VA - Rock Goes Symphonic (A Butterboy Compilation) (8 x CDs)

ROCK GOES SYMPHONIC

VA - Rock Goes Symphonic (A Butterboy Compilation) (8 x CDs)

Rock Goes Symphonic isn’t about strict definitions or purist boundaries. It isn’t limited to tracks with full orchestras, and it isn’t trying to recreate the classical‑rock crossover clichés of the seventies. What this set explores is something broader and more interesting, the symphonic imagination in rock and its neighbouring genres. Sometimes that imagination comes from a real string section,sometimes it’s built from Mellotrons, synths, layered guitars, or studio alchemy. What matters is the feeling—scale, colour, drama, and the sense that the music is reaching for something larger than the room it was made in.

This compilation isn’t a “best‑of,” it’s a long, winding, cross‑era story about how orchestral thinking found its way into rock, pop, folk, ambient, and progressive music across six decades. These eight CDs trace that lineage from its earliest symphonic stirrings to its modern, cinematic bloom, using tracks that aren’t just beautiful, but often rare, overlooked, or quietly legendary in collector circles.

Across this set you’ll hear Italian one‑album wonders, French symphonic obscurities, Japanese pastoral suites, Argentinian prog epics, Scandinavian dream‑folk, American chamber‑rock, and modern orchestral‑pop that carries the same emotional weight as the classics. Many of these pieces never travelled far beyond their home countries; some were pressed in tiny quantities; others survived only through dedicated collectors and archivists. That’s part of the point, this set exists to bring those hidden corners into the same light as the giants.

CDs 1 and 2 lay the foundation: the Golden‑Era Symphonic Rock that shaped everything that followed. These are the long‑form suites, the orchestral pop experiments, the baroque‑rock hybrids, the music that first imagined rock as something widescreen and cinematic.

CDs 3 and 4 move into the modern era, where orchestral ideas reappear in new forms: chamber‑pop, post‑rock, ambient‑symphonic, and the kind of indie songwriting that treats strings and atmosphere as emotional architecture. These discs show how the symphonic impulse didn’t fade, it evolved.

CDs 5 and 6 bridge the eras. Here the acoustic, the electronic, the folk‑baroque, and the cinematic all meet. These tracks sit between worlds: part classic, part modern, all connected by a shared sense of scale and emotional depth. This is the “hybrid” zone — the place where the old language and the new one speak to each other.

CDs 7 and 8 bring the journey home with a deep dive into global symphonic prog, the rarest material in the set. Italian RPI gems, French cosmic suites, Argentinian and Japanese masterpieces, Scandinavian pastoralism, German symphonic heaviness, and American cult classics. These discs are the heart of the collector’s story: music made with ambition, imagination, and almost no commercial compromise. Many of these tracks were pressed in tiny runs, traded hand‑to‑hand, or rediscovered decades later. They’re here because they deserve to be heard alongside the canon.

Across all eight discs, the through‑line is simple, orchestral imagination. Whether it’s expressed through a Mellotron, a string quartet, a brass swell, a post‑rock crescendo, a folk‑baroque arrangement, or a 20‑minute suite, the spirit is the same, music that reaches beyond the small and aims for something larger, more emotional, more cinematic.

This set exists because these connections matter. Because the story of symphonic rock didn’t begin in 1970 and it didn’t end in 1977. Because the rarest records often say the most. And because when you place these pieces side by side, the classics, the moderns, the hybrids, the obscurities, you hear one long conversation across time.

Settle in. Take the journey. Let the scale of it unfold. (B)

==========================================================

OR

OR

===========================================================

Track Lists

CD1    Golden‑Era Symphonic Rock 

01 Sebastian Hardie - Openings 13:01 1975

02 Gentle Giant - A Cry for Everyone 4:06 1972

03 Beatles - A Day in The Life 4:59 1967

04 Procol Harum - A Salty Dog 4:37 1969

05 Tom Petty - Alright for Now 2:00 1989

06 Yes - And You and I 9:28 1972

07 Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) - Appena un po' 7:46 1972

08 Deep Purple - April 12:10 1969

09 Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning 11:10 1973

10 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother 23:42 1970

11 Strawbs - Autumn 8:30 1974

12 Jethro Tull - Baker St. Muse 16:39 1975

13 Jethro Tull - Bouree 3:45 1969

14 Renaissance - Diary of an Empty Day 4:14 1978

15 King Crimson - Epitaph 8:48 1969

16 Focus - Eruption 22:51 1971

17 Radiohead - Exit Music 4:24 1997

18 Genesis - Firth of Fifth 9:30 1973

19 Supertramp - Fool's Overture 10:52 1977

20 Led Zeppelin - Friends 3:54 1970

21 Zombies - Hung Up on a Dream 2:59 1968

22 10cc - I’m Not in Love 6:04 1975

23 Triumvirat - Illusions on A Double Dimple 23:22 1974

24 Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B. 3:36 1968

CD2    Golden‑Era Symphonic Rock 

25 Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die 6:25 1970

26 Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Joybringer 3:33 1973

27 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Knife Edge 5:03 1970

28 Electric Light Orchestra - Kuiama 11:31 1973

29 Who - Love Reign O'er Me 5:49 1973

30 Gryphon - Midnight Mushrumps 19:02 1974

31 Barclay James Harvest - Mockingbird 6:39 1971

32 Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin 4:24 1967

33 Beatles - Penny Lane 3:00 1967

34 Kayak - Phantom of The Night 4:59 1978

35 Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - R.I.P. (Requiescant in pace) 6:40 1972

