Tubular Bells Vol.2 - Mike Oldfield > Reviews > Encore for the bells

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
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Advantages:	Excellent reworking of an old theme
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

In 1973 Mike Oldfield broke every rule in the music industry book. An extended, mainly instrumental recording, which he had taken round to almost every established UK record label, was rejected several times and at last taken on half-heartedly by Richard Branson (at whose studio the work had been created) for his embryonic Virgin Records. Thanks to shrewd promotion both men, as well as the record, 'Tubular Bells', and their label, became hugely successful.

So was there really any point in Oldfield, having fallen out with Branson, decamping to another record company and launching a second 'Tubular Bells' nearly two decades later? Was it just a cynical exercise in recycling, or does it stand up on its own merits?

Much as I loved 'TB I' and much of his subsequent work, I had my doubts as to whether a sequel would be justified. One listen, as well as watching a live performance on TV from the Edinburgh Festival, converted me instantly.

There is a subtle difference between them. The original 1973 work divided neatly into two sides on vinyl, fairly long instrumental passages but with enough variations in pace and mood, as well as the spoken 'master of ceremonies' and grunted 'Caveman Song' passages. Those were the days when prog-rockers could dominate the album charts without needing to include a radio-friendly potential single or two.

In 1992 and a totally different singles-driven marketplace, 'TB II' comprised sixteen tracks which admittedly linked to form a corporate whole, but were all given their own titles, doubtless with an eye on radio programming as well as the Top 30. Three were issued as singles, and all of them charted - 'Sentinel' (No. 10), 'Tattoo' (No. 33), and 'The Bell' (No. 50).

There's not much to be gained from a lengthy track-by-track analysis. Suffice to say that several of the ideas which originally appeared in the 1973 work resurface in disguise this time. 'Sentinel', the opening track, has that same shimmering keyboard motif and a similar tune, yet without turning into a carbon copy. Just when you think it's about to descend into ambient blandness, along comes a burst of heavyish guitar on 'Blue Saloon', some playful piano and guitar on 'Sunjammer', and a rather lovely classical-type guitar passage on 'Red Dawn'.

Occurring almost halfway through, 'The Bell' is the new master of ceremonies piece, spoken by an unnamed gent referred to as 'A Strolling Player', with a musical phrase repeated over and over again in similar style to the one which accompanied the late Viv Stanshall's m.c. work nineteen years before. (If I remember rightly, actor John Gordon Sinclair took the role at the live performance, though it’s obviously not him on the record). 'Tattoo', presumably included to give it some relevance to the Edinburgh venue, is a rousing waltz (a kind of second cousin to 'Over the Sea To Skye') played on bagpipes, by a genuine Pipe Band. Even Mike's omni-instrumental virtuosity in the studio had its limits!

'Altered State' is the new 'Caveman Song', with a few incoherent bellows (which sound like 'Doh!'), a female voice coyly asking 'Where's your mummy, where's she gone?', some searing guitar work, and even a choral backdrop. It's followed by the soothing, dreamy 'Maya Gold'. Finally, a short hoedown 'Moonshine', with banjo, country fiddle and yee-hah gee-tar leading the way, bring the curtain down.

If you want to put a negative construction on this record, granted it does sound like 'Tubular Bells I' in several places, and at more or less parallel points. But in my opinion Mike has taken several of the ideas and movements, and successfully recreated them in a new setting without merely plagiarising himself. The fact that it topped the album chart on release suggests that enough other punters agreed. There was room for both in their record collections, as well as mine.

Ambient music does nothing for me. But play me an ambient record which has the same light and shade, humour, and flirtations with folk and rock of Mike Oldfield, and I might change my mind. Admittedly, he has been blamed for much of this new age aural wallpaper that’s come our way in the intervening years, but that's like blaming Abba for Steps and Hear’Say.

Alternatively, if you simply want a helping of each, a 'Best of Tubular Bells' (2001, also 11.99 from Amazon) features a couple of extracts from it, a fair quantity of the original work, plus excerpts from live performances of same, and even a couple from the later (and inferior) 'Tubular Bells III'. Sometimes you can take recycling too far, though I suspect in this case Virgin Records are probably more to blame than the artist himself.