Me and My Vinyl Engine !

[Jerome]

I have long looked back with fond memories to my first hearing of Tubular Bells .............way back in 1973 I head it on a long extinct radio program one saturday afternoon..........................I recall that it was a completely unique experience because as yet Rock had not reached it's symphonic stage and most racks were at max 10 mins long but here was a full fifty muniutes of glorious music. Over the years I have heard many recorded and live versions but I go to the version mentioned in the title of this post. I feel that in nearly forty years of hearing his that I know nealy every twist and turn to the mix..................from the slightly out of tune bass in the early parts to the tape sturations on side two's loud passages. I was a little cautoius because "Boxed " does have an SQ four chanel mix compatable with stereo but it is still facinating to hear how much more a vinyl version of this can add to the listening experience...................from the viseral power to the bass to the non muddly processing of the extrenly busy sections: this form of reproduction is clearly extracting more. There is so much more subtlty to the vinyl experience than on any digital version that I have come across!

To borrow a phrase of your from your post. I remember hearing Tubular Bells for the first time and I have never looked back. I heard it first in South West Africa, in a place called Oranjemeund and the beach there looks a lot like the back cover of the original album sleeve. Only three artists have ever really made me sit up and take notice of a new direction in music - a sense that I was hearing something totally unique for the first time. Floyd, Jarre and Oldfield. Those three artists/groups defined my direction and my taste in music. I have still not heard anything as mind-altering or as ground-breaking since no matter how many albums I buy. I don't think I ever will but you never know. Someone might come along who changes the musical landscape completely. He/she is long overdue. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.