Tubular Bells

Still have this on vinyl somewhere. Love a lot of it, but also cringe at some of it.

Pretty cool stuff mixed into a lot of very average stuff 5/10

didn't expect everything that came after the incipit! very interesting

Crazy cool instrumental

3 out of 5. Impressive album for a near solo effort.

Lidt ærgerligt at den klart topper de første 5 minutter, derefter er kvaliteten lidt op og ned. Men der er mange fede elementer. Også points for at et så eksperimenterende album blev så populært som det blev

Well this shit is weird.

I enjoyed it, was very surprised to hear the exorcist theme at the start. I liked when he would just say an instrument and then start playing it lol, good listen

This is a wild one. Two 20 plus minute songs that are all over the place. Classical prog rock maybe?

Not really sure what I was expecting from an album called tubular bells but parts 1 and 2 were pretty good, apart from the guy calling out keyboard modes. I'd have probably given it a 4 or 5 if it had stopped there but the last two songs dropped it down a bit, will probably listen to tubular bells part 1 and 2 again but won't be going any further in the album.

Jújú, þetta er svo sem eitthvað sem má hlusta á og gengur ágætlega í bakgrunni. En snilldin birtist mér ekki eftir þrjú rennsli og þá segjum við stopp.

I get my home internet through Virgin. So I guess I owe thanks to this record for my affordable home internet.

Tubular bells, part i - 3 Tubular bells, part ii - 3

I've never heard of this, but my wife assured me that it's "a very famous album" when I texted it to her. When I expressed skepticism (by texting GTFO), she clarified, "In England." Now, I have never lived in England so I cannot say if this is true, but -- and this may be important -- neither has she. So I don't know, man. It was fine background music while I was working. How do I rate something like that? I'll give it three stars because why not.

Tubular Bells. Made by a 19-year-old. Actually, almost entirely made by a 19-year-old. Let that sink in for a bit. I always had a hard time writing a review for this album. In a way, if there should be one album that should be synonymous with progressive rock, it's probably Tubular Bells. It's a suite made of a myriad of different little ideas that jump between each other to create a cohesive unit of self-indulgent properties (another characteristic of prog). A tale of two sides. Side A is the overindulgent one with the elitist rock approach, manhandling all the instruments and switching scenes like they're nothing, and it's here where the tone is set. Either you'll love it or hate it, nothing in between. Side B starts off with a mellower, slower approach with almost ambient quality, that shift towards a more schizophrenic groove with an avant sensibility but quickly makes it back to familiar turf once again. Tubular Bells is an experience I like to relive every once in a while, and while it has maybe aged a bit badly in the discourse regarding progressive rock's place in the musical sphere, I find it enjoyable and a great starting point in an epoch of music where excess was the norm, it was just a matter of finding the right amount.

Pretty cool

Opens with that super familiar horror movie melody, and then... What a ride. Not sure when I'd put this on for a listen. Definitely plenty going on here, and pretty interesting at points, but the two main tracks just. keep. going. And, is that a fuggin orc!?!

The bells are not as tubular as I had hoped.

- Interesting musical concepts and melodies - Not really background listening, needs proper focus

Good, sounds like it changed music, but not as listenable today

If asked, the first CD I tell people I bought was something cool, but it wasn't, it was Tubular Bells 2. Despite that, I never actually listened to the first one. Thought I'd like this more. I didn't. Viv Stanshall was a national treasure though, so it gets a bonus point for his master of ceremonies and the wonderful, boozy tour of the house at the end of the Spotify version.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

It started I was like "Oooh the Halloween song" - then it kept devolving into what can really be described as tubular bells haha. Very odd album. Not bad though.

i like the first 10 minutes of the two track album . 2.5

A slow burn, but it got there in the end

I loved this album when it was first released, and it's been really interesting to listen again now. Absolutely agree with it's inclusion in the list. Recorded by a 17-year old in his bedroom, released by embryonic Virgin Records, used on the soundtrack of a hit movie, sold millions. The music sounds dated to me now, and some parts are naive and silly (caveman grunting?!) but overall it's unique, inventive and a nice listening experience.

