TUBULAR BELLS III

After the just Ok The Voyager, wich was just half a success for Oldfield, the man (or the label...) decided to return to his most representative saga... The Tubular Bells. But this name is, in my opinion, totally unnecesary, while this music has not much to do with the two previous albums... Just the first track and the last two are related musically with this saga. And this is the weakest point of the album. Sourceful of Secrets sounds forced, and too much artificial... I don't like very much this new electronic version of the Tubular Bells theme, and I find it unnecesary. And so is Secrets, the weakest song of the album...

But I must say that the rest of the songs are just great. The level of this music is really high! I think that despite the crazy days Oldfield lived in the spanish island of Ibiza, he was in a sweet musical moment, and the pieces included in this album truly give some of the most inspired Oldfield's moments. Despite the boring reinterpretation of the Tubular Bells's theme, it's a real pleasure to hear this album in its integrity. It's never boring, offering new Oldfield's sounds (like the oriental and spanish influences...) and with the guitars shining brightly. The sound Oldfield got with his guitars is just great in this album!

Best songs: except the two tracks I mentioned above, I find the rest of the album really brilliant... I specially love the riffs and original guitar sounds in Outcast, the oriental influences of Serprent Dream and The Inner Child, and the two really beautiful tracks The Top of the Morning and Moonwatch. Far Above the Clouds also closes the album in a brilliant and epic way. It remembers me to the ending of the first side of Ommadawn!

Conclusion: forgive the name of this album, please... And give it a try. Because this is another brilliant Oldfield's work, full with truly inspired and beautiful moments, and some innovative mixture of influences. The Oldfield's guitars had never sounded so good like this album, and the spanish and dance influences they give more diversity to the songs... Except the Tubular Bells theme's remix, this album is excellent, and every lover of the instrumental music should hear it. Marvellous work!

My rating: ****

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