Music to Write By: Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield · 8:50am Sep 16th, 2015
Hello, loyal fans! So before I start this post, here’s an update on art, life, etc. First of all, yes, I am working on chapter 18 of Of Night and Stone. I’m sorry for making you all wait, and I intended to have it finished during the same week as when I uploaded chapter 17. But y’know, stuff happened and it distracted me.
Speaking of distractions, I’m working on a new fic, one that is—gasp!—an Equestria Girls fanfic! Don’t worry, everybody. I still don’t like the Equestria Girls movies, and yeah, I really don’t know why I’m writing this story considering that. All I will tell you, though, is that it follows three characters who deserved a lot better than what they got.
And now, onto the point of this post. Sometimes when I’m writing fanfics, I like to listen to some music to keep me inspired. Mostly instrumental music, yes, and during my years of writing I have gotten sick of playing “Frankenstein” by Edgar Winter on a constant loop, as well as having to look up instrumental versions of all my favorite songs on YouTube, so I have found some great albums to listen to while writing. So starts a new series of posts: “Music to Write By,” where I talk about albums and artists I listen to while writing my fics—again, mostly instrumental music.
The first installment of Music to Write By brings us back to 1973 British progressive rock with an album called Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. Now this album was highly successful at the time, going 7× Platinum in the UK alone, and gaining major critical acclaim. Of course, Robert Christgau only gave it a C+, but when has Robert Christgau ever given an album a positive rating?
Now when the album starts, you might wonder, “Hey, haven’t I heard this before?” Yes, you probably have. Tubular Bells was used in the also critically acclaimed 1973 horror film The Exorcist, and if creepy memories from that movie distract you from writing while you listen, don’t worry, because only the opening few minutes were used in The Exorcist. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why William Friedkin would choose this track for his movie. The haunting synth and piano part at the beginning is fitting for a movie about possession by a demon.
Mike Oldfield wrote the entire album and played most of the instruments on it through overdubbing. He was nineteen when the album was released, and some very small errors in playing are noticeable, leading Oldfield to rerecord the entire album in 2003 with a more modernized production and better instrument playing. Still, the tiny errors don’t detract from the listening experience.
There are no separate tracks; Tubular Bells is one big song (split into two on the double-sided vinyl album) that goes through many phases and even different genres, spanning from new age, a Latin segment, bluesy bass, jazz, thrash rock, symphonic, ambient, and even a traditional hornpipe jig at the end. In that aspect, I guess you could say there are separate songs, just not divided into different tracks. They might as well be; on the album Tubular Bells 2003, they’re listed as separate segments, but on the original album, it’s just “Tubular Bells, Part 1” and “Tubular Bells, Part 2.”
Though this is an instrumental album, there are some vocal segments that might be distracting to some. The first is at the end of Part One, when a narrator starts listing instruments as they’re added to the melody, with grand piano, reed and pipe organ, glockenspiel, bass guitar, double speed guitar, two slightly distorted guitars, mandolin, Spanish guitar, acoustic guitar, and the titular tubular bells. (And yes, I memorized the entire list.) It’s actually pretty easy for me to write through this part, and even when I don’t, the sheer enthusiasm in the narrator’s voice makes it all worth it to just sit back and listen. (On Tubular Bells 2003, the narrator is voiced by John Cleese.)
Much more distracting, however, are the caveman-like vocals in the middle of Part Two, when Oldfield just starts grunting, growling, howling, screaming, and speaking in what sounds like a mix of Klingon and German. That part can admittedly be a little distracting, but hey, if you’re listening to this while writing, at least you don’t have to worry about accidentally writing the lyrics!
All in all, Tubular Bells is an incredible album. I’ve listened to it numerous times while writing, most recently during the writing of this new EQG project I’m working on and chapter 17 of ONAS. Definite 5/5 rating (★★★★★). It’s probably the quintessential prog rock album, so I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t a fan of that genre. But if you don’t mind it, then I advise checking it out the next time you want something to listen to while writing.
You can listen to the full album here:
For the 2003 rerecording, listen here:
-Kirb.
