TUBULAR BELLS

Another year means another couple of holidays, like Halloween. Picking an album to review on Halloween was a bit of a thoughtful thing for me, since there are a lot of good records to choose from. Luckily, the theater I worked at, was showing that new Exorcist movie, which so gracefully uses the classic Tubular Bells jingle in its main theme. I thought 'Well I guess I have found the record I am gonna review for Halloween this year'.

To me, Mike Oldfield is probably one of the more prestigious early prog acts in the early 70s, up there with Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson. His ability to combine melodic classical-esque music with progressive rock and folk has always been something I hold dearly into my heart. I even say his combination makes him probably one of the most experimental artists in prog rock history, aside from Fripp and Zappa, of course, as he is able to create these modern Bachs within the confines of a Canterbury styled rock/folk effort.

He's also a pretty big hit maker, especially in Europe. While in America, Oldfield, to us, is just that British guy that made one of the most timeless horror movie pieces ever, in Europe he is very known for such pieces like On Horseback, Family Man, Shadow On The Wall, Moonlight Shadow, To France, and plenty more. After the 70s he would lay low on the whole big 20+ minute epic, though he does occasionally dip his toes in those waters in time, as that is something he is quite known for. Though, he would still find himself within pop culture, as his work Nuclear, originally from Man On The Rocks, does appear as a trailer theme for Metal Gear Solid V. Kinda funny how Mike manages to find his music in some pretty big pop culture phenomenons from time to time.

But less talk about Oldfield's extensive career, and more about his biggest namesake, Tubular Bells. It is not a surprise to call this his magnum opus, at least from what I think. Not only was it a top charter, it is made anew time and time again with different takes, boxsets, remixes, and whole albums, usually made with different instruments, new compositions, and different genres. If there was one prog epic that I would consider to be the largest crowd hit, it'd be Tubular Bells.

Tubular Bells contains a full 48 minute worth of music, shared within 2 parts of the same whole. Part 1 is the one most are familiar with, as it contains that familiar piano melody in the beginning, as well as shifting and winding musical melodies that transform throughout, until a big burst of instruments form in the last half. The way Viv Stanshall says "plus tubular bells" at the tailend of the symphony of instruments brings me a very strong amount of euphoria, especially as the tubular bells hit for the first, and from what I can gather, only time on this record. Part 2 isn't half bad either, a lot more pagan and mellower than part 1, aside from the massive guitar playing in the middle, and the caveman part. I like the ending to part 2, being this old folk jingle called The Sailor's Hornpipe. It's much like On Horseback from Ommadawn a few years later. A fun jingle to end off a stellar piece of music.

Now, the reason why I really like this album is just the massiveness of it. How it combines Steve Reich-like minimalism, with an orchestral hue, a very symphonic prog outlook, and a rich Canterbury inspired stylization makes for such an interesting fusion of music, one of which that I am still trying to wrap my head around. It's avant- garde, yet there is a feeling of familiarity within it. It's mellow, yet has moments that feel big and grand. There is never one part to this whole piece, it feels like a very true classical piece, like Pictures At An Exhibition and The Four Seasons, but at the same time, it is a very rocking piece of music that feels young and fresh. It is truly progressive rock in all its facets, heck I would say even more so than most symphonic prog bands.

I also have fond memories of listening to it in car rides. Whenever the wifi goes out, I listen to my MP3 download on my phone, watching the scenery; the rocks and trees; snow and sometimes even forests of northern America, just taking in what is in store for the sights, as I hear Mike's strums of his guitar. It is enriching, honestly.

There is no doubt in my mind this is one of the peaks in progressive rock, next to some of its very beginnings, to its modern lives. It is complex, simple, beautiful, haunting, and in every which way a classic. I think this is an essential album, especially when first getting into prog, as it introduces the whole big epics pretty well, and can give listeners a familiar, but still quite complex level of music. Happy Halloween folks.