Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room What Music Are You Listening To ?

That was only a single tho wasn't it?
I've got a couple of studio versions but as said before the live one is the best (of which I also have two versions unless I'm mistaken).

Good for jumping up and down to.

Listened to 'Platinum' this morning. How good was that. It just seems weird to me now that at the time I was listening to stuff like Platinum (a sort of modernised prog-rock) as well as stuff like The Pleasure Principle, Reproduction and then Metamatic and Travelogue soon after.
Mind you our Mike was pretty hot on using synths and technology too - he had the money to 'experiment' a bit more I suppose.

I've been playing "Platinum" a lot over the last couple of days.

It's a great album, if a little unusual! The first three parts are superb. Fun, funky stuff.

By Incantations he was starting to sound out of place in the music scene, and with "Platinum", he tried doing something that would sound more modern. It paved the way for "QE2" which was another good album - and his last truly great album until "Amarok".

I think there were two versions of "Guilty" - which was a non-album single, which came out of the "Platinum" recording sessions. I think there was a long version and a short version.

Yeah, right about Platinum : the second side is a little more disjointed esp. as he had to change 'Sally' for some reason I fail to recall. I Got Rhythm is divine tho.

Guilty: yes, M Oldfield goes disco!..hence extended and 7" versions (surely one of the first to do so?). I think the live version on Music Wonderland is shorter than the Exposed one, but perhaps just my impression. Was this versh ever released in single format as B side or something?

I agree he lost it after QE2 despite the 'breakthrough' Moonlight Shadow (cringe).

I think "Moonlight Shadow" is a great track, but other than the guitar solo, it's not very Mike.

And, having read his autobiography, it seems that none of his 80s albums were really his choice. He was forced to try and do something more conventional towards the end of the 70s, and then Richard Branson started wanting songs. With that song being such a big hit, Branson just wanted more and more, so Mike did his best to write songs, but it was never his thing. "Moonlight Shadow" was a kind of one-off which he couldn't really follow.

Somebody once sent me all of his 80s albums as MP3, so I've tried to listen... but the songs/vocals... everything just doesn't appeal to me! There are some decent instrumentals hidden away on a couple of those albums though.

But like other artists in the 80s, he lost focus, lost his way. I think it was by making "Amarok" that he got back on track, with the intention of making "Tubular Bells II".

Unfortunately he first had to make one more album to finish his contract with Virgin, and Branson wanted more songs - hence "Heaven's Open".

Ok well that's good to know as I really can't bear to listen to any of his 80s albums (I got 'em too on mp3!). I always thought it was because my own musical tastes were changing but obviously it wasn't just that. In fact I didn't go near him again until TB2, so I might give Amarok a try.
I've got Guitars too, but again I don't really get it.
To be honest I've never listened to TB3, is it as good as step forward as TB2 was with respect to TB1?

I would recommend both Amarok and TBIII.

Here are the reviews that I have written for each album on the Rate Your Music website:

AMAROK
Amarok is a bizarre offering, with Mike Oldfield at his most experimental. All the tracks form one huge soundscape, with Mike playing every instrument or object he could lay his hands on. These include a chainsaw, shoes, a toothbrush and pair of wind-up toy teeth to name but a few. No samples here, and no computers – it's all done by hand. Anything that makes a noise is on this album.

Hidden between the various noises and unexpectedly loud bits, there is also some truly beautiful music – short but sweet. Certainly some of Mike's best guitar melodies. Sadly they don't last long enough before musically running off in random directions, ranging from African drumming and Zulu chanting, to flamenco guitar and tap dancing. There's also a welcome return of the Piltdown Man.

Amarok takes musical elements similar to parts of Tubular Bells, Ommadawn and QE2 and fuses them together into one hour-long piece, going back to Oldfield's original way of writing and recording – he even reunited with original Tubular Bells producer, Tom Newman. When Richard Branson heard Amarok for the first time, he thought it good enough to actually be Tubular Bells II, although Oldfield thought otherwise, and rightly so.

Despite the unusual list of 'instruments' played, Amarok is a very musical album, and after a few plays (and it can take a while to get used to), it becomes very addictive. It's one of those albums where you discover something new with each play, and with so many beautiful, melodic parts, it is a must for any true fan of Oldfield's music.

Finally, Amarok comes with a health warning for those incapable of appreciating his work: This record could be hazardous to the health of cloth-eared nincompoops. If you suffer from this condition, consult your Doctor immediately.


Tubular Bells III
Rather than another continuation of the original theme, Tubular Bells III offers a refreshing, contemporary approach, with an upbeat, minimalistic variation of the classic melody.

The opening track "The Source of Secrets" and the closing medley "Secrets"/"Far Above the Clouds" work remarkably well, and the guitar-driven "Outcast" taking you back to the feel of the original album with a real energy. However the album's strongest piece by far is the stunning, epic finalé, "Far Above the Clouds". This track has to be Oldfield's most powerful and driving piece of music to date and the most adventurous use of the tubular bells. When that first huge bell thunders in, it sends a shiver down the spine. If anything "Far Above the Clouds" represents Mike Oldfield's musical zenith as far as Tubular Bells is concerned. The guitar solo is awe-inspiring, as the notes scream and cry, while one of the original album's most memorable basslines kicks in towards the end. A breathtaking and moving piece of music.

However, sandwiched in between these excellent pieces, is a mixed bag of styles, which includes flamenco and a full-vocal song, "Man in the Rain", based loosely on "Moonlight Shadow" and nice though it is, couldn't sound more out of place.

With fewer musical evolutions, Tubular Bells III is a shorter, more conventionally structured album, and the mixture of styles don't work quite as well this time round. Although the music is very good, it just doesn't flow as well.

Overall, Tubular Bells III isn't perhaps as tubular as it could have been, but even so it is an album worth checking out. I suspect the many who ridicule it, never got as far as the last two tracks.

Thanks for that Alex. Must definitely get Amarok.
Also never seen that rateyourmusic site : isn't the Internet a wonderful thing?

Oh yes!It's a great site. I've become totally addicted to writing my own album reviews. Though I'm constantly updating them! I have reviewed most of my CD collection, so all of John's albums are on there :-)

Amarok is worth getting, although it can be very difficult to listen to first time round - it's an album to persist with!! It has some absolutely fantastic parts. But it's completely mental.

Today I've been listening to a friends double CD bootleg compilation 'Soft S***e for Stadiums'.

Peter Gabriel this morning... various tracks including stuff from Us, Birdy, Passion and Long Walk Home.