Song and dance.
Jul. 11th, 2004 11:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xyzzysqrlSeveral entries ago, I promised you all a crooning German man. Never let it be said that I fail to deliver German men when I promise them. I present to you: Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester. (I admit, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
katrus deserves credit for finding this group first.)
As their home page states, their primary 'style' is the music of the 20s and 30s. A very rich, big-band sound, complete with a front man, dressed in tuxedo and slightly greying hair, singing soulfully over the horns and strings.
They've done tangos, polkas, and waltzes, traditional German dance and original pieces composed with an excellent sense of humor, but the reason for their appearance in my journal is their unwillingness to limit themselves to the works of the early 1900s. American rock and pop have also come under their focus, and you know what? They're pretty darned good at it, in my opinion. Unique enough to sear the brain at first as culture shock sets in, but in my opinion, a couple of these songs are -better- than the original.
I'll let you hear for yourself. With hosting provided by the always-referenced and appreciatedvarwuff I offer you this music.
PLEASE be gentle with his server, as it is a personal machine.
Please, one download at a time, however nice the thought of cramming all of these songs into your ears at once may be.
We Will Rock You -- We start with a Queen song, which was also my introduction to the work of the Orchester. Of special note is the thumping tuba solo, a daring choice which pays off well.
Mambo Number 5 -- Continuing the presentation is a piece I feel clearly shines over the original in every way, transforming it from a song about sleeping with any female who looks twice in your general direction to a song with a polished touch of class, by sheer vocal style alone. Bravo, Max.
Blue (Da Ba Dee) -- I admit they're not all winners. The group sounds at first a little lost with what to do with the sound of this song. The vocal harmonies of the background singers do redeem it quite a bit to my mind, however, and by the second chorus everyone's on the same page and the song rolls out brilliantly for the duration.
Super Trouper -- Now the band turns our attention north, to the work of Abba. A haunting clarinet and plenty of horns keep pace with this epic disco tale of longing, loneliness and love on the dance floor.
Uptown Girl -- It's hard to take the blend of lyrics and music in this song seriously for a while, as they sing of being a "downtown guy" waiting for his ship to come in with a backup orchestra pumping away behind them. Delivery and performance, as usual, carry it through just the same.
Supreme -- Since I haven't heard the Robbie Williams song this is based on, I can't say a lot... but this is still one of my favorite songs in this collection.
Tainted Love -- It may be blasphemy, but I consider this take on a classic (which needs no introduction) better in a few ways than the original. See what you think.
We Are The Champions -- We end with what I think may be the only bomb in the whole group, a revisitation to Queen. I'm... not entirely sure where this song was headed, but it kind of runs flat about 45 seconds in and never recovers. A true shame.
On special request, I can also offer a cover of "Ooops, I Did It Again". I would have made it available here and now, however I could not assure myself of its (near certain, I assure you all) quality without my brain turning off protectively whenever I tried to listen to it. A mere coincidence, I'm quite sure.
If you've enjoyed this selection of music, why not listen to SQRL Radio, playing all day today! I hope!
katrus deserves credit for finding this group first.)As their home page states, their primary 'style' is the music of the 20s and 30s. A very rich, big-band sound, complete with a front man, dressed in tuxedo and slightly greying hair, singing soulfully over the horns and strings.
They've done tangos, polkas, and waltzes, traditional German dance and original pieces composed with an excellent sense of humor, but the reason for their appearance in my journal is their unwillingness to limit themselves to the works of the early 1900s. American rock and pop have also come under their focus, and you know what? They're pretty darned good at it, in my opinion. Unique enough to sear the brain at first as culture shock sets in, but in my opinion, a couple of these songs are -better- than the original.
I'll let you hear for yourself. With hosting provided by the always-referenced and appreciated
varwuff I offer you this music. PLEASE be gentle with his server, as it is a personal machine.
Please, one download at a time, however nice the thought of cramming all of these songs into your ears at once may be.
We Will Rock You -- We start with a Queen song, which was also my introduction to the work of the Orchester. Of special note is the thumping tuba solo, a daring choice which pays off well.
Mambo Number 5 -- Continuing the presentation is a piece I feel clearly shines over the original in every way, transforming it from a song about sleeping with any female who looks twice in your general direction to a song with a polished touch of class, by sheer vocal style alone. Bravo, Max.
Blue (Da Ba Dee) -- I admit they're not all winners. The group sounds at first a little lost with what to do with the sound of this song. The vocal harmonies of the background singers do redeem it quite a bit to my mind, however, and by the second chorus everyone's on the same page and the song rolls out brilliantly for the duration.
Super Trouper -- Now the band turns our attention north, to the work of Abba. A haunting clarinet and plenty of horns keep pace with this epic disco tale of longing, loneliness and love on the dance floor.
Uptown Girl -- It's hard to take the blend of lyrics and music in this song seriously for a while, as they sing of being a "downtown guy" waiting for his ship to come in with a backup orchestra pumping away behind them. Delivery and performance, as usual, carry it through just the same.
Supreme -- Since I haven't heard the Robbie Williams song this is based on, I can't say a lot... but this is still one of my favorite songs in this collection.
Tainted Love -- It may be blasphemy, but I consider this take on a classic (which needs no introduction) better in a few ways than the original. See what you think.
We Are The Champions -- We end with what I think may be the only bomb in the whole group, a revisitation to Queen. I'm... not entirely sure where this song was headed, but it kind of runs flat about 45 seconds in and never recovers. A true shame.
On special request, I can also offer a cover of "Ooops, I Did It Again". I would have made it available here and now, however I could not assure myself of its (near certain, I assure you all) quality without my brain turning off protectively whenever I tried to listen to it. A mere coincidence, I'm quite sure.
If you've enjoyed this selection of music, why not listen to SQRL Radio, playing all day today! I hope!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Robbie Williams
Date: 2004-07-11 12:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-12 10:26 am (UTC)-K
no subject
Date: 2004-07-12 11:52 am (UTC)Of course, the absolute best 'cover with a twist,' IMHO, was the former Sex Pistols recording one last version of "Anarchy For The U.K." in the late Eighties -- as a post-folk guitar ballad. It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And terrifying.
(While we're on the subject of covers, I should also add that the Gipsy Kings' "Hotel California," Duran Duran's "White Lines," and Wall of Voodoo's "Ring Of Fire" top my 'best covers' list, and topping the worst list is a Japanese version of "Video Killed The Radio Star" by a band called Yes Mama OK. I cannot begin to describe the horror when a group that clearly does NOT understand the song's imagery adds THEIR OWN EXTRA LYRICS.
"(Oh-a-oh!) I met your children! / (Oh-a-oh!) They look like you, yeah! / (Oh-a-oh!) Politely children! / (Oh-a-oh!) Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh....'look like me' to tell them!"
VI-JI-O KIRRRL DA LA-DEE-OH STAH! VI-JI-O KIRRRRL DA LA-DEE-OH STAH!
That is all. Wait, no it's not. The best vocal arrangement of "The Time Warp" I've even heard in my decade as a rare Rocky Horror cast album enthusiast is actually the Chipmunks cover. If you can get over that octave-up, it's brilliant.
That is all. Really, this time.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 06:47 am (UTC)