Search - Jay Atwood, Chris / Baker, Ryan Baggett, Casey Baldwin :: Classics Regrooved

Steaming pile of dog crap

David W. Madeira | Nashville, TN USA | 06/12/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Wow...this CD is just horrendous. Just absolutely, mind-numbingly horrendous. I'm not sure anybody could come close to ruining some of these great classics as "Classics Regrooved" does.



I'm not trying to come at this from an elitist perspective, and say that electronic artists should keep their mitts off classical music altogether. I love to see the influences of great old music on great new music. But, honestly, there are just some things that should not be done. I love breakbeat, I truly do. But if you need a thumping breakbeat to feel the awesome, raw power of Verdi's "Dies Irae," you seriously need help. If you need to loop beats under Rachmaninov's "Prelude in C#-minor" to access its surging emotions, you should really just stop listening to music altogether.



I wouldn't just say this because I don't think electronic artists should touch classical music at all, because there are some tasteful renditions out there. For example, William Orbit's remix of Barber's Adagio for Strings was very well done. Nothing can touch the original of course, but as far as remixes go Orbit's rendition maintained the emotion and beauty of the piece and put it nicely within the sphere of electronic music. So, in this CD's case, it's not that they tried to redo the classics that made it so bad. It's that even in terms of electronic music, this whole CD just plain sucks. I mean, we're talking just completely unlistenable. Skylab 2000's pathetic rendition of Beethoven's Fur Elise is totally absurd, Eros has irreparably massacred the beauty of Schubert's "Ave Maria," and Joseph Jaime's version of the Rach prelude literally made me laugh out loud.



Please, for the sake of your own wallet and music altogether, do not buy this CD. It is of the worst, lamest quality, and I will be surprised if I encounter anything else this pathetic for a long time."

Not for Purist Classical Music Fans

EclecticMusic2005 | New Hampshire | 11/19/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"however, if you like edgy electronica beats and remixes you might give this a try. My two favorite tracks aren't really re-mixes but brillant electronica reorchestrations of the original. #7 (by far the best track on the CD next to track #13) Joseph Jaime surprises with his arrangement of Ase's Death, a somber section from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite. Jaime keeps the bones of the original, but turns it into progressive upbeat hip-hop, if there is such a thing. Jaime's heavy hip-hop grooves and pulsing synth pads contrast with the mood of the original, and help him make the piece his own. As well as #13 my favorite of the two Casey Baldwin's interpretation of Ravel's Pavene for a Dead Princess. Other notables: Track 1 skylab 2000's "regroove" of Beethoven's Für Elise and track #5 Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 remix. The rest of the CD could have been better this is true and perhaps if they come out with Classics Regrooved #2 it will be 15 tracks of they style from Skylab 2000, Casey Baldwin and Joseph Jaime. the other tracks really aren't my style but no doubt listeners that don't mind a break from tradition will find some interesting tracks.







"

Not your father's "Hooked on Classics"..............

Peter Manale | LOWELL, MA United States | 05/31/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Not your father's "Hooked on Classics" and it shouldn't be yours, either! Most of these songs are painfully unlistenable. They take a snippet of classical music (most of it distorted, synthesized music) and add a lot of discordant electronica which gets repeated over and over (and over). A couple of good songs does not a CD make! Save your money. Instead, check out the group "Bond" for more traditional classical music infused with an infectious dance beat! REVIEW UPDATE: After repeated listening to this CD, I must admit that some of the tracks are starting to grow on me---not enough to outweigh the tracks I don't like, but enough for me to raise my review from 2 to 3 stars. The inspiration for these tracks is not light, feel-good baroque music (as I had originally anticipated) but "heavier" classics which makes for a darker, more intense sound. For remixes of classical music that aren't quite as harsh, check out the CD "Masterworks Reworked.""