Heroes Symphony, The (The Music Of David Bowie/Brian Eno) - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/Marin Alsop

Advantages: Great work
Disadvantages: none

...It is an amazing fact that a year after its first performance Anthony Payne's elaboration of Elgar's sketches for his Third Symphony have become part of the mainstream orchestral repertoire. Payne, a musicologist and a composer, took on the monumental task of pieceing together the few sketches that Elgar left before his death and expanding them in a complete symphony. The results are incredible. Although Payne is cautious to guard against calling the symphony an original Elgar work (as so much was of Payne's invention)the piece has an unmistakable Elgar feeling. Originally recorded by the partnership that gave the work's first performance (Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra) this new recording with the Bournemouth Symphony conducted by Paul Daniel (music director at English National Opera) is a much weightier and envigorating... Read review

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Advantages: Quietly inventive music that seeps in whilst you're looking away at Heroes
Disadvantages: the final two tracks

...in the ethereal meantime I found myself sitting up and listening. Really listening, as a (wo)man does to something that is great. “**** [insert obscenity of choice, or not if preferred] Heroes and Low,” I thought to myself. “This is great music.” Of course it was great music. It always had been. One had only to look at the liner notes to see Brian Eno was involved and Adrian Belew, in the Absence of Robert Fripp, had filled the breach for duties as top guitarist. The first listen, I realise now, was a mistake. I was expecting something with the sheer power of Outside, something that would tear through my senses and shatter my bones. Which is not to say that Lodger is incapable of doing this; no, Lodger is subtle, but it certainly doesn’t lack power. Surprisingly, Lodger has one clear advantage over Low and Heroes (I compare... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: It's Bowie
Disadvantages: None come to mind

...kept using the hit - formula that gave him tracks such as "Fame" and "Golden Years" and kept himself in L.A. and on drugs until the inevitable creative stagnation and drugs overdose, so just as America dragged him away from his native Britain, Europe now called to him especially the possibilities of the music of German electronic bands such as Neau, Kraftwerk, and Cann offered him as well as the works of his fellow ex-glam rocker and ex - Roxy Music member Brian Eno. Bowie had found the work that Eno had done on albums such as the masterpiece that is "Another Green World" and his other works such as "Evening Star" and "No Pussyfooting", these 2 albums Eno had done with ex-King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp Bowie found these recordings very illuminating, so Bowie packed his bags left America for Europe with the idea of coming off drugs... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful