Tubular Bells

70’s Progressive Rock ⭐️Tubular Bells (Part 2)

PEAK

One of my favorite albums for over a decade now. Oldfield recorded this pretty much by himself at 19 which really makes me want to practice every instrument I've ever played for even a moment and become proficient at every single one. The ending of Part One always gives me chills. A brilliant masterful record. Its use in The Exorcist (as small yet iconic as it is) helps as well.

I have to say, I was smiling through a lot of this album. It was interesting, fun and had many layers. The start was a little bit on the more boring side, but the album picks up nicely. Needless to say I like weird music, but this was perfection.

yeah this shit is awesome

Klassiker! Therapie für die Ohren.

Perfection

Stunning - a true adventure that deserves a close listening session

Unparalleled

Okay first at all i was shock that 4 songs could be 56 min long hahah During the first track i feel like a Disney charakter - at the beginning from old movies like Beauty and Beast, but at the end like from Cars hahaha

Love this album, have listened to it 100’s of times. I used to listen to it to get to sleep when I was younger

What a listening experience, stunning start to finish

Couple of 4 star songs does not make a 4 star album.

And tubular bells...

The first album from Mike Oldfield, and what a beginning! While it isn't as well-defined as his future album-length suites, mostly lacking many if any recurring motifs and sort of just moving from musical idea to musical idea throughout its length, it's still an all-time classic of progressive rock. The piano section at the start that got used in The Exorcist, the instrument callouts by Viv Stanshall at the end of Pt. 1 ending with the titular bells ringing out proud, and the delightful Sailor's Hornpipe rendition to end Pt. 2 are highlights for me.

The door to a new age on music

OMG, loved it!

I see a lot of reviews here fail to appreciate this album. More fool them. Its not the first ever instrumental album, or the first instrumental album featuring a single musician. It's not the first Prog album, nor the first prog album to have only a single suit. Nevertheless, t is an important album in the history of modern music. The time signatures, the instrumentation! Unclassifiable, but brilliant. And by a total unknown. Fifteen million buyers can't be wrong.

What an odd little gem of an album. I could never quite predict what was coming next, aside from the fact that there would be tubular bells. The theme sounded vaguely familiar, maybe I recognize it from watching the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. I thought the part where he introduced each instrument was fun, and the manor tour during "Sailor's Hornpipe" may not make for the best song, but at least it's funny. Favorite track(s): "Tubular Bells"

The first time I heard this album, I immediately recognized the song Tubular Bells from the Exorcist but of course I had never heard the entire thing. It really takes you for a ride and goes through so many permeations that you forget you are still listening to the same track. The entire album is like that and I love it.

One of the best albums of the 70s. A classic slice of prog rock. An iconic feature film inclusion. A true masterpiece. It's all of these things and more, made all the more impressive by the fact that one 19 year old dude did it all on his own.

Heilt vilt bra album, akkurat som dei andre langformat-albumene hans

This was awesome. I had only heard the first part of the Tubular Bells theme before, but the rest of the music was so inventive and cool and enjoyable to listen to -- way more than I expected. Five stars.

Like, totally... tubular.

perfect

Amazing album. It’s probably been at least a decade since I’ve listened to it, so it was great to hear it again!

Halfway through the second song, those metal demonic vocals were lit

Mike Oldfield was nineteen when he decided to pick up every instrument he could play and created a 50 minute instrumental symphonic rock piece of art that many labels deemed unmarketable, but ended up as one of Virgin Records biggest commercial hits. Take my five stars. Ps: I started collecting records when I inherited two separate collections and Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells was the only record in both of them. So to this day I have two copies.

what the heck.............

Top 5 albums of all time

I‘m getting older. From my teenage years until yesterday I actively did not like this album. There was just something off with it, but yesterday I realized that this is really an amazing album. Maybe it‘s my age speaking now, I‘ve started to like Steely Dan as well. I‘m not even that old

fabulous instrumental album, enjoyed from start to finish, would recommend

Masterpiece!

Essential

This is an easy 5-star for me. I have loved Oldfield's music since I discovered him in the early '80s. Some of his later stuff was not on par by far, but that's another matter. Tubular Bells is not for listening to in the background while doing chores. It should be experienced intentionally to fully appreciate its brilliance. The original recording has some flaws, which he addressed in a later re-recording—mainly disharmonies and instruments slightly out of tune, along with some technical limitations.

A really good album, I liked Tubular Bells Pt. 1 and Mike Oldfield's Single the most.

Enjoyed that once again, takes me back

Slaps

Tubular Bells is incredible. Part 1 has a great sound and vibe but when they start announcing the instruments they take good to great. Going from "two slightly distorted guitars" to an excited "mandolin!" I always picture someone in the audience going "I can't believe they got mandolin!!!". Then they go "Tubular Bells!" and everyone melts down. Part 2 gets a bit weird at times but it's such a unique album and has a really cool place in history on how it effectively launched Virgin Records.

What are we talking about!? My face melted. glockenspiel. I like it. It makes sense. More tubular bell. It worked on the phone speakers, car stereo, but headphones were the best. You get your money's worth.

Ah, first album on the list I regularly listen to already. Classic instrumental, weaving its way through so many moods. Best track - can't put a 25min track on the playlist, and know it inside out already, so let's just say the single version of Tubular Bells 5 stars

So, I had heard the short Tubular Bells song in the Exorcist trailer, and then I heard the longer version (with key change to hopeful and glorious), and now I've heard the 26 (?) minute version. I figure in another ten years I'll hear the Tubular Bells opera I didn't know about (though, this gets close to being opera).

I can't give anything other than 5 stars for making the Exorcist theme by being a one man band. Good on ya, Mike.

No he encontrado la grabación original en spotify. Fue genial en su época y no la ha superado nunca.

Fantastic! It's not often I find a new-to-me album that helps my insomnia. This isn't an insult to Tubular Bells - sleep music, for me, needs to be interesting enough to capture my attention and evocative enough to get my imagination going with imagery that has nothing to do with the stresses of daily life. A++ soothing of my jumpy nervous system. Adding to my library.

Artiste connu. Cet album fait partie de mes préférés ! Une invitation au voyage. Il faut se laisser porter par la musique, on ne sait jamais ou elle va nous mener. Chaque nouvelle partie est une surprise, c'est ce qui fait tout son charme. On en redemande, même après plus de 20 mn. Il mérite donc la note maximale ! =>5/5 Pour ceux qui ont découvert Mike Oldfield dans cette liste et apprécié l'album : ses albums suivants ('Ommadawn', 'Incantations' et 'Hergest Ridge' par ordre de préférence) sont tout aussi réussis.

Five stars for the werewolf growls alone. Totally tubular.

Listened before?: No, never Good background music for working--not sure Mike Oldfield would take that as a compliment, but I really enjoyed it!

had to rereview bc this album has grown on me SO MUCH

I wasn't sure when I saw 20+ min runtimes on 2 of these tracks, but what a ride this was! I think aside from the weird vocal work on the 2nd track, everything was well put together and just excellent.

GET IN! This is a masterpiece of an album that I've been listening to regularly since my youth, thanks to dad's influence. One of my more memorable concert moments was seeing Tubular Bells For Two, featuring two very talented musicians performing the whole of Tubular Bells pt. I and II. I'm taken on a musical journey through time and space every time I spin this. Mike Oldfield has certainly composed one of the all-time greats.

