Tubular Bells

Pa ovako, Ako se uzmu u obzir sve stvari oko ovog albuma, da je mikey imao 19 godina, da je mikey snimio sve instrumente, da je ovo kultno, da je ovo statigajaznam, bila bi ovo čista petica Realno će biti dvojka Samo zato što znam za ovaj album već 20 godina, a u cijelosti sam ga poslušao 2 puta Nije toliko ni loš kad ga se sluša, samo mi nema taj potencijal da ga više puta slušam Mislim, kupio sam ovaj album na ploči prije 8 godina i nisam tu ploču pustio niti jednom Et

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.

This loses its way significantly after the first five minutes or so, and just becomes rather generic and unexceptional prog rock. And what's with the caveman on side 2?

🎧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

Honestly a bit disappointing. I was very excited to hear this album being a fan of prog rock and The Exorcist. And while the spectacle does come through, some parts started to drag and felt repetitive in Part I. Still a great listen, but not the masterpiece I was expecting. Part II was much better in my opinion, keeping things moving and engaging without dragging

Muscial masterpiece and an amazing journey. I once heard a friend of mine describe this album as ranging from a deep and dark terror of a nightmare, a musical performance, to an afternoon stroll through a quaint Italian town.

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

Pleasant surprise

When he started naming all those instruments, I began to contemplate purchasing a one-way ticket to London so that I may commit seppuku on the front steps of Virgin Records

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

The ones tunes towards a happy mindset on a grey morning.

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

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.

Mike the prog riff machine. Lots of fun and he was 19 when he made this.

First five minutes at five star. The rest is too random for me. I didn’t hate the industrial clunking but the voice was freaky.

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.

Classic prog

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.

Ok, there’s no disputing the capabilities of Mike Oldfield, the fact he was only 19 years old when he produced this album and the fact he played every musical instrument known to man! However to me, it’s too background type music…too soundtrack, for me, it doesn’t lead to anything. No melodies- just a clever guy experimenting the same tune using different instruments. Bah!

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

Incredible instrumental.

Ótima opção para audição de instrumental com muita qualidade.

Ugh. Felt like a slog

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.

what is happening

Nice

Surprisingly enjoyable!

This album is on this list because it was the theme to The Exorcist. If you want to include an album that's only famous because of its association with the film it was featured in and was on the pop charts, make it John Williams' Star Wars. This is an insufferable inclusion on this list. Music critics have to love things that make them sound smarter than everyone, it's part of their DNA apparently. Now we've reached the Peter and Wolf narrated part of the album, telling me which instrument is which. The music during the lecture is at this point is actually the best part of this album so far. Part II is much worse than Part I. The changes between styles within each side of this album make the compositions sound disjointed. Without The Exorcist, this album would not be remembered today. All of the grunting just adds to the stupidity of this album. Now part of this sounds like some themes from the first track. The transition to the Sailor's Hornpipe is just a hard stop and start to end the album. It's including nonsense like this that makes me question why I'm participating in this project.

is anyone going to listen to this? who would listen to this whole record?

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

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

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

Strange, like a movie score. Really liked the sea shanty at the end of the second song. Kind of all over the place, sometimes missing the mark. 2/5 Probably won’t listen again

Found this in the used bin at a record store years ago and decided to check it out since I was getting into prog rock and absolutely loved it. I know it’s nerdy. I know it’s pretentious. I know it’s absurd. I don’t care. There is something about this album that just clicks for me. He does a great job of building tension and then paying it off.

Couldn’t get into it

SO THIS IS WHERE THE DEATH NOTE KIRA'S THEME WAS SAMPLED FROM OHHHHH AND THE EXORCIST OPENING!! I FEEL MORE CULTURED NOW!! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. My cat was called Tube and we used to call him Tubular Bell :) Pt. 1 was my favourite but honestly loved every minute of this - the entire hour of it. Absolutely saving this and adding it to my study playlist.

Annoying, pretentious, boring twaddle. Suffocating.

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

Totally tubular bro. Tediously tubular, even.

Kinda felt like an organised riff session. I didn't not enjoy it but feels a bit weird for this to be on the list. Middle 2.

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.

something new

Klassiker!!! Fast jag gillar Crises och Discovery bättre.

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

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

It does tail off a little after the first track, but my god that first track is a triumph. Not sure i've ever given it a full listen either.

Who let the werewolves in?

This album is crazy, never heard anything like this. Then reading the backstory it gets even more interesting.

Good but bizarrely overrated. How did this sell so many albums?

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.

Klasik

It sounds like if The Beatles attempted an EDM record with no bass because Paul is actually dead. Also, not my cup of tea. And I would like to know why this record is 53 minutes long for three tracks? Finally, in the track listing movement 1 is before the into movement. Just doesn’t make since to me. Maybe I am the idiot.

2.5

This album was introduced to me by my dad. It was also one of the first albums that made me pay attention to what was going on with music. Isolating instruments to hear what they are doing. I still listen to music like thwt to this day. I can't give my honest answer of how I like an album until I've listened to it a few times. So I can pick out what all is going on. This album is layers on layers. It's not as enjoyable to me now, as it once was. I'm not saying it's bad... There's just some things that I don't like about it. Mainly in the second 2 minute song. The vocals part sounds like a muppet dying. It's awful. They could have kept vocals out and the song would have been great. The first 20 minute song had basically no vocals, and the instruments guided you on this musical journey. It's hard to write a 20 plus minute song and keep it interesting. Oldfield manages to achieve this twice on the record. It's a cool show off album. I don't need to keep it on rotation, but it's fun to show people this record who have not listened to it.

It is a classic and something I listened to a lot when I first discovered it.

I had a High School teacher who talked about this record incessantly. Somehow up until now I had STILL only heard the excerpts used in The Exorcist. This is a wild ride, and totally rocks, except for maybe the weirdo Popeye the Sailor jam at the conclusion. I should've listened to Mr. Nouri over 30 years ago.

Kind of boring in my honest opinion.

Self indulgent as it is, this marathon of prog by 19 year old wunderkind Mike Oldfield is actually pretty fun to throw on. While I often find prog to be long, meandering, and unentertaining, this kid is jumping from instrument to instrument, playing incessantly sick riffs in this unceasing composition. This is prog at it's ideal, in my opinion. While this is not in my top albums list or anything, I'm not mad at all taking this for another spin. So many epic and vibey moments that just feels like a fun celebration of a collision of both studio nerdery and instrumental mastery. At one point he's even calling out the instruments as he's introducing them, by name.. "grand piano".. "mandolin"... ect. Let the boy cook, I say! While he's not writing songs in the traditional sense, and never repeated the height of effectiveness with subsequent Tubular Bells 2 or any of his other work, the kiddo gave us one hell of a youthful flex here. His career really had a tricky time finding his footing after this one, but he did go on to land some other tracks of real value. For my ultimate favorite, check out the track "Foreign Affair". Nothing at all like this album, but then again, is there anything quite like this album?

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

Not wat I was expecting, but fun

Cool!

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

I enjoyed these songs quite a bit, and had a lot of fun with each of them. Still felt like an album, due to how much the songs changed over time; they were basically multi-songs.

Yeah, interesting.

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

Very weird! Really takes you on a journey. Don't expect myself to go back, but I'm glad I listened to it 🙂

I'd probably give this a 3.5 for myself, but it is pretty amazing all that it does for the time it came out. It's both very experimental and avant-garde while also having a lot of ambient elements. I'm not sure how often I'd listen to it, casually, but I do very much respect it.

Aunque un poco freak

WHERE ARE THE DRUMS DUDE I WAITED 49:18 AND ALL YOU COULD DO WAS HIT SOME BELLS AND PLAY SOME CRAPPY GUITAR Iconic though.

While it is impressive that he played almost all the instruments on here sometimes I wish he had someone else play some of them. The playing sometimes comes off as a little rudimentary. I’m also not big on the guttural yells in Pt. II. Some cool ideas here but most of it felt like it meandered without much direction. The latter half of Pt. I where the narrator cues in all the instruments was dope. I feel like some drums wouldn’t have hurt the project.

Heard this so many times but still great

yeh whatever Will said

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

parece mt bom, mas a primeira música virou meme

Favorite Track: Tubular Bells - Pt. I

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.

Listened while watching IMAX Coral Reef Adventure and that made for a very nice experience. Pairs well with the ocean

Waste of time.

Love it or hate it or just pass by

This was a wild ride period. My favorite part was when he started naming instruments.

Very good instrumental music. Some wired parts with the grunt language, but overall an enjoyable listen.

Nothing Tubular about this.

Really not my thing

I've got this on surround sound, it's a classic album, hell of an achievement by a kid and launched Richard Branson into space. But I didn't like it that much. Great concept, but effing sea shanties?

I've heard his name before due to his music being used for The Exorcist, but I've never really listened to any of his music otherwise. I have to say, it's pretty good to just have on in the background. The music is unobtrusive and pretty relaxing, aside from the introduction of Tubular Bells Part 1 but that's because of the horror connotations. It's not exactly a hard-hitting, moving album, but it's pretty good for what it does.

