TUBULAR BELLS

There's probably very little left to be said that hasn't already been about Oldfield's seminal, hugely-successful debut album 'Tubular Bells'. Time has certainly not diminished the effect of a complex behemoth of an album that confounded expectations and, with no lead-off single, somehow climbed to the top of the charts and became a worldwide smash, turning it's young and reclusive creator into an overnight sensation. Add the fact that director William Friedkin would go on to use the opening reel for the commercial smash-hit 1973 horror film 'The Exorcist' and 'Tubular Bells' success reaches rarely charted levels. Best described as an electronically-charged, instrumental prog-rock magnus opus, Oldfield's debut still retains the ability to both delight and confound, especially in the eerie opening keyboards and the powerful instrumental passages that adorn the album's second half. It may sound leagues apart from the likes of King Crimson, Yes or Genesis, but 'Tubular Bells' is still quintessentially progressive in it's style and construction. The fact that it was written and created by just Oldfield(with able assistance from producer Tom Newman) is still astonishing. Despite it's occasional shortcomings - indulgent noodling, overlong running time - this is still classic prog. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010