I had no idea this was a full length. It's amazing, reminiscent of Goblin, I guess there was just something to 70s prog-rock film scores. Instantly added to library

Wow what an exceptional piece of music. I've heard of it before but never heard more than the opening Exorcist theme. Pt 2 > 1.

I cannot stress enough how earth shattering this composition was when it came out, when in particular it appeared in the film score for end of the THE EXCORIST. Brilliant progressive instrumental rock. It is mind blowing that a 19 year old did nearly all of this himself. The overdubs are so flawless that this album feels like it had to have used a multitrack sequencer that didn't even exist yet.

Groundbreaking album in the realm of rock music, with an almost classical approach to its composition. I can't really call it influential, as I can't think of any other artists who have followed in Oldfield's footsteps and made music like this. Sure, there are plenty of experimental music pieces that use rock instrumentation, but usually those don't include catchy riffs and melodic ideas presented here. Truly a remarkable journey in musical form that, by the end, will make you wonder "how did we get here?", but everything flows perfectly and makes complete sense. (Side note: I've never watched The Exorcist, so I never associated the opening section with it, nor I ever even consider it to be remotely scary sounding, like a lot of people seem to. I guess context really is king.) Key tracks: Tubular Bells (Part One)

Sometimes an album, and this is a good example, needs to be considered in the context of when it was released and what was happening then either personally or globally in your life. This is on top of how it was considered musically at the time. On the latter point and as others have said it was an immense achievement for an unknown 19 year old to write, play and produce a piece of music this size. The fact that it has been re-mastered many times and re-recorded and played at concert halls by symphonic orchestra’s is testament to how great a piece of music it is. More importantly to me and the reason why I like this album so much is the time period it was released. 1973 was a dreadful year in the UK. The Country was on its knees due to numerous strikes. There was a 3 day week due to power blackouts. IRA bombings were striking fear into everyone. Music was a welcome distraction and this album was at the forefront of that. Virgin records consisted of a mail order page at the back of music papers. LP’s were cut price so it was not only financially advantageous but Virgin were considered to be extremely cool. Tubular Bells was the biggest thing at Virgin Records. The Exorcist was the biggest film of the year and the music intro from this album helped to make it that way. Having this album was a badge of honour. No more more so when I arrived at RAF Disforth on a cold winter day and discovered one of my mates had managed to smuggle his copy of TB into the dormitory along with a dansette record player. We must have listened to it through over 50 times the 3 weeks we were there. Such happy memories and why the music and the iconic sleeve mean so much to me. Plus…Tubular Bells (hair standing up on head and shivers down back of spine stuff) 5/5 31/3/25

Funnily enough, I thought I got this album already, I do listen to it quite often though. I've never seen The Exorcist, so it never really had that association for me. It makes me think of a lovely spring day or a walk on the beach (á la the iconic album cover), so I'm not sure why it was picked for that film! The album is a masterpiece in my opinion, it's incredible how many instruments he played on it, and how many great melodies appear throughout the two sides.

Tubular Bells is Mike Oldfield's debut album, and was an international success. This rich, instrumental album was composed, performed, and recorded by Oldfield, when he was all of nineteen years old. The album was used as the soundtrack for the movie the Exorcist, which helped drive the notoriety and acclaim for the work. Among the many accolades for the work, it won a Grammy for Instrumental Composition, and was part of the initial success of the Virgin Records empire. This is a beautiful, layered composition, that could be called prog rock, and is considered one of the first works of new age music. This is a brilliant album that has inspired musicians and even genres for decades.

This was incredible. I had never really heard any more than the theme part used in The Exorcist. Loved this.

felt a little warm and a little melancholy. good shit

5/5

Not 1st listen Well I’m sure glad Tubular Bells helped make a billionaire out of Branson /s Luckily there’s more to its legacy The reckless abandon that went into making this album predates artpop experiments by Bowie and ELO, is surprisingly accessible for an instrumental prog album, *and* it’s also one of my Dad’s favourite records. How could I not like it I have underrated the English/Celtic folk-influenced second half, as the more eclectic first half kinda eclipses it. That Master of Ceremonies part is instant dopamine, imho If I have but one criticism, some sections (particularly in Pt 1) seem all too brief while others go on too long. A masterpiece, but a flawed one

Brilliant

When people talk about a musical experience this is a prime example of that. It can't be listened to in parts. This works best in a single listening session. It's important to separate the connection most people most likely make to The Exorcist, because there is such a stark difference between The Exorcist theme portion and the rest of the piece. If you're able to take the music for what it is it's a really great listen.

I know it probably isn’t a 5, but this is so peak

This is awesome. Can ppl seriously not appreciate some weird prog? Is all you want basic verse chorus structure? Live a little bit! Appreciate pure music! This is epic as hell, giving it a 5 out of spite

A few years ago I rated all of the albums in my collection to rank them and this album came out on top. This isn't just an album; it's an experience. I can imagine just about a whole movie while listening to this. I gotta admit the part that starts around the 12 minute mark on part 2 is kind of weird, but I feel it somehow fits in the fantasy setting I imagine. The goblin king sends a wolf into battle. I just forgot it ended on a sailor's tune. I thought that was only on a bonus track I didn't listen to this time. I also really admire Mike Oldfield for his multi instrumentalism.

Ein zeitloses Meisterwerk, das Genregrenzen sprengt und bis heute inspiriert. Tubular Bells ist nicht nur ein Album, sondern ein musikalisches Erlebnis, das die Fantasie beflügelt.

5/5. This guy was 19 when he made this. I'll just stick to my desk job lol. But seriously, super impressive stuff and although you can hear some simple changes in measures, the playing of the instruments and the epic melodies and themes throughout really define themselves without jumbling together on both sides. Silly at times, heavy at others, but the closing of Side One is definitely the highlight with the different instruments coming and going and the sick riff. Still crazy it's mostly just one guy at that age. Best Song: Part One, Part Two (not many options to choose from)

I’m at a 5. Hard to find anything to wax poetic about when it comes to 50 minutes of mostly instrumental music, but it’s a real testament that two tracks, coming in at over 23 minutes apiece, can be that captivating when given the time and space to really breathe, as well as giving each instrument their own chance to shine. It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but for my tastes, this hit right down the line of “good prog rock meets VGM sensibilities”, and the ever evolving and growing soundscape on both tracks, each with their own individual segments before some good resets, really made it feel like less of a slog that it could’ve been. One of my biggest pet peeves in music is when a song ends up lingering for too long; I’m not saying I need constant stimulation, but I’m too attentive as a listener to not notice when a drum pattern is stuck in limbo, or a guitar riff gets repeated a few too many times, or if the vocals / lyrics get stuck in a holding pattern. This album works because it’s constantly finding new innovations within the big sandbox that it has room to operate in – pretty much every minute in Part 1 finds a new instrument to add to the mix, or a new tone or soundscape to experiment with. It’s ever changing, but it’s slow, subtle changes that kept me engaged, and felt like a natural evolution throughout. Part 2 does this pretty well – it doesn’t do it *as* well, but it knows when to change up the soundscape to stop it from getting too stuck. It is really a miracle that this felt like it flew by – we’ve had albums that are less than 30 minutes that feel slower than this did, but I guess that’s more of a knock on pacing as a whole than it is to the quality of those albums, most of which have still been good. I’m just glad this had such room to breathe in; not everyone can pull off 26 minute songs and keep it captivating. These are, by far, the longest ones we’ve gotten as a group, and I guess it’s a real testament to my own musical growth that I could endure it, analyze it, and appreciate it. Sure, there’s a Metal Gear Solid 5-adjacent boost in the name here that helps a lot, but if we had gotten this in February or March, there’s a real chance I could’ve just ignored it. Either way, this was really fucking good. It’s a real music journey that lasts for 50 minutes, and even past its Exorcist-based popularity, the rest of the album is an absolute treat. Pop some headphones in, sit down, relax, and just let Mike Oldfield take you as far as you can go. It’s a very, very easy 5 for me.

love it reather side1 than 2

Un de mes premiers vinyles !