I was familiar with the title track from Pure Moods! I hadent ever listened to the song in full or album. Overall it was interesting- some cool movements and some duds. A large mix of genres. Overall- decent album

tubularowe bellsy z 1973 bedace pierwszym albumikiem solowym w dyskografii pana oldfielda, podobno bardzo znany kawalek muzyki, a slysze pierwszy raz, ominelo mnie jako theme egzorcysty widocznie i juz nie taki hajp, krazek to progresywne rokowanie i to z grubej rury, tak jak nakazuje sztuka muzyka ma byc nieprzystepna, wielopoziomowa, skomplikowana, piekna i dziwna, wszystkie te zalozenia spelnia, krazek jest podzielony na dwa traki, tak jak sie obraca winylaka, traki po 20 pare minut oba, oba rownie sluchalne, choc drugi troche dziwniejszy w brzmieniu, glownie przez te wokale demoniczne, jakbym mial strzelac to powinni tamten fragment wykorzystac przy egzorcyscie, o wyjatkowosci tego krazka stanowi rowniez, ze jest on w wiekszosci grany wylacznie przez pana mika i jest ogromnym zbiorem overdubujacych sie instrumentow, ktorych lista jest na tyle bogata, ze nie chce mi sie jej tu przytaczac, ale chyba nie widzialem dzwonow rurowych, ale moze gdzies sa ukryte wsrod tego bogactwa brzmienia, ktore wydaje sie byc jednak z glowa ogarniete i ulozone, wiec nie pasuje to troche do tego lore nagrywania, ze tylko w nocy nad ranem po sesji pijatykowej bylo dzialane, a sesje pijatykowe, bo pojawiaja sie tam rowniez inni muzycy, ale to pojedyncze postacie z ktorymi juz wczesniej cos dzialal, wiec przyjemny odsluch, ale jednak nie rzucil na kolana i pewnie wiecej lore zapamietam niz samego brzmienia, bo jest tak lajtowe, ze wchodzi, ale gdzies sie rozmywa szybko, poza tymi wyciami egzorcystycznymi, na plejke listowa dodam czesc pierwsza, bo jednak ta strona bardziej mi siadla, ale jest to jeden wielki trak, wiec od razu lepiej sluchac calosci

Honestly, this slaps way more than I thought it would. Enjoyed the trance it put me in.

Who new the Exorcist Theme was part of a 26 minute long Prog Rock track? I certainly didn't. Deserves a place on the list. Just not a major Prog Rock fan. 3/5.

Solo porque es el soundtrack de mi película de terror favorita le voy a poner un 3. (Los demás temas no me gustaron demasiado)

Good in places whacky in others

The first four Exorcist minutes were great. The whole thing was interesting, if not my usual thing. I had read about the growling/caveman part, but l laughed out loud when I got to it (and for the rest of that section). I doubt that was what he was going for, but whatever. The jig was funny, too, I felt like I was on Splash Mountain at Disneyland. No bad feelings, certainly innovative, and mostly entertaining.

OMIGOD IT'S THE EXORCIST THEME I, LOVE THE EXORCIST BRO WHY IS THIS SO LONG?!?!!

Blind album and artist. Recognized the exorcist theme right way. Album as a whole was a lot of the same and a decent listen beginning to end. Would listen again.

Wow. This was really cool. Did not know what to expect at each turn. It was like Steve Reich meets Zappa meets King Crimson meets Yes. Will be coming back for more on this one

Good album just not to my tastes these days.

bonus point for critical contributions to The Exorcist

Mike Oldfields Debüt von 1973 zeigt bereits deutlich das Talent des damals 19‑Jährigen A. Die zwei langen, überwiegend instrumentalen Stücke wirken stellenweise noch suchend, lassen aber immer wieder kreative Genialität aufblitzen. Ein solides, mutiges Erstlingswerk, das den Grundstein für eine außergewöhnliche Karriere legt.

É ok. Não fede nem cheira.

muito estranho, me deixou quase doido

Så åbner man bare dagens album og så er det melodien fra the exorcist, what a surprise!! Fedt at høre, så er der jo alligevel et movie soundtrack med udover curtis mayfield bare. Nå men det er jo prog rock og symphonic rock som man kan høre på den måde det er orkestreret. Det er også et single man band hvor han har stået for at spille alle instrumenter selv og skrive det hele, så det er meget imponerende. Det blev ikke rigtig populært før at the exorcist kom ud. Hvorfor det præcis er valgt at være med tror jeg ikke har noget med populariteten at gøre, men fordi det er en af de første sådan single man bands.

I laughed quite a bit during this album, You can tell this is a person adept at music just going ham on his instruments and I enjoyed my listen. I was also... incredibly confused from time to time.

3/5 This went every single direction and I didn't really know after a while what I was listening to. The narration telling me which instrument was playing helped, though! No but in all seriousness, this was fun. Not like a masterpiece, but it was a fun little album.

