Tubular Bells

The first track was five stars but then it got stupid with the growling. What a shame

3.5

Groovy.

It's kinda weird, it's kinda cool at times, it's kinda legendary, it's Tubular Bells. It was in the Exorcist and somehow went to #1. I don't hate it?

Really cool concept for an album. Some odd interludes and definitely wasn’t expecting to hear the exorcist theme to start, but overall it was a fun listen.

Kinda cool background music

6/10

Exorcist type beat

Vamos hoy jueves con un disco y una tapa icónicas, que nunca he escuchado a consciencia. Reconozco automáticamente que la canción del comienzo es la de El Exorcista y eso me engancha. Disco ideal para poner de fondo y trabajar tranquilo. Hasta mañana

this is scary shit dude

The main bit is a 5, the rest drags it down to a 3

decent

Cool in short bursts but the full album drags a bit.

This is my first album? This? *sigh* Okay then.

A little surprised that I enjoyed this one as much as I did. On the surface, I figured it would be pretty boring. But it actually was fairly interesting the whole way through and didn't drag on despite the length and composition. There were enough change-ups during the runtime to keep it engaging to the end. I also liked the instrumentation. While not exactly a genre I seek out, most of it came together nicely. It kind of reminded me of some more modern alt-rock stuff that you might hear where there is a lot of space between some of the instruments, yet they still combine into the whole coherently. The guitars were the highlights for me. Though not really in focus very long, I thought they had a really cool sound that elevated them in the mix. Even so, it's not really something that I can say I'd want to listen to again. It was a fun experience, but I don't see my self enjoying it nearly as much on a repeat. I do appreciate how it stands out as different and interesting, especially considering it was basically just a 19-year-old throwing it together. All told, I'm rating it more as "OK" than good. Overall: 2.7/5

On principle I’m not usually a fan of songs over 20 minutes but this was so weird I couldn’t help but enjoy it

Long drawn out album here. Some parts were really cool, some were what the hell? Overall, middle of the road for me. 3

I’m on the fence with this. I recognise its genius, but I only listen to it every few years.

Kind of a weird situation to listen to this one - I was driving for most of it and thus unable to be 100% positive that I actually did remove the extra tracks from the version I was listening to. I kept being positive I must have goofed up but every time I checked cautiously, it was still Tubular Bells pt. II.... I'm not sure if I gave myself Stockholm Syndrome but I did actually kind of enjoy it, especially the opening part used in The Exorcist and the part where the instruments all got introduced. Suffers, though, from the prog rock thing of being forever long and so I would typically like "a song" and instead I just liked a chunk of a really long and varied single track?

I don't like to use this word to criticise music just because of how often it gets used when people misjudge something, but this album is very meandering. And don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of post-rock so music of this kind of style is nothing new to me, and to be fair there were still quite a few moments that were really cool and satisfying. But I just did find there to be just as many moments that felt like they were completely pointless and went on for far too long.

Good background music. It's basically two very long ambient tracks, which sounds kind of awful but there's lots of variety in there which keeps interest as you listen. The second track is definitely worse than the first, especially the weird vocals. But overall it's pretty good

Really cool musically but I don't see how often I could listen to this otherwise I'd give it a four

Interesting? Sure. Masterpiece? Nah.

Certainly belongs on this list.

That was something else. Exorcist

The Exorcist theme song! Neat. Otherwise, pretty solid background music. I'll say 3/5

Interesting

Bad memories of seeing The Exorcist as a kid - but this was a fun little proggy rock listen.

Actually kinda cool but drags on.

Iconisch,. Weet nog goed dat dit een van de platen was die bij opa en oma Wally lagen welke vroeger van mam waren. Geweldige muziek. Na het luisteren: op de paar iconische stukjes na eigenlijk niet best.

Was aware of Tubular Bells - and its use in the Omen and other films but had never listened to the album. It starts well with the "Omen" motif - but then moves on to pastures new and it has its moments but then the spoken word introductions start and it begins to feel a little primary school. Part 2 is a different movement with not much obvious connection to me and whilst I like the foklyness and the Hornpipe and I did not care for the grunting.

I didn't realise this was his debut until reading about it, but that's rather incredible; it feels like something a seasoned 40-year old would put together. He also plays near all the instruments, and reveals a real aptitude such as Pt II 17munute mark, guitar noodling, with a Gilmour tone. The Odyssean 'Part 1', is not just about the tinkling piano refrain, which in fact is a very small part of it. There is a repeating guitar motif that's just as unsettling (one instance after the tolling of the bells at 16 minutes). Not a little touch of Pink Floyd here also. There are magnificent undulations and movements throughout, culminating in the superb Viv Stanshall intro to all the instruments. Part II feels altogether more inconsequential, at least for it's first half. It leans more to pop than a classical suite. The movements and scales and beating of a drum reminds me of a medieval setting, it feels like apt incidental music for the Robin Hood TV show. That's until the 12 minute mark when a Klingon inexplicably comes in, and the whole thing takes a welcome turn to rock, finally mellowing to a Procul Harum type groove. It starts to feel a bit of a meandering jam by minute 20, losing the structured motifs and refrains about which Pt I is built. So certainly a precocious talent, and an iconic part I, with a less successful part II. It borders three and four; I think I'd rather listen to Moonlight Shadow and In Dulce Jubilo - this retains a good three.

For a lot of this album, I enjoyed the music. It fits well into the genre of music to listen to while concentrating on something else. However, there's a couple of really wanky moments, a little towards the end of the first side where Oldfield feels the need to introduce the instruments like he was presenting a children's tv program and a couple of minutes on the second side where he twats about with the sailor's hornpipe and some weird monster voice. These moments took me out of my enjoyment and spoiled the rest of the album somewhat.

Pretty much just instrumental. I can see how bits of it would be used in a movie. It was fun to study to but I wouldn't listen to it anywhere else. beats actually did get fire as they went on. The parts where he said the instrument names throughout 'Tubular Bells - Pt 1' were really funny. 'Tubular Bells - Pt 1' was the best track

Knowing Mike Oldfield played every instrument does increase the interest. I managed to stay pretty engaged, but wasn’t exactly amped. 2 1/2, nudged to a three due to a couple of sweet parts.

Glad I listened to this, but I probably will never put it on again

Too much experimental for me, lots o weird sound. But relaxing after all.

Pretty cool

Hilarious! The spookiest movie of my generation, yet I never placed this iconic track to an artist. The music will forever remind me of a floating Linda Blair turned Satan shouting, “Your mother sucks cocks in Hell!” Not sure that’s how Oldfield wants to be remembered, but I’m happy for his success. The album is ok. Falls into the ever-expanding category called Background.

I miss the '70s. The experimentation and 'trippy-ness' of what artists did was amazing but it took The Exorcist to bring attention to this album and the new Virgin label. Maybe this site can expose more one-off artists through time?

it's dragging on for too long most of the time but wel it's ok

There are some absolutely terrible distortion on guitar work, but it's an interesting journey. Somebody needs to give the guy on side two the Heimlich before he chokes to death.

Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for Mike Oldfield.

Not my cup of tea

has its moments

I'm very much not a fan of the super-long song with multiple different movements, and this album is just two of those. There are lots of great moments on this, but there are also some stupid moments (like the growling or whatever that was on part II). Surprisingly enjoyable, ultimately!

The ultimate instrumental; bit long & somewhat monotonous.

Put me in a trance, good focusing music

Once is enough

Good music to do chores to. The part where he calls out what is playing was particularly fun. Not sure I'd bother listening again.

Pist 1 :

I've already listened to his album (10). Some good parts but pretty forgettable overall. Nothing never gets as good as the first few minutes, AKA The Exorcist theme.

From the opening notes I immediately thought of 'The Exorcist', so Tubular Bells just can't seem to live that down. But after the first couple of minutes it materializes as a meandering instrumental exploration of a sprawling, eccentric theme park, ultimately funneling toward the centerpiece attraction of the clunky, contoured, tube-shaped chimes. I can appreciate that it is relaxing to let the mind wander along with the free-form composition, inflecting across just about every imaginable prog-rock fancy. Now imagine the Saturday Night Live skit recording "Don't Fear the Reaper" if the gag was "More Tubular Bell!" instead.

Threw everything at the wall, and whilst it wasn't bad, why? Not sure about the random barking, and a suffusion of excessive instrumentation meant any singular sense got rapidly lost. But then, he did, so kudos. (Also can't distance it from the overwhelming sense of prog ie. aging out of touch middle England who are there to fawn sycophantically over a drumstick from 1970, and are the types leaving comments on YouTube videos saying "isn't it great the youth can make music" - but I accept this is my own prejudice!)

Instantly felt like I was transported into a high stakes movie scene showing a montage of the character piecing together all the information they have to solve whatever it is. Found out after it is the theme song for The Exorcist which explains why I was mesmerized. After a while though, it just simply became background music for me during my work day. Soothing and awe inspiring that he played each instrument, but likely a one time only listen for me.

Impressing, considering he was only 19 when he made this and played most of the instruments himself. Unfortunately, I only appreciated parts of both tracks, and will probably never listen to it again.

I’m not sure what to make of this. At it times it felt like I was hanging out with a musician as they played around with a few half-formed riffs and unrefined song ideas. The first few minutes of the opening track would make a good movie theme, I wonder if anyone has thought of that, and I like the bit where the guy says “Tubular Bells” - that was where the album peaked for me.

Interesting stuff. Quite liked it. Simpsons: No

Meh, went for a run while listening to this, was alright to exorcise to.

A little too long and generic but good nonetheless

What a weird one. I'm glad I listened. I won't do it again. Nicely done Oldfield.

Soundtrack to a horror film?

I had no idea about this 80s icon of an artist. The long-winded album is not bad as far as instrumental music goes. Compared to modern instrumental cinematic music, it does not hold a candle. It's not bad though, 3/5 meh

A genre defying instrumental album. Lots of mini musical ideas somehow held together to hold the listener’s interest. Don’t expect a virtuosic playing.

Oddly mesmerizing. Don’t know how bad I want to come back but I can sort of understand the hype.

Definitely interesting and good working music. Will I usually want to sit down and listen to a 20 minute track with bells, probably not. Was it unique and I'm glad I listened to it? Yes. Neutral rating.

Nice but wanky

I really enjoyed this little album. Not really familiar with Oldfield but this was really good for an amateur up and commer who recorded it all himself Will watch the Exorcist soon since it uses part of the album.

Good, viv stashall speaking listenened a lot during gcse studies.

I randomly came across Mike Oldfield's 'Guitars' album years ago, in which he uses exclusively (you guessed it) guitars to make all the sounds on the record, including some blues and rocky tunes and a few more soundscapey numbers. So I was mildly disappointed to discover this is his whole thing. He just did it with bells first. And bells are less fun than guitars. I don't love horror films so the opening 5-10 mins isn't much fun for me but there are some cool moments across the two long tracks. There are also the moments where he grunts and growls instead of attempting to sing and I'm not entirely sure why. I would definitely call this more of an interesting listen than a great or engaging one. But it managed to be simultaneously kind of boring and while I was on the fence about giving it a 2 or 3, I don't feel motivated to listen to the whole thing again, unless it's literally as background noise that I can ignore if I need to.

Aika siisti kokonaisuus. Käytännössä 50 minuuttinen instrumentaali. Alku on tuttu theme Exorcistista, mutta loppu aivan muuta. Prog rokkia käytännössä, luulin että tää olis elektroninen. Parhaat: Tubular Bells Pt. 2

Overall, this isn’t a bad listen. It’s ambitious, well-crafted, and unique in its sound. There’s a lot to appreciate in how it builds and evolves. I respect the artistry, but I don’t see myself coming back to it anytime soon.

firstly, bro have a super huge bias towards prog. and instrumental rock. and child prodigies. secondly, bro really need to watch The Exorcist. thirdly, bro liked the part that was used in the 2012 olympics opening. in general it sounds ok but some part is too repitive and sometime it sounds too celtic/irish and too inconherent. 3/5

It's hard to imagine a more iconic opening to an album that the first few minutes of "Tubular Bells", famously used as the music to The Exorcist. There's something surreal about hearing the rest of the album evolve into something else though. I think this is one of those albums where being so familiar with a small part of it is a major disadvantage. It really doesn't live up to the intensely creepy sound that you may expect. It's a technical triumph, sure. And maybe if it wasn't for The Exorcist, I could judge it separately. Unfortunately, the iconic sound is so limited to the first moments that it's hard to really care about the rest. A fine album in and of itself, but the noteworthy part wraps up far too quickly to remain memorable.

I tend to take issue with albums like this that are just a couple of unbearably long tracks. They usually aren't even listenable for 1 minute but subject us to 25 minutes of bullshit. This is the first one of those albums on this list I've seen done well. I was actually able to lose myself in the music instead of constantly checking the clock.

60/100. A solid effort with clear respect for the material, but not quite as captivating as it could have been.

This isn't horrible without the horror! Some funky sections, but for the most part it's on the interesting side of weird.

Weird

these bells sure were tubular! just kidding it wasn't that interesting

omg the exorcist Those bells were tubular! 79/100

What the hell, the first 2 tracks are over 20 min! I don't know what to expect here. Let's see what the wiki says.... Hmmmm "its opening theme was used for the soundtrack to the horror film The Exorcist." That's pretty cool. Oh yep! hahah awesome! intersting album. 3 stars

★★★½

a whole universe

There's a lot of music, especially these days, that sound very much like this. I suspect he was a trailblazer. I found it surprisingly enjoyable.

There is something I find interesting about long compositions of music. 45:33 by LCD Soundsystem would come to mind as my first choice but this is in second place. Split into 2 songs, the album is multiple things as it goes on. It’s relaxing, it’s exciting, and then it’s relaxing again. I am not sure where to put that one part like 12 minutes into the second song in that though. Overall this is a fun album. I enjoyed it.

Classic. Love it. 40 min is a bit much though.

Is this one of those cocaine albums? Definitely would not have listened to it without this list, and actually happy I did, in a weird way.

3.5

This album is pretty fantastically whimsical, like, it has SERIOUS adhd. Sometimes it feels like it's the score to a fantasy anime and other times the score to that one nick cage movie where he has to steal all the cars for the mafia in only 3 days (aka I really like this album). I'm usually kinda bored w/ instrumentals but this is really fun, engaging, and never boring. Also, that bit where the guy seductively says "slightly distorted guitaaaahs" lives rent free in my brain>:) Other notes: -the electric guitar coming in in the first song was hype -second song did get a bit annoying around the 5 minute mark tbh -11:50 mark in song 2 had me giggling -third song (Tubular Bells Theme) was a fun time even if it did sound like a tinkerbell movie -Sailors hornpipe was a TRIP. -all my comments on how it sounded like a score make sense now as it turns out it was used as such in the 1973 film "the Exorcist"

its okay but not something that lands with me

This was enjoyable enough, I don’t mind long-form songs that meander around. But halfway thru part II some kind of demonic chanting, and then a disjointed horn pipe tacked onto the end? WTF Mike, you lost me there… 2.5/5 decent but maybe a bit avant garde for me

Inventive and no doubt genre changing

This goes to some pretty surprising places and sounds great in all of them. Mike Oldfield is keen to show you everything he can do and how creatively he can assemble a pallet of different sounds that you don’t usually hear side by side. At various points something sudden and surprising happens (e.g. an unexpected voice) and continues to impact how you perceive the music well after it has left the stage. A very clever composition.

Its a high 3 from me, i love so many elements but frequently one part will come in over the top and really ruin it for me, i prefer side 2 as it sounds like music from a high fantasy medieval RPG game from the 80s

Interesting instrumentals, not bad as bgm. 3

Really struggled deciding what rating to give this album It's really impressive how he managed to do all of this himself at 19. For sure way more productive and talented than I was at that age I remember listening to this album with my dad growing up. The Exorcist theme is iconic, and I also liked the little Blue Peter jingle at the end It was way too long though. Some parts kept dragging on. Also the growling was a bit odd. It was a 2.5 really but I'll round up 3 ⭐️

wunderfull instrumental music

Instrumental. First song sounded like theme music from Halloween

I dont know what the heck just happened. 2 well-made yet bizarre songs that lasted almost an hour. This has been the most confusing album in the 92 I have so far listened to. I didn't hate it, but nor will I ever purposefully listen to it again, though I do know a couple people in my life who I will recommend this to (though they probably already are aware of it). Mike Oldfield is obviously a talented musician with a wild imagination and kudos to him for this album. This is one that belongs on this list, even if I don't give it the highest of marks. 6.8/10 92/1001

6.5/10 This is without a doubt an album containing music. Highlights: Tubular Bells Pt.I Tubular Bells Pt.II

Muy medieval, la primera canción es buena a pesar de ser tan larga. Me gusta el sentimiento que expresa la mezcla de instrumentos

Very cool but a little dull.

This sounds like what demons would listen to during playtime.

The first 4 minutes really were the best part of the album. The other 44 ranged from pretty good to mentally taxing. Ironic saying that since yesterday's was Trout Mask Replica, but I just didn't find this one as fun.

Quite an interesting listen, lots of good sounds. Hard to believe that Mike Oldfield was 19 when he composed this. Can't go wrong with 2 20-25 minute songs, great background music.

This isn't bad music, but it feels like it's trying too hard to be avant garde that it comes off pretentious and overthought.

Halfway through Tubular Bells part 2 it loses the plot a bit, but great until then.

Elevator music

This album was really cool, but a lot of it felt like background noise and/or pretentious. Still enjoyed listening but probably not something I’ll revisit

i audibly laughed at “~glockenspiel~ *ding ding ding*” because it caught me so off guard, and then the goblin soundtrack reallllly threw me off but i’m not mad at it. not my usual jam but i actually found it moderately enjoyable as background music while pretending to be a pro hacker at work

Weird but innovative. I imagine listening to this while high would be an absolute wild trip.

Good instrumental stuff. The vocals from part 2 starting halfway through surprised me

Not bad, but I’m not sure I get the hype over this.

Good album

He estado mirando info del álbum y no sabía que la fortuna de Richard Branson empezó con este disco. Lo escuché hace más de 30 años y nunca he vuelto a oírlo más allá que cuando he visto la película del Exorcista. Mejor de lo que recordaba, hay que escucharlo. Aparte de la intro tampoco creo que vuelva oírlo deliberadamente.

I was always told by my mother to listen to this album. It was pretty neat and different. Not entirely sure I'd ever listen again. The end of the album has a bit that was pretty funny, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was now, other than relative to art.

Surprisingly better than I thought it would be!

I like the sounds, it’s generally pretty and fairly proggy, but it does run on a little and becomes tiresome after a while to the point where during both listens I kinda started tuning it out but it was always pleasant while I was listening, so I’d go a solid 3-3.5 stars

Objectively, this is a great album. He is certainly good at playing instruments. He is not good at being an artist. I just can't get into it. Albums like this should take you on a journey, and make you feel a powerful roller coaster of emotion with the transitions. I don't feel any emotional connection to this whatsoever. I felt more of a connection with Pingu playing icicles in the cave (which is what the first ten minutes or so remind me of). I did enjoy the sound of the electric guitar - though the demonic grunts were unwarranted. It was a disappointing listen. I want to like it, but just don't.

Weird, not sure I'll listen again

umm...idk i was vibing until they started growling

I can't say that I enjoyed it exactly, but I've given less fascinating albums 3 stars for at least being interesting and this was certainly that.

Had no idea this was an album first, Exorcist association makes it unsettling. Interesting rock instrumental, even has some educational parts. Very rock opera, very cinematic.

Ok I see you

Interesante

I sort of liked it. Then sort of hated it. Then sort of liked it. Etc…that happened every 1 minute so I guess it is 3 stars.

Not mad I listened to it, wouldn’t listen to it again

Seems like this would be a pretentious person’s favorite album. Wasn’t terrible, wasn’t spectacular, solid background music.

It’s incredible in its detail and singular vision. I’m never going to be sitting around saying “you know what I want to listen to right now? Fukkin Tubular Bells!” But I’m glad it’s out there and it’s worth listening to

Jaha. Faktiskt positivt överraskad. Kändes som det skulle bli uselt. Två jättelånga trotslåtar. De är rätt sköna, men svåra att greppa helt. Minus för "skriken" (runt minut 15) på del II, och den krystade uppräkningen av instrument. Tvek om jag lyssnat igen dock.

Prog Rock probably peaked here (sorry Rush fans), the into was cool since they used it in The Exorcist and anyone born in the UK from the 1970s onward heard that musical motif at least 100,000 times in their life without realising it. Ended with a sea chanty style variation of the Sailor's Hornpipe, wasn't expecting that, but over 45 minutes this album took me to a lot of unexpected places.

[7/10] Damn this demon music got silly

The first few minutes really felt like they were building up to something exciting, but each side of the album is more like a series of vignettes than a coherent, continuous composition. Bit of a let down.

It's a bit of a weird album, completely hit and miss. At its best, the music is pretty interesting and quite varied. I even like the weird Klingon bit. But at its worse it's meandering, and it doesn't really stand out. It's a strange beast, I kind of admire the weirdness, but it's not something I'd return to. 2.5 rounded up.

The Exorcist and Blue Peter bits are good. Quite a weird album really, eg the weird noises that one guy makes for about 5 minutes towards the end. Not sure how this sold so many copies.

Even though I only found the album decent, I appreciate the editors for including stuff like this in the list. 5/10

Me at 0:10: oh nice, it's the theme from The Exorcist, that's super catchy Me at 12:00: still going huh? OK he's doing some slightly different stuff at least Me at 26:00: well that was long but not terrible and it's over now- oh, nope, there's a part 2 Me at 37:50: oh hey, the demon from The Exorcist actually makes a cameo Me at 49:10: well that was very different. Did I like it? I'm not sure

Enjoyed part 1 way more than part 2. 1 sounds like the theme from Halloween 2 sounds like it's from Ocarina of Time Until they both don't sound like that anymore. It's good.

I liked 2 songs. I had to skip through a few that were just hard to listen to for me.

This is an album that I knew of by reputation but had never actually listened to before. Generally this was great, but there are things that completely take you out of the experience. For example when he starts talking like a muppet character that's been possessed by a demon.

This was totally Tubular.

Pretty amazing it was composed when he was age 19. Very good accomplishment.

Too weird to listen to often but had enough interesting parts

Well, *that* was not what I expected from either the title or the album cover. Definitely distinctive, and even if it's not necessarily rock--or for that matter pop--music, it's a worthwhile listening experience. Each album side plays like a classical score or possibly a musical soundtrack with all the lyrics removed, and of course there's that "Exorcist" theme opening that apparently captured a nation's attention and helped Richard Branson's fame and fortune. It's a bit hard listening to this for the first time in 2025 to understand how this album could have stayed in the UK top ten for much of 1974, but clearly it resonated. (The album is also at times sort of a precursor to New Age music, which might help explain its pull too.) It's impressive to read how nearly every instrument is played by Mike Oldfield, as well as all of his self-taught playing and producing attempts, not to mention how many overdubs went into each piece on the album. At times it felt like the aural equivalent to that incredible 96-minute single-take movie "Russian Ark" (touring the Hermitage Museum), both of which are simultaneously interesting concepts and remarkably tedious experiences at times. And funny to read that the "Piltdown Man" section of Part Two was created when Oldfield downed a half-bottle of whiskey and screamed into the microphone for 10 minutes straight, all out of pique at Branson telling Oldfield he needed vocals to sell the album; it feels like this anecdote kind of sums up Oldfield's approach to people and feedback and perhaps even music.

"Yeah no, but please hear me out! With a 16-track recorder, Mike Oldfield couldn't record all the instruments at once like a band would in a typical studio session. Instead, he had to meticulously build the album layer by layer, instrument by instrument. So likely he started with some foundational elements, maybe a piano or acoustic guitar part, laying those down on a few tracks, for the whole 26 minutes of Side A in one go. Then, he'd go back and record another instrument on a different track while listening to the existing recording. You know, he almost invented overdubbing! Then he'd repeat this process again and again, filling up the 16 tracks with different instruments and parts. To add even more layers, he would have to "bounce" or combine several recorded tracks onto a single track, freeing up space for more overdubs. So, Oldfield had to overcome technical limitations and potential sound quality issues to achieve his musical vision. This recording process is a big part of what makes Tubular Bells so unique and impressive. It's a fascinating example of how artists can push the boundaries of technology and creativity to produce groundbreaking music!" "Sure, but is it any good?" "Meh, it's ok"

The bit where he announces all the instruments is uber cool. The rest? Riffs with no connecting ideas. It’s not awful by any standards. Maybe quite good. Some of the riffs are great actually. Also this sold a gajillion and also pretty much launched virgin records. So yes you should listen to it. But you might find yourself wondering - what’s the fuss about? 2.5

Strange, experimental.

Tubular Bells is a bold, chaotic ride through Mike Oldfield’s teenage imagination—brilliant in flashes, but wildly uneven. The haunting opening is iconic for a reason, but much of the rest feels like a 49-minute experiment in throwing every instrument possible into the mix. For every moving passage, there’s a baffling moment (looking at you, Piltdown Man) that derails the mood. It’s an impressive debut that often collapses under its own ambition. Still, clearly, there was enough demand for it to be released four more times in the ensuing decades.

Kinda crazy how the first song goes from exorcist theme to something completely different. It wasn’t bad but it sounds kinda like a kid fucking around with a tape recorder who struck it big because a movie producer liked the first 2 minutes of his 25 minute song.

I was terrified when I saw the length and lack of songs. The growling in the middle was a bit weird but honestly this was good.

Not a fan. Would've been miles better had he divided up the songs. Had his moments though.

The fact that this was released in the 70s deserves a few stars. Love the improv vibes of it.

3.5

I can remember my parents playing this when I was a nipper in the 70's. Whenever I hear the intro it gives me goosebumps. The intro is the best part (imo) but in fairness, it's pretty good the whole way through. I definitely enjoyed it this time round (and I doubt I'd heard the whole album for 40+ years). I think any album that evokes such strong memories is significant.

It's okay I suppose, but a little too light and new-worldy for my tastes. I would give it 3.5, but rounded down to 3 stars.

An interesting prog album. Some fun themes were introduced throughout the album, but it's not very cohesive. That didn't necessarily detract from the experience, but it was notable. Still had a good time.

This has to be the free album they gave you when you bought a new stereo. On cassette. Maybe 8-track.

Two 20min+ tracks, ugh. I don't like prog but this was okay. Tolerable but it did take me a few listening sessions to get through.

I like the start but I don't like where it goes.

Genuinely thought I'd find this a bit of a grind to listen to, but actually enjoyed it, musically quite interesting, giving it a 3 as I don't think I'll listen to it again any time soon. Maybe the kind of record I'd sit through every few years

No private session used for spotify. I had no idea what to expect, but a 56 minutes album with four tracks had me nervous. I did read a bit about while listening to it and read Mike played most the instruments on it, there are a quite a few so props to that. Not bad, don't know when I would listen to it again.

Overall interesting but not my thing

Pretty impressive and sounds like it could be made even today.

Well, it definitely delivers on the title. There are plenty of tubular bells. I’ve got a lot of respect for Mike Oldfield—dude played just about every instrument on this thing. That’s impressive, no question. As for the music itself, it’s decent background noise. Kinda meanders in places, but it’s got that cinematic, almost spooky vibe that works in the right setting. I wouldn’t put it on intentionally, but I’m giving it an extra star for its iconic use in The Exorcist. That connection alone makes it more memorable than it might’ve been otherwise.

I’m so far behind on this site. I decided to just randomly select one of the many albums I have unrated. I was initially considering a redo, but I decided to give the Bells a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. In the 50 minute runtime, there were so many moments that caught my ear. So many different rhythmic changes and parts that brought me back in when I lost focus. That being said, I think some of the transitions to said parts could have been better. Sometimes it felt like wow I like this new section, but it didn’t flow super well. I’m not sure I’ll revisit this, but I hope I do eventually.

Really instrumental. Like that horror film

When he said "plus tubular bells" I popped off

Great album

Much better than I expected though it isn’t something I would seek out. 3 stars (I understand how some could give it 5, but I’m basing my ratings off my enjoyment).

I can definitely understand why this album has the reputation it does with British audiences, but honestly, it just kind of feels like your bog-standard prog album without the more fantastical elements thrown in. 3.5 bumped down to 3.

He started virgin records from this album so an extra star for that.

Erste Song ist extrem gut Zweiter auch sehr nett mit den Sussy vocals aber im Schatten des ersten.

I'm aware of the legacy this has due to the single's inclusion in "The Exorcist", but I've never actually heard more outside of the intro to the first track (like most, I would assume). The instrumentation and composition is pretty impressive, even more so after reading that Oldfield was only NINETEEN during recording and also the fact that he largely played most of the instruments himself. I'm mainly referring to "Part One" when discussing the above. "Part Two" takes some...strange turns multiple times through that I guess you'll just have to listen to for yourself.

My mind can't separate Tubular Bells I from The Exorcist, so the song naturally gave me the creeps - well done. TB II is way more folky than I expected. What a weird album. It does deserve to be on this list even though this was a tedious listen.

J'ai apprécié l'écoute. Les différentes atmosphères s'enchaînent bien, sans être trop similaires ni différentes. Néanmoins, il y a un truc qui me dérange, un peu comme avec The Wall de Pink Floyd, je n'arrive pas à l'écoute en entier...

Comment passer de ce qui semblait être l'une de mes plus belles découvertes musicales de ces derniers mois à finalement l'une des mes plus grandes déception en moins de 10 min. Malgré un début envoûtant qui pouvait faire espérer, c'est dès la fin de la 5 ème minute qu'arrivent les premiers gros défaut qui à mon sens sont symptomatique du reste de la musique/album. D'un coup, la musique change du tout au tout, sans spécialement de transition, rompant ainsi la sorte de cohérence qui s'était créé précédemment. Au final, cela donne un côté brouillon, qui se répète tout a long de la pièce. On a pas le temps de s'adapter à une ambiance que tout change. Ainsi, bien que de nombreux passages me plaisent plutôt bien, il manque d'un liant, d'une sorte d'unité qui rassemble les différentes parties de la pièce et probablement que beaucoup d'entre elles manque d'être développées un peu plus. Dommage...

Back in the day!

Enjoyed. I've listened before but it improves each time.

If it wasn’t for the Exorcist music or Viv Stanshall doing the hornpipe I wouldn’t care a fig about this. I know it made Richard Branson a fortune but it’s pretty dull and serviceable only as Mall Music. Another 2.5.

Unsure how to react to this. Parts of it were quite engaging, but the songs seem more like Whitman's Samplers of sounds than unified statements, so it was hard to emotionally connect with it. The two parts I expected to dislike were when the voice-over artist announced the instruments and the grunting at the end of the album. Weirdly, I dug both parts.

Definitely over rated. It's the kind of thing people make all the time but thanks to a strong opening this has entered the halls of fame?

I get why this is on here I really really do . it's quite the experience. I dont think I'll be returning to it beyond background noise

I do not like it, yet due to its association with childhood birthday parties it is a 3.

This is an interesting listen. It works as background music but doesn't really move me. It's good, but not something I would have in heavy rotation. It can be a little weird between the spooky "The Exorcist" theme, the calling out of the instruments, and the grunting. It does make it worth a listen.

MAN-DOE-LYNNNN!! The opening riff is fantastic, but most of the remaining album is too much noodle not enough steak.

This is bonkers, isn’t it? I remember my dad had this on vinyl. I wonder if all those people who bought it on the back of The Exorcist knew what they were letting themselves in for. Also to the dude wittering on about child abuse, Roman Polanski did not direct Thr Exorcise and Wm Friedkin was never accused as far as I’m aware.

I like the exorcist bit, but then it waffles and he slowly starts talking about what instruments are being played and once they are all in it's okay again, but that's just track 1. Them track 2 was largely forgeable. It's a 3 because of the start of track 1 and the end of track 1

Not the worst 20 min songs I’ve heard, far from the best though

Man, this is a lot. There are cool moments on here and obviously, the track used for The Exorcist is legendary. This is still pretty off the wall, though.

The opening song just plains scares me. Its diferent and its great technically, I cant say anything negative but that its too long. Not my type of music but much better today that when I first listened to it.

Very cool

Always thought it was a bit dull. Played all the instruments himself though, clever lad

Some moments of beauty, interrupted by some odd sounding human-made sounds. Shame, in a way. Also really stumped as to how this album reached such popularity - I know the movie contributed a lot, but still. In a way, nice to see people being so open to such an album!

5/10 Dosta impresivno za snimit ovako nesto sa samo 19 godina. Sjecam se ovog covera iz CD shopova, a mozda i nekog drugog u seriji Tubular Bells albuma gdje su svi slicni. Svidja mi se u Part I kako nabraja instrumente, ubacuje ih i radi layering preko prethodne trake. Ili tako nekako prica ide ali bio je dosta brijac oko snimanja ovog albuma. Meni je donekle zanimljiv jer je poseban in his own right ali ne vidim situacije u kojima bi izabrao da ovaj album svira u pozadini. Mozda za setnju u prirodi, ne znam. Dok ima trenutaka gdje instrumenti bas lijepo kominiciraju medjusobno, fali mi neceg misticnog, mozda cak i vise brijanja, kljava, bubnja. Zapravo dosta toga sto trebam od muzike. Ovako mi nije lose, ali ni nesto sto cu pamtiti. Dosta niche glazba cak i da pozelim ovako nesto slusati, uvijek imam zanimljivijih alternativa. Cudno mi je uopce ocijeniti ovakav album, ali vjetar mi danas puše na jako prosjecnih 5 pa ce tako i biti. A sada nesto konkretnije.

🎧Some interesting prog rock stuff going on here, and I like an album that’s one long song per side. But there’s all this growling about midway through Tubular Bells Pt. II that kind of spoiled it for me

I’d only heard the famous bit of this before. I enjoyed some parts, was confused by others and irritated by a few too, so perhaps it’s more ‘art’ than what I’d usually want from an ‘album’? I appreciate the skill in playing all those instruments but it was too much for me, like a huge, meandering musical doodle.

A classic in its day and I probably enjoyed it at the time and it's quite good background music but now I find it a bit tedious to listen to. I did see it played live a few years ago which was quite good.

Why did Mike Oldfield see the urologist? He had tubular balls. A lot I really liked. A lot I really didn't. All in the same song. I'm glad it exists even though I'll probably never listen to it again. And also amazed to learn he did this all when he was 19.

Good to listen to it again. Definitely not really my cup of tea. But lots of elements in it that are great. It is in my opinion probably the most iconic film music that has ever been made.

Overall pretty interesting, especially since there is a connection to "The Exorcist". The music is pretty adventurous, and another note, I've seen interviews with Matthew Berry where he talks about how influential this album was on him. I probably won't relisten because both tracks have parts that I didn't really mesh with. Near the end of part 1, the introduction to each instrument was a little hokey, and on part 2, I just found the "Caveman" vocals to be annoying after awhile.

A very good album, especially for the time however not for me

First song is an iconic horror movie song that seems to have influenced the horror soundtrack genre in more ways that one. Despite this, the album flops after the first 5 minutes turning into weird groaning unintelligible lyrics that don't fit into the mix at all or various repetitive sounds.

Perfect if you ever find yourself walking through a forest filled with woodland creatures on your way to slay an ogre

Something about this feels very pretentious. Mike Oldfield, through the music, constantly insists that, "Hey, this bit is cool too. And this instrument. And this little melody that you'll be hearing for the next seven business minutes. Spiffing! Hey, did you know that I played 27 different instruments on this album?" During one extended segment of Tubular Bells - Pt. I, he even announces the new instruments as they appeared. This actually would've been pretty funny if the music wasn't taking itself seriously, but I get the feeling it was. In addition, this guy needs to learn about variation over a theme. Some of the musical motifs are pretty good, but they get stale quickly when you play them on repeat for several minutes with the only variation being the entry of a mandolin or a Spanish guitar. This could've been improved with some more pronounced variation in dynamics, texture, maybe some lyrics... but then, this serves its purpose as a soundtrack, so what can you do? The second side of the album is mostly stronger than the first – has kind of a medieval feel with all the overlapping arpeggios – but that gets fairly old after the first five minutes or so. (I'm a Gen Z guy. My attention span is low. Give me more drama!) Then we get to the grunting part at around 12 minutes in, and it's all over. Maybe I just don't get prog rock. Edit 4/1/25: This is way better (and revolutionary) than I gave it credit for. Bumping my rating from 2 to 3 stars. 3/5 Key tracks: Tubular Bells - Pt. II

I got bored honestly. It does get quite bizarre which was good but overall it's a meh, 2.5

That opening theme is fantastic and there are other good moments but it also meanders a fair bit. I know people love Vivian Stanshall but he sort of ruins the end of side one. Listened to on my mum and dad's old copy which is handily filed need their Carl Orff for ease of access to 70s horror vibes.

The length of each track would usually turn me away but I've been listening to a lot of instrumentals recently so this came at the right time. It's cool to know where that first iconic bit that starts the album came from. There were parts of each track I liked and parts I didn't. Really good to work to. I can't imagine a 19 year old making this, that's crazy Rating: 3.4

Of all the prog rock landmarks, this is among the best balanced between originality and listenability. Yes, there are indulgent bits and big shifts in tone/mood, but they seem easier to follow and more of a piece overall. Still, it’s pretty dull and feels dated, cutting a rather direct (and rapid) path between initial intrigue to ultimate tedium, which (again) seems quite proggy indeed. One's not sure how to feel about the music tutorial section – was Oldfield channeling Bernstein's Young Peoples Concert series or something. The grunting/scary monster vocal effects don't add a ton. Ultimately just okay, no matter how essential '70s artifact-y it remains.

Tricky one. Parts of it were brilliant, parts pretentious and others just too rambly.

Yeah, interesting.

parece mt bom, mas a primeira música virou meme

It's funny, I have this on vinyl, I think it was my dad's copy. It was pretty groundbreaking for the time, but that said, I later found Tangerine Dream, Can, Brian Eno, all of which scratch this sort of itch much better.

I think its just too weird for me, but damn that Exorcist theme always hits, it conjured a lot of dread in me. Outside the first track I lost interest, but the story behind creating the album was a good read. I think it probably works best if you're creating ambience, and maybe I'd benefit by listening to it during another activity instead of a walk around the lake.

Love it or hate it or just pass by

Memorable for The Exorcist theme

Well this is fucking weird. Parts of it were cool, parts of it were bad. Why is he growling? Why are we naming instruments?

Mad impressive coming from a 19 year old-- what on earth was that caveman jumpscare doing in the middle of side B though!

It's hard to believe that Mike Oldfield is not only capable of playing so many instruments, but that he did so on this album -- and at such a young age! This was truly a beautiful album, as well as extremely innovative. Dating back all the way to 1973, this album seems to be a very early example of new age music, a mostly-instrumental, relaxing, and typically celestial-sounding genre that saw a big rise in popularity in the 90s. In fact, this may very well be THE first album to exist under the "new age" genre term. The second half of part 2 changes fairly drastically and suddenly into a much more progressive rock sound, complete with throat growls that sound straight out of the metal scene. While jarring, this transition is not exactly unwelcome (at least not for me)! Something that is noteworthy about this album is that it holds up quite well by today's standards of the new-age genre, which is definitely not something you can say about every album that has ever crossed any specific genre, let alone an album that may be the starting point of a genre.

okay i liked part 1 waaaaay more than part 2 but overall it was cool!

Paar hele vette passages, en wel vernieuwend, maar ook echt mindere stukken

Nope

i feel like this has all the capabilities to be super good it but it just doesn’t put the parts together correctly. some parts were really cool but others were really bad

I can't listen to this without feeling it might summon the devil. The quirkiness of Sailor's Hornpipe replaced the pangs of anxiety and looking over my shoulder. He has created quite a range.

An album that is impossible to not be impressed by. So many notes. So styles. The varied instrumentation. Anyone of a certain age knows this album for its opening section. The impact of that theme on scoring for the horror genre cannot be understated - even today. There are other great ideas here but to what end. I have no idea what I am ultimately suppose to feel.

