Comments for Oldfield, Mike, The Millennium Bell

I wanted to be among the first to comment on this album, so here I am. The Millennium Bell isn't going to be released in Australia until a week later than in Europe, but the exerpts I have heard off the 'Net sound really good. I was disappointed to hear that this may be his last music album ever, preferring to shift his focus to virtual reality projects instead. I fear this may discriminate against people who aren't as computer orientated as he is, and they will miss out on this man's talents. Progress? I haven't made up my mind yet! Sauli Puro (saulisto@nic.fi) The Millennium Bell may be a little disappointing at the first listening, but as usual, as days go by and you listen to the album more and more, you'll probably learn to love it. This is what happened to me last weekend. The Millennium Bell is highly addictive and entertaining, a true musical celebration of the last 2000 years. The vocal sections are marvellous, something we're not used to hearing from Mike. I do agree with Koel above, that Mike's music does sound a lot like Vangelis, but that's definitely not a bad thing. There are also lot of familiar influences from Mike's own albums like Tubular Bells III, The Songs Of Distant Earth and even Amarok. I can't wait to see this live in Berlin. Nick Mullen How can anyone criticise this album? When the Tubular Bells III excerpt was released on XXV everyone criticised Mike for a "lack of inspiration", but TB3 proved better than everyone thought. The Millennium Bell has to be one of Mike's best albums. I admit at first listening I was a tiny bit disappointed, but after listening to it for a day it has grown on me very much. "Liberation" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard, the narration from Anne Frank's Diary is so true, the track almost had me in tears when I first heard it - it is breathtaking. Another track I liked was "Lake Constance" - the classical guitar suits it perfectly. "Amber Light" and "Broad Sunlit Uplands" are also brilliant. So don't criticise this album just yet, you can't say that there is a lack of inspiration in it. Thanks Mike for producing another brilliant piece of music that touched my heart. Stuart Maxwell Well once again ,Mike has given me an album to think about and ponder. Yes, certain tracks leap at you - "Pacha Mama", "Lake Constance", "Liberation" and "Sunlight Shining through Cloud". Others are going to take a little longer too appreciate. Yes, The Millennium Bell is a bit of a cheat, but overall I like it. The surprise change in direction to a more orchestral theme isn't unexpected. After all "Mont St.Michel" (from Voyager) is one of the most outstanding tracks from his recent albums. Well done Mike, I look forward to the next millenium and your continuing musical journey. Pat396 Well, it has become tradition for me to comment on the new Oldfield release via Pat's website, so here I go. I will keep it short this time though. I am always surprised when I read totally negative comments attributed to a Oldfield album by fans. It is their right to do this, but personally I find something good in every album that Mike has released. They are not all A+ albums, but I think they all have something to recommend. No negative comments have surprised me more than the ones for The Millennium Bell. Personally, I feel that this is Mike's most heartfelt album since The Songs of Distant Earth. The one truly unfair point that I've seen made is that the album sounds "rushed and tinny". This album sounds lush to me. It sounds as if it was made with real care. The vocals & orchestra are fantastic. I can understand the complaint about lack of guitar, but sometimes in the name of trying something different, these things will happen. Plus, if you really listen, there is plenty of guitar. I will say though, that the trademark bursts are missing. All in all, I like The Millennium Bell a lot and it makes me sad that Mike has made comments to the effect that this may be his last release. Even with 3 releases in the last year and a half, one can only pray that he changes his mind. Personally, if he decided to release an album a month, I'd buy them all. dave collopy (davidcollopy@compuserve.com) Well, I've had the new CD for 4 days now and have played it more than a few times to "soak it up". I have to say that in my opinion it is not Mike's best. However, it does contain some outstanding tracks such as "Pacha Mamma" and "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud". As a budding guitarist I too (to pick up on a comment from another contributor) am disappointed by the less than prominent guitar work, however it's true to say (I think) that most of the pieces on the CD would not have worked if Mike had "gone nuclear" all over them. As a final comment I'd like to say that I hope that Mike is taking the mick with his recent comments about giving up on pure musical works - the world would be a very dull place without our occasional fixes of Mike's genius. Marc ...And another development of Mike Oldfield... It's nice to see that Oldfield is not repeating himself as do a lot of other musicians (like Phil Collins, Chris de Burgh, Pink Floyd...). The Millennium Bell shows (except for the Amarok-sampling in "Liberation") completely new and unusual material! Okay, Oldfield hasn't produced a 100% perfect album since The Songs of Distant Earth, but TMB has several tracks which come on my personal "Best of Mike Oldfield" tapes. "Peace on Earth" is a beautiful Christmas song, and "Pacha Mama" has a wonderful atmosphere. "Broad Sunlight Uplands" and "Liberation" are also very beautiful, but the highlight is "The Doge's Palace": perfect to listen to loud in a car. "Santa Maria" is a bit weak, and the James Bond-Sounds on "Mastermind" are simply kitsch. The album ends well with "Amber Light". The title track "The Millennium Bell" is completely unnecessary. Such reprises are good in concerts, but nothing for an album... On the whole, TMB is an interesting journey through the last 2000 years. Andrew Fludger This is another album that would have benefited from the input of a producer. Good producers are excellent judges of what should stay and what should go. Mike has always been full of musical ideas but often he has trouble executing them. A musical collaboration (like that with Trevor Horn on Tubular Bells II) would help enormously. An example of where a sound musical opinion would have helped is the track "Lake Constance". The tunes are wonderful but the orchestration is reminiscent of James Last. The acoustic guitar plays the tunes (no counterpoint)in the worst "easy listening fashion. The use of child sopranos also reeks of the granny section of Our Price. Still an enjoyable record though! Gorjan Nikolovski (gorjann@freemail.org.mk) Excuse me for my poor English but I'm from Macedonia. First I'd like to say that The Millennium Bell is the best album from Mike Oldfield I've ever heard. It goes from a soft Christmas song "Peace On Earth" to the beautiful drums of "Pacha Mamma". Then comes "Santa Maria" which reminds me of "1492: Conquest of Paradise". "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud" is a weightless song full of energy and optimism. The worst track on this album is "The Doge's Palace" - I hate this kind of song. But this is followed by my favourite track on this album, "Lake Constance", with a beautiful orchestra and child soprano. "Mastermind" and "Broad Sunlight Uplands" make up another enjoyable part of this album. "Liberation", which begins with an extract from Anne's diary, reminds me of the best parts of Amarok. "Amber Light" is the best vocal track on the album - Good job maestro Oldfield! Then comes "The Millennium Bell". I think that this track could have been much better. I wonder where the bells are on this track - we can only hear a gong, but the bells?! I like this album because it is different from his other albums. Until now my favourite Oldfield albums were TSODE and Voyager, but now the best album I've ever heard from Mike is The Millennium Bell. Send me e-mail: gorjann@freemail.org.mk. Lilian (lilian@canalplus.fr) The Millennium Bell est un très bon album de Mike Oldfield, dans la lignée de TB3. Vivement le prochain concert!!! pat396 I'm sorry, but I am going to add a few more words on The Millennium Bell, as well as some of the comments I'm reading. First of all, even though some of the comments about the new CD are positive, others are downright vicious and angry. I would say to some who have posted: mellow out. So Mike sucks now. If that is the way you feel, fine, but if that is the case, why are you here posting angry letters about it? If he sucks, move on to bigger and better things. Have I been a little uncomfortable about some of the moves Mike has made lately? Yes. When I first heard the news of TBIII, I cringed a little. But upon hearing the CD, I thought it had a lot to offer. Yes, it was the same in name, but bore little resemblance to the original. In my opinion, Mike is putting out some pretty good stuff recently. In fact, as much as I like all of Mike's albums to a certain extent, I would place his most recent albums higher than Platinum, QE2 or Five Miles Out. People may agree or disagree with me, but I feel even Mike would say the same. He sounds much more assured recently. But that is my