Four tracks and almost an hour runtime. This is about to be either the best or worst experience of my life. Tubular Bells part 1 starts off as expected. These bells are certainly tubular. I really do like all the instruments that are thrown in here. They all seem very intentional and not out of place even though they’re all different sounds. I say that, but around the 12 minute mark, it gets slightly alien-scifi sounding for a bit. Oh well, I didn’t hate it. Around 14 minutes, a guitar pipes up with a distinct tone and then immediately goes away again before coming back in a much more suitable way. It goes really quiet around 18 minutes and doesn’t really build up again for a while. Contextually, this is alright as I’m currently using it as background music while I write a lab report. Now for part 2! It’s actually starting off quite nicely. I like the weird strings. I can’t pick out exactly what it is but it could be a zither? There’s acoustic guitar in there too and a flute. It’s giving medieval vibes. I didn’t really pick up on a lot of the intricacies on this track. Nothing stood out to me like the first one. It was more cohesive I found. I’m going to skip over “Theme from Tubular bells” as I touched on it in the general review. Sailors Hornpipe was a nice little jig, which I believe was also in the full versions. Overall, a decent little instrumental album. This may end up going in a study playlist or something, but it’s not something I’m going to pop on the Bluetooth speaker. It’s going to get a 3/5 ⭐️ or a 6/10. I got enjoyment out of it, but I prefer instrumental tracks with a bit more punch. 34/1089

Two songs over 20 minutes long where one man has played and recorded all the instruments is a cry for help if I ever heard one. And the growling and howling and god knows what else noises in Tubular Bells Pt.2 cemented my opinion on this point. Despite that I quite enjoyed this and I’ve come to respect this guy and his endeavours, because like why not

Cool but gets repetitive

Good but nothing special

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Overall an enjoyable listen. Despite the long runtime the tracks morph throughout and isn't boring. Some of the sections are a bit strange. Don't see myself turning to it much after this, but glad to have listened to it.

A pretty unique listen. I really enjoyed it

3/5 O trabalho de orquestração e a utilização de múltiplos instrumentos que ainda permanecem em coesão impressionam. A mixagem, no entanto, é muito centrada nos médios-agudos, com alguns instrumentos muito mais altos que outros. Falta peso à gravação e sobram sinos, que são tubulares.

A little repetitive, but some legit cool moments. Pretty perfect to listen to while working.

apart from the iconic riff not much happening here. A lot was made of the fact that Mike played all the instruments on this album. To me it sounds as if he learned most of them on the day.

i prefer ommadawn and amarok over this

Didn’t expect the orcs to pull up on pt. II

A few tracks really hit

Mike Oldfield! Tubular Bells! 3!

Not anything that will make your head spin.

It's an impressive feat for a young guy, but I never feel like listening to this.

Classic, a must own on vinyl

Yeah, this was weird.

This is some nature themed album or some shit. Ok, you have Michael Myers theme song. Then you try your hand at some Pink Floyd shit but it can’t keep this album a float. Sing man,, throw some words overtop of this drag of an album. Oh I spoke to soon. Finale has spoken word which I thought was lame at first. Like, I don’t give a fuck what instrument is about to come on. But then it grew on me. Even with the Pink Floyd knock off music again. But back to the nature music sounding shit. I can listen to Dead Can Dance to hear nature music that hits hard. That part of this album doesn’t cut it. At all. Choice cut:Finale

Stands up pretty well. 3.5

Favorite songs: Tubular Bells, Pt. I Fired this one up late one night not realizing a portion was used as the Exorcist theme. Almost as frightening as some of these reviews.

At the age of 13 my eccentric friend came over to stay at my house and he was mad on Tubular Bells. My parents being polite said 'why don't we listen to it?' not realising he always carries the cd with him and not realising it was nearly an hour long. Bless my parents for staying strong for that hour, and I hope Guy's doing well. This ain't for me and I don't think it ever will be haha

Mostly instrumental. Some was interesting but some went on too long.

3.5 rounded down. Quite enjoyable as background music; I added tubular bells part 2 to my instrumental playlist. I probably won’t listen to the album in full again, but it’s a great bit of eccentric, experimental orchestral pop.

good background music

2/3

immediately upon opening it: where’s the rest of the album why is there an orc in my headphones. who let it loose in the recording studio la dernière track était spéciale. not necessarily in a bad way les vibes sont vraiment plus un soundtrack à mettre dans une campagne de dnd (avec les grognements d’orc et la dernière track). Le début de la première était cool, mais quand la voix a embarqué j’ai débarqué. Les moments avec la voix étaient tous unnerving en fait. J’avais quand même hâte de l’écouter parce que Moonlight Shadow est une de mes chansons préférées en ce moment :(

So so

Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells Tubular Bells is a fascinating, almost academic display of multi-instrumental talent. Listening to the record feels less like a traditional musical journey and more like visiting an "exhibition of instruments" in an art house setting. The way the production meticulously layers over 20 different instruments is technically impressive, showcasing a high level of individual musicianship for a solo creator. While it serves as a great sonic "exhibit," the lack of vocal depth or a traditional melodic heart makes it feel somewhat clinical. It is a sonically decent achievement that excels as an atmospheric experiment, even if it lacks the emotional "on Mars" resonance of a true 5-star masterpiece.