Memorable for The Exorcist theme

This is some of the most active instrumental music I’ve heard. Constantly changing sounds and sections with a myriad of different instruments (almost entirely played by one 19 YEAR OLD KID) keep this album, with only two distinct compositions, very interesting all the way through.

Ok I get it, the Psycho music is an excellent atmospheric piece. But 25 minutes?? For one song?? This album is 4 songs and takes over an hour to listen to. That’s way too long! I recognised parts of tracks 1 and 3. Track 4 was absolutely ridiculous! I imagine it related to some popular cultural reference back in the 70’s but now it’s just a random Pythonesque rambling of a crazy man! Who put this album on the list? There must be other albums more worthy!

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

it was good enough to make a spreadsheet to. there are other instrumental progressive things I would choose over this though!

GLOCKENSPIEL

Slightly distorted electric guitar

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

Classic

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is an album I wasn't expecting. With the minimal vocals, I found it easy to focus on the progression and the various instruments. This album went a lot of places (serene piano playing to new age to a fast folk sound), but the important thing is that it was such a satisfying listen. It's hard to believe that Oldfield explored so much in the span of 49 minutes. On the subject of vocals, the first time there were vocals, I jolted because I was so enraptured with the instrumental. The growling vocals in part two were rather unexpected but somehow enjoyable? The growls added a different vibe, and this 1974 album reminded me of the upcoming metal scene.

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!

Wish I could give it 0 stars for taking up the space of a decent album.

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

Was a real grind to listen to the enter album

Very talented multi-instrumentalist. And something to only listen to once in a lifetime

What if Kraftwerk and King Crimson had a baby who occasionally sang like the guy from Rammstein? You’d get Tubular Bells.

Nope

I didn't like it. I get it, it was a new sound design back then, but it's nothing that special tbh.

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

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 did not like, I started it but couldn’t finish it because I didn’t like it that much

A lot weirder than I expected. Wish I hadn't read up on what Oldfield has been up to more recently. But anyway. It's a grand album, but maybe a bit too instrumentally wankerous and too influenced by medieval melody lines and instrumentations. It's also one of those big ones on the list that I was very much aware of but never actually gave even the shortest of listens. Glad I did, but I probably won't come back to it very often if ever.

I was ok

Long ass instrumental thing

Aujourd'hui, je m'attaque à un monument. Le genre de disque qui a pesé si lourd dans l'histoire de la musique qu'il a probablement modifié l'axe de rotation de la Terre. J'exagère à peine. On parle de "Tubular Bells" de Mike Oldfield. Pour beaucoup, cet album est indissociable d'une chose : la bande originale du film L'Exorciste. Ce petit piano angoissant, simple, répétitif, qui a fait pisser dans leur froc des générations entières de spectateurs. C'est le thème qui, dès les premières notes, te fait vérifier si la tête de ta grand-mère ne commence pas à tourner à 360 degrés. Et c'est là que réside tout le paradoxe de ce disque, sa plus grande force et sa plus terrible faiblesse. Ce disque est d'abord une bénédiction, c'est le parpaing fondateur de l'empire Virgin. Richard Branson, avant de s'envoyer en l'air dans ses fusées, a vendu des millions de cette galette. "Tubular Bells" était partout. Dans chaque collection de disques de parents qui se voulaient un peu branchés, entre un Pink Floyd et un Simon & Garfunkel. Le succès a été tellement colossal, tellement planétaire, que Mike Oldfield est passé du statut de jeune prodige inconnu à celui de superstar multi-instrumentiste en l'espace d'un film d'horreur. Un coup de génie marketing involontaire, le jackpot absolu. Et, une véritable malédiction. Le revers de la médaille, la face B du succès. Pour le commun des mortels, Mike Oldfield, c'est L'Exorciste. Point. Le reste de sa carrière, aussi riche soit-elle, est éclipsé par ces quelques minutes hypnotiques. C'est comme si on ne retenait de Picasso que le fait qu'il dessinait des femmes avec les deux yeux du même côté du nez. C'est réducteur, et pour l'artiste, ça a dû être une purge absolue. Mais, parlons du disque en lui-même… "Tubular Bells", c'est l'archétype même de ce que je supporte le moins dans une certaine frange du rock des années 70. Cette manie de vouloir transformer la musique en démonstration technique, en performance olympique. Deux pistes, deux faces de vinyle, de plus de vingt minutes chacune. Vingt putains de minutes ! T'as le temps de te faire un café, de le boire, de faire une sieste et de te réveiller avant que le morceau ne soit fini. On est à des années-lumière de l'urgence, du "trois accords et la vérité" qui fait la sève du rock'n'roll. Ici, on est dans la masturbation instrumentale. Tout est parfaitement joué, millimétré, orchestré. Oldfield est un musicien exceptionnel, on ne peut pas lui enlever ça. Le type a joué de presque tous les instruments sur ce disque, c'est une prouesse, un tour de force. Je salue l'athlète, absolument. Mais la musique, dans tout ça ? L'émotion ? L'âme ? Pour moi, c'est une coquille vide. C'est brillant, mais froid comme une salle d'opération. C'est une succession de thèmes, de nappes de synthés, de guitares acoustiques délicates, de montées en puissance, de cloches tubulaires (évidemment), mais ça ne me parle pas. Ça ne me prend pas aux tripes. Ça caresse l'oreille, mais ça laisse le coeur de marbre. J'entends déjà les puristes crier au scandale. "Tu ne comprends rien à la complexité de l'oeuvre ! À la richesse des arrangements !". Peut-être. Ou peut-être que je suis juste un vieux con de 54 ans qui a besoin d'une basse qui gronde, d'une batterie qui cogne et d'un chanteur qui a quelque chose à cracher. Peut-être que je préfère la sueur à la propreté clinique. Ce disque est un objet musical fascinant, une curiosité, le témoignage d'une époque où on avait le temps, où on pouvait se permettre de construire des cathédrales sonores sans se soucier du format radio. C'est un album qu'il faut entendre, ne serait-ce que pour son impact culturel monumental. Mais l'aimer, c'est une autre paire de manches car au final, ça reste de la musique de décoration. C'est beau, c'est chiadé, mais ça manque cruellement de ce qui fait pour moi l'essence même de la musique qui compte : le feeling, le brut, le vrai. Alors oui, respect à l'artiste, respect pour l'ambition démesurée du projet. Mais pour le plaisir d'écoute, on repassera. C'est un monument, certes, mais un monument devant lequel je passe sans m'arrêter. Un tout petit, mais alors tout petit, 1 sur 5.

