Tubular Bells [Original recording remastered] [Import]

On this CD: 1. Tubular Bells
Composed by Mike Oldfield
with Jon Field, Lindsay Cooper, Mike Oldfield, Sally Oldfield, Mundy Ellis, Steve Broughton

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The opening bars of this classic album by Mike Oldfield were heard by audiences that packed theaters to witness one of the scariest films of all time--The Exorcist. And it wasn't long before this debut release, not only from Oldfield but also from Richard Branson's new record label, Virgin, found itself in the upper echelons of pop charts around the world. Primarily an instrumental album, with performances on almost every instrument credited to Oldfield, it takes the listener into widely varying musical territories, ending as Viv Stanshall formally announces each instrument as it joins the mix. --Paul Clark

Product Description
Remastered edition of the new age/art rock composer's 1973 release. Digitally remastered by Simon Heyworth (who originally co-produced 'Tubular Bells' with Oldfield and Mike Newman) using the latest technology. Artwork has been digitally restored and includes additional photos and brand new sleeve notes. 2000.

Tubular Bells,Mike Oldfield,Mike Oldfield,Steve Broughton,Jon Field,Mundy Ellis,Sally Oldfield,EMI Int'l,England,Miscellaneous,Miscellaneous Music,New Age,Pop,Popular Music,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Progressive Electronic,Rock,Rock/Pop

Tracks:

Part One
Part Two

Amazon.com

The opening bars of this classic album by Mike Oldfield were heard by audiences that packed theaters to witness one of the scariest films of all time--The Exorcist. And it wasn't long before this debut release, not only from Oldfield but also from Richard Branson's new record label, Virgin, found itself in the upper echelons of pop charts around the world. Primarily an instrumental album, with performances on almost every instrument credited to Oldfield, it takes the listener into widely varying musical territories, ending as Viv Stanshall formally announces each instrument as it joins the mix. --Paul Clark

Album Description

Remastered edition of the new age/art rock composer's 1973 release. Digitally remastered by Simon Heyworth (who originally co-produced 'Tubular Bells' with Oldfield and Mike Newman) using the latest technology. Artwork has been digitally restored and includes additional photos and brand new sleeve notes. 2000.

Album Details

Extra Artwork, Remastered and Extensive Liner Notes.

Customer Reviews:

Epic pop poetry..........2007-07-27

This too often gets tagged with the description "the music from The Exorcist", and that's a shame, because the whole album (especially the first half) is phenomenal. Oldfield played almost all the instruments himself, and the whole suite (it's one long song clocking in at just under 50 minutes) is amazing to listen to. I've always loved this album, and despite having other Oldfield albums (which are great as well), this is really the most exceptional of his work. There are many, many memorable themes played within the 50 minutes, culiminating in a wonderful, intense, and joyous ending. Oldfield doesn't get lumped as progressive rock, but his work is very similar to it, especially here. Remember to get the original version of this. There are many other versions (including a sequel, an orchestral version, and another version with narration by John Cleese(!)), so make sure you know what you're purchasing.

Thirty four years later and still Stunning to listen to.......2007-07-14

A true master piece from the early seventies though I wonder if people would have known about if if it hadn't been the theme song to the Exorcist.

When you listen to the CD you realize the musicianship is incredible and then you realize that Mike Oldfield was only nineteen when he created this. There are only two very long songs on this CD. Beyond the AM version to this song thee is so much there. When people bought this album in the seventies they where buying it for the AM version of Tubular bells (The Exorcist theme) so they bought the forty five rpm didn't realize they where missing the best part of the song buy not buying the album. Oldfield set the bar high for himself with this release but amazingly enough though he continues to clear that bar with his new releases. Sit back relax end enjoy this CD. Let it take you on it's musical journey.

A master piece indeed.

Long but good.......2007-04-01

This is the perfect cd for long trips. Though there's only two tracks, they go for a long time. This is the complete theme to The Exorcist and is worth listening to.

unique.......2007-03-10

this album is for anyone wanting to explore a different realm of consciousness and wanting a taste for experimental textures, tones, and sounds. great album. very interesting.

The original, nothing more or less.......2007-03-05

I first heard this in its entirity via a scratchy record from a used record store. Scratches and all, I loved it (well most of it - I found the "Piltdown Man" annoying). Now I can hear everything clearly.

Since I ordered the CD used, I'm not sure whither I got the "remastered" or simply "transferred to CD" version. My CD sounds like the record (without the scratches). There's no dramatic increase in dynamic range.

It would have been nice to have separate tracks for each "movement", not just part 1 / part 2. It would be nice to, say, jump to the start of the "introducing the instruments" section (which has a definite beginning) and to skip the "Piltdown man" (which has a definite beginning and end).