Lovely. A warm bath of an album. Brought back many memories.

I was wondering if/when this album would appear. It truly meets the criteria of a must listen as it was and is unique in its concept and delivery. I have always loved how the melodies and harmonies flow seamlessly, and, it's got...tubular bells!

Bello, complesso, piacevole, famosissimo.

My favorite electronic album of all-time. Music introduced during the movie”The Exorcist”. Wore out my vinyl recording of it, in the 70’s.

I got really into Mike Oldfield last year, particularly the phenomenal Ommadawn. This is great also. I feel bad for the folks who only know it from The Exorcist, that’s like the first 7 minutes or something, you have to keep listening to get to the guy screaming in Klingon.

Love!!!

I hope to one day be as excited about something as Mike Oldfield when he introduces the mandolin(!)

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Give a man access to every instrument conceivable, and he feeds us all for eternity. Introducing 5 star reviews.

I guess you've got to love this album or hate it? A lot depends whether you're an oldie too. I'm firmly in the former camp and I guess those that hate it love the sort of new stuff that will be soon forgotten. This was groundbreaking and iconic and has stood the test of time. A truly great album

This album, as a kid, terrified me, but now that I can appreciate great music, great composition…now I love it!

nuormestari, ihmelapsi.. nuori osuja... 80 eri instrumenttia,.masteroinut kaikki.. mike ''old soul'' field... youngfield at present... unc at soul... bike coldfield... Olen melkein kyyneleissä. Kyllä, kuulin tämän, kun se ilmestyi ensimmäisen kerran. Siirryin jazziin ja jazzfuusion puoleen a la Weather Report ja Soft Machine ja National Health. Mutta tällä kertaa olen täynnä niin katkeraa, makeaa nostalgiaa. Tuolloin se muistutti minua surusta Englannin ohittamisesta peltoineen, metsineen ja kukkuloineen. Elgarin ja Vaugh-williamsin itsevarma isänmaallisuus vaikutti silloinkin vanhentuneelta. Joten nyt vuonna 2024 tämä musiikki on niin nostalginen veto menneisyydestä ennen Englannin ja sen kulttuurin valtaamista... TARKOITAN SIIS PUOLALAISIA!!!! MUNA PILLUUN AH AH MUNA PILLUUN AH AH... part 1

Tubular bells are one of my favourite instruments so of course I'm a little bit obsessed with album named after them

Today it's easy again. Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is one of my all-time favorites. I heard the music for the first time as a 14-year-old teenager and was thrilled. As a 15 year old, I then bought the boxed set of 4 albums. I spent a lot of my pocket money on it back then, even though I desperately needed it for gasoline and cigarettes. This album was my favorite of the collection at first. It took me a while to get into Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn and Callaboration. It was only very late that I found out that Tubular Bells was also the theme music to the film The Excorcist. I didn't like Mike Oldfield's later albums (i.e. after Boxed) nearly as much. Especially the pop stuff he did together with his sister I find highly uninteresting today. I also found the follow-up Tubular Bells X (with X >= 2) really boring. In this respect, I had already given up on Mike Oldfield and occasionally listened to Tubular Bells again. Then, more by chance, I came across the album Amarok, the poisened farewell gift to Virgin. Back to Tubular Bells, the album deserves to be in this canon of 1001 albums more than many others. 5/5

Great album, always is and always was. Listened to it on vinyl, ofcourse!

Classic prog

Masterpiece. Interesting and fascinating all the way through. Weird, wonderful and wicked at time, Mike was only 19 when he made this and he played most of the instruments. It was also the first record to be released on Virgin Records!

Incredible instrumental.

Normally I would dismiss an album with only two songs on it, but I've been pleasantly surprised. Some albums are named after a title track, and some album titles have deeper, metaphorical meanings. Well, this album title is the quintessential example of onomatopoeia: The album sounds like tubular bells. The beginning of the first song makes me want to hire an exorcist, and the ending of that same song takes me back to exploring a snow route in a "Pokemon" game. All in all, this album consists of the most talented, and effort-fuelled work I've ever heard. No matter what, your favorite, and worst songs on the album will involve tubular bells. Take from that what you will. Favorite song: "Tubular Bells, Part One".

Today we have a progressive classic! This album has been on my list for about 8 or 9 years when I was discovering Progressive Rock. However, I don't remember exactly why, I was exhausted by this type of music and ended up forgetting to listen to some of the albums that were on that list. But the day finally arrived and it is with regret that I say that it didn't impress me as I thought it would. The sound is fantastic, but tiring at some points. The sound is really ahead of its time, but I don't think it has aged very well. Although the album focuses on the sound of instruments, at some points the lack of vocals is really felt. Despite the flaws, the sound synergy is fantastic. I'm going to leave 4 stars today.

Another one I have been meaning to listen to for years. Great stuff

Klasik

90% Best: Tubular Bells (Part One) Must-Hear? May be my prog bias speaking, but hell yeah

9.5/10. Beautifully-arranged music, long songs, amazing instrumentation, and so on. I dig it, and I really wish that there were more Mike Oldfield albums in this 1001 album project. :)

yeh whatever Will said

Thrilled to see an album I know like the back of my hand appearing on the list. Have listened to Tubular Bells for six years and have never got tired of it. Easily in my top 10 albums of all time and potentially my top 5. There's potential for this album to be my favourite out of the 1001.

Original and surprising. Bit of musical wizardry in this assemblage!

Even though it's only two long tracks, this album has so much variety and touches on so many styles. It's insane that he was only 19 when he recorded this. A true prog rock classic.

Great album

jo que bueno, como el primer dia que lo escuche hace ya ni me acuerdo

Writing one 50 minute song as a 19 year old and having it sell more than 16 million albums is pretty damn impressive.

Revolutionary when it was released, and still relevant today.

Classic! Love Mike Oldfield

Iconic album. And not just because of the Exorcist.

What a great album.

Wild that a 19 year old made such an amazing piece of new age music. Perfect production and trasitions.

💖 tubular bells (😂) 🗣️ 9️⃣

A classic, love it.

Really good

Absolutely incredible. 19 years old when he made this…woah. This is a prime example of an album that should be listened to before you die

The best way I can describe this is “medieval electronica,” and WOW I liked it far more than expected. Wild how significant it ended up being (even ignoring all musical influence) because of 1.) being Virgin’s first album, and 2.) The Exorcist. A delight! Listened to: on the train to New Jersey. Favorite track: I’m not picking a favorite on an album with 2 20+ minute tracks.

