Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

OK - so I have more versions of this album than are healthy in many formats Vinyl Stereo and Quad, CD and SACD - no matter the format the mix always seems to be more or less the same - that is apart from the CBS Mastersound vinyl version - which to my ears seems different from all the other versions. Does anyone know the origins of this version and if there is a reason for the difference in sound or should I just put it down to too many mushrooms on my pizza ?

All the best - Andrew

 

If you have a UK Stereo Virgin and the SACD, I really don't think the rest would be necessary at all. The Mastersound sounds absolutely horrible, if you're talking about the Epic/CBS pressing. Ugh. There's articles that talk about how CBS didn't adjust the EQ a lower octive when mastering at 1/2 speed (ask Stan Ricker!) so many of the firstees that came out of the series were seriously bright and abusive to the hearing.

I DO have a Japanese pressing of Tubular that sounds fab, but the SACD 4.0 and stereo mixes are original to themselves, as in, the 4.0 is transfered right from the quad tape they mixed down so painstakingly in 1973.

Were you looking for something like a whole different mix?? IMHO the original Virgin UK or Japanese reissue vinyl are great. I bought a sealed American Virgin original of the album and opened it a year ago. It's unlistenable, and I'm thinking I got just a bad copy. It doesn't even track very well at all.....

 

Is the version on the Boxed set any different? I havent listened to that in years.

 

If you are referring to the 4LP set called "Boxed" all the LP are in SQ quad format so if listened to on a convention stereo it features a different mix.

 

Hi Sckott,

Just to set the scene and scale of my obsession - on the vinyl front I have a first issue UK Virgin, later UK issue, UK Quad, Australian Stereo, Australian Quad, EMI Centenary version, and the Japanese version plus the CBS Mastersound - sure more than necessary but when the addiction sets in

The Mastersound sounds so different (I wouldn't say horrible just very, very different) that it sounds like a completely different mix (and I have nothing against a bit of variety) - at times the instrumentation seems different.

All the best - Andrew

 

The HDCD version sounds good to me... it was remastered by Simon Heyworth.

 

Yes that is the one I'm refering to but I only have it as cd.

 

It's interesting that this thread should come up now.....I just bought the limited edition book version of Tubular Bells yesterday (at JB HiFi for anyone in Melbourne at the moment) and also noticed another HDCD version. Anyone done a comparison between the two?
I haven't had this album for about 20 years!!