manyguitars]

The first music I heard as a small kid was probably english folk music and Tubular Bells. Apparently my mum would swing me round and round to the Sailors Hornpipe, the finale of side 2. It was probably around the release of TB2 that I started listening to his other stuff, HR, EM, HO etc. Cant say he ever superseded my love for DS/MK but I certainly have a deep respect for his work....