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The Doors Concerto: Riders on the Storm
Doors, Peter Scholes, Prague Symphony Orchestra
The Doors Concerto: Riders on the Storm
Genres: Special Interest, New Age, Pop, Rock, Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (9) - Disc #1

Love him or hate him, Nigel Kennedy can play a mean fiddle. And on Riders on the Storm: The Doors Concerto, the violinist, arranger Jaz Coleman, and the Prague Symphony Orchestra pay energetic tribute to--who else?--the Do...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Doors, Peter Scholes, Prague Symphony Orchestra
Title: The Doors Concerto: Riders on the Storm
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Decca
Original Release Date: 10/10/2000
Release Date: 10/10/2000
Genres: Special Interest, New Age, Pop, Rock, Classical
Styles: Easy Listening, Progressive, Progressive Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 028946735022

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Love him or hate him, Nigel Kennedy can play a mean fiddle. And on Riders on the Storm: The Doors Concerto, the violinist, arranger Jaz Coleman, and the Prague Symphony Orchestra pay energetic tribute to--who else?--the Doors. These instrumental string arrangements try their damnedest to avoid becoming elevator-music covers, but they only vaguely resemble the Doors' originals. The violinist loves a jam, and these arrangements thankfully give him plenty of room to solo. The longer tracks--"Light My Fire" and "The End"--work best, with Kennedy offering inspired playing and plenty of drama. Doors fans may be interested in hearing fresh takes on their favorite tunes ("Riders on the Storm," "Light My Fire," "The Unknown Soldier," and more), but those accustomed to Kennedy's more classical endeavors may be disappointed. Oddly enough, the living members of the Doors have nothing but great things to say about this disc. Strange days, indeed. --Jason Verlinde

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CD Reviews

Instant classic! A must for Doors fans and others
Stephen Britton | A quiet suburb outside NYC, USA | 12/11/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Outstanding! Fortunately for me, I first heard this CD as I was visiting a music store because I probably would not have bought it if I didn't hear it first. The thought of some orchestra playing Doors music sounds silly, but violinist Nigel Kennedy, Conductor Jaz Coleman and the Prague Symphony Orchestra really make everything work. The versions of "Riders on the Storm," "Love Street" and "Light My Fire," present Jim's music much more refined manner, yet still capture the energy that Jim Morrison put into all his songs. I have been listening to it for two straight days (as I did with the Morrison Hotel album 30 years ago) and I still want more. If you want to hear great music, get this CD, and if you love the Doors, this is a "must-have.""
Opening New Doors
Enrique Torres | San Diegotitlan, Califas | 11/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"To quote the lyrics of an old R&B song " Do ya like good music, yeah, yeah," well, this is just that, good music. Never mind the purists on both sides of the fence, those who feel original Doors music stands alone and those that feel that this is not classical, concerto, schemrto! The treatment given to the Doors rock classics are reworked in a beautiful manner by Jaz Coleman, at times completely different, hardly recognizeable, and at others, just like Morrison and the boys. This past year I saw an incredible play entitled "Celebration of The Lizard King" a playwrights Apocalyptic vision of LA, complete with a small orchestra's version of Doors music, reinterpreted for the stage . The idea was similar in that the "theatre types" were listening to Doors music in a new and inventive manner, much like the crossover of musical fans from rock and classical are listening to this CD. Good music sustains pulling and tugging but never looses it's shape, it is still good stuff. This is like a heavy starched dress shirt and blue denim jeans, an odd mixture indeed but a wonderful listening experience. The music has a melancholy feel but it does not overwhelm the listener, music is joy and the feeling of joy overpowers any moments of "sadness". It could be that since this was dedicated to the survivors of the Vietnam War it has to have an inevitable sorrow to it. Maybe it is Kennedy(would I dare say Nigel?) and his ability to make his violin reach in and tear at your heart strings with each stroke of his violin. Whatever the reason, it is hardly anything to keep you from liking this CD immediately. This is not one of those three or four listens before you think you like it , it is pretty much an immediate, Wow! The accompanying boklet is truly superb, it opens five fold across and has notes on each song and some photographs that include the remaining Doors and visuals of the Vietnam legacy. The fact that Krieger, Manzarek and Densmore fully endorsed the project and stated that they think Morrison would be proud is good enough for me. The Prauge Symphony plays marvelously but the featured star is Kennedy without a doubt. I guess when he said he was "tired of playing dead people's music" he was not referring to Jim Morrison, because he plays the Lizard Kings music with fervor and renewed vitality."Spanish Caravan", 'Love Street","The End" and of course, "Light My fire" are some of my favorites, but really I like the "whole idea". Try to refrain from "conducting" the orchestra, or at least do it in private, no doubt you'll be moving those index fingers! A fresh treatment to some classic tunes, this is one that will get lot's of play on your CD player. Whether you lived during this tumultous period or not the music contained on this CD will move you."
Riders on Rock
Thomas F. Dillingham | Columbia, Missouri USA | 10/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Crossover efforts have recently captured a lot of attention, some deserved praise and some dismissal. Philip Glass's "Low" Symphony, the Finnish group, Apocalyptica, covering Metallica songs, and others have had some real success. It's not a new thing--Charles Ives famously incorporated popular melodies into his symphonies and other "classical" works, as did a number of European composers with their national musical traditions (Bartok, Kodaly, Mahler, Bruckner, etc.). Jaz Coleman attempts something like that with nine songs by the Doors, and for me, at least, he succeeds with about 7 of the 9. I am not convinced the name "concerto" is appropriate, but I bet he wanted to stay away from the more appropriate "suite," which would have sounded much too light. No question that Coleman is fortunate to have Kennedy and the Prague orchestra in his camp--the sheer brilliance of Kennedy's solos, coupled with the excellent orchestral playing, make even the weakest links of this music sound good. "Light My Fire," "Strange Days," "The End," and the title section are all smashing demonstrations of Kennedy's ability to send that music home. The weaker moments keep me from giving this a 5, but that should not dissuade anyone from getting this album--it's worth hearing, worth owning."