TUBULAR BELLS

This is a start of the several iconic symphonic albums produced by Oldfield in the 70's. This is NOT electronic rock like some people imply, the creativity and alive atmospheres of his records are high above those like "Kraftwerk" or Tangerine Dream". Oldfield is more of a technical version of bands like Yes, he came up with many extraordinary musical ideas, and many of the best symphonic albums of the time.

His music is all that more personal because of being a solo artist. Throughout his work you can sense that this is only his idea and his ideas only being represented in the music. I would describe is first four studio albums to be works of pure symphonic genius, exhibiting his personal art of constructing pseudo-classical instrumental works through his outstanding compositional skills.

Having only been 19 at the time, this record shows the amount of maturity and understanding never before seen in such a presentation. He was neglected a picture perfect childhood, his mother being a schizophrenic, he was not a very social kid as I understand growing up. Perhaps this acumulated the maturity and builded on his musical and producing talent, spending days tampering with a tape recorder to make splices and loops, or teaching himself to play the guitar.

So having been finally taken into consideration by Richard Branson after pitching his Tubular Bells to various record companies wary of releasing something this bizarre, blending vast instrumental landscapes with popular music and incorperating sections acessable to the average hippie, introducing new people into taking an interest in music past the average rock song.

The album was recorded haphazardly, many instruments being either poorly recorded, untuned or both, and was a generally rushed project, being destined to the virgin record companies first LP release. It has the unmistakeable feel of an epic album, but in touch with naiviety and native creativity, coming off as an extrodinary debut extremely subject to personal opinion on how individual people interpereted it.

But the genius of the whole album is undeniable, a wide spectrum of instruments being played by this one teenager, a new kind of rock album. It suceeded admirably, being even more popularized by the inclusion of the main riff in the Excorsist movie.

Soon it was being broadcasted on telivision through a intimate performance, receiving rave reviews from every music magazine in publication, and playing through stereo systems world wide. Truly an extraordinary starter of the destiny of the genius of Mike Oldfield. It shows what the man was capable of, and this kept people interested in his work, which is what was needed for people to consider his later albums that dive even deeper into the mind of his superb creativity and uniqueness.

A masterpeice of progressive music, essential to all those interested in the development of pop culture and the decline of society.