Definitely my favourite part of this album was the first four seconds, when I got to be like, “What the… the Exorcist??” Rest of it wasn’t bad either. Nothing to go nuts about, but high enough on the Novel and Listenable charts to not feel like a chore.

An oddly nice mix of music genres

Solid, very atmospheric, a bit creepy. Didn't get 4 as I didn't make it through the whole thing

Cool instrumental but would’ve preferred a bit more substance here though. 3 stars

Kinda weird, a good weird, but not my kind of weird.

The history and time it was made helps? in my mind, but wow that was a wild trip

This album has the creepy theme from the Exorcist on it. The first song is really good, being super long at 20 plus minutes. The second song is different and reminds me of a song in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, it's a little unexpected. The album is kind of weird and I can't pin it down, like it's trying to do a lot of different things.

its good but i dont see the greatness everybody talks about 3.5

Overall this was pretty cool, and worked well as background music. That is, until the wild cacophony of noises appeared halfway through part 2. Why? Why include that? Still good enough for a 3.

My wife could not bear this album - guess it’s a bit too progressive

This probably woulda been the prog rock album that I would have been like “I don’t like prog rock but this is the oddity”. For the first 36mins, yea that was true. The original of the L’s theme from Death note was like a “woah” moment, really lived to make me kinda enjoy the first piece. I saw a comment that was this sounds like Final Fantasy music, and yeah, it so does. 36mins tho, it turns from great to instantly uncomfortable with the grunt screaming. I don’t like this. If I’m prepared for it, I don’t mind it, but it’s 30mins of beauty then 8 minutes of just pure uncomfort. Completely ruins the flow of the album.

I listened to this album twice, the first time I couldn’t really appreciate it that much as I got the 69 love songs the day before. Having two heavy concept albums after each other was too much to analyze this album properly. I kind of understood the nuisance of this music through the second listen. While at times it just sounds like a variation of different sounds, it kind of works in creating something that is so different to everything that was around at the time. I feel like to me this highlights the importance of youth in the evolution of music, making stuff that is completely groundbreaking to the norms of music at the time. Saying this, that screaming part was definitely not my thing. This album is certainly a great concept album but nothing that I need to go back to.

Nice, but really just background music. It was pretty but nothing super special.

An edited version of Tubular Bells was in my very first self made Halloween mixtape back in 2014. It’s such a creepfest. Hearing these extended pieces is a trip for sure since it’s not all creepy. This is good ambient. I’m not sure I’d come back here outside of Halloween time. At this point, it’s permanently fixed to that time of year.

Pure Moods returns. I think some variation of the first song was on that album I had in the 90s. This was fine for what it was. Super chill spa day vibes intermingled with a surprisingly rockin’ jam in track 2, among various other playful adventures as the album went on.

I remember listening to this on my Pure Moods CD in the 90s. The nostalgia factor is high. Until this project I thought this was electronic music, but he played it all himself!

I like how the instruments are introduced and Added toward the end of Tubular Bells Pt. 1. "Plus, tubular bells!"

This got a bit too weird to hold the 4

Ok instrumental album

Meget positivt overraska. Han er inne på noe her. Eller han er inne på mye, mye forskjellig. Orken kom helt ut av intet, men fungerer fjell.

I have a million similar musical experiments saved to my computer. None of them end with a sea shanty though. I suppose that’s the difference between Mike Oldfield and myself.

kinda aleatório

A true Epic, exploration of different instruments and combination so masterfully and gracefully done.

It's good for the Exorcist bit and that's about it. I had bought this on vinyl once for a quarter, listened to it, and then gave it away. I don't know if this is essential listening.

My wife has informed me that Jeffrey Dahmer loved this album. Do with that what you will.

Kinda creative background music. Dont mind this one.

Like most people I didn’t know this past the exorcist and pure moods. It was really an interesting listen. Lots of variety and dynamic energy.

6.5/10

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.