The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays the Music of R.E.M.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 21, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Music Club
• ASIN: B00000K53G
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #623,120 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The One I Love

2. Losing My Religion

3. Stand

4. Man on the Moon

5. Nightswimming

6. Everybody Hurts

7. Strange Currencies

8. Near Wild Heaven

9. Drive

10. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite

11. What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

12. Shiny Happy People

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars R.E.M. Doesn't Sound This Bad - Ever, November 15, 1999

By 

[e-mail] ([e-mail]) (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays the Music of R.E.M. (Audio CD)

This album is a terrible interpretation of R.E.M.'s fine catalog. If you are looking for some instrumental R.E.M. check out "The String Quartet Tribute To R.E.M.", released in 1999 also, but a much better tribute.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars OY VEY!, November 8, 1999

By 

Lee ([e-mail]) (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays the Music of R.E.M. (Audio CD)

Not at all the level of quality I would have expected from the Royal Philharmonic!

REM Is an incredibly talented band with a rich body of work from which to draw from. Not only did the producers of this album miss the proverbial boat by picking (with a few exceptions) the least classically interperative songs, they also failed to interperet them 'classically'. Why did they use electronic instrumentation? It was ineffective to say the least. Why didnt they get more creative with the arrangements? Where are the horns, the timpani, the truly heart stopping noises you can make with an orchestra? It isnt like the Royal P doesnt have a wealth of talent to create something more powerful and rich. The opportunities should have been endless. I kept hoping there would be a place somewhere on this CD that would take me to the musical shiver, a la Gershwin or Beethoven or Puccini or REM in its real form, but it never happened. Even Nightswimming seemed less orchestrative than it is on the original REM CD.

Stipe, et al, are very talented writers that can weave a complex melody. Whoever rearranged this music failed to see it's potential on an orchestral level, and clearly had no understanding or love of the music itself. I have to agree with the others...this is a travesty on the elevator level.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It's like a CD that hasn't finished completion, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays the Music of R.E.M. (Audio CD)

Like in "Departure": 'Here it comes, bad' All R.E.M. songs are solid unities of pure listening enjoyment and I am a very big R.E.M.-fan. But this is a R.E.M. CD not made by R.E.M. And that's what is wrong. Even as only-instrumental music, it isn't as good as the originals. But I guess that in the end, it's nice to hear the nice tunes of these classic songs. But it's lacking Stipe and Mills beautiful voices, Buck's superb guitar technique's and Berry's drums. Only for die-hard R.E.M.-fans who want everything that's R.E.M.-related. Maybe it can be used in the elevator of the R.E.M.-clubhouse.