Das ist natürlich der ganz große Klassiker und das ganz große Meisterwerk von Mike Oldfield. Und das ist auch so. Alle Instrumente selbst eingespielt, die Komposition eine Form der Klassik im modernen Gewand. Meine Lieblingsstelle ist das Vorstellen der Instrumente mit dem großen Finale von Tubular Bells part 1.

-4 songs spanning 56 minutes, color me intrigued -why does this feel like a music students thesis -im just picturing this dude as silver surfer running around playing all the instruments -OH FUCK when the electric comes in -god damn the way he works in and out of bits is incredible -is this a joke, why is this so good -I am literally so far up this albums ass -this album makes me want to die, in like a good way -it’s giving a hint of greensleeves, 10 mins into part 2 -the fucking TEMPO MANAGEMENT -the screaming I could do without. Ok we are gonna pretend the mouth sounds didn’t happen -I WAS RIGHT, bro teased greensleeves -like waltz the entire album -This album simply changes the way you view music -I straight up saw God, that was a religious experience

I listened to this album twice through back to back and I'll say the second time through really helped me to understand what the hell is going on with this strange beautiful thing. I think it's really impressive that he's able to convey so much feeling and theme without any lyrics (possible werewolf growls aside). It sounds like a rock opera that doesn't need the actors. The instrumentation on this goes hard, the man is overflowing with talent. I think this is a really well done album that would have bordered on pretentious if not for the whimsical breaks where album doesn't take itself too seriously. I was on the edge of a 5 for this one, but the final skit pushed me over. It's blinking well baffling!

One of the most iconic albums of prog rock made by a very young man. The actor and musician Matt Berry calls it his favourite album - for a good reason. It's pure atmosphere from beginning to end. It can help you write, dream, imagine and also relax. Just one reason why it was used for the soundtrack of The Exorcist.

Some lovely ambient tunes going on here! Obviously Stereolab were influenced by this album. Not quite as etherreal as Mid-Air Thief but in the same vein. This is an epic album, not to be missed!

NOICE

Love a good 25 minute tune. Exorcist flashbacks.

Wow. INcredible album. A lot of completely unexpected but joyous fun moments. Really enjoyed this one.

Tonally all over the place but I lay listening and was swept up in it, a wee bit confused and sometimes emotional. The opening of pt.1 is so heavily associated with The Exorcist, it made me like it by default as that is one of the greatest ever movies. Feels big and monumental and shit.

A masterpiece.

A game-changing album. By coincidence I played it in full a couple of times last week, for probably the first time in over 40 years.

Very nice album! It is one of my favorite albums.

Вау. Не знал, что это мне нужно, но это было мне нужно

So weird, but so good! Loved this.

Great Album forever!

Excellent! So many memories, loved it.

didn't know this album and enjoying some parts very much, especially tubular bells pt. 1

This is so good! I had no idea the Exorcist song was just a actual song. Pt 1 just continually builds instruments in a very cool way. Very satisfying when the tubular bells finally get introduced. Pt 2 has some crazy vocals and growling going on. I like how they almost bring the main theme back a while bunch of times. Then a Sailors Hornpipe cover after like 45 minutes of original instrumental music? Mr Oldfield is crazy for that. I really enjoyed this whole thing. Very good loud car listen.

It was the first time I've listened to 'Tubular Bells', even if I heard about it before and wanted to listen to it years ago. So glad I finally listened the whole album. What a cool concept and a beautiful record it is. I immediately loved it at first listen and I'll for sure come back and listen to is many more times.

allez 5 parce qu on mange vraiment trop mal 💘

Starts off with very spooky mysterious bells and piano. Jumps around all over the place from heavy to soft. I really laughed at about 20 minutes when they started listing the instruments that were coming up. The Glockenspiel/Bass guitar combo was fire. Oh hell the "2 slightly distorted" guitars might be the best. Nevermind the mandolin takes it. It just keeps getting better and better with the new instruments I can't keep up. OH SHIT TUBULAR BELLS!!!!!!! Part 2 sounded like some Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack where you are wandering through a wood looking for some Chocobo. Much less engaging than part 1 but still quite awesome. Woah I take that back at 12 minutes when they start speaking in tongues and the drum fill comes in. This album was the exact opposite of Kollaps which I listened to yesterday, it is mainly instrumentals but it actually makes sense and was awesome to listen to. It is like if Pink Floyd and King Giz made a collaboration album. The mandolin breakdown to finish off the Part 2 was a chefs kiss. On these albums of the day I normally stop after the original tracks end and don't go into the bonus tracks. But this album was just way too enjoyable to stop so I had to listen to the single and Sailor's hornpipe to see how much more they could do. And I am glad I stuck around. On a scale of 1 to I would take drugs and listen to this album: Please send me some mushrooms asap and hit replay.

Between this, Radiohead, and all the Todd Rundgren from last couple rounds, it feels like I've been on an intense-audio-production kick with these lately. I've listened to this one before, it's excellent stuff

I'm not going to sit here and act like I am going to listen to this one all the time, but I had a fun time. kinda goofy, kinda cool. kinda camp, kinda serious. the instrumentation is really cool, but also there is literally a section where he starts calling out specific instruments and they start playing ("tubular bells" hey, that's the name of the album!). Overall, not something I can see myself going back to very often, if at all, but an enjoyable listen.

It was the first vinyl record I played on a record player in my life and it changed everything for me. I was fifteen years old and I discovered the power and magic that an instrumental track can have. I love this album more than I love myself.

Another long time favourite. Guilty pleasure boomer music.

Just a wonderful, and at times weird, journey. Good headphones and setting aside 30 minutes to just listen are highly recommended here.

Why does it sound so ominous Sounds kinda good

A bit self indulgent in places but a legendary album.

This album is awesome. It was so odd hearing the first track and the super iconic Exorcist theme but then the song just goes in a completely different direction (and eventually comes back to the theme). It's incredible that he played almost everything on the album at only 19. I didn't really know what to expect from this one by was thoroughly impressed. Standout Tracks: Tubular Bells (Part One) and Tubular Bells (Part Two)

I've got a fever, and the only cure is more tubular bells

Easiest 5 of my life! There's something very special about this album that makes.me go back to it again and again, one of my absolute favourites I especially like it when he says 'Mandolin!'

This is one of the closest things to a rock symphony that you can find. It is a highly orchestrated proggy, folk influenced suite in two parts that utilizes many instruments spanning several genres and features some incredible arranging and musicianship. To top it off, Mike Oldfield was 19 at the time of recording. To make something this magnificent at age 19 in 1973 is nothing short of astounding. This album was interesting and very moving.

This is a great alumn! Love it! 5 stars!!!

Kjempeopplevelse! Hørte plate 2-3 ganger første dag

When I saw that I had been generated Tubular Bells, I’ll admit I did get quite excited. This is an album where I’ve always thought that id have to get round to listening to it at some point, but just never have. I love the other Mike Oldfield songs I’ve heard (In Dulce Jubilo is one of the best Christmas songs ever written). Songs I already knew: Tubular Bells Pt. I (but just the opening minute or so) Favourites: Tubular Bells Pt. I, Tubular Bells Pt. II This album was quite phenomenal. There are parts where you can close your eyes and be in a horror film, a Spanish romance, or even in a high fantasy world. Tubular Bells Pt II even features some vocal from an actual orc around halfway through, or maybe it’s the demon from The Exorcist. When the actual tubular bells play towards the end of the opening track, I was covered in so many goosebumps that I wouldn’t be surprised if they were even on my eyeballs. This was incredible from front to back, and I’m very glad to have finally heard it.

