Customer Reviews

Hooked on Classics

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not a Classical Music expert, but I do appreciate good Classical Music. One of the ways, I was actually introduced to Classical Music was back in 1981 when the song "Hooked on Classics" was hitting the radio airwaves. "Hooked on Classics" took advantage of a trend that was beginning to take off in the music industry - remixing. The formula was very simple: A medley of Classical Musical bits played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Louis Clark) with a very simple up tempo dance beat. The result is something very unique. It's a marriage that actually works. In fact, many of these songs could have easily been played in dance clubs (perhaps they actually were played) back in the early 1980s This album actually brings nine selections using this formula. Most are probably going to be familiar with the radio hit "Hooked on Classics", but upon listening to this collection - you will realize that there is so much more offered on this album.

Conductor Louis Clark was also the album's architect and arranger. Clark does an outstanding job at building the medleys and provided the right segue from song to song. This is the collection's strongest point. Clark also does a great job at not over sampling the Classical Music piece. Each medley seems to provide their own unique pieces.

Perhaps the idea of this album came from one of the great songs of the Disco era - Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven". Murphy would basically take a similar formula that was used on this album. He took some symphonic music and combined a contemporary rhythm. The result was a song that became a huge hit in the Dance Clubs and eventually made its way on to the "Saturday Night Fever" film and soundtrack where it even became a bigger success. "Hooked on Classics" takes what Murphy did and goes a step further - expanding the formula to include medleys and various themes.

There are actually three types of pieces done on this collection. The first are the General Classical Tracks. These pieces tend to go broad and bring in a variety of Classical pieces from many of the great Classical Composers. There are two selections from this collection that fall into this category: "Hooked on Classics Parts 1 and 2" and "Hooked on Classics Part 3". "Hooked on Classics Parts 1 and 2" is basically the piece that made its way onto the mainstream airwaves and dance clubs. For the most part, this features popular Classical Music pieces by popular Classical Music Composers in a medley. For the most part, even if you aren't a classical music fan - you have probably heard the majority of the pieces that are included in this medley. As you listen to this selection, you will notice how brilliant the segue is from each piece that is included in the medley (for example, from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee" and Mozart's "Symphony No. 40" - but there are plenty of others). This particular medley wraps up with the ultimate wrap-up in Classical music - the explosive ending of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture". The other selection that falls into this category is "Hooked on Classics Part 3". Basically this follows the same formula as "Parts 1 and 2". I'm surprised that this "sequel" didn't get as much airplay as its predecessor.

The next type of piece is the Composer-Based Classical Tracks. Each of these selections contains its own medley, but the medley is devoted to a specific composer. Four composers are included: Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and Mendelssohn. I was disappointed that there were only four composers included, but keep in mind there was limited space because they probably wanted to fit this on an LP (this was prior to the days of CD, so this is why there are only 9 selections total). It still would have been nice to see medleys devoted to Composers such as Beethoven, Bizet, Chopin, and even a "Modern" Composer such as Gershwin. Each of the four composer pieces has a different style that reflects the Composer. On each piece, there is no loss for the brilliant segue from piece to piece. For the most part, you won't hear a rehash of selections included on the General Classical Tracks listed above. The "Hooked on Bach" medley has a soft and gentle theme that has a nice mix of slow and moderate tempos. When I think of Tchaikovsky, I think of something much more bold than Bach - and "Hooked on Tchaikovsky provides such a feeling. "Hooked on Mozart" is probably more upbeat than Mozart might have wanted, but it still doesn't disappoint. It has a similar soft theme like the Bach piece. Perhaps the surprise of the Composer pieces is "Hooked on Mendelsson". This basically consists of two violin concertos with a contemporary beat mixed in. It almost makes the Violin seem like a perfect instrument for what Clark is trying to build on the collection - outstanding stuff.

The final type of piece is the Theme-Based Classical Music Themes. These are Romance, Opera, and Can Can. "Hooked on Romance" provides some romantic-based pieces. It's the slowest piece of the collection and doesn't make a lot of use of a contemporary beat. This is the weakest track of the collection. "Hooked on Song" seems to take its cue from pieces from Operas. I'm not a fan of Opera, but this piece is outstanding. Finally "Hooked on Can Can" might not be pure classical music, but it almost seems tailor-made for this collection. This is a "high energy" medley that provides the perfect finale for this collection. It makes me appreciate the "Can Can" even more.

