Oh! Mustaine didn't do well on his "Symphony Interrupted" show. :-(

[LucSulla]

The ultimate punking would now be for James Hetfield to learn all of these pieces flawlessly and then perform them with someone like the London Phil. or similar orchestra. That would be an amusing troll.

[Tres Aardvarks]

I don't get the chainsaw tone when playing with an orchestra. Compared to the very refined sound of the ensemble, even Marty's tone is jarring and feels completely out of place. Dial back the gain dudes!!!

[JohnnyB]

I don't get the chainsaw tone when playing with an orchestra. Compared to the very refined sound of the ensemble, even Marty's tone is jarring and feels completely out of place. Dial back the gain dudes!!!

It would have worked much better to keep the gain below the "buzzy bees" sound and use a small tube amp to overdrive the power tube(s) to get that glassy, violin-like tone. Clapton's licks in "Layla" were played through a '50s tweed Champ. I used to have a little amp from the early '60s from Canada, the "Paul" by Pine Electronics. It had the best OD for this kind of thing. A little Oahu, Champ, Danelectro, Supro ... any of those would have been perfect.

Of course, you still need someone capable of playing the music.

[Crimsontider]

This should be the post of the month. This is nearly tapish in how screeching that guitar solo sounds from the huge contrast to the symphony.

I have always DESPISED Heavy Rock and Symphonies. They are just not meant to go together, and it makes the artist(s) seem self obsessed. A perfect example of a band going in the wrong direction that proved true was Guns n' Roses "Live and Let Die" with the awful fluit part and his Axle's screeching tone. Hate it. Also hated the entire unplugged crap that hit right with grunge. It originated with Bon Jovi doing Dead or Alive which is great, but who wants to hear you favorite metal band doing an acoustic concert? No me.

[JohnnyB]

This should be the post of the month. This is nearly tapish in how screeching that guitar solo sounds from the huge contrast to the symphony.

I have always DESPISED Heavy Rock and Symphonies. They are just not meant to go together, and it makes the artist(s) seem self obsessed. A perfect example of a band going in the wrong direction that proved true was Guns n' Roses "Live and Let Die" with the awful fluit part and his Axle's screeching tone. Hate it. Also hated the entire unplugged crap that hit right with grunge. It originated with Bon Jovi doing Dead or Alive which is great, but who wants to hear you favorite metal band doing an acoustic concert? No me.

It worked the first time around 44 years ago--Deep Purple with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcom Fucking Arnold. It was recorded live. It can be done, but not by just anybody. I think one reason this project worked so well is that Jon Lord wrote the music, cast the rock band and orchestra as antagonists, and wrote appropriate music for each entity. He proved as adept at writing for the orchestra as for DP.

[polara]

As much as I like genre mashups, it makes my skin crawl to hear most rockestral (I use this awkward term because the music is inevitably awkward) projects. Malmsteen or Vai or whoever probably have the discipline and chops to pull it off, and I can see its value as a marketing stunt or for ego stoking, but musically it's unappealing.

At the risk of sounding like "People should know their place and stay there," I think different disciplines, even if you master the notes, demand different things from the performers. I've heard a couple opera singers doing pop and soul attempts and while yeah their chops were beyond reproach it basically robbed the music of its original feel. Same goes for that recording if YJM with some orchestra in Japan playing this gawdawful mock-Baroque concerto he wrote, all dressed up in his puffy-shirt Li'l Mozart costume.

But I grew up listening to legit and jazz and didn't get into rock music 'til high school so my sensibilities were shaped by countless hours of listening to Artur Rubenstein, Julian Bream, the Berlin Philharmonic, etc. To a kid who grew up on metal and wasn't exposed to legit, this hybrid stuff is probably really exciting.

[RobB]

Ulrich Roth, bitches.

[mathman]

I didn't like Marty's clip, either.

I didn't like Marty's boots. Also too effing loud compared to the other instruments.

THIS!