Unbelievable for what it is and when it was made.

Interesting instrumentals, huge mood changes, and with an orchestral feel. All without a big mention of a drummer. Definitely a new age album. Feels almost timeless.

Rock progresivo de Mike Oldfield. Vinilo.

I love this because I love it

p299. 1973. 5 stars. Quality English musical eccentricity. I am not a fan of 70s prog-rock or pointless, meandering noodling with instruments - but this is good. What sets it well above the dross is the sheer variety of music themes and styles that Mike Oldfield manages to blend together, and none of them outstay their welcome before moving on the next one. Half a point deducted for the caveman grunts on side 2, but a bonus half a point for Vivian Stanshall.

Love this album, a master piece from Mike Oldfield!

Sooo wide ranging and interesting

Dangit 5 stars, no notes. Weird in the right ways, creative in the right ways, silly in the right ways. Prog rock isn't for everyone, and this is sort of a Prog Rock Ur-text. Kinda wild that he basically revolutionized prog rock AND horror movie soundtracks

An absolute classic. Yet another dad album. This record has been spun many a time in the Nichols household. Definitely recommend looking into the history of how this album was recorded, it's an incredible story. I am a big fan of around halfway into part 1. The harmonized guitars, the little bleeps of the synth, the piano riff, the humming. Every time I listen to this album I pick up on some new part that speaks to me in a different way. The caveman bit is just further proof of the total insanity and creative freedom that Mike was allowed to have for this project. A truly unique album that takes listeners on a journey through a range of musical styles and sounds. Oldfield's musicianship and versatility are on full display, making for a wild and unforgettable listening experience. "Grand piano Reed and pipe organ Glockenspiel Bass guitar Double-speed guitar Two slightly distorted guitars Mandolin Spanish guitar and, introducing, acoustic guitar Plus, tubular bells!"

I discovered this album sometime in the last year—thanks to my friend Joey!—and have since bought it on a CD that I play once every other month or so while I’m working or cooking or doing some other mindless task that I’d like soundtracked. I love this album. Not only is it ominous, but hilarious. Not only experimental, but traditional. It’s unique and mind-bogglingly successful. Wildly impressive, and impressively wild. Impressive that a 19-year-old Oldfield put this together nearly single-handedly. And wild that it has had the profound effect on our cultural unconscious that it has had. It’s got to be among the most commercially successfully 20+ minute musical pieces this side of the 19th century. I can’t believe how popular it is. And it makes me giddy with excitement just thinking about its existence. This is why I love music. It’s stories like that of Tubular Bells. A strange coming-together of commercial forces—a young, risk-taking Richard Branson—artistic forces—the manic, frustrated, and frequently drunk Oldfield and all others who had a hand in this recording up to and including Master of Ceremonies Vivian Stanshall and photographer/graphic designer, Trevor Key—and cultural forces—a who’s who of English avant-psychedelic figures of the late 1960s that batted harebrained ideas around no matter how silly, pretentious, or irreverent—to manifest what we now know and love as Tubular Bells. It’s hard to even wrap your head around how this came to be let alone why. It’s like looking up at a cloud or a smattering of stars and searching for shapes, stories, or any other sort of meaning as you bask in the sheer beauty of all its madness. And it’s mad as hell, this album. And I love, love, love it. Lastly, the impact the opening theme of this album has had on horror movies thanks to Friedkin’s inclusion of it in his The Exorcist is undeniable. You can hear echos of Tubular Bells in just about every major horror soundtrack from Halloween to Hereditary. Which has very little to do with this music itself, but lends to the album’s aura, mystique, and strange hold it continues to have over us today. For further evidence of this just see Branson’s chilling 2013 statement re: the album and the consequential success of his company: "I never thought that the word 'tubular bells' was going to play such an important part in our lives ... Virgin going into space most likely wouldn't have existed if we hadn't hired that particular instrument." So one weird teenager’s odd-ball musical vision and crazed, uncompromising pursuit of such has directly and incidentally left an indelible mark on not only the soundscape of our collected nightmares, but also mankind’s pursuit of outer space. That’s about as close as we’ve ever come to actuating the plot of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. So, yeah, in my opinion, pretty cool album.

What is this an indie metroid-vania rogue-like side-scrolling action platformer OST?? From me that's high praise. Really interesting music. About 4 minutes into the first track I was fully hooked. Such an interesting recording environment. Texturally and compositionally so cool; event though each of the pieces are super long no one idea overstays its welcome. Some jarring moments too, like the first entrance of the electric guitar in the first track. Really feels like a series of vignettes, or like some long overture to an epic musical. Some cool Steve Reich-esque moments too of weird rhythmic groupings and melodic sequences that build tension, then release into something wildly unexpected and driving. So much to say because I feel like this album does so much! I am so impressed by the sheer output and pace of ideas in each part. Probably one of the most interesting albums I’ve heard in the sense that I was constantly being pleasantly surprised by a new musical thing. We gotta discuss the goblin singing in Pt. II. It’s so dank!!! But I’m also really confused about it. It’s also I think the first moment we get drums in the album? So strange and cool. I was half joking with my first line but this music is super linked to video game music in my mind; the goblin spitting molten hot fire over electric guitars and a backbeat reinforces this feeling. All in all this album is amazing! Funny, interesting, explosively creative and novel while thoroughly listenable all the way through. 5 from me!

chills....... literally chills..........

Amazing album. Tubular Bells - the part everyone knows - is incredible, but for my money the crazy Pt. II is where it’s at! Love love love this album!

Aðeins öðruvísi kaos hérna. Mike Oldfield var 19 ára þegar hann gerði þessa plötu 😮 og hún er enn þann dag í dag algjört meistaraverk. Og ég er ekki sú eina sem hefur velt því fyrir sér hvort hann sé að growla á klingonsku þarna á tímabili skv smá gúgli.

Another timeless record. Love the instrumentation on this more than most other Oldfield records

Absolutely love this album, I owned it on vinyl.

Iconic

Fantástico

I do love this - the voice at the end of Part 1 is great!

This album opened up this genre by being just a big hit.

An absolute classic! So glad to see this one pop up, i love super long tracks and these are some of the best! This continues to be a classic

I enjoyed every weird spacial moment of that. Iconic.

