Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bells Ring Again....and with such wonderful clarity, 8 Jun 2009
Despite my young age (I'm 22) I have been a huge admirer of Mike Oldfield for many years and was introduced to his music, perhaps unsurprisingly, via "Tubular Bells". Many things have been said about this piece of music, about its brilliance, etc. And I concur with this. "Tubular Bells" is not only one of Mike Oldfield's best compositions but it remains to be one of music's best compositions ever.
With this re-release it may be said that this is simply the flogging of a dead horse and I do agree with this sentiment to some degree. However, the fact that that "Tubular Bells" has never sounded as good as this, that the re-mastering has really benefited the composition without changing the tone and feel and that Mike Oldfield has taken a great deal of care over this re-release I think justifies this products existence.
Furthermore, no one is forcing you to purchase this, although I can understand that it can be rather annoying when you have something and then a better version is put out. However, I feel that such sentiments are down to you and I and when reviewing this should be ignored (to some extent). The fact is, and what should be focused on, is that this is a fantastic release and it has helped me to discover the wonder of this music all over again.
Not only do we have "Tubular Bells" sounding excellent but we also have for the first time on CD, "Mike Oldfield's Single" and the full "Sailor's Hornpipe" with Viv Stanshall giving us a wonderful (albeit, drunken) tour of The Manor (the place this album was originally recorded).
I honestly think, that with how good the entire album sounds, this re-release is fully justified and if you decided to purchase it you will not be disappointed (certainly if you are buying this album for the first time and even if you have already got it).
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the wait, 8 Jun 2009
Others, elsewhere, have recently paid £60+ for scarcely any more than has been brought out in this set, for a fifth of the price. They mostly seem unimpressed. However, for sensible money, this 3 disc set (ignore Amazon saying it is 2) is a bit of fun, and good value.
It's clearly a cut down assemblage of the expensive four disc package, 'cos the 5.1 surround sound DVD is actually labelled "Disc 4". Disc 2 contains stock copies of the original 1973 album. You probably won't have bought this set for these. It's the 2009 "remix", and the 5.1 surround sound tracks on the DVD that you'll have been after.
I chased up a copy of a surround sound version of the original album allegedly issued a few years ago, eventually baulking at the price (£90 or more from some dealers). I'm therefore pleased that something has become available at a far more accessible price.
And I like it. As remixes go, it's fairly subtle - instruments brought further up in the mix at key points, and things like that. On my system (not expensive by any means), it is generally crisp, with masses of small detail even the most avid fan won't really have heard before. Oldfield has exercised a very light remixer's touch, and while one could quibble endlessly about whether this instrument or that one should have had more, or less, prominence at any given point, it's down to the artist at the end of the day.
Speaker separation, all important to the surround sound fan, is very good. The very deep organ notes come at you through your feet, too!
The Viv Stanshall Sailor's Hornpipe is an indulgent piece of fun, and it's good to have a decent copy of the 1973 BBC2 "live broadcast", but for me, these are embellishments to now having a decent 5.1 version of one of the best albums ever.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Yet another 'Tubular Bells'., 11 Jun 2009
Does the world need another version of Tubular bells? Since its release we have had the LP (Stereo and Quad), CD, SACD (Including the original QUAD mix) and a remake in 2003 of the whole album as a 5.1 DVDA which included the original demo for `Tubular bells'. Also we should mention `Tubular Bells 2', the `Millennium bell' etc... Now we have a deluxe edition which I hoped would top all previous releases. As an owner of many versions of the above I have found this to be lacking in too many ways. Deluxe editions should be the best quality available releases, and that is where this falls down Quality seems to have been lacking at Universal.
What is good about this set?
A new mix of tubular bells,
A surround mix of the original recording of Tubular bells
The original mix of tubular bells.
The Mike Oldfield single and an original recording of Sailors Hornpipe with Viv Stanshall.
Video of a BBC recording of Tubular bells part 1.
What lets this disc down?
The DVD is inexplicably labelled Disc 4 in a 3 disc set.
The CDS are mastered loud as is the modern way
The new surround mix is only Dolby digital (Lossy) (not DTS acknowledged as better that Dolby in most Quad circles or MLP i.e. lossless).
The third (labelled disc 4) disc does not have its own setting but is tucked inside the cardboard so tight that you need to grip with you fingers rather hard to get it out thus damaging the disc in the process (something Universal seem to have done a lot and been criticised for recently)
For an album which stats on the box not to play this on `old tin cans' to not include a Hi resolution mix seems inexcusable, either an SACD or DVDA of the new stereo and surround mixes should have been included. So this is not a deluxe edition it's far from complete it's a Luxury edition i.e. not needed but nice to have if you are more than a casual fan.
A 5 star Album with stars docked for the above mentioned reasons.
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