The liner notes are thin, but do contain list Classical Music piece along with the Composers. I think this album will appeal to most mainstream fans and perhaps even a Classical Music fan will enjoy what was done here. Highly Recommended.

It's amazing how effectively this hybrid of classical music and disco rhythm has held up through the years. A favorite of walkers and exercisers everywhere, it also presented a way to introduce people to classical music who would otherwise have probably avoided it at all cost. It's also the product that put K-Tel on the map.

I grew up listening to this on LP record, and now I've got it on CD (along with three other albums from the series), and I still listen to it all the time.

It's really kind of a stupid concept: snippets of classical music, strung together and backed by an incessantly pounding bass beat. It sounds like the background of an aerobics video.

Yet it's great fun to listen to. Almost every one of the songs is instantly recognizable; you've heard them in TV shows, movies and cartoons if not on more conventional classical recordings. Grouping songs together by composer (Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, etc.) on some tracks really lets you hear the similarities between the songs and pick up on the composers' favorite themes (like Bach's use of scales).

Anyway, all of the tracks are incredibly hummable, and the Hooked on Romance track is downright beautiful... it would make a great track to dance to.

Even though I have a rather extensive knowledge and collection of classical music, I still find the entire Hooked on Classics series a lot of fun and enjoyable. The discs are comprised of classical music themes strung together in medleys. The concept is very clever and candy to the ear. I'm sure that Hooked on Classics have been responsible for introducing many people to classical music for the first time. Furthermore, I'm quite confident that after listening to Hooked on Classics a good number people have further explored the joys of classical music in greater depth. So kudos to Louis Clark and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for this great public service. Having said that, I do have one problem with all the Hooked on Classic discs....the POUNDING, PERSISTENT, PERCUSSION! Thump, thump, thump, thump! Some reviewers have likened it to a disco beat or an aerobics CD, others have said it makes for great jogging music. Perhaps so, but it gets annoying and tiresome. After a few minutes the musical themes seem to take a back seat to the thumping, and this should not be the case. It should have been toned way down and varied. That is why I'm giving Hooked on Classics 3 stars instead of 5. Anyway, there is a lot of enjoyment to be had if you can deal with the thumping.

Sure, the beat is repeatative, but you have to like the way the music flows from one well known melody to another. If nothing else this may inspire you to find an actual recording of one of the pieces and hear it just to find out what the composer wrote. I like it still, after all these years.

I listened to Hooked on Classics on a 45 rpm record in 1982. I thought I was hearing pieces from classical artists. I liked the record. The music is actually a cross between clasical music and disco music. If the listener does not know what classical music sounds like, Hooked on Classics is a good introduction to classical music. It even lists the pieces that the medley is based on.

Like other reviewers I grew up with this on LP and it is largely responsible for my current interest in Classical Music. On a whim I purchased this CD a few days ago and had oodles of fun listening to it this evening. It brought back a lot of memories. It certainly sounds much better on plastic then scratchy vinyl, although it still has a thin, small sound indicative of the age of the recording.

Still, it's a great exercise in arrangement/medley and is also great exercise music. And that album cover sure is cool! Right out of the 80s.

... you will love the rythym and beat and feel of this music! It is the best music to clean house by! I know, sounds silly, but most of it has such a good back beat, and you will hear many songs you probably recognize, from the Lone Ranger Theme song, to Flight of the Bumblebee, to Lullabye, and the music is just the best orchestration ever.

I've been a longtime fan of the "Hooked on Classics" series. The tiny snippets of familiar classical pieces flow quickly, making it fun to play "guess the piece and composer" before the next tune begins. The upbeat tempo, and clever segues really keep the toes tapping. My kids who HATE anything classical, will allow me to play this in the car on long trips, and I even caught my 11yr old humming along! The CD also makes great background music at awards and receptions. Although purists may disagree, I think this CD is a "must" for any classical collection.

I got this after reading the reviews that said if you liked this in the 80's, you'll still like it - and they were right. I was just a kid when my dad gave this to me and although I listen to the "real" versions of the pieces now, this still gets me. If you liked it before, you'll like it now.