Review by Svend Aage Petersen
Tubular Bells 2003 - or "Your Oldest Friend Just Had A Facelift" 
Listening to the original Tubular Bells is like putting on your old, favorite coat. It gives you a warm, comfy feeling, although it looks dodgy in places. It holds so many memories, and you feel perfectly at home when you put it on. 
So what happens when you go and buy a shiny new jacket, almost identical to the old one? Will it feel as good, or will it forever be an inferior replacement?

It is likely that the critics will see this album as yet another proof that Mike has lost his touch. "Why do we need another Tubular Bells?" we will hear them cry. I think the answer is "Because Mike needs it". If Tubular Bells 2003 is what it takes for Mike to be at peace with the album, having achieved the sound quality he couldn't get thirty years ago, then so be it. And if the album will only appeal to the long-time passionate Mike Oldfield fan, and be ignored or misunderstood by the casual listener, then so be it. 
Hopefully Mike can now get on with other projects which will delight his fans in years to come. 

In the meantime, what should we make of Tubular Bells 2003? Is it any good? Or does it just sit there like the dead parrot for which John Cleese is famous?

It lives, I'm happy to say! The new recording may lack some of the emotions attached to the original, both by Mike himself, and by the long-time fans. However, it makes up for the jolly, carefree tone by being wonderfully crisp and crystal clear. Suddenly you get to hear those familiar, haunting melodies in the REAL "Glorious Stereophonic sound".
The result is a combination of the best of old Mike and new Mike: Intricate, complex tunes and fantastic production. The whole album sounds dynamic and has a depth which the original lacks.

Don't expect huge differences in the music itself. There are twists and variations throughout, but the most important changes lie in the instrumentation and the mix. There are small surprises to be found in almost every section of the album, and they make the 48:33min experience highly enjoyable. It really works very well indeed, perhaps best on the second half of the album.

I would still have preferred a more sombre sounding MC than John Cleese, but he does a good job. The Caveman section has been given a delightful and unexpected twist.
The end of part 2 ("Ambient Guitars") is breathtaking as it has gained so much depth and clarity. And as the Sailors Hornpipe finishes in a frenzy of guitars and mandolins, you want to shout at the stereo, "Don't stop yet! Go on!!!".

So will Tubular Bells 2003 withstand the test of time? I think so. It may never feel as true and heartfelt as the original, but as Mike turns 50, it's obvious that he looks back at his 30 year old creation with pride and that he has created a worthy successor to one of the most influential albums of all time.

Review by David Porter
In August 1982 Mike revealed, on a programme called 6:55 Special, that, due to the imperfections he perceived in Tubular Bells, he would like to re-record it.

He specified that in the 4 weeks until his tour started this is something he could do, as he knew the piece backwards, and the technology was so much more advanced.
It would also have coincided nicely with the tenth anniversary of the work.
After the tour his Virgin contract was renegotiated and we have since heard there was a clause that prevented the re-recording of Tubular Bells for 25 years after the original release (either in the original contract or the new re-negotiated deal). The release we now get to hear is the culmination of a wish made more than 20 years ago and with obvious frustration at not being able to do it any sooner.

Instead we had reworking and versions approximating the original but not a wholesale re-recording, as this was apparently by contractual agreement.
There has been such a deep and overriding passion to do it right that I for one do not begrudge this release for an instant. The end of side one can still bring a tear to the eye. It is a refined masterpiece that needed to be done and a perfect way to celebrate 50 years on this planet. Now it is out of your system Mike, how about revisiting Amarok?

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