Make no mistake, *Tubular Bells* is the tree that hides the weird and sometimes wonderful forest that Mike Oldfield planted for us in first decade of his long career, from the long suites of the seventies to his catchy pop hits sung by the pristine Maggie Reilly during the early eighties (just don't bother explore anything from later periods, it's quite pointless). But like all forests, that one can be confusing at times. True, there are treasures to dig out in each and every one of those early albums. Yet there are *also* jarring moments in them, stuff so cheesy you can't believe someone able to write and play so many sublime melodies and arrangements can also stumble and fall for such stupid-sounding ideas. But as perplexing as Oldfield's music can be, it seems like the man always spontaneously follows his instincts, and this wherever they lead him. And this is exactly what makes those early records of his endearing and one-of-a-kind, even with their many flaws. At least to me. There are two exceptions to this rule of thumb that Mike Oldfield's records are always flawed to an extent, which prove the man was able to write genuine masterpieces when rightly inspired. The second exception is *Ommadawn* (1975), and if you loved *Tubular Bells*, I advise you to check it out a.s.a.p.. But the very first exception is Oldfield's debut, obviously, from its famous introduction on grand piano and sped-up glockenspiel and farfisa organ (following an off-kilter, hypnotic rhythm pattern) to the layers of instruments piling up over a catchy bassline concluding Part One. In comparison, Part Two is both dreamier (those celtic folk interludes ; that utopian, "new age" atmosphere elsewhere) and more eccentric (that mock-hard rock thing with grunting vocals coming out of nowhere), going from one extreme to the next, exploring both burlesque and breathtaking sonic landscapes. Part 2 is indeed notoriously more "difficult" than Part 1. But as disjointed as it sounds, you could still find such contrasts in the *relatively* streamlined structure of the first part. One thing's for sure, the 180-degrees turns on this LP, from heavenly female choirs to heavy guitar riffs, will have your head spinning... Yet we're not talking about Emerson, Lake and Palmer here either. *Tubular Bells* is not merely demonstrative or performative. It has a heart, too--maybe a clunky one, in keeping with the pre-DIY manner in which it was conceptualized on tape shenanigans and other sort of try-and-error measures, but a heart nonetheless. In a way, Oldfield's magnum opus sure gives another sense to the word "ridiculous", both as a negative and a positive term. This album shouldn't work, and yet, minus very short WTF moments, it does. And even the WTF moments are actually playing a key part in all this, preventing this record to fall into all the usual pitfalls of prog-rock by using an out-of-the-box philosophy about what instrumentation should do. Case in point: the electric guitar. Oldfield had found from the get-go one of the most distinct and idiosyncratic sound in the long history of that instrument, a sound that he would refine again and again in later albums. As a result, his guitar playing in not only *dumbly* virtuositic ; it is also rich, hugely harmonic, evocative, playful, both strident and lush. Another paradox many rock fans can't quite put their fingers on. Even for some coming from the usual prog-rock ilk. To put it in a nutshell, you may love *Tubular Bells* or you may hate it, but it's hard to deny its originality and importance. This record *is* indeed an essential listen, both as an example and a *counterexample* of what made people tick during the early seventies. Such paradoxes are rare, but when they become such a popular cultural artefact, the end result becomes precious. Avant-garde has never sounded so easy on the ear... or maybe novelty pieces have never sounded so avant-garde, who knows? And all it took to accomplish that trick was a 19-year-old kid following a very personal vision--not exactly a genius, but at least a wizard when it came to sound and moods. Virgin Records founder Richard Branson can be thanked a thousand times over for giving a chance to such a young man with very few credentials going for him. Later on, Branson thought he would reach the heavens with Virgin Airlines or Virgin Galactic. But maybe the only time he *really* did so, was when he greenlighted *Tubular Bells*, all things considered... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 833 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 91 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 41 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 36

I used to listen to this album endlessly, I could name the instruments as Mike said them. I especially loved saying "mandolin" and "slightly distorted guitar" for some reason. And then the final "Tubular Bells"! Brilliant. Love it. Admittedly, I had forgotten just how weird things got in the second half of Side 2 but still, so good to listen to it again.

Excited to finally listen to this whole album. Kind of psychedelic, experimental rock and folk. Reminded me of when I fell in love with the London Olympic Games opening ceremony music - I miss that soundtrack/playlist.

Without this, there'd be no Richard Branson ballooning. I guess that's a tolerable price.

Very nice, easy-listening prog. It's not perfect but just the fact that Mike Oldfield made this almost completely by himself at 19 is incredible. Also I'm a sucker for folk music which this featured a lot of.

so the record that started Richard Bransons Billionaire Journey. Mike Oldfield was a 19 year old prodigy\Genius. This is his Magnum Opus and has some delightful compositions, who doesn't love Viv Stanshalls Majestic voice on "Introducing". Love the whole album really and absolutely rightfully on this list (Top Ten for me)

What an album. I knew of Tubular Bells but had never listened to it. Since Friday I have had it on constant play. Just absolutely brilliant!!

cool

What can you say? It's a masterpiece, I love it.

Really enjoyed this. It's weird but good

I had no idea what to expect from this album going into it, but about 5 minutes in I knew it was going to be special. Amazing guitar tones, superb instrumentation, brilliant melodies. This is perfect. An absolute masterpiece.

I liked this, I was honestly not really expecting to like this but I really did. I liked the varieties and the sounds that reappeared throughout the record. I think at the first listen I liked Part 1 more than Part 2, but I appreciate how it all connects together. I ended up giving the big like to the 2003 version, as it has sections as separate tracks, and as much as I liked the thing as a whole, it's much easier to integrate it with the rest of my daily listening music as individual tracks. I ended up listening to The Sailor's Hornpipe over and over again, which occurs at the very last part of Part 2.

The Beginning

Great!

WOW.

I love it

Fantastic. Musicians today truly don't strive as high as they used to, huh. So much truly magical music from the 60s/70s that makes me feel a way no music from this century ever has. Prog music has such an effect on me. This one genre contains a large chunk of the most spiritual and magical music I have ever found. Side note: I love this album, I really do. But after listening to his 2003 re-recording I can never go back to this version. I wish everyone who rated this album low would've gotten to listen to that version instead. Mike Oldfield himself felt the original version had a lot of flaws that bothered him. Mike Oldfield is fantastic. If you liked or even kind of liked this album, you HAVE to listen to Ommadawn. I like it more than Tubular Bells; it feels more ethereal and magical. People who dismiss this album as "tedious musical wankery" lack imagination and heart. This album is grand.

Deze was leuk!

Wow wat een vibe. Dit was echt een ervaring!

Rock progresivo de Mike Oldfield.

A prog classic, made especially impressive by being nearly a one man show. Just great, and right up my alley.

I mean, starting off with the album's biggest contribution in the Exorcist theme, to the yelling section, this album is just damn interesting. Worth a revisit for sure.

Lange nicht gehört. Sehr geil.

AMAZING

To be played at loud volume.

Banger! Insanely wide range of sounds, fun segments, everything. Love this album.

Genius. I am blown away by the talent.

What a stroke of genius, so many instruments, so many intricate melodies and harmonies, and all of it played by an 19 year old in 1973

excellent instrumental album!

It might be cheese but I still love it

07/06/2021 Ricardo was here... This is definitely one of the best things I ever listened... Fun fact: Mike oldfield was only 19 when he made this masterpiece. And he played most of the instruments.

Classic album, never listened to it before but I get it now

This was a very nice change of pace.

Amazing

Ephemeral, fantastic, all-encompassing

Очень концептуально

Havnt listened to it for years, brilliant

Exceptional album. Grew up with this, he took music in a completely different direction when this album was made.

Me gustó mucho es una música muy relajante

Recommend

Really dug this.

Nostalgia é uma droga pesada

GREAT!

An iconic album, and one of the first LPs I bought as a youngster. I rarely listened to in in the past couple of decades, so this was an interesting relisten. The result is that it's retained it's interest better than many of the albums of that era, but doesn't seem quite as groundbreaking as it seemed. I still thoroughly appreciate it, but ...some of the impact has gone. So, 4.5 stars.

Heard it before. The first track is absolutely fantastic. Prog songs sometimes feel like the band tried really hard to glue different ideas together and failed but Oldfield always makes it seamless. It's a whole wonderful journey. The second track is a bit less wow but also nice 4/5

That first part gave me the heebie jeebies. Theme song to the Omen?

