It’s been a concept as old as the music industry itself. Whenever you need to need to squeeze out a few more dollars from a songwriter’s catalog of hits, simply hire an in-house orchestra to record those same songs in a more “classical” setting. It started with 101 Strings in 1957, and continues to this day with the “String Tribute To…” albums that seem to get churned out more and more each week. But what if the orchestra that offers the tribute is worthy of tribute themselves?

Who’s Serious is one item from a line of rock-meets-symphony albums by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, etc.), with The Who being the band toasted. But just one listen and you can tell that this is a cut above your average “tribute” album. The album kicks off with “Overture”, a medley of Who hits performed by Roger Daltrey’s touring band. The next track starts the album off proper, with “I Can See For Miles” being performed by the Orchestra. They continue with a string (sorry, bad pun) of The Who’s songs until the last track, “Listening To You,” is again recorded by Roger Daltrey’s band.

One thing I noticed while listening to the album: the arrangements are top-notch. The melody, in particular, captures Roger Daltrey’s inflections perfectly (for example, the “hiccup” on “Who Are You”). But there are still some qualms present. First, only a handful of The Who’s most well-known songs were chosen, meaning that this probably won’t appeal to casual Who fans. Who purists, on the other hand, may also find fault with the fact that the Orchestra may have taken liberties with the arrangements (“Baba O’Riley”, for instance, repeats the first verse and chorus before going into the second verse). Thirdly, even though Roger Daltrey’s touring band performs on the bookends of the album, there is little mention of them in the liner notes besides listing each member of “The Band”. Maybe it’s just because I obessively catalog my music collection, but I would have prefered a little more than that to go on. And lastly, despite all the good intentions and professionalism brought to this project, one gets the feeling that the only reason this came about was to, yes, line someone’s coffers.

It probably goes without saying that if you’re new to The Who, then you should pick up the original recordings first. But for Who fans looking for a new twist on some old favorites, this may well be the album for you.

1. Overture(6:18)
2. I Can See For Miles(3:21)
3. Pinball Wizard / See Me, Feel Me(5:13)
4. My Generation(5:51)
5. Dr. Jimmy(12:30)
6. Baba O’Riley(5:34)
7. 5:15(7:44)
8. Love Reign O’er Me(6:41)
9. Who Are You(4:37)
10. Listening To You (from We’re Not Going To Take It)(4:48)

Released by: BMG
Release date: 1998
Total running time: 63:03

From the team behind Kagakuninjatai Gatchaman (known to the English speaking world primarily as Battle Of The Planets) came another, slightly more obscure creation later in the 1970s. Though it’s not meant to occupy the same “universe” as G-Force, Tekkaman shares many (perhaps unavoidable) similarities: the artists at Tatsunoko Studios devised a very similar look, complete with a tinted motorcycle-helmet-inspired visor, immediately inviting comparisons with the character designs of Gatchaman, and Tekkaman’s adventures were scored by Bob Sakuma, the inventive composer behind the original Gatchaman music. Still in “Chicago mode” for his new assignment – Sakuma has openly admitted that the jazzy rock-disco stylings of his 70s anime scores were inspired by the American rock group – Sakuma still manages to create a slightly different musical setting for Tekkaman.

What it has in common with Gatchaman is Sakuma’s trademark bold, funky brass – you can definitely tell the same person is behind the music of both shows. The most obvious “new” element to the Tekkaman music is a wordless solo female vocal that floats above the rest of the music. Strangely enough, there are instruments and frequently vocals that have a completely different amount of reverb than the rest of the music. It doesn’t really detract from anything, but this odd production technique does tend to draw attention to itself.

There are guitar passages that cross the line from funky into hard rock territory, making for some interesting new twists on the style Sakuma had established with the earlier series. But for the most part, if you enjoyed Bob Sakuma’s original Gatchaman music, Tekkaman makes a nice companion piece to it. This is one of those cases where a “sounds like…” or “customers who bought this also bought that” recommendation are probably right on the money.