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.

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

In a nutshell: proof that one man CAN be an orchestra. Overall: 7/10

Un classique instrumental, c’est certain qu’il doit aliéner une couple de monde, mais moi, j’aime

I quite like it

A great listen when you’re in the mood for (mostly) wordless droning music.

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

Excellent but not for me. Backstory on artist more interesting than music.

really boring 1/5

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

2+ Paskan kaveri on kovempi.

Great album

A very interesting listen. Will want to come back to in the future.

Not too hot on the music, but the lyrics are great.

A masterpiece of musical creation. This might have got 5 stars if Mike Oldfield hadnt created Tubular Bells 2 and Tubular Bells 2003 which only improve upon this sound. If you enjoyed this then I suggest you check the aforementioned versions but also a Celtic themed album Mike did called Voyager which is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect musical creations ever made.

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

Interesting

it was interesting and cool it's from The Exorcist. But it's way too prog.

Not really sure about this one...

Iconic horror theme. I'm not sure I enjoyed the whole piece, it dragged at times and did not feel very cohesive, but many parts were inarguably brilliant

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.

Interesting parts. Boring parts. Self-indulgent parts. Basically in equal measure. Crazy though that one of the most iconic horror soundtracks draws from this of all things.

This is supposed to be ground breaking but it just sounds like background music at a Ren Faire mixed with the occasional Flamenco flourish. And bells.

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

Seminal album, some really good, good music on this. Some parts can get a bit drawn out though. But still a very accomplished album

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

fattar inte konceptet riktigt. vad är grejen med 2 långa låtar osv. inte för mig, dock är inte det instrumentala helt hemskt

Classical prog

could i write poetry to this? n

Aimlessly meandering and dull, switching genres every two minutes. The weird vocal noises about fifteen minutes into the second part were just...weird. I imagine that this album was an asset to movie and television Music Supervisors looking for bits of background music. Hence, the whole "Exorcist" thing. I don't see myself ever listening to this whole thing again. One and one-half stars. The half-star is for the iconic album cover, which held my attention longer than any part of the music.

This album feels like boomers love it.

There's some really great moments on this, but I'm not about to listen to 25 minutes to hear the 3 minute section I liked. This quote on Wikipedia sums it up: After the album was released, Newman said he preferred the demo versions: "They were complete melodies in themselves – with intros and fade-outs or ends. I liked them very much and was a little nonplussed when Mike strung them all together."

Maybe I would have enjoyed this more in times past.

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.

Leprechaun music. Not terrible but I wouldn’t listen to it on purpose.

Starting to wonder where they picked these 1001 albums from; perhaps the discount or “free” bin?

I kinda liked it for background while working.