Somehow I have a vague memory of this album without having ANY actual idea what it is… Wow. So I do believe this is yet another selection from my father’s album collection that was, in fact, put on fairly regularly in my very early years to quiet me. The first track anyway. Not sure I ever made it to wolf man. That would have been a riot. I think I was very fond of this at the age of two. I even have a memory of the announcement and subsequent introduction of the instruments into the mix. I think I was particularly fond of “glockenspiel!” Isn’t it amazing how music shapes us? I don’t know if I would have experienced as much pleasure as I did listening to this had I not realized my early relationship with it, it’s lack of percussive depth is a definite detraction, but it’s obvious to me that in some ways this album actually shaped the way I would later listen to music. 4 Boolean: true, this is definitely why I am here, coming back daily

I was wondering how long it would take to get this one. 648 is the answer I guess. This is one of the albums that I have seen a million times and know that it's hotly debated but I don't think I've ever actually heard any of it. I'm excited to finally check this one of the list today, let's dive in... Ok so I had at least heard some of this before, it's in The Exorcist. I had no idea that's what this was. Maybe I'm dumb. Who writes a song in 15/8 time? Or maybe alternating 7/8 and 8/8. But there's a 9/8 thrown in too I think? Wild. I really liked this album but can get why it's so divisive. It definitely deserves a spot on this list. It's super ambitious and quite an achievement to have pulled off. I would absolutely buy this if I came across it in the record shop and though I might not play it all the time, it would be a good one to pull out when I felt like it. 4/5

Tubular bells innit, everyone knows it and either love it or hate it. I think it’s awesome. And I’m not ashamed of that either.

I like this a lot more than I thought I would. Don't be in timidated by the track length of the first two songs. There's enough movement and variance that it doesn't get bland

I liked the part where they let the goblin do a solo.

phew, that one's easy

the whiplash i got when i recognized the tune of the Exorcist. I think it is a profound and experimental showing of prog music. i find it difficult to classify due to its instrumental nature. But that is what's more impressive: making such a compelling, flowing, and emotional work, without words. that said, i feel it suffers from having such extended songs. Is gratifying and awards the listening time, but it's not something you can hear easily in the day or something.

I do like it but it does go on a bit!

I like this album okay. Maybe comparing it to Brian Eno is unfair, but Eno's music has a bit more restraint that I think this album would've benefited from.

Yet another shocking discovery for me that the Exorcist theme comes from this..... album is tubular though

I used to listen to this album all the time and its awesome... i also like how often its been sampled and used in rap songs and I basically now just know it as The Exorcist theme haha... its so dope!

Falls under the Eno school of thinking when it comes to defying genres and tropes of its time. A bit fantastical, a bit surreal, a bit goofy. I have the patience and time at work to sit through this one, and it rewarded me enough to be pleased after an hour. I think the first noteable point was about 4 minutes into part 1, the bells/chimes that come gliding over the top are very pretty. A few passages later, around 13:30, the hymnal melody over the piano was a really nice moment of reprieve too. Wasn’t as big of a fan of the guitars that followed immediately after. But then at 21 minutes when he’s running the main melody through every instrument, he gets to the glockenspiel and the magic is restored. That’s the moment where it all came together for me. A sticky melody thats driven into the mind through iteration. And a nice acoustic outro to boot. Part 2 doesn’t do as much for me, it’s very much something out of Zeppelin’s IV for the first while, then evolves into a bit of a typical rock ballad. But if you give it time, the very hilarious guttural grunting comes in halfway through the song. It’s a Star Wars type of language before Star Wars was even a thing! Oldfields single is even more folkloric in nature, like something out of a Celtic countryside. All wrapped up by the very silly “Sailors Hornpipe” which is a … story? Theater of the mind? Who's to say. It’s vivid and memorable. Soft 4/5. It’s very bravely itself and probably completely unaware of its bravery. As the guy says at the end, buggered if I know

Klassisk artist, klassiskt album. Jäkligt konstigt men också right up my alley!

I was skeptical at first but this is a whole goddamn experience and it is worth every minute. I liked it the most while I was walking to it. Also I was surprised to learn this was used at the exorcist theme; it makes sense, but it didn't strike me as that scary on first listen.

it was… something, every minute felt like a surprise and for parts it was good!! wouldnt listen to it again but i can see all the work behind it

que viagem

That was a really fun listen. Yes, it was long, but I enjoyed the creativity and tubularness of the bells. :)

Bit of an odd one, but a surprisingly engrossing listen

Bonkers

The caveman part does seem kind of misguided but otherwise this is a high-quality, interesting, and varied instrumental album. Good inclusion.

Would listen again, still not watching the exorcist tho

I don’t understand why so many of the negative reviews are at the top. I think this slaps. Though I do admit the growling was a little strange, probably the only thing that stops me from giving it a 5.

when i saw that there are 2 tracks which are each 20 minutes long my jaw dropped, i gave them a listen while doing my dishes, and honestly its the only way ill ever listen to these songs because by god i am NOT putting a 20 minute song in my playlist, the songs are cool and i see the artistic vision, the moment when he said tubular bells went unironically hard, but it could do with splitting the songs into multiple smaller songs (which the sequels to this album apparently did)

A mix of everything. Loved it.

The bit everybody knows from The Exorcist is great, the rest is pretty good too. My friend, born in 2000 as was I, is unaccountably a massive Mike Oldfield fan, owning most of his albums on vinyl. He's never seen The Exorcist (nor most movies) and likes a strange smattering of music while being unaware of most canonical artists. Weird.

Tubular Bells tickles my brain with prog vibes. Mike Oldfield actually has a pretty great music career but suffers from Nas Syndrome: when your first album is such a classic that the public won't see past you for making such a masterpiece. Nevertheless, if you're a Mike Oldfield fan you probably like some of his other albums better. The only real fault on this 'album' is that it's like Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull: the song is the album. And it's a great song!

Klassikko aloitus. Ihan mukiinmenevää settiä. 3,5/5.

It’s like five albums in one! Fortunately, most of those albums are pretty good!

Iconic and very cool experimental music

Не понял что в этом альбоме делают последние 2 трека. В остальном прекрасная смесь эмбиента и прогрессив-рока

This was fun to revisit. I love the wacky little noises constantly going off. I also love that album cover. Perfectly captures the sound of the album. 👹 Favorite track" Tubular Bells - Pt. I

The Exorcist theme is a classic. I was really looking forward to re-listening to the rest of the album after many years. It was good but not as great as a I thought it would be. Oh well... 4 stars. Love the guitar work.

Well done, entertaining. ++ for song where he demos all the diff instruments. ++ for long version Exorcist song turning peaceful at the end which messed with my brain. ++ for jovial Hobbit drinking song at the end. -- for the werewolf song. 4

Would I listen again: yes This was really nice and interesting. Especially love part 1, the dynamics and the introducing of instruments at the end was so fun!

The progression and building was insanely impressive and unforgettable.

part 1 first half was so peak

Tubular Bells - Pt. 1, Noelle type ah music. I've never head a bell choir outside of church. It was interesting. Im not sure how often I will be resisting this album but it was an interesting song. With is long songs, and it's changing themes, it almost felt like Prog. (Turns out it is prog) Also there are 20 instruments on the first track, mostly recorded by the same dude. 4/5

4/5 - not something I'd choose to put on, but so unique and interesting

Exorcist soundtrack theme, ambient, driving, wide ranging instrumentals and those grunts in the middle! Really great experimental album.

