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80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:04 pm
by elevatorman
I'm somewhat interested in this upcoming release (November 9 or November 23). The songs by a-ha, Simple Minds and Simply Red can be heard now. I've liked what Midge Ure, AFOS and Visage have done with a symphony backing recently. Not for everyone but I kind of like it.

https://www.amazon.com/80s-Symphonic/dp/B07J352SCJ
1. Let's Dance (Nile Rodgers' String Version) (David Bowie)
2. Take On Me (Symphonic Version) (a-ha)
3. Alive and Kicking (Symphonic Version) (Simple Minds)
4. Vienna (Symphonic Version) (Ultravox)
5. The Killing Moon (Symphonic Version) (Echo & The Bunnymen)
6. Smalltown Boy (Symphonic Version) (Bronski Beat)
7. What Is Love? (Symphonic Version) (Howard Jones)
8. What's Love Got to Do With It (Symphonic Version) (Tina Turner)
9. Holding Back the Years (Symphonic Version) (Simply Red)
10. Josephine (Symphonic Version) (Chris Rea)
11. Hard Habit to Break (Symphonic Version) (Chicago)
12. It Must Have Been Love (Symphonic Version) (Roxette)
13. I Want To Know What Love Is (Symphonic Version) (Foreigner)
14. Drive (Symphonic Version) (The Cars)
15. 2000 Miles (Symphonic Version) (Pretenders)

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 6:57 am
by AJWAVE
"Take on me" simply unbearable! :(

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 8:41 am
by postpunkmonk
I love the Visage album but I am getting sick of this trend. I will buy the OMD set with the Liverpool Orchestra, but after that, I don't want to see anything more. The world has too many versions of "Alive + Kicking" by my reckoning.

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:09 am
by negative1
I love orchestral versions. So bring it on.

The trevor horn is weird though, the music is good,
but the singers are bad.

This one, looking forward to vienna, that makes it worthwhile.
same with the killing moon.

later
-1

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 6:38 pm
by obs
I was watching a recent BBC New Order documentary on some synth orchestra that they were doing, and New Order was talking about it like it was something really new and revolutionary. Maybe it was the blending of the art with the music, or maybe they meant their synth orchestra was new. Whatever. It was okay, but nothing amazing, and nothing really groundbreaking or that other groups haven't been doing already.

Anyways, not 80s, but one of my favourites is Hooverphonic's Renaissance Affair:

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 11:36 pm
by Sean
It works sometimes and it doesn't work at other times. The Simple Minds track sounds good on this one. Hopefully the rest of the tracks are good. It worked pretty well with the Visage.

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 10:00 am
by CRM
The whole orchestral thing is a tiresome trend.

Of what I've heard of the 80s Symphonic compilation, the orchestra is way too high in the mix, overshadowing the vocal and melody of the song.

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Fri Nov 16, 2018 10:10 am
by Willbfree
Nile Rodger's String Version of Let's Dance is Muzak strings influenced by the disco-era, laid over the original song. It is beyond terrible. It is a joke.

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:35 pm
by negative1
most are on youtube, the ultravox-vienna one is great,
the howard jones one is OK...

sometimes the orchestra overpowers the vocals.

here's a much better symphonic one:


10 80's synthpop bands/artists perform their hits accompanied with a full orchestra.

01 The Look of Love - ABC 0:00
02 Gold - Spandau Ballet 03:56
03 Hide and Seek - Howard Jones 10:06
04 Shout - Tears For Fears 14:56
05 Big in Japan - Alphaville 21:22
06 Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics 26:17
07 The Sun Always Shine on TV - Aha 31:19
08 Maid of Orleans - OMD 36:37
09 Temptation - Heaven 17 40:18
10 Vienna - Ultravox 44:16
Bonus 11 In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins 48:49

later
-1

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:47 am
by postpunkmonk
I now have the OMD "best of" album with the Royal Liverpool Orchestra. Interesting. Well chosen material that actually surprised, and I respect how a song with sampled pizzicato strings and cellos like "La Femme Accident" was arranged in a completely different way. As it happens, the album I can't stop listening to right now is the Bryan Ferry Orchestra's "Bitter-Sweet." Ferry retooling his solo/Roxy oeuvre for hot jazz works like a fiend for me. There was always Brecht/Weill in the Roxy DNA from day one; now fully explicit. The music was remarkably vital and there was none of Ferry's penchant for overwork and things like 5 guitarists mixed onto a single track. This was riveting in its direct simplicity. Ferry's vocals, having seemingly withered away in strength for the last twenty years [my wife first noticed this in 1999 with "As Time Goes By"] and now he sounds like he might have emphysema but he doesn't resort to distancing effects here, like a Rudy Vallee megaphone, which would have moved the needle in to the kitsch zone. Instead, Ferry puts his frail sounding vocals, dryly up front, accentuating the heartbreak inherent in most of the songs well beyond their initial takes.

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 6:11 am
by negative1
Thankfully, the mostly instrumental version of trevor horn's orchestral versions are out now, digitally and streaming:

https://linkco.re/bM2BVAyV?lang=en

blue monday isn't bad, i like the harmonica:



take on me is the slow ballad version:



later
-1

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 5:10 pm
by NuWavo80s

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 8:59 pm
by negative1


yes, that came out a long time ago.

the instrumental versions were only on the japanese 2cd limited edition set, along with an extra track 'cry'.

later
-1

Re: 80's Symphonic compilation

PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 12:46 pm
by chris74
Those of you who like the symphonic version of Vienna might also like the version by Schiller and Midge Ure already made in 2014:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgpStcE_DKU

Unlike many pop songs from the 80s this one is highly suitable for a change into a classical tune.