Search - Peter / Gilbert, Gillian / Sumner, Bernard / Morris Hook, Tom Tally, Kerryn Coulter :: String Quart Tribute to New Order & Joy Divis

A Great Idea, Poorly Executed

John Reusser | Boise, ID USA | 02/11/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Like one of the reviewers of the Cure String Quartet Tribute album, I excitedly grabbed this from the shelf of my local music store. Figuring that it would be impossible for this not to be fabulous, I decided to forgo the opportunity to listen to it in the store first. The music of both of these bands is so evocative, distinctive and well arranged it seemed obvious that it would lend itself to classical interpretation; there are even strings on the original Age of Consent. Would that the Quartet had stuck with interpreting. Instead they seem bent on translating these songs, practically note for note. Perhaps they were trying to avoid being labeled as Muzak; perhaps they were aspiring for an edgy 'Alt Classical' flavor ala the brilliant group Rachel's. The result is nervous, jittery, overdone and even frantic at times. One of the things I love about New Order is the way that they instilled electronically flavored music with emotional sincerity, especially on their earlier work. Paradoxically the Quartet appears to be trying to bring out the electronic aspect over the emotional. The one cut where they seemed to back off and let the feeling emerge was Love Vigilantes, and it works beautifully- but then again the original Love vigilantes isn't electronic. I have given this album several plays. I really want to like it, but I'm going to return it. There's more than enough Joy Divsion and New Order material for the Quartet to make a second effort. Hopefully they'll read my review first."