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

The Source Of Secrets
The Watchful Eye
Jewel In The Crown
Outcast
Serpent Dream
The Inner Child
Man In The Rain
The Top Of The Morning
Moonwatch
Secrets
Far Above The Clouds

Album Description

1998 album featuring an updated version of his mesmerizing 'Exorcist' theme, 'Tubular Bells'. 11 tracks. Total playing time of 46:38. A WEA International release.

Album Details

Third installment of Oldfield's eerie electro-symphonic releases, issued in 1998.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful!.......2007-07-09

Wonderful music, diverse yet still very much Mike Oldfield. If you love Tubular Bells I then you need this one. It has some hints of the original but they are only hints. This is a fubulous music all on its on.

Mike Oldfield- Tubular Bells III .......2007-05-09

I just got this last week and so far I like the tracks. I've been listening to Mike Oldfield music since the '70's when he became popular with his music used in the movie The Exorcist. I didn't know he had this disk out, and although its from 1998, its all new to me. If you like Mike Oldfield music you got to check it out!

This one is the one furthest away from sounding like a re-packaging of the original Tubular Bells.......2006-08-06

Now, I know everybody who likes Mike Oldfield is criticizing him for re-recording and re-packaging Tubular Bells over and over, and over again these past 30 plus years. But, if it wasn't for the 1992 release of Tubular Bells II, I would have probably just let myself forget all about him. I really didn't follow Mike Oldfield's music much after Crises (1983) and The Killing Fields (1984). I didn't care for how Mike Oldfield was doing less long played projects and started to perform pop sounding ditties with other singers. Sometimes, you wouldn't know if you were listening to Mike Oldfield or ABBA, or just simply someone else. Simple pop songs like "Family Man", "To France", "Moonlight Shadow", etc. And when I saw "Discovery" (1984) and seen that it had more short pop songs with vocals, I just sort of gave up on Mike Oldfield, altogether. So I think, TB II was a smart move for Mike Oldfield to re-introduce himself to the music world. "Tubular Bells" (1973) was considered a Progressive Rock achievement back then, and so TB II of 1992 had to compete with the modern day New Age music market. I don't think TB III was a great disappointment, and I certainly I won't give it a miss either. To see it performed live now (on his very hard to find PAL region only DVD release of TB II and TB III live) actually makes me appreciate this album so much more.

And why shouldn't Mike Oldfield try and keep Tubular Bells alive? When we go to see any singer or band in concert, we are usually not too concerned about hearing some of their new material. We want to see and hear the hits, or the pieces of music that are his claim to fame, of course. Especially from bands who's past is much more glorified than where they are today.

However, Mike Olfield's recording of "Tubular Bells 2003" was just ridiculous! On this album, he is trying to re-record, as closely as possible, to the original 1973 release. This might have been more enjoyable if he and his other performers filmed this tight performance live before an audience. A DVD of this performance would have been much more justified than this pointless CD only release.

So, if he tries to re-record this album just once more, he really should seek some therapy. I think by now, he's beat this horse enough. Please Mike, give it a rest!

Uneven But 2 great Tracks.......2006-02-23

I found the production of this album a bit uneven, but there are two great tracks I had to have, the best one being "Man In The Rain"

Full bloom.......2005-08-28

I'm not a big fan of Mike Oldfield. Granted, the man is a genius, but his stuff just doesn't resonate with me.
This, however, is an exception. Everything he has done well on the other albums, together, just even better. From the first tones this album is mesmerizing, each track an essential part of the journey. There's something of every musical style. Trance, rock, ambient, folk... everybody could like this.
Also, the last track is one of the most climactic I have ever heard. Truly majestetic.

Average customer rating:

Still a masterpiece
Original Tubular Quad Mix!!!!
Forget about "Part Two" and just listen to "Part One" Twice
A Classic, Improved
Great SACD!

Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
Manufacturer: Virgin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition
Brothers in Arms
Up
Avalon
Gaucho

ASIN: B000057NVH
Release Date: 1992-06-29

Tracks:

Tubular Bells, Pt. 1
Tubular Bells, Pt. 2

Album Description

Classic 1973 album & one of the best selling in history. The first SACD playable on all CD players. The idea to produce the first multi-channeled SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc) came from Simon Heyworth (Mike Oldfield's original engineer and co-producer for Tubular Bells) who located a pristine condition four-channel master of this legendary recording. Unique -style jewel case. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews:

Still a masterpiece.......2005-09-30

Mike Oldfield's first solo album, leading to a string of distinctive works spanning a decade before he drifted towards commercial mediocrity, remains a masterpiece.
As progressive instrumental progressive rock gets.
We've all heard the opening piano-and-bells sequence in The Exorcist, but surprisingly few have listened to the equally-remarkable remaining 20 minutes of Part 1, much less Part 2.
Oldfield specializes in complex, overlapping, syncopated melodies and polyrhythms, foreshadowing the nouveau-classical works of Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, Steve Reich and many others.

