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The Soundtrack to My Life

POSTED:Sun, October 12, 2008 @ 7:15PM

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The Symphonic Pink Floyd

Are you a classical music fan? Do you also like classic rock? The London Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Peter Scholes and arranged by Killing Joke member Jaz Coleman, took aim at covering selected Pink Floyd tunes from the albums Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall on the 1995-released CD titled Us and Them: The Symphonic Pink Floyd.

Both Scholes and Coleman teamed together to also cover Led Zeppelin classics on another release entitled Kashmir, also in 1995. Scholes conducted both albums and Coleman composed the music, clearly showing his strong musicianship when faced with imitating the many sound effects present on Pink Floyd albums.

Coleman especially shows off his skills on “Money,” re-creating the famous coin jingling with the xylophone and chimes. The beginning is almost unrecognizable until the bass and cello join together to create the famous bass line dancing behind the string section. A solo violinist mimics the guitar solo at the bridge which instantly becomes familiar to all Pink Floyd fans.

The disk includes two versions of “Time,” each version sounding like night and day. The first version is instantly reminiscent of the original, with the percussion and flute creating the infamous “tick tock” of the clocks, softly leading into an exploding brass section. The trumpet clearly re-creates the vocals and melody with its rich sound, as the violins, oboes, and clarinets take the softer harmonic line.

The second version of “Time,” the last on the disk, starts by using the cymbals and gong to make a breathing-like sound effect, sounding nothing like the original version. It stands well alone, but in this particular set of songs, it stands out as not following the original mood of the song.

“Another Brick in the Wall (Part II),” easily Pink Floyd’s most radio-friendly song, is captured here with the full resonance of the string section. The violins clearly build the symbolic wall by repeatedly becoming louder and softer as they are played up and down the scale, giving the listener a feeling of craziness. The line in the original composition, “All in all / it’s just another brick in the wall,” is replicated by both the cello and viola while the bass keeps the driving beat throughout the song.

Dark Side of the Moon’s “The Great Gig in the Sky,” showcases Claire Torry singing an improvised scat solo. This solo is re-created on this album by a single lead violin, while the second violins, violas and cello provide the melody behind it.

“Nobody Home,” from The Wall, is duplicated here by solo violinist Aboud Abdel Al, who plays a beautiful, sad, poetic lead. The horns provide the bass line, building the song to a crescendo of the bassoon, harp, piano and flute as the cello and bass are played pizzicato over the lead violin.

All in all, Us and Them is a great addition to any musical collection. Classical music fans will enjoy the beautiful, moody, vibe and Pink Floyd fans will find themselves singing the lyrics along to their favorite re-created songs. I can’t help but say, though, that I couldn’t wait to listen to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall again after listening to this rich and colorful interpretation.

Possible future blogs may include a review of Lucinda Williams’ new album Little Honey and AC/DC’s new album Black Ice, as well as a review of Joni Mitchell’s DVD, A Life Story. I have also recently gone to a recording session with Hybrid Ice and will be attending their show next month in Danville, which happens to be Jeff Willoughby’s final performance with Hybrid Ice. I will also be going to the Concert For Change, benefiting Barack Obama, in State College, which will feature performances by the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, and others. I’m also going to Bethel, New York to visit the original site of Woodstock and the Museum at Bethel Woods: The Story of the Sixties and Woodstock. Finally, I will be seeing Fleetwood Mac guitarist, Lindsey Buckingham in concert. As you can see, there are a lot of music-happenings coming up, so check back often!