The Rite of Oldfield
From Francis W. Porretto’s Rumination this Sunday:
A couple of days ago, I revisited an old favorite piece of contemporary music: Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. An unfortunate number of persons dismiss it as a mere firework, a showcase for Oldfield’s multi-instrumental virtuosity. Yet it’s much more than that. If you have the opportunity, listen to it closely, with full attention. I’d be surprised if you were to come away without the sense that a great, overarching theme had been expressed in its melodies and harmonies. My only quarrel is with its title; it should have been a Mass.
Could it have been a Mass? Surely Oldfield didn’t intend it to be, but it’s not so hard to find a Mass within it.
Francis W. Porretto »
8 March 2009 · 3:35 pm
Thank you, Charles. It’s good to know that I’m not insane — or rather, if I am, to have such agreeable company.
unimpressed »
8 March 2009 · 3:55 pm
If you read the YouTube comments on any of the TB videos, many of the commenters claim it is “spooky” or “eerie”. I think more like you do, but we likely heard the music prior to “The Exorcist”.
CGHill »
8 March 2009 · 10:14 pm
I have no idea what they’re talking about, and I daresay Oldfield would have been perplexed by that reaction; he certainly wasn’t happy that there was a Tubular Bells single produced without his permission. (This is the approved single.)
unimpressed »
9 March 2009 · 8:29 am
I don’t understand it either. At one time, I had it on vinyl but only have an .mp3 version now. I had to go back and listen after FWP reminded me of It. I found that I have over 8800 songs (53+G) on that box, too.