Original Tubular Quad Mix!!!! .......2005-08-23

So much has already been written about this title musing and pondering over this "format" and that "remaster" so I'll keep my words brief.I don't claim to be an audiofile nor am I an expert on the works of Mr.Oldfield but I do know a good recording when I hear one and this particular reissue of "Tubular Bells" sounds incredible.I am not old enough to have heard this recording in it's original Quad vinyl pressing and cannot see the need to spend money on a Quad Turntable(record player) so I can hear a few recordings from the seventies the way they were meant to be heard.Therefore,I'm more than happy to be offered the chance to hear these four channel mixes of some of the greatest albums of our time on SACD(check out Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon").Besides,I don't care how expensive your turntable is,you will still get surface noise and rumble coming through your speakers.Something you don't hear off a digital disc!So,if you are not too pedantic about how you listen to "Tubular Bells",this is the closest you can get to true Quad Sound in 2005!!! Fantastic!!!!

Forget about "Part Two" and just listen to "Part One" Twice.......2005-06-05

One thing about having the CD of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" is that you end up listening to "Part Two" a lot more often than you ever did when this was a record. I never really thought of this album as having two parts, because they really do not fit together the same way as, say, Jethro Tull's "Thick As a Brick" or "A Passion Play." I think that most people who remember the radio play edit or the use of the theme in "The Exorcist" are impressed when they hear all of "Part One," where Oldfield adds instrument after instrument to a simple theme until it climaxes with the titular Tubular Bells. There is a sense in which the final section of "Part One" is sort of the Seventies version of Ravel's "Bolero." It is the same thing over and over again, but it still grows on you. It is even fun to hear someone naming all of the instruments that Oldfield is playing. He does not play every instrument on the album, just organ, Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, piano, grand piano, honky tonk piano, keyboards, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, fuzz guitar, Spanish guitar, Mando-guitar, bass guitar, bass, mandolin, bagpipes, flageolet, glockenspiel, timpani, and tubular bells (I might have missed some).

However, on "Part Two," by the time we get to the "Sailor's Hornpipe" bit, you are ready to flip the record over, um, I mean, click on the magic button, and hear "Part One" again, especially the part with the Nasal Choir. This is one of those cases where you get a rating of 4 stars by splitting the difference between the 5 stars for "Part One" and the 3 stars for "Part Two." This album has the distinction of being the first released on Virgin Records, started by Richard Branson when Oldfield could not get any existing label to pick up the album. "Tubular Bells" made it to #3 on the Billboard album charts and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (other than Jazz).

A Classic, Improved.......2005-03-25

When I think of albums which have retained their popularity over the years, two come to mind. Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" is one; "Tubular Bells" is the other. And the fact that both have been released on hybrid SACD attests to their popularity. In the case of "Tubular Bells", this was not the first quad mix of the album to be released. The first, which was released as a CD-4 "Quadradisc" in the US, and as both SQ and QS in most of the rest of the world, pretty much mimicked the stereo version, except for the slow fade-in of the beginning and a few music-spins-around-you effects. The mix on this SACD features one that was originally created to convince Mike Oldfield to allow this recording to be released in multichannel. In addition, the original stereo mix is included on both the CD layer and the SACD stereo track. The 4.0 mix on the SACD multichannel track is cleaner and less cluttered sounding than that first released quad mix, and is more straight-forward. This mix was also released as a quad LP as part of a box set (now available on CD, and despite claims to the contrary, is the SQ version). That set, "Mike Oldfield Boxed", is worth seeking out. It also includes quad mixes of "Ommadawn", "Hergest Ridge", and "Collaborations".Now, if only they could release this box set in SACD... I digress. I highly recommend this SACD for those who want to hear what this system can do, and for MO fans, to finally hear everything he wanted you to hear.

Great SACD!.......2003-08-14

This is a very impressive SACD, my only regret is that it didn't use the GAIN 2 mastering system for DSD by Mobile Fidelity Sound LAB. Overall it's a great choice for SACD & sounds good.

Average customer rating:

Return of the Bells
Listen and enjoy!!! Wonders abound!! Don't close your mind!!
This is my favorite of ALL the re-packagings of Tubular Bells
Starts out good, but sort of morphs into Hergest Ridge
...and I love it more and more!

Tubular Bells II
Mike Oldfield
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tubular Bells
Tubular Bells III
Tubular Bells 2003
The Songs of Distant Earth
Hergest Ridge

ASIN: B000002MFQ
Release Date: 1992-09-22

Tracks:

Sentinel
Dark Star
Clear Light
Blue Saloon
Sunjammer
Red Dawn
The Bell
Weightless
The Great Plain
Sunset Door
Tattoo
Altered State
Maya Gold
Moonshine

Customer Reviews:

Return of the Bells.......2007-01-24

19 years after Mike Oldfield's groundbreaking and complex debut album he returned to drink from the well which had launched his career onto an unsuspecting public. It is easy to criticise Oldfield and record label Warners for the opportunism of this album, but one has to remember the difficulties Oldfield had endured through the late 1980's thanks to Virgin Records indifferent promotional attitude to his work. Pressured throughout the decade to follow "Tubular Bells" up Oldfield resisted Virgin's entreaty. That he eventually chose to record a follow up album for a new record label shows a clear attempt on Oldfield's part to stick two fingers up at Richard Branson et al, like "Tubular Bells" this album was an act of rebellious revenge.
Musically it is also very satisfying, polished and precise Oldfield has never struggled when it comes to producing memorable and often entrancing music. Warner's cleverly marketed the album at the emergent audience for "New Age" music that Enigma had established. The lead track "Sentinel" is a perfect evocation of Oldfield's multifarious thematic style. Certainly large swathes of the music use the "Tubular Bells" as a basis, but Oldfield often takes us on a journey heavenwards as the guitars soar and range. The major difference is the production. Trevor Horn brings a polished over produced sound that is at times clinical. The aggressive improvisation of "Tubular Bells" is not replicated and nor is the energy. Nevertheless on tracks such as "Weightless" and "Tattoo" Oldfield produces some of his most emotive and memorable music. This is an experiment that could have gone terribly wrong, but in fact it is an excellent nostalgic addition to Oldfield's fascinating body of work.

Listen and enjoy!!! Wonders abound!! Don't close your mind!!.......2006-12-25

This is a fantastic musical sojourn that should not be viewed as a rehash of anything. Melodies abound. Listen and listen again.
I am a rocker and fingerstyle acoustic guitarist. Some new-age reviewers are sickeningly pompous as if their false elitism disallows recognition of good work. Again, listen to the music and enjoy. Mr. Oldfield takes us on journeys to places yet visited. Textures and virtuosity, interesting layers live here. Even the tinkling piano-based recurring theme from Bells 1 is different. If discerning reviewers cannot tell one from the other, I have some basement demos I will get to you. It must be lonely on that pedestal of vitriol.

This is my favorite of ALL the re-packagings of Tubular Bells.......2006-08-06

Now, I know everybody who likes Mike Oldfield is criticizing him for re-recording and re-packaging Tubular Bells over and over, and over again these past 30 plus years. But, if it wasn't for the 1992 release of Tubular Bells II, I would have probably just let myself forget all about him. I really didn't follow Mike Oldfield's music much after Crises (1983) and The Killing Fields (1984). I didn't care for how Mike Oldfield was doing less long played projects and started to perform pop sounding ditties with other singers. Sometimes, you wouldn't know if you were listening to Mike Oldfield or ABBA, or just simply someone else. Simple pop songs like "Family Man", "To France", "Moonlight Shadow", etc. done with a female vocalist. And when I saw "Discovery" (1984) and seen that it had more short pop songs with vocals, I just sort of gave up on Mike Oldfield, altogether. So I think, TB II was a smart move for Mike Oldfield to re-introduce himself to the music world. "Tubular Bells" (1973) was considered a Progressive Rock achievement back then, and so TB II of 1992 had to compete with the modern day New Age music market. I don't think TB III was a great disappointment, and I certainly I won't give it a miss either. To see it performed live now (on his very hard to find PAL region only DVD release of "Tubular Bells II and III Live") actually makes me appreciate this album and that album so much more.

And why shouldn't Mike Oldfield try and keep Tubular Bells alive? When we go to see any singer or band in concert, we are usually not too concerned about hearing some of their new material. We want to see and hear the hits, or the pieces of music that are his claim to fame, of course. Especially from bands who's past is much more glorified than where they are today.

However, Mike Oldfield's recording of "Tubular Bells 2003" was just ridiculous! On this album, he is trying to re-record, as closely as possible, to the original 1973 release. This might have been more enjoyable if he and his other performers filmed this tight performance live before an audience. A DVD of this performance would have been much more justified than this pointless CD only release.

So, if he tries to re-record this album just once more, he really should seek some therapy. I think by now, he's beat this horse enough. Please Mike, give it a rest!

Starts out good, but sort of morphs into Hergest Ridge.......2006-03-15

How do you rate this? Do you rate it on its own merits, as a rehash, or one of many Oldfield outputs to milk every last penny out of the name Tubular Bells?

FIRST, LET'S LOOK AT THIS ON ITS OWN, AS IF THERE WERE NO OTHER VERSIONS OF TUBULAR BELLS:

I give it 3 stars. Released in 1992, this is a nice, mostly instrumental CD. It is 58 minutes long and has very good sound.

The first 25 minutes are a great flowing suite of progressive rock music. It kind of reminds of Focus in how well the music flows from one section to the next.

Things start to go downhill after the first 25 minutes. It first goes into The Bells, which has a nice rhythm and theme, but is silly and goes on too long at 8 minutes. There is a great bassline, while an announcer calls out the names of different instruments that play a riff.

From there, things just fall apart. The next 17 minutes are some New Age Scottish/Irish influenced folk music. It is a lot like Oldfield's second album Hergest Ridge. It is just boring and goes on too long. This is followed by the really wierd Altered States, that consists of some wierd vocals that sound like someone is trying to clear his throat, plus a mommy singing and a girl asking questions.

Things get back on track with the nice accoustic guitar and vocals number, Maya Gold, and then finishes off with a little Blue Grass number.

NOW LET'S COMPARE THIS TO THE ORIGINAL TUBULAR BELLS:

I give this version to 2 stars when I compare it to the original.

Although the original Tubular Bells was a ground breaking album that helped increase the popularity of Progressive Rock, it was only a 4 star album.

There were some great passages in the original Tubular Bells, such as the theme that was used in the movie, The Excorcist (which in turn made Tubular Bells a smash hit). But, it does have some minor excesses and pretentiousness that mar many progressive/art rock works, such as the silly part where there is an announcer that calls out each instrument as it does a solo and the vocals that sound like someone trying to clear his throat.

Tubular Bells 2 is an extended, updated version of the original. The first 25 minutes are as good and might even be better than the original. There are some interesting vocals and instruments in this new version.

But, after The Bells, Tubular Bells 2 really falls apart. It no longer flows like the original. What is sounds like is one of those CD's that had a bunch of crappy bonus material tacked on to the end. The type of bonus material that should have stayed on the cutting room floor.

I don't think the first part of Tubular Bells 2 is different enough from the original to recommend buying it. And the second part is a disaster.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT IT COMPARED TO ALL THE VERSIONS OF TUBULAR BELLS.

I give it 1 star.

There are at least 7 versions of Tubular Bells:
The original
The original live version
The original with orchestra
Tubular Bells 2
Tubular Bells 2 live
Tubular Bells 3
Tubular Bells 2003

Just how many ways can you milk this beast? Especially when it was just merely a good piece of music. If Oldfield is going to keep remaking this, he shouldn't be just doing slight variations on a theme. He should go for one really great version. And get rid of the master of ceremonies and clearing of the throat.

...and I love it more and more!.......2005-04-02

This is no plain old follow up to a big hit as was TB I. It is a work on its own to be enjoyed over and over. Its one for the stranded island collection for sure. If you like Oldfield's music you will not fail to like, love TB II.

Average customer rating:

Smoke and dust from supposed fans: Ignore them
Good, but different from the original
I Prefer the Original
Now this is where he's gone too far
Good job Mike.

Tubular Bells 2003

Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Tubular Bells III
Tubular Bells II
Tubular Bells
Five Miles Out
The Songs of Distant Earth

ASIN: B0000942HV
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Tracks:

Introduction
Fast Guitars
Basses
Latin
A Minor Tune
Blues
Thrash
Jazz
Ghost Bells
Russian
Finale
Harmonics
Peace
Bagpipe Guitars
Caveman
Ambient Guitars
The Sailor's Hornpipe

Amazon.com

Perfectionist Mike Oldfield (unhappy, apparently, at the odd bum note on the indubitably classic original) utilizes updated studio techniques to re-record his flagship classical/folk/rock instrumental masterwork in its bar-for-bar entirety. It may be true that the Bayeux Tapestry would look pretty good if someone re-embroidered all 230 feet of it on a modern sewing machine, but that's hardly the point. Surely, the original Tubular Bells, which recorded 16 million in sales, has more than enough going for it. Although the production here is fatter and brighter, playing "spot the difference" between this version and the one that continues to pay for Richard Branson's hot-air balloons may require levels of diligence and dedication bordering on pottiness. There are minor distinctions, including louder bass guitar, better sounding bagpipes, Sally Oldfield (presumably) joining Mike for a grunt on the amusing "Caveman" section, and John Cleese playing master of ceremonies on "Finale," saving his best "pining for the fjords" voice for the announcement of the arrival of the "double speed guitar.". --Kevin Maidment

Album Description

30 years on, a replayed and reproduced version of the groundbreaking classic Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield with the latest technology. Warner Music. 2003.

Album Details

His Recording Contract Prevented Him from Re-recording the Original Classic for 25 Years. Time's Up and Our Hero Hasn't Wasted a Moment in Getting the Job Done. Every Instrument Has Been Re-miked for this Special Edition of Oldfield's all Time Classic. In Former Bonzo Dog Viv Stanshall's Absence Due to Natural Causes, Former Monty Python John Cleese Has Been Recruited as "The Announcer". The Theme from "The Exorcist" Has New Breath, Fresh Depth and Crystal Clear Sound Like You've Never Imagined it Before!

Customer Reviews:

Smoke and dust from supposed fans: Ignore them.......2007-06-15

People read these reviews because they are not sure about an artist or one of their works, and are just getting interested. Let me assure anyone reading this (if you are recently interested in Mike Oldfield) that this is a beautiful CD.

The reviewers here leave a confusing picture: some haven't heard this but reviewed it anyway, others are getting it mixed up with Tubular Bells 3, which has different music on it.