opinion. I wouldn't bag on anyone for liking those CD's better than the new ones. I know that it won't stop the "Mike Olfield Sucks now" letters from coming in, but I will say that there is no way that Mike Oldfield has lost it. He is making very good music now and if he decided to continue making music (which he may not if he reads some of the posts on this site), I'm sure one day he will create an absolute masterpiece again. But anyone who thinks his most recent stuff is complete rubbish (especially compared with most of the other rubbish that is out there) must be "cloth eared". As for the complaints about the 'Bell' references: Let's face it, for better or worse, Mike will always be tied to 'Bells' to a certain extent. I think even he has finally accepted it. To me it does make sense for him to reference them on this century ending CD. Maybe at this point, he can finally put them behind him and move forward into a new millennium. Thomas (tt62569@uta.fi) I really, really HATE to say anything negative about Mike's work... Ben Pearson (Benjamin.T.Pearson@student.shu.ac.uk) Having commented on virtually all of Oldfield's previous albums, how could I let this one go a miss? Now that Mike has hinted that he wants to end his musical journey in favour of some sort of virtual Tubular World, one has to ask where has Mike's music actually brought us. Has his dabling in the world of techno actually brought him back into the mainstream of pop and if so, has Oldfield been simply swallowed up by artists who have far more experience and success at producing this sort of music. I notice that in the UK, unlike TBIII and to a limited extent Guitars, The Millenium Bell has had zero publicity. All albums I have seen have been labelled chart, but so far have failed to even reach forty. Have relations between Mike and WEA turned sour? Why isn't this piece of music which in parts is excellent being given the PR it needs in order to reach a mass audience? People will not buy an Oldfield album if they don't know it's on the shelf. To the music itself. The highlight of the album for me is Lake Constance. This is Mike's best attempt at orchestrated music. Simple, understated, and emotional (which is what the track aims to represent). It contrasts with the final track on Voyager which was bland and pompous. The Doges Palace was also interesting with its refined but rather catchy mood. A cross between Mike's arrangement of the Sailor's Hornpipe and Guilty. Amber Light was pleasent and optimistic and by the time The Millenium Bell came round, I felt in a Party mood. The later however, does suffer from the series of disjointed reprises. Further more, once The Millenium Bell striked, why was there a need to bring back the Dogges theme once more. It sounds silly, though one can forgive Mike for intending the Bell to be played simultaniously with the chimes of Big Ben on 1/01/2000. However, given that the P.R. for this album is the worst ever, it will be a surprise if most people ever get to hear any of the music on this album at all. rob bott (rmb0tt@hotmail.com) A great album, and a good end to this millenium for Mike. I just hope he does not give up after this. Peace On Earth and Sunlight Shining Through The Clouds, and Lake Costance, are the stand out tracks, but there is nothing on this album to dislike. The doges palace, is a little trying and a little silly, but can be forgiven. Another Mike Classic. don Since I discovered mike's music only a month ago, I only own two albums, the songs of distant earth and millenium bell, which I bought only a week ago. I still haven't decided which one of those two albums I like the most, but one thing's for sure: the millenium bell is an amazing experience! I love all the songs on the album, it's so incredibly original and the themes are all very beautiful, but the best tracks are definately Pacha Mama, Sunlight Shining through Cloud, Doge's Palace and Amber Light. I think there should be more guitars though, and the album could be a bit longer, but it's still one of the best albums I've ever heard. Well done, Mike, and please don't give up composing for some cheap VR crap...=) Per Jorner (pel@zeta.telenordia.se) If Heaven's Open had been released in the 70's and Incantations in the 90's, there'd've been someone to complain about it. "What is this Hiawatha song, a repetitive xylophone and high-pitched wailing? Does he think he can press our emotional buttons any way he wants? Mike's lost it! Where is the originality, the feeling of yesteryear? Oh for the passion and fury of 'Gimme Back'!" Unfortunately, I don't think I'm kidding, either. It seems fans tend to divide Mike's career into three sections: the first (the golden age) ranging from TB to Incantations, the second (the slow decline) roughly from Platinum to Heaven's Open, and the third (the Warner age, the betrayal of all values artistic) from TBII and onwards. Is it true, then, that artists are born with a certain amount of inspiration, which they eventually use up until they suck? At a first glance one might think so; there are precious few writers and muscicians who can come up with work after work of consistently high quality. But certainly this is not true for everyone. When I look at Mike's discography, what strikes me is that all albums are different. TBII is not TB. Crises is not Platinum. When I was not yet a fan, I thought Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn sounded virtually identical; now I know that is not so. In a few years, it should be obvious to us that Mike's Warner albums are just as different from each other as from all the rest. This versatility makes him unique. Is there any other artist who's done more than a couple of albums who can say the same? Mike is an experienced musician, who in spite of commercial demands always manages to try out new things. Lack of stagnation is itself an accomplishment. In any case, he won't make Incantations again, because he already did, and we only need one. As for The Millennium Bell: of course it's a commercial album! It's optimistic, it's a gospel, and it was meant for as many people to hear it as possible. It could never be a "for the fans" album, because that would have been directly counter to its purpose. How, indeed, could one expect any artist to want to write music only for a select few? Quality and commercial potential are not mutually exclusive; either could be present or missing in a musical work. Anyone who can't live with this fact runs the risk of turning into a disgruntled old R.E.M. fan: "They're no fun anymore now that everyone likes them." John Villemonte (john@villemonte.com) Well, well, here I am commenting on an album that I have yet to hear...but, I must say one thing after reading some of the comments above...does the word EXPECTATION ring a "BELL?" As I wrote in my comments about TBIII, throw out all your thoughts of "I wish he would have done this and that" and simply LISTEN TO THE MUSIC that is there, not what is not there. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and here's mine: they have made statues in honor of Mozart and Beethoven and they should also make some in honor this musical genius and what he has brought to our world of sound. God Bless Mike Oldfield. God bless whatever music comes out of his being. Yes, some may strike us as better than others, but all of it deserves our respect and open ears. FACE IT, FOLKS...just in case you didn't know...Mike makes his music the way he makes it because it pleases him to do it that way! And this is as it should be. The only purpose that it needs to fulfill is that it fulfills Mike. He doesn't make his music for you or me. For those of you who have children...I ask you, who did you make your children for...me? Of course not! You made them for you, and them. Mike makes his own musical "children" because it delights him to do so. And if we are lucky enough to understand and tune into the beauty of those creations, then we are truly blessed. So God bless this artist who has brought such original, astonishing musical beauty to our integrity-parched musical terrain. God bless him for caring enough about music (his children), to simply continue making it! God bless us for having the gift of listening to these wonderful sounds for over 26 years! APPRECIATION is the word here, and if you don't like the new things you hear on these albums, then YOU make some effort and try listening with NEW EARS...you might just be astonished at how good things can sound when you are willing to hear them in a different way. I just spent $46.00 (US) to order Millenium Bell online. I gladly spend this money to support Mike and I will gladly spend more money to buy whatever comes out of his musical gates at any time in the future. As I said before...God bless Mike Oldfield, and thank you Mike, for all the musical adventures you continue to bestow upon us. We are truly blessed. Pat (Carpat@wanadoo.fr) Well, the millenium bell is good ! Guitars was an experimentation but that is over now. Mike Oldfiels seems happy (a scoop !) and communicate his joy to us. Some masterpiece like "Pacha Mama, The Doge's Palace" and the hit of the summer (we can dream) "The millenium Bell" which is a patchwork of the record. Thank you Mike Oldfield to be here again to amaze us. Maybe oneday, your talent will be appreciate the true value ...

