Is Mike Oldfield Symphonic prog or not?
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=25163
Printed Date: July 17 2025 at 23:24
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Topic: Is Mike Oldfield Symphonic prog or not?
Posted By: Cheesecakemouse
Subject: Is Mike Oldfield Symphonic prog or not?
Date Posted: June 22 2006 at 23:29
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This has been bothering me since I first got into prog, I love Mike Oldfield's work very beautiful and powerful, but his style differs from genesis and Yes and definately ELP, the structures of the songs are different from Syphonic prog they have an ambience that symph bands have. Oldfield's work is not electronic prog but in some ways it has more in common with some of those groups in the way a lot of his songs are written, but he also has a strong folky element a lot of celtic folk themes in his music. I know that Art Rock is the dumping ground for the unclassifiable, but really where else could Oldfield go, his style does doesn't fit anywhere else. Perhaps in time if their are others like him he could be in a kind of Celtic Ambient prog category. Anyway tell me if your views differ from me. And if this poll gets enough votes maybe I'll start another poll on which category Oldfield fits in. Please voters make sure you are informed enough before you cast a vote ------------- |
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: June 22 2006 at 23:41
Just one thing, a genre that includes King Crimson, Gentle Giant, VDGG and many of the most challenging bands can't be described as a dumping ground.
We had two alternatives:
I honestly go with our option. About Mike, still I don't really know, Peruvian stores used to include him in Jazz section, in Argentina i saw him in Electronic, in other country I saw Mike lumped with New Age (Believe it was in Ecuador), probably Art Rock would be the right place..
Our team is checking each and every one of the almost 500 Symphonic bands, reading all the reviews in Prog Archives, creating Biogarphies in some cases, searching for comments, reviews, songs, albums or at least samples, we're still in the letter "M" so I will cross the Oldfield Bridge when I reach that river, probably in a couple of weeks.
Iván ------------- 
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Cheesecakemouse wrote:Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: June 22 2006 at 23:43
Mike Oldfield is ambient symphonic art pop rock jazzy new age coolness .
------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: lightbulb_son
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 00:51
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I would definitely put him in Art Rock. ------------- When the world is sick Can't no one be well But I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong 
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Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 00:53
 I like that genre. I would not recommend Art Rock,it's not 100% his place and dedication.Personally as the classic "Tubular Bells" and many of the 70s albums are concerned,he is symphonic to me.Later he grows on what Zac just magnificently told. ------------- 
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Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 00:57
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No, he's a human being; usually present in the covers of many bad new age albums. (But there's a couple that are not that bad, one of them includes Robert Wyatt)... ------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: Legoman
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 02:49
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I feel that his beginning stuff is definitely a lot more symphonic than his latter stuff but still symphonic he should remain. Also, I am confused as to how Gentle Giant got out of that genre. They definitely used to be considered Symphonic... what happened there and how the F*** is Yes still classified in that genre when King Crimson, Gentle Giant and VDGG aren't? Can we set aside our eight foot long hard-on's for Yes, please? |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 03:12
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for Yes, please?Posted By: Mandrakeroot
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 04:45
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Symphonic Ambient New age in 90% of his the music
Art Rock in 10% of his the music ------------- 
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 04:49
| Orchestral, more than symphonic. |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 04:53
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Orchestral prog?
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Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 08:56
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Im not sure actually, sometimes he's symphonic, sometimes pop, sometimes new age etc. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 09:12
| there's more than a touch of folk to his classic releases, wouldn't you say? |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 18:12
Voted ''Not Sure''.I think he started New Age inadvertently but also as he had a folk duo with his sister Sally prior to Tubular Bells then why not 'folk prog'?? Those were his roots.He also worked closely with the avante garde composer David Bedford..so maybe 'avante garde new age folk prog' is correct.
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Posted By: Phil
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 18:47
| Unsure..both about what genre and unsure whether I really like the guy's music! Sometimes he's great but sometimes he doth indulge too much....... |
Posted By: bruin69
Date Posted: June 23 2006 at 20:04
| That's the problem with classifications - I just like his music whatever category he's forced into... |
Posted By: Cheesecakemouse
Date Posted: June 24 2006 at 04:13
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There is a slight Magma influence, eg the gibberish singing in some of his songs, and some of the guitar effects on Taurus 2 is reminiscent of Udu Wudu, I don't think Oldfield plagerised Magma but I believe that it is another facet of his music which makes him so unique and almost uncategorisable. ------------- |
Posted By: imhotep
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 20:48
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Who cares?
Are you really bothered by not being able to label his music?
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 21:22
The curious thing is that his myusic is already labelled, if you read all the posts, not ione is exact to the previous, thhis proves that Mike wrote and performed:
So this means he's an ECLECTIC musician, that's the sub-genre where you can find him now. Now lets this thread rest, it has been closed for more than a year.
I believe in some cases old threads should be closed, specially now that Art Rocck doesn't exist anymore.Iván -------------
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Posted By: sircosick
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 21:42
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Eclectic. Nuff said. ------------- The best you can is good enough... |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 22:02
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^^actually, he's in Crossover Prog now.
------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 22:14
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I think a better poll question would be "Is Mikeoldfield one word or two?"
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Posted By: proglil49
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 22:57
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Can be interpreted in numerous ways. Really not sure what to say about it, if symphonic or not. ------------- I want to be an astronaut |
Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 23:02
| NO. He's eclectic. |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 23:27
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Eclectic, indeed. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: November 17 2007 at 23:38
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"Crossover Prog contains progressive rock music that, though 100% progressive, may have a musical connection to popular music" http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp#3 - http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp#3
Honesttly I don't find the mainstream connection (BTW: The term popular is wrong there, Pink Floyd is popular but Prog it should be replaced for mainstream IMHO).
I see him more in Eclectic, but i'm not the expert.
Iván -------------
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Posted By: imhotep
Date Posted: November 18 2007 at 10:04
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Ok, I'm pretty new on these boards but isn't it very 'un-progressive' to say he is this or that? As a musician I'd go crazy thinking in those terms and limiting myself.
I'm not trying to start a fight just debating here.
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 06:10
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Mike Oldfield is Mike Oldfield. He is not Symphonic nor is he Eclectic. There are a variety of musical influences that he has incorporated into different albums along the way, but always within the "Mikeoldfield" sound. I do not feel that he creates fusions of different musical genres, rather he adapts them into his own way of playing and arranging the music, for example he may play a folk tune but it is always in the unmistakable "Mikeoldfield" style so that it does not become Prog Folk or Folk Rock. Any eclectisism (Jazz, Rock, New Age whatever) in his music is from song to song and album to album rather than within as single piece of music. Of the three Art Rock subs Crossover suits him best, since it is neither Heavy nor Ecledctic and since his music can be seen as mainstream/popular music in a Prog flavour.
PS: I have no problem with the phrase "popular music" in the definition and see no immediate reason to change it. ------------- What? |