I bought this CD after reading reviews here, and was not put off by the supposed fans, crying about remakes (how many times???) etc. I first got interested in MO from Tubular Bells 2, which has some striking, highly original and beautiful compositions. They ARE NOT the same as the Tubular Bells original. In fact, all of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells works are enough different, that you could own all of them and enjoy each separately for what it is.

Except for TB 2003, which is the grownup modern version of Mike's ideas from 1973. If this CD had no predecessor, it would be an above-par ambient-rock fusion work that would attract some notice. If Mike Oldfield decides to redo it to make it better, more power to him. Don't believe any of the tripe here that it is without soul, etc. Electronic instruments are used by everybody nowadays, from the pure guys like Ulrich Schnauss, to the major players like Alan Parsons. (Well,except for Tingstadt and Rumbel, and the Chieftains, --both of whom I like a lot--and other acoustically-committed musicians.)

To belittle the guy for wanting to make a version fit for the generations unborn, is to quarrel over territory that doesn't belong to you. That's what I think, anyway.

This is a 4.5 stars effort, rounded to 5.

Good, but different from the original.......2007-05-10

When I had bought this I had ordered the original version and received this version. When I saw that it was 2003 I thought about returning it, but decided to keep it. When I first put it on I immediately noticed a difference even though I had not heard this in years. I still have the vinyl LP from the '70s! I really like this version of Tubular Bells, but I am not sure if I like it as much as the original version. The original version was done with less instruments which lends to its uniqueness. The sound quality of this version is by far better than the original due to the limitations from the source tape of the original. All in all, I am glad I kept this version, but will buy the original version also.

I Prefer the Original.......2006-09-11

I've been a fan of Mike Oldfield's work since the release of "Tubular Bells" in the 1970's. Unfortunately, I think this 2003 re-recording lacks much of the spontaneity and exhuberance that made the original recording so wonderful.

All the way from the excessively fuzzy sound of the rock guitars to John Clease using his best "Fawlty Towers" voice to call out the various instruments in the Part One Finale. This version of "Tubular Bells" is just too studied; too aware of itself; too cute; too over-produced.

I'm going to continue listening to the original recording - warts and all. It's alive in a way that "Tubular Bells 2003" is not.

Now this is where he's gone too far.......2006-08-06

On this album, he is trying to re-record, as closely as possible, to the original 1973 release. Why the hell does he want to do that? If he had released this performance live, his efforts may have been more justified. I'd rather see him and his other performers try and reproduce the original album this tight instead of just hear it being redone as a CD only release.

Now, I know everybody who likes Mike Oldfield is criticizing him for re-recording and re-packaging Tubular Bells over and over, and over again these past 30 plus years. But, if it wasn't for the 1992 release of Tubular Bells II, I would have probably just let myself forget all about him. I really didn't follow Mike Oldfield's music much after Crises (1983) and The Killing Fields (1984). I didn't care for how Mike Oldfield was doing less long played projects and started to perform pop sounding ditties with other singers. Sometimes, you wouldn't know if you were listening to Mike Oldfield or ABBA. Simple pop songs like "Family Man", "To France", "Moonlight Shadow", etc. And when I saw "Discovery" (1984) and seen that it had more short pop songs with vocals, I just sort of gave up on Mike Oldfield, altogether. So I think, TB II was a smart move for Mike Oldfield to re-introduce himself to the music world. "Tubular Bells" (1973) was considered a Progressive Rock achievement back then, and so TB II of 1992 had to compete with the modern day New Age music market. I don't think TB III was a great disappointment, and I certainly I won't give it a miss either. To see it performed live now (on his very hard to find PAL region only DVD release of TB II and TB III live) actually makes me appreciate that album so much more.

And why shouldn't Mike Oldfield try and keep Tubular Bells alive? When we go to see any singer or band in concert, we are usually not too concerned about hearing some of their new material. We want to see and hear the hits, of course. Especially from bands who's past is much more glorified than where they are today.

However, If he tries to re-record this album just once more, he really should seek some therapy. I think by now, he's beat this horse enough. Please Mike, give it a rest!

Good job Mike........2006-07-24

Well this album is the result of a long journey and my personal opinion is that it has those new small changes that makes it refreshing than Tubular Bells I, but of course the spontaneity and passion of Tubular Bells I is unique as well as many others
on those years; " It's a good album."

Well I think that Mike can deliver an insuperable music as he showed to us in " Songs of Distant Earth " and many others.