This is really good. Love a good instrumental album. The monster growling threw me off a bit, but just made it more interesting.

Just a bit of a laugh really

It is totally shocking that Oldfield was basically a kid when he composed this, that he played all the instruments himself, and absolutely incredible what an impact the lead track has had. I have seen the Exorcist one time and had never even heard of this album, yet the song was totally familiar to me as if I had heard it a thousand times before. An almost mystical feeling. Having said that. I don't know how much I loved the rest of the album. Still very cool, and would put on again, but maybe in the background.

8/10

really good

I love this so- I mean album so much!

Consistently enjoyable.

Almost took off a Star at the end for the snarling, but whatever. This album slaps. Lots of orgies probably used it as background music. Glad I listened to it. Probably won't ever again, except for when I watch The Exorcist.

Great instrumental album. Great listen, moves quickly.

No me esperaba nada algo así. Me gustó arto, muy relajante y los instrumentos ufff.

Que isso, filme de terror. Música do exorcista. Achei bem da hora a primeira música, depois parece que vira soundtrack de jogo retrô. Gostei dessa primeira mesmo, quando começa a entrar vários instrumentos, bem foda. Mó paz ouvir esse álbum, gostei, bem feito, o cara é talentoso.

Muito interessante, consegue ir mudando o mood e não divaga demais. Vou ouvir mais vezes de certeza

I had a great time; pulls you into it, especially in the first half. Second half is a bit all over the place for my liking and definitely feels more experimental than the first (which for this record is saying a LOT), but I was more than able and willing to get through it. The story of how this album was made is also enviable and aspiring, and I'm not usually one for that kind of sentiment. I'm docking a point from a perfect score since this would be a really hard sell for anyone that isn't a total music nerd and due to those aforementioned experimental parts (which don't always really grasp you, despite the whole arrangement of the album by some miracle or plain talent and vision working the whole way through). Listening notes: Talk about an instantly recognizable first 10 seconds, holy shit Love part I around the 12 min mark Okay part I is done and I freakin' loved it, especially at the end as he's naming the instruments as they come on, I found the whole arrangement very cool I like how halfway through Part II we get the predecessor to Korn out of nowhere in a song that was up to that point more-or-less ambient music Very much starts rocking again Closes up too soon after rocking out, there was more space left :( I was not expecting this whimsy jingle at the end, but it feels familiar, like I heard it before

I actually never heard this classic in full. The first time it all seems kind of random, but with every other run structures and complex melodies appear out of the mist, I really like it! Not sure I like what he is saying about Richard Branson in that Klingon section on Part two.

One of the first LPs I ever bought. So familiar it's really hard to rate.

I can remember how cool this was back in the day

For vildt at det her var et hit. Det er bizart og pissefedt.

i mean, i enjoyed it throughout so i can't really get hung up on it being only 2 tracks. very cool. Billy Friedkin W

side a is incredible, side b cant help but be a bit of a letdown

Dos canciones de +20 minutos... Me ahorro cualquier tipo de comentario al respecto mejor.

Really interesting and impressive listen. Would be a 5 if it wasn't for the strange grunting bits in part 2 and all the instruments being announced in part 1. Why?!

Very good. Interstellar vibes

Quite a cinematic and engaging listen! He’s a very talented performer and this is an impressive production for 1973. Tubular, you might say.

Ugh, the man's such a colossal prick, but this regrettably still bangs.

4.8

Appreciated all but the last track which was talking.

I didn’t think I’d be into this one but his pieces really are mesmerizing in a way that pulled me in and kept me engaged. It got a little over the top at times but it’s cool. Definitely understand the hype.

This was a "haven't I listened to this bef- oh yeah" kinda one. Liked it more than the first time I heard it, the album is a grower. People are always split on things like this, but weird experimental instrumental albums are cool even if rare listens.

This album was really peaceful, the album consists of one track split into two parts. Very, very progressive rock of Mike Oldfield to do. I thought this album was entirely instrumental until near the end of Pt. 1, in which the spoken word at the started near the end of Pt. I thought was cheesy, but then I got mad chills brah when he said the album name at the end, where he was announcing what instruments going to play next. Part 2 was my favourite just because of the feelings of tranquility it brang me (even more than the first part,) and I just thought it in general was better. But to be frank, this album has pretty good consistency throughout so there is no real 'drop' in quality. Highlight Song/s: Tubular Bells Pt. 2

elite background music. i found out that i have midterm in like two days for a class a literally sleep through every week, so this is probably perfect study music. i said probably because my ass did not study while listening to this FUCK THAT CLASS! idgaf fr! good album tho

Another one I have. I really like this, can seem simple sometimes but the layering and repetition create something special. 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes 50/216 (23%) Will I get: Already have

Неплохое на фон, очень приятный альбом

So good it'll make your head spin! *rimshot* Seriously though, this was a good listen if you love prog rock and instrumentals. The grunting put me off a little at first, but the story behind it is pretty great.

I expected it to be weird but it’s surprisingly accessible. The songs had actual structure. Enjoyable.

Head spinning fun

That was...pretty darn good? Didn't know what to expect when I saw an album with so few tracks have a standard album runtime. 25-minute-long songs couldn't possibly be good enough for their whole stretch right? Well they can! Tubular Bells is a great listen all the way through and a get representative for new age music

A classic record that I really enjoy every time I listen to it.

Could’ve just been Part I and it would’ve been fantasic already but then Part II some walking out of the forest and sounds like a Tenacious D song in the middle?! Really cool experience!

Nothing beats the young adult's enthusiasm for making this kind of music. When Virgin's once in a lifetime oportunity came along, he took it and did not disappoint. Tubular bells is a Masterpiece. I eagerly encourage you to see the BBC Second House TV performance, where a lot of the finest english musicians of those years (Fred Frith, Steve Hillage, Pierre Moerlen, Mike Ratledge, Mick Taylor, and the list goes on) collaborated on the live version. Apart from the title track, the rest of the tracks are filler. Not bad filler, but it is what it is.

One of my favorite horror themes!

Beautiful! I can see myself trying to find this on vinyl to have just on during a Saturday.

Patchy, almost a 4

Pretty unique. Worth listening to again in the future

Tubular!

This is some of the wankiest wank I've ever listened to... Worf's vocals were a strange addition, but the music in this bit was really fun so I didn't hate them either. Part 2 suddenly breaks into a rendition of The Sailor's Hornpipe?! What the hell is going on. I can't even form coherent thoughts about this album. I'm confused, but I'm smiling. I guess it was good wank. Buggered if I know. 4/5.

Love the talent on display here. Hard to believe this is done by one person playing the instruments and recording over and over the same tape. Recognised the start as L's theme from death note and heard a few other melodies and rhythms I recognise across the whole piece. Crazy influential ig Full of texture, each instrument has an identity and sounds like it's being played in the room with you. The first part is significantly better. The instruments are layered like: ----- ----- ----- - ----- ----- - and this just gives so many combinations to listen to and never lets the album get stale Introducing the instruments like characters at the end of the 1st part was a funny gimmick but ended up made the introduction of "Tubular Bells" impactful and memorable. I don't remember as much about the 2nd half but I enjoyed it still. Very Interesting 4