I liked this, great study music.

its too much going on for background music and theres no way im going back to this for any other reason. oh yeah let me go listen to that passage i like from 17:40-18:25 in tubular bells part 1. yeah let me announce ever instrument thats coming in like they’re walking across the stage graduating. obviously this guy is very talented just wtf 😂

听不懂思密达

This completely surprised me how good it was.

There was not a single interesting passage in this shit. A Mel Bay cd for practicing arpeggios would be better.

Chato hein

3.87 out of 5. Positively surprised.

No lo quiero para vinilo. Igual la canción Tubular Bells sí, pero el resto no.

Famous tunes… but silly last 2 tracks

Love it! Perfect for dinner parties and exorcisms.

Epic prog that manages to never sound too up it's own arse. 4 stars!

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.

Good!!!!

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

get in the bin Mike, this is awful.

Started out really cool (The first song was the theme to The Exorcist), but then it just noodles and meanders its way through the rest of the album.

very good

I don’t know what exactly this was even going for. I feel this is more of a tech demo showing off his musical skills than a cohesive attempt at making music. Some parts are good, some are boring and too long with no change, and some are downright abrasive. Yes he is talented. No I will never listen again. 2

This album feels like eternity. Get to the point already. Ugh

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: die verbogene Glocke ist unverkennbar und einmalig - wurde auf einigen Re-Issues aber hübscher dargestellt Mix: verschwenderischer Detailreichtum und Klangtiefe zum Ersaufen 🎧😘🤌 Musik: zeitloses und in seinen Bestandteilen wunderschönes Meisterwerk - bei den Übergangen stolpert es aber immer wieder (teils tatsächlich mit Ansage) über die eigenen Füße Wertung: 🔔🔔🔔🔔(🔔)/5

Another classic. Parts stand the test of time. Parts are timeless. Some brief parts not so much.

Not for me

Never heard of this guy. The art looks cool. The first song was boring but then got really loud suddenly. Now it's interesting. It keeps kind of droning on. I mean it sounds pretty but it's just a bit long and repetitive. OH I LOVE THIS BIT (12:37) Now it's getting good... This is like one really long song. The bit where he goes 'glockenspiel' is dead funny. I think this album's very nice to listen to but it's not very interesting. It's still nice though, so I'll give it a 3/5. It kind of reminds me off The War of the Worlds. At 37:27, it's kind of funky. I like the weird noises the guy's making, it gives you a proper image in your head of some fantastical setting. At 47:21, it's like the album itself is saying a happy goodbye to you. It reminds me weirdly of when, while I was about 5 or 6 years old, I would visit my grandfather and when we'd leave he'd stand at the door waving, saying 'cheerio'. And we'd wave back for ages. Every time, he'd also shake my hand and go 'how do you do', and I'd have to reply back the same, and we'd laugh. Every kid in my family did that. I'll actually give this album a 4/5 for that. It made me feel such a strong emotion from just that part at the end. Most music doesn't make me feel a thing.

Revolutionary when it was released, and still relevant today.

Cover art: floating muffler in the sky, why are there waves? Oldfield sounds like Okenfold, we got some early techno here? Unlikely, but I have no idea what to expect based on looking at this picture. What in the Halloween (oops...Exorcist) is happening, a 26 minute opening track? I'm going to count that guess as a win as this starts off as like an acoustic techno. I know that doesn't make sense, but I'm quite satisfied with that call. Electronics are building up now too. What an interesting piece. Halfway through it does a drastic change to the point it should probably be a different track, but then the roll call at the end really gives it that stage/play like feel. I do feel it would be better suited as individual movements like the Nutcracker in that regard. Part II was pretty nice too, there were some familiar folksy melodies, but then the odd lyrics started creeping in. The final song was just silly, apparently a duet of sorts with Vivian Stanshall that may have well been a Monty Python bit, a pleasant comedic surprise to top off an album full of all other kinds of surprises. Just about every movie genre is hit across this soundscape of an album. Bravo. Favorite track "Part I" 4/5

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

Nr. 164/1001 Tubular Bells - Pt. 1 2/5 Tubular Bells - Pt. 2 2/5 Average: 2,0 I really didn't like the rock parts thrown into the songs.

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.

God, what a frustrating listen. It comes so close to being great but then shits the bed every single time. Some great guitar work but overall a really tough album to try and enjoy, and not in a good way

Classic! Love Mike Oldfield

I think this sort of thing is why punk was made, so I can't dislike it entirely.

Super weird instrumentals. Exorcist theme though.

One or two parts are OK at best. The rest is just the usual self indulgent prog twaddle.