[Toadroller]

Off on a tangent, the world has been crying for a solo guitar interpretation of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue for, for, forever.

Imagine something like Andy Timmons crossed with Eddie Van Halen.

This, plus a cover of Paperback Writer by Metallica would serve the world in a useful way.

[JohnnyB]

As much as I like genre mashups, it makes my skin crawl to hear most rockestral (I use this awkward term because the music is inevitably awkward) projects. Malmsteen or Vai or whoever probably have the discipline and chops to pull it off, and I can see its value as a marketing stunt or for ego stoking, but musically it's unappealing.

At the risk of sounding like "People should know their place and stay there," I think different disciplines, even if you master the notes, demand different things from the performers. I've heard a couple opera singers doing pop and soul attempts and while yeah their chops were beyond reproach it basically robbed the music of its original feel. Same goes for that recording if YJM with some orchestra in Japan playing this gawdawful mock-Baroque concerto he wrote, all dressed up in his puffy-shirt Li'l Mozart costume.

But I grew up listening to legit and jazz and didn't get into rock music 'til high school so my sensibilities were shaped by countless hours of listening to Artur Rubenstein, Julian Bream, the Berlin Philharmonic, etc. To a kid who grew up on metal and wasn't exposed to legit, this hybrid stuff is probably really exciting.

Some genre-jumpers are equally adept at both though these are both classically trained jazzers:

[Thundernotes]

OK, that was tough to listen to.

As far as ego or the facade some artists exhibit, I think it goes with the territory. People under stress, lack of sleep, separation from loved ones, and everyone wanting a piece of you can turn anyone into an asshole. I only wish I had been so unlucky.

FWIW: Several co-workers and I got to hang out with the band after the MD show in Boston a few months back and Dave was welcoming, generous, and a very open conversationalist. The four of us were invited on to the bus and offered beverages and a comfy seat in the lounge. We talked about work, kids, music and life in general for about 45 minutes. It was hardly the obnoxious rock-star jerk experience some would expect.

[devrock]

Thunder, that's just fucking COOL!

[Tres Aardvarks]

At the risk of sounding like "People should know their place and stay there," I think different disciplines, even if you master the notes, demand different things from the performers. I've heard a couple opera singers doing pop and soul attempts and while yeah their chops were beyond reproach it basically robbed the music of its original feel. Same goes for that recording if YJM with some orchestra in Japan playing this gawdawful mock-Baroque concerto he wrote, all dressed up in his puffy-shirt Li'l Mozart costume.

But I grew up listening to legit and jazz and didn't get into rock music 'til high school so my sensibilities were shaped by countless hours of listening to Artur Rubenstein, Julian Bream, the Berlin Philharmonic, etc. To a kid who grew up on metal and wasn't exposed to legit, this hybrid stuff is probably really exciting.

While I know there's sure to be people on this board that can't stand them, Wynton and Branford Marsalis are both pretty good at playing in different genres. However, their instruments lend themselves to that versatility. They would stick out like a sore thumb in a hard rock environment however. I think that's part of the issue. Jumping to a diametrically opposed genre and not adapting at all to it can be quite the poke in the ear.

Having said that, each distinct genre does require a different approach, feel, timing, etc. Without studying it a LOT, you won't slot in.

And what's wrong with Li'l Mozart costumes? (actually I joke, I'm glad we've moved past every guitar hero wearing poet shirts or marching band jackets)

[polara]

Yeah, the Marsalis brothers did it, and I have a Yo Yo Ma recording of tango music (yeas, I am that weird) that's really great. It can be done, and I have a dim memory of some Steve Howe thing for electric guitar and small orchestra that was okay. Howe seems like a player who has a real sensitivity to academic music: he and guys like John McLaughlin possess a certain…restraint that I think helps when you play that material.

[svl]

In regards to tone and keeping the guitar in the mix and under control-

To paraphrase an old juice commercial, "He shoulda used his Axe FX"....