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Amazon.co.uk Review
For those familiar with Kennedy's foray into the world of Hendrix, the Doors Concerto will come as hardly a surprise stopover on his artistic road. Some of the non-musical themes found in Hendrix are brought to light more in the Doors Concerto, most principally the folly of war. Coleman's arrangements of Morrison and The Doors' music seem to have had attracted extra musical attachments. Each piece carries a statement about various political themes from the last 60 years and brings together strands in keeping with the 1960s and 1970s openness to Eastern mysticism and the concept of peace in a New World Order. Whether one agrees or even cares about Coleman's views, the music itself is arranged on a grand scale similar to that of film music. Finding an appeal to the arrangements is sometimes difficult if you are familiar with The Doors' originals and/or Kennedy's master recordings from his previous life. However, for those who are not die-hard fans of Kennedy (who will doubtless love all of it) there are some tracks that might appeal--"Spanish Caravan" is particularly evocative. --Dominic Sewell
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I aproached this recording with a large degree of scepticism. After all who among us has not heard with horror one album or another - usually with a title like The Very Famous Orchestra Plays Rock Classics - which purports to be classical arrangements of much loved rock songs. Almost inevitably they turn out to be pedestrian arrangements for strings augmented by guitars, drums and even synthesizers. I shudder at the very memory.
Almost inevitably for this album - like Kennedy's earlier foray into the world of Hendrix is no mere transcription. The various Doors songs have been a springboard for a work that is more of an inspired composition than a simple reworking on different instrumentation. Melded together into a concerto of great depth and subtlety it would be difficult for someone completely unfamiliar with the source material to tell that this was anything other than a 'classical' work. Personally I felt that the earlier Kennedy reworking of Hendrix hadn't departed far enough from its roots but this album shows what can be done when a talented composer and a talented performer work with music that they love and that was excellent in its original form.
This is quite simply the most successful classical adaptation of rock songs that I have ever encountered.
(For anyone interested the previous holder of that honour was 'Apocalyptica plays Metallica by four cellos' which I would also recommend highly.)
Almost inevitably for this album - like Kennedy's earlier foray into the world of Hendrix is no mere transcription. The various Doors songs have been a springboard for a work that is more of an inspired composition than a simple reworking on different instrumentation. Melded together into a concerto of great depth and subtlety it would be difficult for someone completely unfamiliar with the source material to tell that this was anything other than a 'classical' work. Personally I felt that the earlier Kennedy reworking of Hendrix hadn't departed far enough from its roots but this album shows what can be done when a talented composer and a talented performer work with music that they love and that was excellent in its original form.
This is quite simply the most successful classical adaptation of rock songs that I have ever encountered.
(For anyone interested the previous holder of that honour was 'Apocalyptica plays Metallica by four cellos' which I would also recommend highly.)
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If, like me, your first reaction on coming across this record is to expect pretentious “middle of the road” interpretations of rock standards by a hip, over-hyped classical musician then think again because what we have here is the exact opposite.
Nigel Kennedy treads a dangerous path in seeking to re-site Jim Morrison’s haunting vocals – the key feature in virtually all of these Doors tracks – into an effective classical context without reverting to pastiche. But Jaz Coleman’s powerful and complex orchestral arrangements cleverly pick up on and seriously extend Ray Manzarek’s & Robbie Kreiger’s highly distinctive underlying chord sequences to provide the perfect context for Kennedy’s soaring violin virtuosity that captures, without replicating, the essence of Morrison’s ethereal voice. It’s serious classical music and its highly derivative – with snapshots of Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Holst all over the place – but when it works, as most of it does, its quite brilliant.
In fact, the main difficulty that anyone familiar with the originals faces is in switching-off from lyrics that are so etched into your brain that you find yourself humming along to them without fully appreciating the melodic complexity of what’s actually going on – a problem most noticeable on the quite superb interpretation of “Riders On The Storm”. So… suspend, if you can, your memory banks and your pre-conceptions and enjoy this album for what it is: a captivating suite of short classical gems.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Listen, listen carefully! especially if you were a teenager in the seventies.
At first when a friend recomended this CD I thought:"Here we go again, another attempt to use and exploit the world genius's work (Morisson & Doors)to spit out a remake "classic style" rock.
But partly out of curiosity and also out of respect for the friend who had recomended it I listened, and wow! could I get away? No. I was glued to my ear phones until I had played it thrice over as I was proven wrong in my prejudice and preconceived ideas.
Jazz Coleman is as great a genius as Morisson, and Nigel Kennedy is right at home playing this music.
This is one hell of a record, and for one I would take it on my desert island.
There is a good interpretation of the raw subject that Jim Morisson held tight in his heart: the heart rendering pain/beauty/brotherhood and so much more!
The orchestration is unique, the acuracy of each and every note, phrasing, rhythm are astoundingly beautiful.
Don't pass this one, it's a must for music lovers at large, and indispensable to fans of the doors, an eye opener for classic music music listeners!
At first when a friend recomended this CD I thought:"Here we go again, another attempt to use and exploit the world genius's work (Morisson & Doors)to spit out a remake "classic style" rock.
But partly out of curiosity and also out of respect for the friend who had recomended it I listened, and wow! could I get away? No. I was glued to my ear phones until I had played it thrice over as I was proven wrong in my prejudice and preconceived ideas.
Jazz Coleman is as great a genius as Morisson, and Nigel Kennedy is right at home playing this music.
This is one hell of a record, and for one I would take it on my desert island.
There is a good interpretation of the raw subject that Jim Morisson held tight in his heart: the heart rendering pain/beauty/brotherhood and so much more!
The orchestration is unique, the acuracy of each and every note, phrasing, rhythm are astoundingly beautiful.
Don't pass this one, it's a must for music lovers at large, and indispensable to fans of the doors, an eye opener for classic music music listeners!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Doors Concerto
I bought this CD after hearing the version of Riders on the Storm on classic FM. Typically for Amazon it arrived within 24hours and the CD has been in my car ever since. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Rowley
Listen without prejudice
This doesn't 'sound like the doors', it is the essence of the doors. Beautiful music brilliantly played by 'The pride of Birmingham'. Lpve it!!
Published 19 months ago by Brian P. Silk
The Doors Concerto
Crossover? No, this is a superb fusion of rock and classical styles brought to life by Jaz Coleman and brilliantly executed by Kennedy. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mrs. Marilyn Pratt
arrangements inspired by Nigel Kennedy's deepest thoughts
From the moment I purchased this album I knew it was very good but 3 years later I have to say that Nigel Kennedy's cover of this music by The Doors won the rank of one of the most... Read more
Published on 7 Dec 2009 by Deven Gadula
Tugs at the heartstrings
I am very impressed with the whole album, Nigel Kennedy at his best, but the one that tugs at the heartstrings and makes me weep is 'The Unknown Soldier', fantastic.
Published on 27 April 2008 by J. K. Murray
Contains some exciting and original arrangements.
Music by the Doors arranged in a very exciting and imaginative way. Modern music from the West using Eastern tonic scales. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2000
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