I quite like it

This should have been a couple more songs rather than two long ones. It’s not like the two are wildly different in tone to the point where it makes sense to only have two. There are three points in the first song where you could split it up. It can be a little sloppy. At times it seems like that’s the desired effect, others I can’t tell, but would guess not. I’m not really that impressed by anything here as it does sound like a product of its time. 3/5

Decent ambient / electronic and I can see how this was ahead of the curve in the 70's, but it's not my kind of ambient / electronic. 2.5/5

Interesting

It's interesting that this album did as well as it did. It's almost entirely instrumental and is a little out there (classical / guitar / prog rock / etc). I enjoyed it as background music, especially the parts with mandolin. The parts with the voice-over were a little funny/annoying.

did i listen to the whole thing- no skipping? no. was it good? yeah, for studying or something

Still an album that I struggle to like - just kinda meandering around and never sounding like something cohesive. Influential but not for me.

Interesting-ish, with Exorcist song offering the most compelling content. Otherwise, largely dull and dated. The spoken word/voiceover is like prog rock version of Bernstein's Young People's concerts. Difficult to disagree with Oldfield's own assessment that it could have been better.

I liked this, great study music.

听不懂思密达

Album 416 of 1001 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Rating : 3 / 5 This is different. Includes the track that was used as the theme for the movie The Exorcist. Nothing I would recommend because of the awesome songs but more for just the experience of hearing it. Oldfield, who was 19 years old when it was recorded, played almost all the instruments on the mostly instrumental album.

The end of part 1 is a stand out section. Sailor's Hornpipe is quite amusing.

I had never heard this album before. It was an interesting listen. Obviously neat to learn more about where the Exorcist theme came from. I doubt I’ll ever listen to it again though, just not my thing.

Great idea, amazing musicianship, just a bit dull

Great talent and there are actually a number of very good tracks on the album. I appreciate Mike Oldfield’s musical ability, however…some tracks feel dated and rather cheesy now. (Pop that one back on the shelf for a while…)

Like one giant obnoxious hold music binge. Not bad, but definitely not a re-listen

This was definitely unique. I don’t know if I’ll listen to it again, but I don’t regret listening to it either.

The exorcist!!!! No but honestly this was such a cool album, all instrumental but all interesting.

I actually enjoyed most of the first two songs a lot, interminable as they were. However, my enjoyment vanished any time he opened his mouth. I think this whole album would have been better served as an instrumental. The third song, the first short one, was probably the highlight of the album. I found the last song so annoying that it singlehandedly dropped this album by a star. It's not the type of album that I expect to revisit.

My dad used to watch the dvd of this concert all the time, but I never got into it. Sitting down and listening made no difference.

Honestly not bad. Fairly enjoyed my listen. One of the better instrumentals I’ve listened to. Kept it interesting and wasn’t boring to me.

peaceful , enjoyable. downloaded first

For an almost entirely instrumental album I loved it beyond the obvious choir and orchestra masterpieces some songs like Mike oldfield’s single takes it in a new direction into slower more beautiful music. Favorite: Mike Oldfields single Least favorite: tubular bells part 2 3.7/5

This is a very strange "album." I think the musicality and ingenuity are good, but it's not something I'd want to sit around listening to.

Two very long tracks that riff on a theme. It was definitely interesting, playing all the instruments by himself at age 19 is very impressive. Obviously the beginning of the first song was used for the Exorcist, which brought initial attention to the album, but there is definitely much more to it. A long prog rock symphony. Overall it's a good listen

Spess men fakker med det 3,5

It’s eerie. It actually sounds like John Carpenter dabbled in prog rock. Decent listen, the second track got a little phlegmy which was a tad uncomfortable but this was interesting. 3 stars

Even though I’m not really into soundscapes, this was really good. It’s mostly 2 tracks but they have so many dynamics that it was fun to listen to

Some interesting musical ideas obscured by a decent chunk of the instrumental passages overstaying their welcome. The passages within the two parts of Tubular Bells are also tonally disjointed, which can make for jarring transitions (see the outro of Part II). A bizarre listening experience overall. Fav Tracks/Least Fav Track N/A, it's basically 1 long track... I liked Part I more than Part II, for what it's worth. 5/10

3.2/5 Best Track: Tubular Bells - Pt. 1

It had me at times, but I don’t know that’s listen again. But really I wanted this to be a 2.5.

Had to disassociate this one from its source of fame, but it was better than I expected.

pas d'avis particulier, mais quelques musiques sympathiques :)

That was different. Not sure I feel about it, would be good music to listen to when working

3/5. The Exorcist theme into a hellacious guitar solo? I mean is there anything better than that? I’d say yes, but it’s close.

Interesting and a bit of a different album, I like it! I instantly recognized the first part from The Exorcist movie, but that wasn't the only lead on side one. I actually enjoyed the first half of the 2nd side the most, with its relaxing and mellow tones. Reminded me a bit about tavern music somehow. Would be a good part to play board games to. The latter part of the 2nd side unfortunately regressed quite a lot when someone started doing guttural noises and screaming, which was just too weird. All in all it was an interesting experience and I think a dead-on 3 or high 3 feels fitting.

Admittedly, my heart sank at the title, anticipating a potentially long and dull experience. To my surprise, Mike Oldfield's creation defied expectations, delivering a captivating and eerie journey. The fact that he composed this masterpiece at 19 is nothing short of insane. Tubular Bells manages to be both haunting and mesmerising, showcasing Oldfield's prodigious talent and innovative spirit. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 0 STAND OUT TRACK - None

Partially difficult to listen to, partially nice harmonies.

Pretty damn good, right?

The Exorcist theme! This is one of those albums where I appreciate it as an innovative product of its time. It doesn’t hold up as well for me now.

Zum schaffe im hintergrund isches eigentlich no easy und sicher einiges besser wie die Jazz Orgel Musik ;) 26min isch eifach chli lang für en song, chame halt so nume schwierig uf irgend e playlist due. Naja all in all 3/5

ok mikey de exorcist theme isch schono cool. und jo er het alles selber gspielt und isch erst 20i gsi und so, aber da sött eig nöd beiflusse wiemer er album beurteilt. de teil am 14:30 isch huere geil mit giti time und so. jetz bluesriff mit synthbass wo drunder liit. part two (zweiter teil) findi die erste 10minute nöd so geil s goht irgendwie nienets ane. hahahahha de caveman shit isch funny. er hegs voll bsoffe ufgnoh. unddra groovts zimli. wolf geheule au geil. nocher wieder prog rock melodie und so. mmh zweistimmigs giti solo no nice aber jääh

I really wasn’t in the mindset for this, but maybe if I was I would have appreciated it better, you probably meed to sit down in a dark corner with some red wine and crackers, and I was sitting on a romanian train instead. So it’s a 3 star album for now.

Auch experimenteller und ohne Vocals. Aber ich mag‘s.

I can see why some people gave this five stars. I can also see why some people gave it one star. Liked part one. Didn't like part two. Split down the middle.