Average customer rating:

great music bad presentation
A Must for Oldfield Fans
Gives a new light on early Oldfield's recordings
Mike and Me
Superb

Boxed

Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Amarok
Tubular Bells III
Exposed
Tubular Bells 2003
Mike Oldfield - Live at Montreux 1981

ASIN: B0000072NT
Release Date: 2002-12-10

Tracks:

Tubular Bells: Part One
Tubular Bells Part: Two
The Rio Grande
Portsmouth
In Dulci Jubilo

Tracks:

Hergest Ridge: Part One
Hergest Ridge: Part Two
An Extract From Star's End
Argiers
Speak (Tho You Only Say Farewell)

Tracks:

Ommadawn: Part One
Ommadawn: Part Two
The Phaeacian Games
First Excursion

Customer Reviews:

great music bad presentation.......2005-06-08

There is no doubt that the music in this so called boxed set is very good and for further info I humbly refer you to previous reviews. My disapointment comes in the destruction of the artist concept and display of the product. After reading the reviews I realized that most of you recall the album release, the albums came in a box format hence the title. But i do not know if the same people recall the original release of the cd which came in a clam shell box cleverly reproducing the album presentation. What is being past as a box is now a jewel case inside a flimsy slip cover the title should now be changed to Mike Oldfield jeweled cased.

A Must for Oldfield Fans.......2004-02-27

I have to say it... this is one of the best showcases of Mike's earlier work. This remixed version of "Tubular Bells" was created as a way to convince Mike that a quadraphonic mix should be created and released. Mike listened and proclaimed it perfect as was, so it was released. The original version, compared to this remix, sounded cluttered and confused. Also, the original American quad pressing, using the CD-4 system as opposed to the SQ format used in England, was marred by a very poor quality pressing. Contrary to what was said in the booklet accompanying this box set in CD, the recordings held on these discs are, in fact, SQ quad despite claims otherwise. I also have the LP set, and I directly compared them. So if you have a Dolby Pro Logic II setting on your playback system, by all means use it. The mix of "Ommadawn" is the same as was originally released on both SQ and QS quad versions in England, and on SQ here. The first part contains a chant, by Clodagh Simonds, that builds up toward the conclusion. Played back in surround, this chant takes on an etherial quality; Clodagh's voice suspended in mid-air as the additional instruments gradually come in. This is lost in the stereo mix, which I also have on another CD. "Hergest Ridge" features a musical tone poem, as it could be described, of where Mike was brought up. The shorter selections in the "Collaborations" album are also quite good. "In Dulci Jubilo", which is a Christmas song, takes on a highland fling style. As for "Speak", it's a duet with Mike and David Bedford on the vocals. This is a great box set, and I encourage any true Mike Oldfield fan to add it to their collection.

Gives a new light on early Oldfield's recordings.......2003-08-06

This is a must have for real Oldfield's fan..."Ommadawn", "Hergest ridge" and "Tubular bells" are his classic works, here they come along in slightly different versions and unreleased songs...The songs are really interesting especially delicate piano tune "Speak..." with vocals by Mike and beautifull "first excursion", that signals a beginning of "Incantations" era....
"Tubular bells" has a bit different sound from original and it features diffrrent ending - very funny "sailor's hornipipe" version with crazy commentary by Drunken Vivian Stanhall (master of ceremony in part 1) - a very nice suprise...
If you are a big fan of Early progressive and instrumental music,or just a Mike Oldfield fan this is a must have for you - it is also good for those fans that don't have internet to collect Mike's rare songs...

Mike and Me.......2003-04-05

Like most people, I suppose, first became aware of Mike Oldfield when THE EXORCIST first came out. Those haunting strains from TUBULAR BELLS really affected me when I saw the film lo these many yuears ago and again when I bought the album. I hyave owned that one in just about every format possible from Long Playing Record through Cassette tape to midi file and now on CD thanks to this beautiful set. A set which also features HERGEST RIDGE, OMMADAWN (another GREAT Mike Oldfield composition btw) and an album of collaborations. Unlike the LP version (which I have also owned of this boxed set) the cd boxed splits the collaborations on to the three cds that contain his first three albums. This seems to me a better way to hear them then all piled together on a separate cd the way they were with the record. They seem to complete the listening experience one has when one puts a Mike Oldfield work into one's cd player one soon notices that---whatever one is listening to: Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn...whatever---it's just not long enough. One wants the listening experience to continue..or, at least, one wants a few encores. And that's what you get here. What can I say, kids? BUY IT!!!

Superb.......2003-01-31

I was thrilled to see that this was available. I had to get my copy through a friend in England.

This CD set is an excellent collection of Oldfield's early work, and the re-mix on Tubular Bells (including the original Sailor's Hornpipe, as opposed to the toned down version used for the original American release) is hysterical (but a bit blind-siding if you're very familiar with the original -- first time I listened to it I almost pulled the needle off the LP so I could check the LP for problems).

Tracks:

Tubular Bells (Part One)
Tubular Bells (Part Two)

Amazon.com

Album Description

Album Details

Extra Artwork, Remastered and Extensive Liner Notes.