Imagine how much more fun our world would be if instead of the opening movement, The Exorcist instead used the section where a guy makes monster sounds over a wailing guitar solo for its main theme. Four stars.

Disappointed with this one, before listening my preconceptions were it was an iconic album. The lengths of the two opening tracks suggested, as was borne out, this was going to be a musical journey and things started well with that well-known musical motif, but it got a bit too artsy and unhinged as the minutes wore on.

Iconic album. And not just because of the Exorcist.

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…)

Not sure it's dated too well, but can imagine that it sounded great on a decca music centre at the time, but was no more than background music when played today. Liked the grunts, hated the jig at the end, and astounded that he was 19 when he produced what would have been groundbreaking material at the time.

oh so its like from that movie haha oh yeah cool no like that scary movie haha yeah cool lol

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.

01) Tubular Bells, Part One - 7,0 02) Tubular Bells, Part Two - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,75 (68/100) He was 19 when he recorded this. When I was 19 I longed for a PlayStation. There are some fine sounds here but I don't really like how all these parts that seem to have nothing in common are all glued together into just two songs. The sequence in Tubular Bells Pt. II with the grunted vocals is a bit disturbing, don't like it. Anyway, the first three minutes are the best and the rest is... so, so... The question is if it wasn't for "The Exorcist" would this album be as big as it was? Tubular Bells has sold more than 2.63 million copies in the UK, and an estimated 15 million worldwide. And he was only 19! I got my PlayStation in 1998. for my 20th birthday.

No

You guys are deaf, this is crazy

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

I'm certain there's something impressive about this, but it's just kinda janky noise to me.

I was enjoying this as kind of a quirky background work music type of album but then the demon(?) voices started on track 2 amidst some pretty rockin guitar and I was jolted out of my flow. The rest of it was widely varied and interesting. Of course I recognized The Shining melody at the beginning. What exactly is going on in the last track?

Not my cup of tea or my glass of bourbon.

The guitar at the 14 minute mark was jarring and could have been approached in a more kind manner, otherwise this album is near perfection. Not sure what listening is like for a neurotypical but my neuro spicy brain was bouncing back and forth with the left to right change in the bells. Very soothing and stimulating at the same time. I listened to an anniversary edition that included a performance for the London Olympics and it was spectacular!

Meh... whatever

4.0

What a great album.

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

Exorcist

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.

No estoy seguro de querer probar las mismas drogas que Oldfield uso mientras componía este disco. Si, es influyente. A mi siempre me pareció un disco exagerado, maximalista. Como un tótem, un disco objeto, de esos que la gente solía comprar solo para tener en el escaparate de la oficina o sala, como los de Pink Floyd, otros sujetos que están demasiado volados en su propia droga.

So I had listened to this album a few times in the past, due to my deep prog roots – combined with how much buzz the album had gotten over the years, and I have to say that after today’s listen – my thoughts haven’t changed… #1 – It is an impressive work for a 19-year old who played all of the instruments at the time of its release… Most albums where the artist plays every instrument typically suffer from lack of diversity, but that was not a problem on this album – so that was good… #2 – There are sections of the music that I truly enjoyed, as there is no denying that… #3 – Why in the world he felt the need to “introduce” each of the instruments in “Part I” is beyond me, as that TOTALLY ruined whatever vibe he had going with me on that track… #4 – Same kinda thing on “Part II”, as I was sorta beginning to dig a section, and then he starts grunting for lack of a better word – and AGAIN, totally ruined whatever vibe he had going – I mean like WTF??? #5 – The “Single” track – which is what I’m guessing was the short-version released back in the day for radio, was fairly well-done – and again as I was enjoying the track, I half-expected something odd to jump out at me, but turns out that was the only unflawed track… Nothing amazing mind you, but certainly pleasant… #6 – The last song is a complete throwaway, and have no idea why he included it on this album, or what its purpose was… “Tubular Bells” still doesn’t do much for me overall, and saddened by the fact that A LOT of outstanding prog-rock albums that SHOULD be on this list – probably aren’t due to albums like this… Nothing but a 2 from me…

Eh

I'm going to assume this was the first experimental instrumental album released, because otherwise if the reason for it's inclusion on this list is it appeared in the exorcist that's a joke. Pretty poor stuff to be honest. I've seen this album referenced a lot so that was a big let down. Massively overrated. The sections were too jumpy, haphazardly moving from one segment to another without any link or keeping the listener engaged and understanding the flow. When he started listing instruments that were due to come it was time to bow out. Way better pieces have been made by this. If there's no Steve Reich in this list but this makes it in that's a crime against humanity.