I wanted to be among the first to comment on this album, so here I am. The Millennium Bell isn''t going to be released in Australia until a week later than in Europe, but the exerpts I have heard off the ''Net sound really good. I was disappointed to hear that this may be his last music album ever, preferring to shift his focus to virtual reality projects instead. I fear this may discriminate against people who aren''t as computer orientated as he is, and they will miss out on this man''s talents. Progress? I haven''t made up my mind yet?
!

Sauli Puro (saulisto@nic.fi)

The Millennium Bell may be a little disappointing at the first listening, but as usual, as days go by and you listen to the album more and more, you''ll probably learn to love it. This is what happened to me last weekend. The Millennium Bell is highly addictive and entertaining, a true musical celebration of the last 2000 years. The vocal sections are marvellous, something we''re not used to hearing from Mike. I do agree with Koel above, that Mike''s music does sound a lot like Vangelis, but that''s definitely not a bad thing. There are also lot of familiar influences from Mike''s own albums like Tubular Bells III, The Songs Of Distant Earth and even Amarok. I can''t wait to see this live in Berlin.


Nick Mullen

How can anyone criticise this album? When the Tubular Bells III excerpt was released on XXV everyone criticised Mike for a "lack of inspiration", but TB3 proved better than everyone thought. The Millennium Bell has to be one of Mike''s best albums. I admit at first listening I was a tiny bit disappointed, but after listening to it for a day it has grown on me very much. "Liberation" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard, the narration from Anne Frank''s Diary is so true, the track almost had me in tears when I first heard it - it is breathtaking. Another track I liked was "Lake Constance" - the classical guitar suits it perfectly. "Amber Light" and "Broad Sunlit Uplands" are also brilliant. So don''t criticise this album just yet, you can''t say that there is a lack of inspiration in it. Thanks Mike for producing another brilliant piece of music that touched my heart.


Stuart Maxwell

Well once again ,Mike has given me an album to think about and ponder. Yes, certain tracks leap at you - "Pacha Mama", "Lake Constance", "Liberation" and "Sunlight Shining through Cloud". Others are going to take a little longer too appreciate. Yes, The Millennium Bell is a bit of a cheat, but overall I like it. The surprise change in direction to a more orchestral theme isn''t unexpected. After all "Mont St.Michel" (from Voyager) is one of the most outstanding tracks from his recent albums. Well done Mike, I look forward to the next millenium and your continuing musical journey.


Pat396

Well, it has become tradition for me to comment on the new Oldfield release via Pat''s website, so here I go. I will keep it short this time though. I am always surprised when I read totally negative comments attributed to a Oldfield album by fans. It is their right to do this, but personally I find something good in every album that Mike has released. They are not all A+ albums, but I think they all have something to recommend. No negative comments have surprised me more than the ones for The Millennium Bell. Personally, I feel that this is Mike''s most heartfelt album since The Songs of Distant Earth. The one truly unfair point that I''ve seen made is that the album sounds "rushed and tinny". This album sounds lush to me. It sounds as if it was made with real care. The vocals & orchestra are fantastic. I can understand the complaint about lack of guitar, but sometimes in the name of trying something different, these things will happen. Plus, if you really listen, there is plenty of guitar. I will say though, that the trademark bursts are missing. All in all, I like The Millennium Bell a lot and it makes me sad that Mike has made comments to the effect that this may be his last release. Even with 3 releases in the last year and a half, one can only pray that he changes his mind. Personally, if he decided to release an album a month, I''d buy them all.


dave collopy (davidcollopy@compuserve.com)

Well, I''ve had the new CD for 4 days now and have played it more than a few times to "soak it up". I have to say that in my opinion it is not Mike''s best. However, it does contain some outstanding tracks such as "Pacha Mamma" and "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud". As a budding guitarist I too (to pick up on a comment from another contributor) am disappointed by the less than prominent guitar work, however it''s true to say (I think) that most of the pieces on the CD would not have worked if Mike had "gone nuclear" all over them. As a final comment I''d like to say that I hope that Mike is taking the mick with his recent comments about giving up on pure musical works - the world would be a very dull place without our occasional fixes of Mike''s genius.


