; Tangled Up In Blue: Plus 104

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Plus 104

Flipping through my CDs today to find something I hadn't listened to in awhile, I came across Metallica's album "S&M." For those who don't know "S&M" is a live album featuring Metallica plus the 104 musicians of the San Francisco Symphony (in fact S&M stands for "Symphony and Metallica," what were you thinking it meant??). While I love the album I've always thought that whoever orchestrated the music could have done a bit more to emphasize the orchestra.

In any case, the orchestra adds so much fullness to the sound that I can only imagine the concert would have been a once in a life time experience to have attended. I've been to a Metallica concert and I can only imagine that with 104 musicians on such a wide range of instruments as are included in a symphony, it would be like swimming through an ocean of sound. Since Metallica released that album (though I'm sure they weren't the first to do it) a few other artists have forked over the bucks to play with a symphony.

What artist would you want to hear play over the backdrop of their music orchestrated for symphony? Think about it and don't just pick your favorite artist. Think of who's music would gain the greatest from being interwoven with orchestral sound.

2 Comments:

Blogger Glen said...

I would love to hear the Allman Brothers Band play with an orchestra. I think some of those jazz tunes like "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" and "Jessica" would sound great.

8:42 PM  
Blogger John H said...

I'm basing this on one song from Neil Young's Harvest - A Man Needs a Maid - (probably not a feminist anthem) which used a full orchestra to underscore the feeling of being overwhelmed by life. Young's world-weary voice was counterpointed by the swirling orchestration.

Young's voice can be fragile and tentative, aching and angry and certainly isn't a voice suited to classical singing, but,I'd love to hear an orchestra swell 'Down by the River' and many of his other more 'anthemic' pieces.

6:25 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home