Discovered that it's a theme for The Excorcist as well as Death Note

💖 tubular bells (😂) 🗣️ 9️⃣

A classic, love it.

It took me ages to listen to Tubular Bells, I kept getting put off by the Exorcist opening score..little did I know what a diverse and lovely range of music this album had. Very good.

please no... not another album with songs longer than twenty fucking minutes... why is he announcing each instrument mfs will really sit there going "wow this is so abstract!!" stfu NOBODY and i mean nobody is sitting down and listening to this for 26 minutes straight and the thing is it doesnt sound bad, but then he says some dumb shit like "introducing two trombones muffled and shoved up my asshole!" and i hate it again and then he starts doing this weird growling and howling shit and its like he just hit his emo wolf boy phase mid way through making the track im physically uncomfortable listening to these noises "I am the alpha.. 🐺🐺🐺😡😡😡" ass shit sure, mike oldfield is talented, and sure, he played all the instruments well, but the execution was just so poor.. if he had like someone with a level mind to just say maybe no dont do it all in 2 massive tracks i'd be 100x happier with this album 0.5/5 and the .5 is only there for the few moments during listening that actually flow nicely... also cut the growls next time..

This started out so strong, and I was really expecting to adore it, but then it kept going, and going, and going…. There’s just no consistency, no arch — it starts dark and turns light, and then, after that arch is finished, it spirals into solos and experimentation without reason. The longer it went on with these sparse solos, the more bored I got, and the minimalism made it almost sound amateurish and strained my ears to their limits. I was so desperate for something exciting that the growls pulled me back in! But then the last 2 minutes threw me completely out again. I fully came in with an open mind expecting to love it, but hey, at least The Exorcist pulled out the best section for its score.

Much weirder than it needed to be. I had high hopes too.

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.

Pretty cool stuff. Sounds super dated now and like a Mannheim Steamroller album

Really good

Exorcist theme. Integral part of the movie. Don’t see listening to this unless someone is spewing pea soup and their head spins around 180 degrees

…If XMAS was a horror show featuring congested elves on a boat that overstayed it's welcome…

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

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

This feels like a precursor to techno. Some very strange choices at times, but that genre hadn't really been figured out yet. I could honestly live without the hacking a loogie sounds in Pt. II.

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

Приятная музыка, но в моей системе оценивания должен быть вокал.....

It's quite something. My favourite part is definitely mid pt 2, those vocals are a good time. Will I listen to again: 80%

peaceful , enjoyable. downloaded first

Progressive rock. A weird meandering album consisting of two parts, each over 20 minutes. I can't say I hated it, I really like how quirky it is, but I also can't say I loved it. It had moments of genius and then would regress into what sounds like someone playing random notes. Maybe my brain isn't big enough to fully comprehend it all, but it just felt very unfocused at times. Like each instrument was taking its turn until a new one would take its place, the only thing linking them being the times where the "background" instruments just played the same thing over and over. Very cheesy to just call out an instrument every time it joins the song, but at least the payoff was pretty good when it built up to the finish. I enjoyed part two slightly more, but overall this album just didn't quite hit how I thought it would. I'd revisit in the future because I feel like I'm missing something, not necessarily because I really liked it. 3.5/5

I had no idea what this was when I saw it then it started playing and I went "Oh, I do know this!" This album definitely came out of left field for me. It's a great listen for background music but I don't believe that I would listen to it again.

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

There's one good part, and you already know what it is. After that I wanted to drive a nail into my skull. That one little good part cannot save this album from suck. It's like if I put one drop of honey into a cup of ditch water before drinking it; it's SOMETHING but it might as well be nothing. 4 1 stars in a row! Save me!

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.

good instrumental. Really needs a separate scale. 2 which is highest for instrumental. Not my favorite instrumental but cant give it a 1

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

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

Like most people I only knew the first 30 seconds or so. I Liked it though, the sort of thing that could only be popular in the 70's, some good bass licks, some good guitar, some good... bells?

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

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

This did not age well at all. Was a favorite when it came out experimental, unique, quite interesting. Had forgotten this album and now I know why, sadly it is not a classic.

Spess men fakker med det 3,5

Why?

An iconic, influential song but no one needs to hear it for 26 minutes, even if the guitars did take us by surprise. A good song but not a good album.

Starts off promising, goes nowhere

The moment at 23:25 when he says, "plus Tubular bells!" is quite moving. I like a good concept album.

