Strings Attached

**alucard** · 06-26-2020

I had listened lately to a couple of records with orchestral arrangements, some I re-discovered and some discoveries. In general, I am bit sceptic, I am not a big fan of orchestral arrangements in general Strings often soften up the music

Peter Gabriel: New Blood, when I first heard the record, I was a disappointed and I wasn´t interested at all to see the orchestral tour, which I regret a bit now I relistened a couple of times to the record and it grows on me

Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now and Travelogue, love at first listen, I liked both records right from the start, Vince Mendoza did a great job IMO

Billie Holiday: Lady in Satin, another winner I liked right from the start. At one point I read a couple of negative critics and took a bit of distance, but the arrangements of Ray Ellis are great even, so her voice is not at her top.

Yes: Magnification, mixed bag, some of the tracks work fine others a bit on the soapy side,

Steve Hackett: Live at The Royal Festival Hall, mixed bag, some tracks work others are totally overloaded.

Fabrizio De Andre : Sogno N°1 , worst one , De Andre´s widow accepted the idea to extract De Andre´s original vocal tracks and orchestrate them, does not work at all for me in comparison to the great original records which had partly already partly orchestral arrangements and I don´t like the idea to mess around with dead artists.

Jon Lord: Sarabande and Gemini Suite, I had recently re-bought both on vinyl and relistened to them. Sarabande is maybe my favourite Rock meets classic record. Gemini Suite has aged less well for me

**noisynoise** · 06-26-2020

One I absolutely love is Jaga Jazzist "Live with Britten Sinfonia," I think it's my preferred way to hear these songs.

**Sturgeon's Lawyer** · 06-26-2020

Camel. The Snow Goose. The best blending of rock band and orchestra I have ever heard.

**AncientChord** · 06-26-2020

I tend to dislike orchestra's with rock music. But one iconic stand-out that worked for me and the world was and still is The Moody Blues Days Of Future Passed.

**alucard** · 06-26-2020

Originally Posted by Sturgeon's Lawyer

Camel. The Snow Goose. The best blending of rock band and orchestra I have ever heard.

Forgot this one, agreed great record!

**interbellum** · 06-26-2020

""For Richard", but this time orchestrated"...
Yeah, I like Caravan And The New Symphonia.

**TheH** · 06-26-2020

Hinn Islenzki Thursaflokkurin

**bigbassdrum** · 06-26-2020

The Nice - Five Bridges

**Progbear** · 06-27-2020

Orchestra in rock pretty much begins and ends with Italian prog. PFM’s Storia di un minuto is a textbook “how to incorporate an orchestra into rock music” album. I also love, love, LOVE Banco’s orchestral album, Di terra.

A more obscure choice: the Samadhi album. The orchestrations on that one are really first-rate, and it says something that even a second-string band like Samadhi could have glistening, lush orchestrations on their album! Those were the days!

Outside of Italy, Renaissance always had superb orchestrations (usually courtesy of Richard Hewson), as did the aforementioned Caravan (courtesy of Martyn Ford).

Originally Posted by AncientChord

I tend to dislike orchestra's with rock music. But one iconic stand-out that worked for me and the world was and still is The Moody Blues Days Of Future Passed.

I knew someone was going to mention this and I have to say, the orchestra on DOFP is terrible! All right, it works on “Nights in White Satin,” but most of the rest of the orchestral parts sound like that generic 50s production music, the sort of stuff you’d hear in the background of educational films, theme parks, family restaurants and the like.

**AncientChord** · 06-28-2020

Originally Posted by Progbear

Orchestra in rock pretty much begins and ends with Italian prog. PFM’s Storia di un minuto is a textbook “how to incorporate an orchestra into rock music” album. I also love, love, LOVE Banco’s orchestral album, Di terra.

A more obscure choice: the Samadhi album. The orchestrations on that one are really first-rate, and it says something that even a second-string band like Samadhi could have glistening, lush orchestrations on their album! Those were the days!

Outside of Italy, Renaissance always had superb orchestrations (usually courtesy of Richard Hewson), as did the aforementioned Caravan (courtesy of Martyn Ford).

I knew someone was going to mention this and I have to say, the orchestra on DOFP is terrible! All right, it works on “Nights in White Satin,” but most of the rest of the orchestral parts sound like that generic 50s production music, the sort of stuff you’d hear in the background of educational films, theme parks, family restaurants and the like.

Well different perspective in my ears. But honestly I would have rather heard this album with no orchestra at all. I would have liked it more to have the emphasis directed towards Mike Pinder's mellotron to achieve the desired symphonic sound.

**markwoll** · 06-28-2020

Renaissance - Live at Carnegie Hall

**Sturgeon's Lawyer** · 06-29-2020

^^^Another great one!

**alucard** · 06-30-2020

Zappa and Orchestra , another interesting combination. A couple of years ago I saw L'Ensemble Modern with a Zappa programme, the main dish was Greggary Peccary, scarringly precise musically, but they were a bit too stiff and the humorous part got a bit lost, great concert anyway. ...

**bigbassdrum** · 06-30-2020

I think Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was excellent

**BobM** · 06-30-2020

Renaissance was always my standard for orchestral prog rock, but then their music was written in a style that just demanded an orchestra. not your typical stuff.

Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Center of the Earth was also written for orchestra and it was a masterpiece of its time, but I don't think it actually held up all that well. Six Wives held up better.