Various Artists - Strung Out On U2 : The String Quartet Tribute

A bizarre concept = a bizarre result

I love U2; have everything they have ever recorded, have loved them since I was a teen (which was a while ago).
I love classical music. I love chamber music. I love string quartets. This has been a more recent development.
Being a fan of anything U2, I bought this when it was released and apparently buried it in my CD collection. I don't believe I ever listened to it until I just recently found it.

Here is the thing; this is just kitsch, pure and simple gaudiness. Bono loves kitsch; he probably loved this.

But I just don't get it. How can you take U2's early punk sound or later rock sound and simplify it with strings? Yes, simplify. U2's music is complex, textured, layered. This is violins and viloa trying to carry vocalise with a cello trying to carry a melody. It just doesn't make any sense.

The performance is nice; that is to say, the performers play their instruments well. The 3 quartets, 'The Section', 'Stereofeed', and 'The Savitri String Quartet' perform competently, but when you perform bad arrangements, it doesn't matter how well you perform.

There are a few somewhat decent sounding transcriptions offered (decent means ***, just OK); IMHO they are: 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', '40', 'All I Want is You', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'.

There are some very bad transcriptions also (very bad, almost painful to hear, *, bad); IMHO, they are: 'Desire', 'Bad' (this is just downright disgraceful, one of U2's greatest ballds just ruined), and 'Sweetest Thing' (a b-side that wasn't released and most people didn't even know existed until it was a single from U2, The best of 1980-1990, and the U2's version is fantastic, but this is ridiculous).

The one song that was most meant for this type of transcription and which really transfers nicely is 'With or Without You'. This actually sounds almost believable as a chamber piece (I'd give it ****); but it ain't worth buying the whole album for this one piece.

Again, the performers play nicely, but you just can't mix fire and water, passionate rock/punk and placid chamber music.
It just falls flat. Very, very flat.

ABYSMAL!

An unfortunate attempt to make money. The fact that U2 may have OK'd this is disappointing.

I would recommend that anyone intersted in this sort of recording check out PRIDE-The Royal Philharmonic play the music of U2, the results are much more impressive. It seems to me that an orchestra is better equipped to handle the passion of U2. March 29, 2008

Hey. I liked it.

I thought it was great. I play this album all the time because it mellows me out and the U2 sound just makes me feel even better when it's like this. Where the Streets have no name is the best song on the album. some songs are a little jarring since some of Bono's vocals are dissonant and the violin sound makes it almost earsplitting. but I only experienced discomfort once!

I'd reccomend it anyday! June 5, 2005

Lost in Translation

This CD is an interesting illustration of the difficulties some music has when jumping genres. As a U2 fan with a collector's personality I am not unhappy to have this CD on my shelf but it only rarely comes down and usually only to ask someone to "name that tune."

Some of the songs on this CD cross over relatively well (Sunday Bloody Sunday) but others are simply painful to hear (Desire) and for that reason I give this CD 2.5 stars. Technically good but artistically lacking. April 19, 2005

Great for most, Okay for some, bad for PearlJam Lion

The title above explains it all. But I personally think the CD is a great tribute to an all-star band. But some people might not like it, but I believe you will enjoy renditions of "The Sweetest Thing" and "Sunday Blody Sunday". February 19, 2005

For the guy below

Dear Pearl Jam Lion, I just dropped by to ask you to stop wasting your time and ours. Like the music? Buy and tell us why. Don't like the music? Don't buy and tell us why. That's the rule. I don't care if the string quartet is corporate, commercial or whatever, if they have a good family, etc: if I like it, I'll buy it, fine, and cheers to the guys that sell good stuff, even if they sell it in 58 countries with a global marketing campaign. Learn this one: the notion that true artists must have revolutionary ideas and dress in rags is simply wrong - and obsolete, if you'll allow me. November 9, 2004

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