Search - Mike Oldfield, Duo Sonare :: Duo Sonare plays Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells

Classical guitar duo plays Mike Oldfield's TUBULAR BELLS

William J. Walker | 11/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A shame to see that, at the time of writing this, the album "is currently not available". I purchased it last month from the sister Amazon site in the UK and was impressed enough to write a review there. I am adding a review here in the hope that interest in the album will generate orders and restocking! Here is what I wrote in the UK:I came across this album quite by accident.I have always been a fan of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and its sequels. I was searching the net for CD singles from Tubular Bells III when I came across a forum and read a short post about this guitar duo. I followed it up with some more searching and ended up buying it. Why? Read on. I listened to the short sound clips of the tracks and was impressed. Duo Sonare seem to have researched the exact guitar phrasing very closely and it shows. I'm sure we have all heard 'covers' of favourite pieces of music and been disappointed by the results - parts 1 and 2 of this album are definitely NOT in that category!However, it does strike me as odd that the version of the Sailors Hornpipe that they chose to cover is the 'drunken' Vivian Stanshall one from the Mike Oldfield 3-album Boxed Set and not the original release instrumental version. Yes, I know the Viv Stanshall version was preferred by Mike Oldfield but in this cover it is odd and slightly embarrassing. Vivian is amusing but to blandly repeat his words in a dead-pan, upper-class and obviously sober voice just doesn't work. Nevertheless, as it is only a very short section of the whole album it barely detracts from the whole listening experience. Given the difficult structuring of the original music I believe that Duo Sonare have created a wonderful version.If you are a fan of the first Tubular Bells or its orchestral version then I highly recommend this classical guitar duo version to you. It is very relaxing to listen to.If you are not a fan of the original Tubular Bells or Mike Oldfield I can still commend this music to you. It is wonderful.......and it may just sow the seeds of a an experience that will make you wonder what you have missed all those years since 1973."

A Good Idea in Theory

William J. Walker | England | 02/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'll admit that I'm rather fond of both, cover versions and acoustic guitar music, so the idea of two highly skilled guitarists attempting an interpretation of one of my all time favourite albums on just two guitars had me both intrigued and almost salivating with anticipation. How could they hope to capture multi-layered complexity of 'Tubular Bells'?



Well about two minutes in I realised my mistake, in believing that it could be done and further listening did not alter my first impressions. It just doesn't work because the two guitars(at least as played and arranged here)are incapable of capturing the dynamics of the original. Surely one of the strengths of Mike Oldfield's work is its ability to switch between chunky electric chords and the most delicate acoustic sounds while weaving its many melodic strands so beautifully together. Alas all we get here is replication, like an accurate tracing an original image, but lacking its colour and depth.



I've given this three stars because, if you can forget the existence of the original, the quality of craft is evident and, as the previous reviewer stated, it is 'relaxing' but, I fear, not very engaging."