Marc

...And another development of Mike Oldfield... It''s nice to see that Oldfield is not repeating himself as do a lot of other musicians (like Phil Collins, Chris de Burgh, Pink Floyd...). The Millennium Bell shows (except for the Amarok-sampling in "Liberation") completely new and unusual material! Okay, Oldfield hasn''t produced a 100% perfect album since The Songs of Distant Earth, but TMB has several tracks which come on my personal "Best of Mike Oldfield" tapes. "Peace on Earth" is a beautiful Christmas song, and "Pacha Mama" has a wonderful atmosphere. "Broad Sunlight Uplands" and "Liberation" are also very beautiful, but the highlight is "The Doge''s Palace": perfect to listen to loud in a car. "Santa Maria" is a bit weak, and the James Bond-Sounds on "Mastermind" are simply kitsch. The album ends well with "Amber Light". The title track "The Millennium Bell" is completely unnecessary. Such reprises are good in concerts, but nothing for an album... On the whole, TMB is an interesting journey through the last 2000 years.


Andrew Fludger

This is another album that would have benefited from the input of a producer. Good producers are excellent judges of what should stay and what should go. Mike has always been full of musical ideas but often he has trouble executing them. A musical collaboration (like that with Trevor Horn on Tubular Bells II) would help enormously. An example of where a sound musical opinion would have helped is the track "Lake Constance". The tunes are wonderful but the orchestration is reminiscent of James Last. The acoustic guitar plays the tunes (no counterpoint)in the worst "easy listening fashion. The use of child sopranos also reeks of the granny section of Our Price. Still an enjoyable record though!


Gorjan Nikolovski (gorjann@freemail.org.mk)

Excuse me for my poor English but I''m from Macedonia. First I''d like to say that The Millennium Bell is the best album from Mike Oldfield I''ve ever heard. It goes from a soft Christmas song "Peace On Earth" to the beautiful drums of "Pacha Mamma". Then comes "Santa Maria" which reminds me of "1492: Conquest of Paradise". "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud" is a weightless song full of energy and optimism. The worst track on this album is "The Doge''s Palace" - I hate this kind of song. But this is followed by my favourite track on this album, "Lake Constance", with a beautiful orchestra and child soprano. "Mastermind" and "Broad Sunlight Uplands" make up another enjoyable part of this album. "Liberation", which begins with an extract from Anne''s diary, reminds me of the best parts of Amarok. "Amber Light" is the best vocal track on the album - Good job maestro Oldfield! Then comes "The Millennium Bell". I think that this track could have been much better. I wonder where the bells are on this track - we can only hear a gong, but the bells?! I like this album because it is different from his other albums. Until now my favourite Oldfield albums were TSODE and Voyager, but now the best album I''ve ever heard from Mike is The Millennium Bell. Send me e-mail: gorjann@freemail.org.mk.


Lilian (lilian@canalplus.fr)

The Millennium Bell est un très bon album de Mike Oldfield, dans la lignée de TB3. Vivement le prochain concert!!!


pat396

I''m sorry, but I am going to add a few more words on The Millennium Bell, as well as some of the comments I''m reading. First of all, even though some of the comments about the new CD are positive, others are downright vicious and angry. I would say to some who have posted: mellow out. So Mike sucks now. If that is the way you feel, fine, but if that is the case, why are you here posting angry letters about it? If he sucks, move on to bigger and better things. Have I been a little uncomfortable about some of the moves Mike has made lately? Yes. When I first heard the news of TBIII, I cringed a little. But upon hearing the CD, I thought it had a lot to offer. Yes, it was the same in name, but bore little resemblance to the original. In my opinion, Mike is putting out some pretty good stuff recently. In fact, as much as I like all of Mike''s albums to a certain extent, I would place his most recent albums higher than Platinum, QE2 or Five Miles Out. People may agree or disagree with me, but I feel even Mike would say the same. He sounds much more assured recently. But that is my opinion. I wouldn''t bag on anyone for liking those CD''s better than the new ones. I know that it won''t stop the "Mike Olfield Sucks now" letters from coming in, but I will say that there is no way that Mike Oldfield has lost it. He is making very good music now and if he decided to continue making music (which he may not if he reads some of the posts on this site), I''m sure one day he will create an absolute masterpiece again. But anyone who thinks his most recent stuff is complete rubbish (especially compared with most of the other rubbish that is out there) must be "cloth eared". As for the complaints about the ''Bell'' references: Let''s face it, for better or worse, Mike will always be tied to ''Bells'' to a certain extent. I think even he has finally accepted it. To me it does make sense for him to reference them on this century ending CD. Maybe at this point, he can finally put them behind him and move forward into a new millennium.


