[Elements] 060531

[pleiades@centurytel.net]

ELEMENTS		WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2006

[BBC 2 interview (Classical piece)]
[Montreux]
[sleeve notes to Montreux DVD]
[So near and yet so far]
[Thanks to Einstein Factor Contributors]
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From: Philip Bendall - Segway NZ <philipbendall at mac.com>
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 17:57:23 +1200
Subject: [Amarok] BBC 2 interview (Classical piece)

Very interesting interview from Mike - especially his new piece of
music. He says he has some of his magical/spiritual musical ideas for
it, which is exciting.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is whether he'll record it twice -
once with orchestra, once in his own studio using electronics and
self-played instruments. The album would come with both discs. Now, I
think this is a really interesting idea and I hope he chooses this
route. It'll make for a real compare+contrast opportunity for fans.
It will certainly put the spotlight on the combination of Mike's
unique combination of compositional, arrangement and production
skills which give in the overall "sound" of his music (I believe this
is the essence of what makes his music so unique), and set this
against the scoring for and the performance of the orchestra. It
should be very interesting......

On the other hand, reviewers may tend to seize on this "gimmick"
which may distract from the quality of reviews, and general
appreciation.

Philip

[M-C's note: You can still listen to the archived interview at 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/goodmorningsun/ . Skip ahead until an 
hour and 15 minutes to get in the vicinity of the segment featuring Mike.]
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Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 09:51:54 +0930
From: Matthew Sorell <matthew.sorell at adelaide.edu.au>
Subject: [Amarok] So near and yet so far

Einstein Factor  - the inside story!

Right now I'm burning a copy of last night's Einstein Factor to DVD
(it's reshowing on ABC2 Digital on Friday at 10pm - I'll try to capture
the widescreen version then).  For those of you who offered questions,
clarification or support on the list, or if you really REALLY want to
see the show (you know who you are), please let me know by private email
your snail mail address.  For the rest of you, check
www.abc.net.au/einsteinfactor in the next couple of days for the
questions etc.  It is possible that a copy will magically appear on the
net but I wouldn't know anything about that.

OK, so I didn't win.  The winner (Rose) turned out to be a friend of my
wife so it wasn't too bad.  I also didn't have to go through the stress
of subsequent rounds but I am a little disappointed.  I think there were
a couple of issues for me:  trusting the Brains Trust, not knowing
ANYTHING about British royal history (why would I?) and being completely
out of it during the third round.  I had spent the morning getting up
early (5am) to look after our daughter, who subsequently vomited in the
car, cleaning that up, giving a 3 hour lecture, rushing to the airport
to catch a plane and not having enough coffee.  I was frustrated in the
third round because I could have answered three of the questions but was
beaten to the buzzer.  They did cut the end-of-round interview in which
I gave Mike's hidden message from Amarok in Morse Code (no surprises
there).  The game was the closest in the history of the show
(1500-1450-1450) so that made it entertaining for everyone too.

Honestly, though, I had a great time and I hope a few people in
Australia go out and buy Tubular Bells (or Amarok, or Light + Shade) today.

So thanks everyone.  I won't be able to make it to Germany this year (if
it were a full-on two-hour set by Mike I might have made the effort) but
if anyone is in contact with Dirk Hohmeyer, see if you can get him to
convince Mike that a world tour would be a good idea with his next album
  - taking in Australia, NZ and North America.

And in other news, the film I was involved in, "Ten Canoes", has just
won a special jury prize at the Cannes International Film Festival.  So
I'll go and celebrate that instead!

Matthew (probably back to lurk mode for a while)
________________________________

Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 09:33:10 +0930
From: Matthew Sorell <matthew.sorell at adelaide.edu.au>
Subject: [Amarok] Thanks to Einstein Factor Contributors

I was going to just send this to the people who contributed, but after
getting to about 30 names it's proving a bit too hard.

If you offered questions, comments, corrections, best wishes,
observations etc which were to help me with the revision of everything
Oldfield for the Einstein Factor, I would like to thank you with a gift
in the mail (which might take the form of a plastic disc [or 2] about
10cm in diameter).  If you really REALLY want to see the show, count
yourselves in too.  This is a free offer (because I want to thank you,
and it's not worth taking $3 off everybody).  Even if you are in
Australia and you saw the show, I have something for you, too.  If you
feel bad about getting something for nothing, please don't.  I really
appreciated the help and support.

If you would like to take up this offer, please let me know your postal
address.

Thanks
Matthew
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Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 07:22:33 -0400
From: Rob Miles <sledgehammer at compuserve.com>
Subject: [Amarok] Montreux

Hello everyone

Got my copy this morning. Naturally, Platinum and most of the QE2 stuff has
been around for some time, but it was interesting to hear the live
Punkadiddle with its complete lack of ending and the grandstanding of the
opening vocal section of Taurus 1 at the end of the piece- but in its
Taurus 2 incarnation! An evolutionary moment, as we say at Sad Old Farty
Anorak Wearing Oldfieldologist HQ.

Ommadawn was a breath-holding experience as he played my favouring soaring
moment in tune and in time- something which does not always happen. OK, so
he fucked up the first cascading trill down the fretboard after it- I was
so happy that I didn't give a monkey's.

The inlay was well written by someone who knows what he is talking about.

Rob

:-)?
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From: "Paul Harris" <PaulH at rris.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 13:16:20 +0100
Subject: Re: [Amarok] sleeve notes to Montreux DVD

<snip>

Not too bad would be my vote... could have been much better ;-)  A quick
scan came up with Platinum as his 7th studio album, and the real hum dinger
that The Killing Fields was about Vietnam... mmm

Pedantic Paul
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