Customer Reviews:

Epic pop poetry..........2007-07-27

Thirty four years later and still Stunning to listen to.......2007-07-14

Long but good.......2007-04-01

This is the perfect cd for long trips. Though there's only two tracks, they go for a long time. This is the complete theme to The Exorcist and is worth listening to.

unique.......2007-03-10

this album is for anyone wanting to explore a different realm of consciousness and wanting a taste for experimental textures, tones, and sounds. great album. very interesting.

The original, nothing more or less.......2007-03-05

Average customer rating:

This cash cow has been tragically over-milked
The repeating point
We don't need another version!!!!
An exceptional re-make, and a DVD taste of the future
A Good Idea Good Bad

Tubular Bells 2003 (+ Bonus DVD)

Manufacturer: WEA International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Tubular Bells III
The Millennium Bell
Tubular Bells II
Mike Oldfield - Live at Montreux 1981

ASIN: B000096H33
Release Date: 2003-06-02

Tracks:

Introduction
Fast Guitars
Basses
Latin
Minor Tune
Blues
Thrash
Jazz
Ghost Bells
Russian
Finale
Harmonics
Peace
Bagpipe Guitars
Caveman
Ambient Guitars
Sailor's Hornpipe

Tracks:

Introduction [DVD]
Fast Guitars [DVD]
Basses [DVD]
Introduction 2003 'The Video' [DVD]

Amazon.com

Album Description

30 years on, a replayed and reproduced version of the groundbreaking classic Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield with the latest technology. Includes bonus DVD (NTSC / All Regions) featuring 3 5.1 mixes and video clip - 'Introduction', 'Fast Guitars', 'Basses' and the video promo 'Introduction'. Virgin. 2003.

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

This cash cow has been tragically over-milked.......2004-09-13

I've got nothing against remasterings, or even re-recordings. The re-recording of Philip Glass's "Einstein On The Beach", for example, is far more powerful than the original. If only the same were true of Tubular Bells.

It's a common truism amongst artists that if you work and re-work a piece of art too much, you work all the life and spontaneity out of it. That seems to have happaned here. Yes, the recordings of the instruments are all cleaner and sharper, but there's a processed homogeneity to the whole thing, with every sequenced beat being just a little too perfect, every guitar note just a bit too smooth and consistent.

There are some specific flaws too. Piltdown man with vocoders? Please. The original was murky, primitive and threatening; this new version is just silly. Similarly, John Cleese should have been discouraged from camping it up, rather than having "Mandolin!" sampled like a Max Headroom quip. It's symptomatic of the fact that where the original was earnest and a touch angry in places, this new version sounds jokey and artificial. Maybe the Mike Oldfield of 2003 views it as a joke album, or perhaps it's all about the money.

As a final note, I still think the original intended ending of "Tubular Bells" is far better than the cheesy synth Sailor's Hornpipe used on the first release, and inexplicably kept for this re-recording. You'll only hear the real ending on the version of TB included in "Boxed". Personally, I edited the "Boxed" ending onto the 1990s remastered edition of the original "Tubular Bells" using Cubase, and that's my ultimate version. I'm literally throwing the 2003 release away and pretending I never heard it.

The repeating point.......2003-09-15

another version of Tubular bells - get the original.
DVD is only a cheap computer made video (i can make it myself) and few album tracks to listen in DVD rom.

We don't need another version!!!!.......2003-08-22

I own at least five versions of "Tubular Bells": The original vinyl edition, the first cd edition, the 30th anniversary edition, the HDCD Remastered edition and the SACD edition...and now I have this brand-new-re-recorded edition....I'm intoxicated...I think the SACD version should have been the real last attempt of it!...

A real Tubular Bells' fan

An exceptional re-make, and a DVD taste of the future.......2003-08-19

There are two versions of this release, the US Version from Rhino, and the Import Version which includes a bonus DVD. I bought the DVD/Import version and I'm glad I did.

The CD is the same in both versions, but the DVD gives you a taste of what Oldfield may have planned for yet another future release. One of the advantages of his re-recording of this masterpiece is that he now has a high end master which he can re-mix in newer audio formats as they come along.

The DVD is only about 9 minutes long, but it does contain a short animated video and an intense audio mix of a couple of tracks in a 5.1 audio format. It would seem to me that producing the entire release in a high end audio format such as DVD Audio or SACD is the next logical step.

One listen to the 5.1 DVD on your surround system and you're hooked.

A Good Idea Good Bad.......2003-08-07

When I first heard that Mike Oldfield was planning to re-record the original Tubular Bells with updated technology, I thought that was a wonderful idea. But I did not take into account the measure of disrespect the composer must now feel for his once revered composition. Rather than making this a stronger recording than the original, it seems deliberately weak and watered down. Also, the announcing of the instruments and Cave Man lyrics are unbelievably contrived. You just want to say to him, Mike, are you really taking this thing seriously. And he seems to say back, I can't believe you ever took it seriously.

If you pretend that this is PDQ Bach stealing themes from Mike Oldfield it might just be funny. But otherwise it's just plain painful to listen to.