The idea behind British Rock Symphony is to take some of the greatest songs in British classic rock, give them bombastic orchestral arrangements, sequence them as a symphony, and hire a handful of veteran rockers to sing them. What a bad idea. There is an audience for this, as the symphonic re-workings of
Pink Floyd,
Queen, and
Led Zeppelin songs have proved, but those were instrumental albums and weren't quite as pretentious as British Rock Symphony. Make no mistake, BRS is intended to have the weight and substance -- that's why there's a "Peace Suite" and a "Celebration Suite," and that's why there's a full orchestra, choir, and rock band. They make a self-important racket -- and for no good reason. Compared to the original versions by
the Beatles,
Pink Floyd,
the Rolling Stones,
Led Zeppelin, and
the Who, these are artless and clumsy. And the suites are ill-conceived. Who thought "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" advocated peace, especially in the hands of
Eric Burdon? Who thought the desperate "5:15" was celebratory? Who decided that
Paul Rodgers should sing "Blackbird"? And that Alice Cooper and
Tommy Shaw should take the entire "Celebration Suite"? This is such a monumental misreading of the original material and miscasting of a motley group of musicians that The British Rock Symphony does spark some curiosity, but it's neither good music nor good kitsch. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine