CLASSICAL POP
VA - Classical Gassers (Pop Gems Inspired By The Great Composers) [2016]
At first glance the worlds of classical music and pop might seem diametrically opposed - the former signifying straight-backed refinement and the latter youthful rambunctiousness - but as these two dozen tracks attest, there are occasions when these unlikely bedfellows have resulted in a harmonious union. The great composers have never shied away from taking inspiration from each other, so, too, contemporary songwriters have drawn from the well of memorable melodies, often to add gravitas or simply to enhance a song's catchiness. From ELP to Lana Del Rey, Muse to Lady Ga Ga, this is nothing new. Focusing on the 1960's, "Classical Gassers" explores this unlikely meeting of the twain with recordings ranging from rocked-up instrumentals to lush countrypolitan ballads. While some are unabashed in their use of the composer's original, others tread more lightly, giving the piece a new dimension entirely. Recorded between 1960 and 1971, this eclectic selection includes hits by James Darren, the Toys, Waldo de Los Rios, Julie Rogers, Love Sculpture and the Mindbenders, album tracks by Roy Orbison and Harpers Bizarre, and lesser-heard finds by the Cats, Renee St Clair, Lesley Miller and the Pulse. (Amazon)
It is quite an interesting selection of music ranging from fairly straightforward interpretations of classic music to one with just plain weird lyric set to a classic score (Mountain of our Love by Lesley Miller). All in all a very good selection of songs. Excellent sound as one would expect from the Ace label.
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Track lists
01 Piltdown Men Piltdown Rides Again 2:25
02 James Darren Goodbye Cruel World 2:21
03 Jay & The Americans Dawning 2:26
04 Lesley Gore Just Let Me Cry 2:17
05 B Bumble & The Stingers Nut Rocker 2:01
06 Toys A Lover's Concerto 2:41
07 Lesley Miller Mountain Of Our Love 2:14
08 Kokomo Asia Minor 2:00
09 Roy Orbison She Wears My Ring 2:31
10 Julie Rogers The Wedding 2:31
11 Second City Sound Tchaikovsky One 2:23
12 Cats Swan Lake 3:06
13 Jay & The Americans My Clair De Lune 2:39
14 Galens Stranger In Paradise 2:14
15 Allan Sherman Hello Mudduh Hello Fadduh (A L 2:45
16 Sounds Incorporated Hall Of The Mountain King 2:12
17 Renée St Clair My Hero 2:15
18 Pulse Can Can Girl 2:49
19 Harpers Bizarre Peter And The Wolf 1:58
20 Waldo De Los Ríos Mozart Symphony No 40 In G Min 4:27
21 Toys Attack 3:05
22 Shorty Long A Whiter Shade Of Pale 2:57
23 Mindbenders A Groovy Kind Of Love 2:02
24 Love Sculpture Sabre Dance 4:51
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Some songs I know I first heard when being played in a record shop. A record store to me was like a candy store to any other kid. You probably can identify with this BB. Sabre Dance from 1969 is one of those songs. It just leaped out at me. Turned out it was Dave Edmunds, the first I'd heard of Love Sculpture. Quite a performance!!
ReplyDeleteOh and thanks.. I know I will be enjoying this! Classical pop.. the same reason I like ELO.
DeleteAnd this version here is only the "short" version too. The longer album cut goes over twice as long,, over 11 minutes of breakneck playing! Anyway, I'll check this one out sooner, than later. Glad you posted it BB!
DeleteHi mrRadio,
DeleteThe Love Sculpture track is terrific.
Those guys from Wales had a great sound.
I think record stores are great. First I am always overwhelmed by the volume of material and I can't pick out what I am looking for. Over the years I became more deliberate even though there were times I purchased an album because of the cover artwork or that I thought "that was a cool name for an album". Those were some of my best liked albums for years. I still get overwhelmed but I still manage to find material that is cool.
Cheers.