Thomas (tt62569@uta.fi)

I really, really HATE to say anything negative about Mike''s work...


Ben Pearson (Benjamin.T.Pearson@student.shu.ac.uk)

Having commented on virtually all of Oldfield''s previous albums, how could I let this one go a miss? Now that Mike has hinted that he wants to end his musical journey in favour of some sort of virtual Tubular World, one has to ask where has Mike''s music actually brought us. Has his dabling in the world of techno actually brought him back into the mainstream of pop and if so, has Oldfield been simply swallowed up by artists who have far more experience and success at producing this sort of music. I notice that in the UK, unlike TBIII and to a limited extent Guitars, The Millenium Bell has had zero publicity. All albums I have seen have been labelled chart, but so far have failed to even reach forty. Have relations between Mike and WEA turned sour? Why isn''t this piece of music which in parts is excellent being given the PR it needs in order to reach a mass audience? People will not buy an Oldfield album if they don''t know it''s on the shelf. To the music itself. The highlight of the album for me is Lake Constance. This is Mike''s best attempt at orchestrated music. Simple, understated, and emotional (which is what the track aims to represent). It contrasts with the final track on Voyager which was bland and pompous. The Doges Palace was also interesting with its refined but rather catchy mood. A cross between Mike''s arrangement of the Sailor''s Hornpipe and Guilty. Amber Light was pleasent and optimistic and by the time The Millenium Bell came round, I felt in a Party mood. The later however, does suffer from the series of disjointed reprises. Further more, once The Millenium Bell striked, why was there a need to bring back the Dogges theme once more. It sounds silly, though one can forgive Mike for intending the Bell to be played simultaniously with the chimes of Big Ben on 1/01/2000. However, given that the P.R. for this album is the worst ever, it will be a surprise if most people ever get to hear any of the music on this album at all.


rob bott (rmb0tt@hotmail.com)

A great album, and a good end to this millenium for Mike. I just hope he does not give up after this. Peace On Earth and Sunlight Shining Through The Clouds, and Lake Costance, are the stand out tracks, but there is nothing on this album to dislike. The doges palace, is a little trying and a little silly, but can be forgiven. Another Mike Classic.


don

Since I discovered mike''s music only a month ago, I only own two albums, the songs of distant earth and millenium bell, which I bought only a week ago. I still haven''t decided which one of those two albums I like the most, but one thing''s for sure: the millenium bell is an amazing experience! I love all the songs on the album, it''s so incredibly original and the themes are all very beautiful, but the best tracks are definately Pacha Mama, Sunlight Shining through Cloud, Doge''s Palace and Amber Light. I think there should be more guitars though, and the album could be a bit longer, but it''s still one of the best albums I''ve ever heard. Well done, Mike, and please don''t give up composing for some cheap VR crap...=)


Per Jorner (pel@zeta.telenordia.se)