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

I did not enjoy this album

to be h i feel like i might hate this but imma give it a chance. NEVERMIND THEYRE FUCKING 20 MINUTE SONGS BRUH. tubular bells 1- damn spotify wont even load it, its trying to protect me. bro not the michael myers theme 💀. idgaf. 3. and theres still 15 minutes left..... tubular bells 2- booooo even more boring than the last somehow. 2. why did he start making noises...... goodbye mike oldfields single- how to train your dragon type beat. 3 sailors hornpipe- dont care

Didn’t expect to enjoy this at all but it set such a great atmosphere

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

Goofy goober type music

Sounded familiar

Hard to remove it from being the Exorcist song, even though it was a wing before that. But the more I was able, the more into it I was. 4/5

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

First notes are quite familiar. Everything else is mostly good background music.

Odd and hard to overcome the creepy Exorcist vibes that are associated with it.

Iconic intro of course. This then goes places I didn't anticipate, covering a lot of ground over the two roughly 25 minute pieces. Both sides build to something approximating a crescendo near the end. Undoubtedly a classic. I'm docking a point for whatever those vocals are in part 2.

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

How many ways are there of saying self indulgent? My biggest problem with Progressive Rock in general is summed up by one of the most upvoted reviews of this album: ‘there is a complete lack of cohesion—a random mixture of moods that are missing a symphonic theme. It’s composed and arranged as if it were a high tech hobby’ There is what I see as a lack of passion for the craft of composition and songwriting in Prog Rock. It seems so impressed at it’s own ability to produce music as an abstract idea, a Platonic ideal of music as a complex mix of melody and rhythm, that it seems to forget great art is not bouyed by complexity alone. It becomes about showing off how sophisticated and musically literate you are, rather than about how well the music goes together. Tubular Bells is one of the worst examples of this sort of excess. Yes, it’s musically complex, yes it’s impressive that he played all of the instruments himself. But it doesn’t feel as if there’s anything more substantial, no theme or idea, which just devolves into an exercise of how noodly can I make my guitar playing? The best part is the Sailor’s Hornpipe, but he also ruins that by trying to impress everyone by playing it too fast. So to sum up by stealing a joke from my parents: Tubular Bells? More like Tubular Balls

Ouch. Talk about pretentious. 2 stars

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

NOICE

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

gets a bit repetitive and annoying after a while

Some highs and some lows. Very quirky

Again good background music

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

Experimenteel en vreselijk muzikaal. Part 1 is fantastisch, part 2 valt een beetje tegen met halverwege een lang stuk grungy gezang.

Music meanders, themes are used and layered atop repeating arpeggios and prior themes. It sort of works but also is self indulgent and boring. There's strange vocals announcing what is happening, sometimes with grunts. This is an art piece album and just not for me as much as I enjoy a good jam. This is not sophisticated enough to be considered a classical piece.

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

Love a good 25 minute tune. Exorcist flashbacks.

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.

This album has a special place in my heart. I remember listening to it a lot in high school and bonding with my dad over it. The iconic intro with "The Exorcist" theme is great and I think the album holds up for the most part. It never really gets dull during the first part and has a nice ending crescendo with all the instruments layered on. When I say i listened to it a lot I mean the first side. The second side I've always found boring and struggled to listen through. Still for nostalgia's sake I'm giving it a 4, just maybe skip the second side.

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

Yeah, I'm thinking this might just be totally tubular dude.

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

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

First time I ever listened to this all the way through and I really liked it I get it’s like one long song but some parts I enjoyed more than others and it would be nice to have more track listing but it’s groovy I get it The second half of the first track really had me when they were introducing the instruments, that riff was tasty Production was really nice, really opened up the stereo image Banger for me was track 1

Didn’t love it.

Boring

Interesting with more to it than one would think. Bit like tangerine dream?

A masterpiece.

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

Partially difficult to listen to, partially nice harmonies.

Uggggh. I’m not looking forward to this. I feel like I tried listening to this before and just couldn’t. Isn’t it a 50 minute song? Let’s see the track listing …. 1. Tubular Bells, Pt I 2. Tubular Bells, Pt II Oh for fuck’s sake. Ok, let’s do it. Pt 1 - The Exorcist. Does this album become as popular without The Exorcist? I dunno. 1/5 Pt 2 - seems to be a distinct lack of flipping bells. They had enough time. 1/5 Well that was exciting. 1/5

It’s fine? Rather boring, but great talent.

never gonna listen to it again but i'm glad i did 2/5

OMG this is where they got the theme song from The Exorcist! At least the beginning is, then it goes all sorts of places. It’s weird, kind of funny, somewhat simple melodies all joined together, but I found it thoroughly entertaining. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Tubular Bells - Pt I Rating: 4

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

Ridiculous concoction of simple melodies and then a cataclysm of instrumental oddities. I don’t even like this ironically. It’s boring and superficial.

Pretty damn good, right?