The Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour
**”The Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour” DVD/Blu-Ray set comes with the show documentary on one disc, and a documentary about the legacy of the piece, and putting the tour together, on the other disc. It will be available from Cleopatra Entertanment on Tuesday, November 15.**
Most movie fans only know Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” from its brief quotations in William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist,” and rightfully so, as the portion of the composition used conveys a sense of foreboding and dread that is just right for the classic film’s atmospheric terror. Several years ago, I purchased Oldfield’s entire album, “Tubular Bells,” and it is so much more than just those moments. I love the way the music moves in a multitude of directions that take you on an musical odyssey that surprises and thrills us. If you’re a classical and instrumental music fan, you owe it to yourself to listen to it.
This concert film, shot over three nights at the Royal Festival Hall, is part of a larger tour in celebration of the piece’s 50th anniversary. It’s not just “Tubular Bells”- there are also performances of Oldfield’s “Moonlight Shadow” and “Summit Day,” along with an original composition from the tour’s Musical Director, Robin Smith, called “The Gem.” Featuring ever-changing visuals, and dance and acrobatics performed by Circa Contemporary Circus, this concert is 86-minutes of sonic and visual loveliness.
There isn’t much to the way this film is made that makes Matt Hargraves’s document of the concert worth rewatch beyond to have the music on in the background. If you want to watch this show captured, and cannot watch it live, I suppose it is a successful filming of the show. It gives you a sense of the experience, the variety of instruments used, and the lighting and performances from the Circus. We don’t feel like we are there, but it’s a good enough presentation in how it looks and- especially- how it sounds to where, if you wanted something to put on to put you in a particular mood while you’re doing other things at home, this is well worth a spin.
Ultimately, the focus is on the music, and the program of the pieces selected is a good one. It’s a fitting tribute to one of the iconic works of the 1970s, and something that’ll make you appreciate how inventive and transformative it was for the medium.