If Heaven''s Open had been released in the 70''s and Incantations in the 90''s, there''d''ve been someone to complain about it. "What is this Hiawatha song, a repetitive xylophone and high-pitched wailing? Does he think he can press our emotional buttons any way he wants? Mike''s lost it! Where is the originality, the feeling of yesteryear? Oh for the passion and fury of ''Gimme Back''!" Unfortunately, I don''t think I''m kidding, either. It seems fans tend to divide Mike''s career into three sections: the first (the golden age) ranging from TB to Incantations, the second (the slow decline) roughly from Platinum to Heaven''s Open, and the third (the Warner age, the betrayal of all values artistic) from TBII and onwards. Is it true, then, that artists are born with a certain amount of inspiration, which they eventually use up until they suck? At a first glance one might think so; there are precious few writers and muscicians who can come up with work after work of consistently high quality. But certainly this is not true for everyone. When I look at Mike''s discography, what strikes me is that all albums are different. TBII is not TB. Crises is not Platinum. When I was not yet a fan, I thought Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn sounded virtually identical; now I know that is not so. In a few years, it should be obvious to us that Mike''s Warner albums are just as different from each other as from all the rest. This versatility makes him unique. Is there any other artist who''s done more than a couple of albums who can say the same? Mike is an experienced musician, who in spite of commercial demands always manages to try out new things. Lack of stagnation is itself an accomplishment. In any case, he won''t make Incantations again, because he already did, and we only need one. As for The Millennium Bell: of course it''s a commercial album! It''s optimistic, it''s a gospel, and it was meant for as many people to hear it as possible. It could never be a "for the fans" album, because that would have been directly counter to its purpose. How, indeed, could one expect any artist to want to write music only for a select few? Quality and commercial potential are not mutually exclusive; either could be present or missing in a musical work. Anyone who can''t live with this fact runs the risk of turning into a disgruntled old R.E.M. fan: "They''re no fun anymore now that everyone likes them."


John Villemonte (john@villemonte.com)

Well, well, here I am commenting on an album that I have yet to hear...but, I must say one thing after reading some of the comments above...does the word EXPECTATION ring a "BELL?" As I wrote in my comments about TBIII, throw out all your thoughts of "I wish he would have done this and that" and simply LISTEN TO THE MUSIC that is there, not what is not there. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and here''s mine: they have made statues in honor of Mozart and Beethoven and they should also make some in honor this musical genius and what he has brought to our world of sound. God Bless Mike Oldfield. God bless whatever music comes out of his being. Yes, some may strike us as better than others, but all of it deserves our respect and open ears. FACE IT, FOLKS...just in case you didn''t know...Mike makes his music the way he makes it because it pleases him to do it that way! And this is as it should be. The only purpose that it needs to fulfill is that it fulfills Mike. He doesn''t make his music for you or me. For those of you who have children...I ask you, who did you make your children for...me? Of course not! You made them for you, and them. Mike makes his own musical "children" because it delights him to do so. And if we are lucky enough to understand and tune into the beauty of those creations, then we are truly blessed. So God bless this artist who has brought such original, astonishing musical beauty to our integrity-parched musical terrain. God bless him for caring enough about music (his children), to simply continue making it! God bless us for having the gift of listening to these wonderful sounds for over 26 years! APPRECIATION is the word here, and if you don''t like the new things you hear on these albums, then YOU make some effort and try listening with NEW EARS...you might just be astonished at how good things can sound when you are willing to hear them in a different way. I just spent $46.00 (US) to order Millenium Bell online. I gladly spend this money to support Mike and I will gladly spend more money to buy whatever comes out of his musical gates at any time in the future. As I said before...God bless Mike Oldfield, and thank you Mike, for all the musical adventures you continue to bestow upon us. We are truly blessed.


Pat (Carpat@wanadoo.fr)

Well, the millenium bell is good ! Guitars was an experimentation but that is over now. Mike Oldfiels seems happy (a scoop !) and communicate his joy to us. Some masterpiece like "Pacha Mama, The Doge''s Palace" and the hit of the summer (we can dream) "The millenium Bell" which is a patchwork of the record. Thank you Mike Oldfield to be here again to amaze us. Maybe oneday, your talent will be appreciate the true value ...

Although forced by the template to call this `Rock`, it is a broad mixture of a variety of styles, the most striking being orchestral and choral.