Tubular Bells 2003
is the fourth time
Mike Oldfield
has recorded
Tubular Bells
, and the third time in close to a decade. While it doesn't compare to the smooth, haunted elegance of the original,
reveals a few improvements over the previous re-recordings. For this version,
Oldfield
expanded his instrumental palette; the notes list over 40 instruments that he plays (including his mixing desk, his 1000 MHz processor, and the 1.2 GB of RAM credited). As before, he uses "Part One" to evoke the theme several times over with various stylistic nods. Many of these references are to more popularized versions of the styles than to the originals themselves (e.g., "Thrash"). One highly marketable trick up
's sleeve is a special guest performer who announces the instruments to be soloed on, in this case
John Cleese
. In his gentlemanly English accent, he makes sharp retorts such as "two slightly distorted guitars!," the mood falling somewhere between folksy and ironic. On "Part Two," instead referencing styles or instruments,
breaks new stylistic ground, and ends with an ingenious version of "The Sailor's Hornpipe" (aka Popeye's theme). ~ TiVo Staff