Boxed (Mike Oldfield album)
Encyclopedia
Boxed is a compilation album
written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield
, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music
). It features quadraphonic
remixed versions of his first three albums (Tubular Bells
, Hergest Ridge
and Ommadawn
) and some collaborations.
). The Boxed-CD version still contains the SQ-encoded quad mixes and plays as normal stereo without a quad decoder. The SQ quad remix Hergest Ridge was the only version of the album available on CD (until 2010 Mercury Records reissue, Deluxe Edition), as Oldfield disliked the original vinyl mix.
The traditional hornpipe melody "The Sailor's Hornpipe
", which was the finale from Tubular Bells, has an extended speech from Viv Stanshall, which is from the recording sessions at The Manor Studio
(see Tubular Bells original ending).
Tubular Bells was re-mixed in quad by Phil Newell, assisted by Alan Perkins. Hergest Ridge was re-mixed in quad by Mike Oldfield. Ommadawn was re-mixed in quad by Mike Oldfield and Phil Newell.
's engravings: "Gallery" and "Other World".
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music
1976 in music
-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....
). It features quadraphonic
Quadraphonic
Quadraphonic sound – the most widely used early term for what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of the listening space, reproducing signals that are independent of one another...
remixed versions of his first three albums (Tubular Bells
Tubular Bells
Tubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
, Hergest Ridge
Hergest Ridge (album)
Hergest Ridge is the second record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1974 on Virgin Records.Oldfield was not comfortable with the public attention that had come from the success of Tubular Bells, and retreated to the English countryside to work on the follow-up...
and Ommadawn
Ommadawn
Ommadawn is the third record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1975 on Virgin Records. The cover photograph was by David Bailey. It peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was reissued in June 2010 with additional content.- Album history :...
) and some collaborations.
Background
Boxed features quadraphonic remixed versions of his first three albums. Oldfield later explained that instead of being true 4 channel sound, the initial quad remix of Tubular Bells, released few months after the stereo version, was a "strange fake out-of-phase system", because it was so complex a mix without automation. The quad remix of Tubular Bells on Boxed was entirely different and true 4 channel sound (later released on SACDSuper Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
). The Boxed-CD version still contains the SQ-encoded quad mixes and plays as normal stereo without a quad decoder. The SQ quad remix Hergest Ridge was the only version of the album available on CD (until 2010 Mercury Records reissue, Deluxe Edition), as Oldfield disliked the original vinyl mix.
The traditional hornpipe melody "The Sailor's Hornpipe
The Sailor's Hornpipe
The Sailor's Hornpipe is a traditional hornpipe melody.- History :The usual tune for this dance was first printed as the "College Hornpipe" in 1797 or 1798 by J. Dale of London....
", which was the finale from Tubular Bells, has an extended speech from Viv Stanshall, which is from the recording sessions at The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio was a recording studio in the manor house at the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England, north of the city of Oxford. It was the first residential recording studio in the UK...
(see Tubular Bells original ending).
Tubular Bells was re-mixed in quad by Phil Newell, assisted by Alan Perkins. Hergest Ridge was re-mixed in quad by Mike Oldfield. Ommadawn was re-mixed in quad by Mike Oldfield and Phil Newell.
Cover
The album cover adapts the theme of two M. C. EscherM. C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
's engravings: "Gallery" and "Other World".
Charts
Boxed charted at number 22 on the UK Album Chart in 1976. In 2009 it also charted on the Billboard European Album Chart at number 76.| Chart (1976) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Chart | 22 |
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard European Album Chart | 76 |
Side two
- "Tubular Bells" Part Two (Oldfield except "Sailor's Hornpipe" (Traditional)) – 25:47
Side seven
- "Phaeacian Games" (David BedfordDavid BedfordDavid Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
) – 3:59 - "Extract from Star's EndStar's EndStar's End is a weekly, five-hour-long New Age music radio show broadcast by 88.5 WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania's radio station, in Philadelphia. It is the second longest-running show of its type in the world, after Hearts of Space.-History:...
" (Featuring David Bedford, Chris CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) (Bedford) – 7:33 - "The Rio Grande" (Bedford) – 6:34
Side eight
- "First Excursion" (Oldfield, Bedford) – 5:57
- "Argiers" (Traditional, arrangement Oldfield) – 3:59
- "Portsmouth" (Featuring Leslie Penning) (Traditional, arrangement Oldfield) – 2:04
- "In Dulci Jubilo" (Featuring Leslie Penning and William MurrayWilliam Murray-Nobility:*William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield , British jurist*William Murray, 4th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield , British nobleman*William Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield -Nobility:*William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (1705–1793), British jurist*William Murray, 4th Earl of...
) (Traditional, arrangement Oldfield) – 2:51 - "Speak Tho' You Only Say Farewell" (Featuring Bedford) (Ray Morello, Horatio Nicholls) – 2:56
Disc 1
- "Tubular Bells" Part One (Mike Oldfield) – 25:30
- "Tubular Bells" Part Two (Oldfield except Sailor's Hornpipe (Traditional)) – 23:20
- "The Rio Grande" (Bedford) – 6:34
- "Portsmouth" (Featuring Leslie Penning) (Traditional, arrangement Oldfield) – 2:04
- "In Dulci Jubilo" (Featuring Leslie Penning and William Murray) (Traditional, arrangement Oldfield) – 2:51
Disc 2
- "Hergest Ridge" Part One (Oldfield) – 21:24
- "Hergest Ridge" Part Two (Oldfield) – 18:46
- "Extract from Star's End" (Featuring David Bedford, Chris Cutler and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) (Bedford) – 7:33
- "Argiers" (Traditional, arrangement Oldfield) – 3:59
- "Speak Tho' You Only Say Farewell" (Featuring Bedford) (Ray Morello, Horatio Nicholls) – 2:56
Disc 3
- "Ommadawn" Part One (Oldfield) – 20:06
- "Ommadawn" Part Two (Oldfield) – 17:22
- "Phaeacian Games" (David Bedford) – 3:59
- "First Excursion" (Oldfield, Bedford) – 5:57
External links
- Mike Oldfield Discography - Boxed at Tubular.net