36 Sting - Russians 3:58 1964

37 Matt Monro - Somewhere 3:33 1964

38 Caravan - The Love in Your Eye 12:32 1972

39 Queen - The Prophet's Song 8:19 1975

40 Camel - The Snow Goose 3:02 1975

41 Todd Rundgren - The Verb "to Love" 7:24 1976

42 Elton John - Tiny Dancer 6:03 1972

43 Colosseum - Valentyne Suite 16:51 1969

44 It's a Beautiful Day - White Bird 6:07 1969

45 David Bowie - Wild is The Wind 6:00 1976

46 Harry Nilsson - Without You 3:21 1971

47 Rick Wakeman - Jane Seymour 4:50 1973

48 Sebastian Hardie - Rosanna 6:03 1975

CD3    Modern Orchestral Rock Evolution

01 Paddy McAloon - 01 I Trawl The Megahertz 21:58 2003

02 Dead Can Dance - The Host of Seraphim 6:16 1988

02 Walkabouts - The Light Will Stay on (Single Version) 4:18 1996

03 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dazzle 5:31 1984

04 Cocteau Twins - Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires 5:36 1990

05 Enya - Caribbean Blue 3:59 1991

06 XTC - 1000 Umbrellas 3:40 1986

07 Tears for Fears - The Working Hour 6:31 1985

08 Talk Talk - Eden 7:40 1988

09 Mark Hollis - The Colour of Spring 3:52 1998

10 Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Shipbuilding 4:53 1983

11 Prefab Sprout - Desire As 5:20 1985

12 Kate Bush - Cloudbusting 5:11 1985

13 Sundays - On Earth 2:24 1992

14 David Sylvian - Orpheus 4:51 1988

15 Psychedelic Furs - Torch 4:51 1989

16 Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up 5:27 1990

17 Japan - Nightporter 6:59 1982

18 Roxy Music - My Only Love 5:18 1980

19 Blue Nile - Downtown Lights 6:31 1989

CD4    Modern Orchestral Rock Evolution

20 Church - Under the Milky Way 4:58 1988

21 Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight 4:14 1996

21 Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight 4:14 1996

23 Cranberries - Ode to My Family 4:30 1994

24 Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me 5:06 1987

25 Echo and The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain 5:24 1984

26 Simple Minds - Belfast Child 6:41 1989

27 Waterboys - The Whole of The Moon 5:01 1985

28 Triffids - Wide Open Road 4:09 1986

29 Crash Test Dummies - Superman's Song 4:32 1996

30 Divine Comedy - Tonight We Fly 2:57 1994

31 Suede - Still Life 5:19 1994

32 Chameleons - Second Skin 6:51 1983

33 U2 - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me 4:45 1995

34 Peter Gabriel - Red Rain 5:41 1987

35 Radiohead - Exit Music (For a Film) 4:24 1997

36 Cure - Plainsong 5:17 1989

37 Mazzy Star - Flowers in December 4:58 1996

CD5    Hybrid Cross Era Symphonic Rock

01 Antony and the Johnsons - Hope There's Someone 4:42 2005

02 Julia Holter - Feel You 4:08 2015

03 Efterklang - Modern Drift 4:55 2010

04 Innocence Mission - Brotherhood of Man 3:28 2007

05 Andrew Bird - Sovay 4:41 2005

06 Villagers - Becoming a Jackal 3:19 2010

07 Antlers - Kettering 5:11 2009

08 Shearwater - Rooks 3:21 2008

09 Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position 3:53 2007

10 Dears - Lost in The Plot 4:50 2003

11 Swell Season - Falling Slowly 4:50 2006

12 A Winged Victory for The Sullen - Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears 4:25 2011

13 Arcade Fire - Intervention 4:19 2006

14 Weyes Blood - Movies 5:53 2019

15 Low - Especially Me 5:26 2011

16 Angus & Julia Stone - Santa Monica Dream 5:30 2010

17 Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine 8:17 2003

18 Agnes Obel - Riverside 3:48 2010

19 Divine Comedy - A Lady of A Certain Age 5:47 2006

CD6       Hybrid Cross Era Symphonic Rock

20 Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home 6:11 2007

21 Decemberists - The Crane Wife, Pts. 1 & 2 11:19 2006

22 Elbow - One Day Like This 3:40 2008

23 Unthanks - The Testimony of Patience Kershaw 4:05 2009

24 Grizzly Bear - Foreground 3:35 2009

25 Florence & The Machine - Shake it Out 3:50 2011

26 MONO - Ashes in the Snow 11:45 2009

27 Eluvium - Prelude for Time Feelers 5:50 2007

28 Joanna Newsom - Emily 12:08 2006

29 Beirut - Postcards From Italy 4:17 2006

30 Paper Kites - Bloom 3:30 2010

31 Bat for Lashes - Laura 4:26 2012

32 National - Fake Empire 3:17 2008

33 Keaton Henson - You 4:42 2013

34 Radio Dept. - Heaven's on Fire 3:33 2010

35 M83 - Wait 5:43 2012

36 Midlake - Roscoe [Fleetwood Mac] 4:46 2006

37 Sufjan Stevens - Chicago 6:04 2005

38 Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla 4:28 2005

CD7    Rare Symphonic Rock

01 Celeste - Principe Di Giorno 6:13 1976

02 Harmonium - Depuis l’automne 10:27 1975

03 Locanda Delle Fate - A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete 6:28 1977

04 Triana - En el lago 6:36 1975

05 Triana - En el lago 6:35 1975

06 Carpe Diem - Reincarnation 3:51 1975

07 Sandrose - Vision 5:22 1972

08 Tai Phong - For Years and Years (Cathy) 8:31 1975

09 Corte Dei Miracoli - Verso Il Sole 6:27 1976

10 Metamorfosi - Cielo di Marte 6:00 1973

11 Atlas - Elisabiten 7:09 1979

12 Gotic - Escenes de la Terra en Fiesta i de le Mar en Calma 4:04 1978

13 Ezra Winston - Call Up 6:51 1988

14 Ragnarök - Fabriksfunky 4:52 1975

15 Novalis - Wer Schmetterlinge lachen hört 9:18 1975

16 Kaipa - Musiken Ar Ljuset 7:04 1975

17 PFM - Harlequin 7:49 1975

18 Quella Vecchia Locanda - Villa Doria Pamphili 5:26 1974

19 Le Orme - Gioco Di Bimba 2:56 1972

20 Eris Pluvia - In the Rising Mist 4:38 1991

21 Quasar - Seeing Stars 3:35 1982

22 Nimbus - Children of The Earth 3:16 1980

23 Mirthrandir - For Four 14:44 1976

24 Arachnoïd - Le chamadère 13:52 1979

25 Apoteosi - Apoteosi 5:56 1975

CD8    Rare Symphonic Rock

26 Crucis - Recluso artista 6:48 1976

27 Cervello - Canto del capro 6:33 1973

28 Bacamarte - UFO 6:27 1983

29 Balletto Di Bronzo - Epilogo 2:30 1972

30 Pentwater - Living room displays 5:01 1977

31 Yezda Urfa - Boris and His Three Verses 2:51 1975

32 Cathedral - Gong 7:00 1978

33 Cathedral - The Search 11:28 1978

34 Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno - Il Mondo Cade Su Di Me 6:49 1972

35 Atoll - L'araignee-Mal - B) L'araignee-Mal 5:12 1975

36 Shingetsu - Oni 9:37 1979

37 Wigwam - Bless Your Lucky Stars 6:02 1975

38 Pulsar - Puzzle / Omen 8:24 1975

39 Solaris - Marsbéli Krónikák: I 3:34 1984

40 Trace - Gaillarde 6:22 1975

41 Wapassou - Trip 13:45 1973

42 Mona Lisa - Voyage avec les morts 9:48 1974

43 Alphataurus - La Mente Vola 9:20 1973

44 Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico 15:43 1973

45 Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra 20:33 1973

46 Corte Dei Miracoli - Verso Il Sole 6:27 1976

47 Atila - El Principio Del Fin 15:54 1975

48 Grobschnitt - Symphony 13:47 1972

49 Dice - War a) Ouverture 1:19 1977

50 Dice - War b) Fronts 6:12 1977

51 Dice - War c) Battle 2:33 1977

52 Dice - War d) Deserted Battlegrounds 0:42 1977

53 Atlas - Den Vita Tranans Väg 7:18 1979

=============================================================

=============================================================

Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

=============================================================

=============================================================