Beethoven on Speed [Limited Edition, Original recording remastered]

The Great Kat | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Label: Massacre Germany
• ASIN: B000VBJDBK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,975 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Beethoven on Speed

2. Ultra-Dead

3. Flight of the Bumble-Bee

4. Revenge Mongrel

5. Funeral March

6. Kat-Abuse

7. God!

8. Made in Japan

9. Sex & Violins: Tambourin Chinois/The 21st Century

10. Beethoven Mosh (5th Symphony in C Minor)

11. Gripping Obsession

12. Pagannini's 24th Caprice

13. Worshipping Bodies

14. Guitar Concerto in Blood Minor: Allegro in Murder/Adagio in Death/Prest

15. Total Tyrant

Editorial Reviews

Unique mixture of classical compositions and speed metal shredding madness of great Beethoven masterpieces. - 2007

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Hyperspeed horror, December 6, 2003

By 

Patrick Stott (Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven on Speed (Audio CD)

"I'm only about 200 years ahead of my time! Let's see how fast you can catch up, moron! Wake Up!"

"The Great Kat is the Beethoven of the 21st century!!!"

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the delusional world of The Great Kat. The above quotes are taken from the liner notes of 'Beethoven On Speed'. Rather than partaking in methamphetamine, poor old Ludwig Van would be sticking pencils in his ears to ensure he remained deaf if he'd ever heard this. Put simply, The Great Kat can play fast, but that is basically her only saving grace.

The Great Kat was trained at the famed Julliard music school in New York, as a violinist. Who knows how she got there if her violin playing is anywhere near as awful as her songwriting.

This is basically a novelty album. What you get are high speed Thrash (or "Hyperspeed", as Kat would like to call it) versions of a number of well known classical pieces, interspersed with some random guitar noises and pointless shouting which pass for original songs. There are two versions of Beethoven's fifth symphony, perhaps the most famous few notes in all of classical music. The first is fast, which is why it is called "Beethoven On Speed", the second is slower with a bit more crunch, hence the title "Beethoven Mosh". It is probably note-perfect, but sounds wrong. It is not a song that lends itself to the electric guitar.

However, Kat did manage to pick a few winners here. Chopin's "Funeral March (Piano Sonata in Bb Minor)" is probably the best of the lot. The main theme of the song is retained quite faithfully, augmented by a pipe organ and multi tracked solos. Paganini's "24th Caprice" is also given fairly respectful treatment. Kat also has a go at Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Flight Of The Bumblebee". It might be fast, but it's a mess. It sounds like it has been sped in the studio. Manowar's "Sting Of The Bumblebee" is far superior.

Elsewhere, Kat actually pulls out the violins, both acoustic and electric, attempts to write a guitar concerto, and generally messes about trying to be offensive. There are about two and a half good riffs outside the classical remakes, and the songwriting and vocals are so bad they should never have been recorded. The liner notes are full of great screeds of stupidity, including a Great Kat I.Q. test. The humour is not humorous.

If this STILL sounds appealing to you, do yourself a favour and trust me on this; the rest of the album makes an evening listening to Westlife sound inviting.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind, March 10, 2008

By 

Unsmart - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven on Speed (Audio CD)

Great Kat (Katherine Thomas) has on occasions been brutally slaughtered by critics, because of her very high thoughts of herself. I think this is unfair. (But people with low self-esteem tend to get irritated at people who think well of themselves.)

Beethoven On Speed is actually a good album, regardless of whether Kat is the Beethoven of the 20th century or not. Her guitar skills are good even if somewhat overrated, not only by herself. Although as fast as Yngwie Malmsteen and Vinnie Moore, she doesn't hit the notes quite as accurately.

But nevermind, this is a fun (but short - 30 mins) record. And you have to give Kat some credit for doing something original. Where most metal guitarists just seem to be clones of others, she's actually doing her own thing. Classical pieces at hyper-speed!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars As Long As She Doesn't Sing...., September 19, 2005

By 

I Know More About Music Than You (And I like to be brief and to the point.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beethoven on Speed (Audio CD)

it's kind of fun to listen to this. Guaranteed to starch the eyebrows of classical music buffs. But when she opens her mouth....

this is one Kat that you wished stayed in the bag. I really give it 2 1/2 stars because of her wretched singing. Thank the devil a lot of the songs are instrumentals. Her web page cracks me up. It's so 80s.