Omen

Dude kinda looks like Willem Dafoe.

Knew nothing of this beyond Tubular Bells being used in the Exorcist. Had no idea it was part of another album or that the album was really quite good.

I think it was the first time I listened to some almost pure instrumental album, and I didn't find it boring. It's far from my favorite album from the 1001 list, but it deserves a fair 3 star rating for the production.

I'd probably never listen to it again, but I appreciate the experience. Very unique

It starts with tubular bells and ends in a what may be a drug-induced daymare.

It started out sounding kind of Christmassy with the bells, appropriate as I'm listening in mid-December. I don't remember a lot about the rest except it was mostly instrumental except when he announced a new instrument coming in and the weird phlegmy talking(?). It was fine. I don’t know what he was on about on that last track.

Strangely compelling. Expected to hate it, it was actually ok.

It was fine but um, where were the bells? I was promised bells! And there nothing was tubular about it!

3 - not sure how I felt really.

When it's good it's so good.

3 Part 1: (^_^) Part 2: (0_0) Walking away pretty mixed on this one. After reading that the album is instrumental, I didn’t really go in expecting much, but I found myself grooving with it pretty quickly. Sure, it’s pretty repetitive, but the way it’s broken up musically kept it interesting, and each section was catchy enough to where its welcome never felt outstayed. The final guitar riff at the end of Part 1 in particular was insanely catchy, to the point where I would have been fine with it going on even longer than the near ten minutes it already does. I even liked the intro of each individual instrument during it - maybe it’s a touch cheesy, but I felt like it worked within the context of the song, especially with how the addition of each contributed to the music growing bigger and bigger, providing a great sense of finale for the first half. And then came Part 2. Right out the gate, the music wasn’t anywhere near as catchy or as fun as anything from the first half, “But hey, maybe it picks up!” I thought. I was wrong. Instead, Cookie Monster breaks into the studio halfway through and starts freestyling into the mic. It doesn’t get any better from there, with the actual finale of the album feeling incredibly out of place from absolutely everything that came before it. So, to summarize, I enjoyed half of this album. Part 1 had a fun, grooving energy to it, Part 2 did not give me that. Still, I think I appreciate what this album is doing as a whole, and I have a lot of respect for this dude putting it together single-handedly at the age of 19 no less. So, we’ll air just above a net “okay” by giving a 3. Fun fact: You may already know that The Exorcist theme song came from this album, so here’s another one for you - the guy announcing each instrument in Part 1 is Vivian Stanshall, member of the group The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, a name you may not recognize (I didn’t), but their song Death Cab for Cutie would later go on to inspire the indie band of the same name.

I was bored at work a few months ago, and went combing through the list for something to listen to and settled on this album, but that's the only reason I've listened to it before today. I think this album ambitious, experimental, and incredibly unique. But does a bold vision make a great listening experience on this album? At times. "Tubular Bells Pt. 1" starts off with a haunting melody that builds and swarms over four minutes, before the song starts to add in more guitar parts. Some of the guitar playing is great, but most of the guitar parts are incredibly jarring and take away from the overall feel of the song. The middle fifteen minutes or so of the song really took me out of it. I actually liked the part at the end, when the different instruments are announced, and play the same melody. I thought it was really interesting to hear the different sound that each instrument added, and the announcing of each instrument didn't take me out of the moment. "Tubular Bells Pt. 2" started off great, with some fantastic guitar playing, and I thought Mike Oldfield did a great job of building some great arrangements throughout the first nine minutes or so, until the intensity of the melody starts ratcheting up, and then things really went off the rails when that guttural singing started, which lasted about six minutes or so. the song was great for about another five minutes, until it all of a sudden kicks into a rendition of The Sailor's Hornpipe, which was a really odd choice. Mike Oldfield played it really well, but it just completely tore down what he'd been building in the song until that point. Overall, this album was incredibly impressive in its scope, and the sheer work that Mike Oldfield put into creating it. The early seventies were a wild time in music, and the fact that Mike was able to make a popular album out of only two prog rock marathon songs is incredibly impressive. There are moments of absolute brilliance, but those moments come screeching to a halt throughout the album, and that really takes away from the experience. However, I'm still glad that I got to listen to this album, and I think it's worthy of being on this list.

Some parts were cool. I see why at the time it came out it may have had an impact and how that impact may have carried through, but it just didn't enjoy it that much

This perhaps wasn't the ideal morning for me to listen to some doom and gloom with Smiling Mike. I have a twisted relationship with Tubular Bells. Love, hate etc. I was once obsessive about it. Isn't everyone? Sure, it has structure and superbly crafted production. It's also become a cliche over the years and hasn't aged as well as other classic albums from this period. But it's still very, very good. Just not right now for me.

Tubular Bells Pt 1. is interesting and fun to listen to, albeit tedious and a tad monotonous. The opening is fun, as I like the exorcist a lot. Tubular Bells Pt. 2 IS tedious and monotonous most of the time. If you like 70s proggy stuff then you might like this album, I think it’s just ok.

- Trippy and somewhat interesting but a bit repetitive. - Great opening act.

The theme music to theme music. Glockenspiel! 🔫🔫🔫

забавный)

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. Parts are interesting soundscapes, and others are shit thrown at the wall that didn't stick. I will probably listen to this again at some point down the road and maybe it will make more sense then but for now it feels like a lot of aimless meander. Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Tubular Bells (Pt. I). There were two choices and Pt. II had a weird wolf growling section? Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: None

Not sure what to make of it...

This is good - probably just a 4 star for me. But I’m deducting a star because he essentially set Branson on the road to being a billionaire.

I kind of like this but it’s too long. Not terrible but not good.

i liked the second half

Very impressive that this guy played all these instruments at 19 years old, and there's some great parts mixed in. Way too long though.

It is what it is. Last song was pretty strange.

I was just a kid when The Exorcist came out but I remember the hysteria around it all. As I recall, Part 1 was used as the theme for the movie. However, I had no idea until listening to the album here that it was over 26 minutes long (pretty sure the long version never made it to Top 40 radio haha). Impressive that he played almost all of the instruments. Extra credit for doing that at 19 years of age.

70s instrumental program epic which tbe Virgin empire was built on. Some bits are a bit sketchy.

Some good, some bad, a bit weird, not necessarily in a bad way.

pretty good, great melodies and it sounds great, i'm hardly convinced this album is 50 years old as of writing. however i think i'd rather listen to the likes of "thick as a brick" if i wanted a super long prog rock song.

Ik noem dit eigenlijk geen album. Het is in mijn ogen gewoon en single met heeeel lange nummers. Geweldige nummers en ik houdt er van. Het lijkt een beetje op een ritje door droomland in een pretpark. Helaas gaat het op den duur wel een beetje vervelen omdat het behoorlijk langdradig is. Een ritje in de Efteling duurt ook geen 30 minuten, he.