TUBULAR BELLS 2003

After the flawed Orchestral Tubular Bells and tons of remasters, reeditions and sequels, Mike Oldfield finally remade his most emblematic (but not his best) album, a desire he had since the original release with the support of Richard Branson back in 1973.

And for this occasion, he used part of the instruments of the old recording sessions along with some new incorporations and the album sounds just fantastic, plethoric and incredibly beautiful. Maybe some new elements like the female vocals in the caveman section are debatable, but the result is a tremendous gift for Oldfield's fans.

Best tracks: I always considered that the first part is far superior than the second one.

Conclusion: Tubular Bells 2003 is not a substitute for the legendary album of 1972. I rather see this re-recording as a complement of this classic piece of music, improving its sound and adding the experience and skills that Mike learned in more than 30 years of career.

So, I consider this new version maybe not superior than the original, but equally interesting and containing an incredibly well- made production very worthy to be heard and studied to learn the evolution of this talented, restless and always interesting musician.

My rating: ****

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