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The International Classic Rock Orchestra - Classic Rock: Epic Rock Anthems With Orchestra
Like a baton out of hell
Having previously been subjected to the novelty of foot-stomping guitar anthems performed by crooners such as Pat Boone and Paul Anka, rock fans are here offered a symphonic take on their sky-punching stadium favourites. It’s an obvious idea, really, as the bombast of many of these tracks already harboured grandiose ambitions.
There are no real surprises with Wings’ Live & Let Die or Manic Street Preachers’ A Design For Life, seeing as both heavily featured strings in their more recognised form, while Bohemian Rhapsody seems decidedly tame compared to what Queen themselves dreamed up.
Power ballads such as Coldplay’s Fix You and Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing benefit most from the makeovers, the sweeps of violins and subtle woodwind embellishing, rather than altering, their originators’ intent. On the other hand, a carbon copy of Kurt Cobain’s guitar intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit comes across less like orchestration and more like lazy cheating.
Decca | 4763397
Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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