1. Tekkaman no Uta (2:48)
2. Hoshi Kara Kita Otoko (2:55)
3. Hiromi to Mutan (4:46)
4. Chikyuu Ryakudatsu Shirei (4:50)
5. Gekitou no Tekkaman (4:47)
6. Minamijuujisei (2:37)
7. Yameru Chikyuu (1:45)
8. Voltekka (0:09)
9. Harukanaru Sanno-sei (3:36)
10. Weekend (4:27)
11. Waldaster Trap (3:37)
12. Taiyou no Yuusha (3:27)
13. Leap, Tek Set! (3:52)
14. Saigo no Tekkaman (3:09)
15. Space Knights no Uta (0:44)

Released by: Columbia Japan
Release date: 2004
Total running time: 47:29

A pleasant selection of Rupert Gregson-Williams’ lively orchestral score combined with about an EP’s worth of material both new and familiar from Ben Folds, the CD from Dreamworks’ Over The Hedge may just be 2006’s most underrated soundtrack.

The score tracks are unapologetically bold and colorful, but it’s not without subtleties. Instead of going for the usual Carl Stalling-esque tendencies (not that there’s anything wrong with Stalling) for scoring a movie aimed at kids, Rupert Gregson-Williams delivers a rather in-your-face dramatic underscore. It’s fun and full of action. It seems like movie and TV music has tried to get away from this sort of full-blooded orchestral treatment in recent years, in favor of electronics or techno or ethnic/exotic music. There’s room for all of those styles on the same music shelf, and I can honestly say that I just don’t hear enough music like this these days – my compliments to the maestro.

Ben Folds’ contributions are a little more varied; I find myself shrugging a bit at the watered-down remake of “Rockin’ The Suburbs” (though I’d say it’s still worth it for the William Shatner rant that takes the place of at least one whole verse), but “Family Of Me” and “Still” won’t disappoint Folds fans. The latter rambles on a bit, so naturally, it’s on the album in two forms. “Trapped In The Supermarket” is another track that one has to be in the right mood for; its lyrics are a bit repetitive, so its strongest appeal lies in Folds’ relentlessly good musicianship and vocals.

Rather than being yet another piece of tie-in merchandise for a massively-marketed kids’ movie, Over The Hedge makes for good listening material. I originally picked it up for the Ben Folds songs, but have wound up playing the whole thing quite a few times over the past several months – it’s all worth a listen.

1. Family Of Me – Ben Folds (1:28)
2. RJ Enters The Cave (4:37)
3. The Family Awakes (2:33)
4. Heist – Ben Folds (3:02)
5. Lost In The Supermarket – Ben Folds (3:30)
6. Let’s Call It Steve (3:40)
7. Hammy Time (2:28)
8. Still – Ben Folds (2:38)
9. Play? (1:49)
10. Rockin’ The Suburbs (Over The Hedge version) – Ben Folds & William Shatner (4:57)
11. The Inside Heist (7:38)
12. RJ Rescues His Family (4:18)
13. Still (Reprise) – Ben Folds (6:07)

Released by: Epic
Release date: 2006
Total running time: 48:45

The first (and only) Alan Parsons Project album with no orchestral element whatsoever, Vulture Culture has some decent songs, but a few things working against it. By the tiime of this album’s original release, the Project’s home label, Arista, was so enamoured of Eric Woolfson’s voice that they all but dictated that they wanted to hear the bulk of the songs sung by the same voice that had sung the smash hit “Eye In The Sky”. Even two albums on, as much as I like Woolfson’s almost Orbison-esque voice, Vulture Culture features his voice on songs he simply shouldn’t have sung – they just required a different delivery than his sometimes overly sweetened stage-musical sensibilities.

I’ll admit that Vulture Culture just edges out Stereotomy for the dubious honor of being my least favorite Project album, but having listened to the whole thing anew with this nicely remastered edition, I have to say that, at least lyrically, I may not be giving this album its due. It’s a somewhat unsubtle commentary on the exploitative side of our culture, but there are nuances I hear in the lyrics now that I just didn’t “get” back in those carefree days when I didn’t have a mortgage, or any concerns about building up savings for my child’s eventual education. The title track hits me in a whole different way now, as does “Separate Lives”.

Added to Vulture Culture for this reissue are both a demo and a finished version of “No Answers Only Questions”, a track recorded for this album, but dropped before the final edit. It brings a more simplistic, direct and altogether less flowery approach to the album’s topical theme, and perhaps is all the better for not burying itself under layers and layers of production. As much as I like the finished version (which was also the “unreleased track” used to lure folks into buying the 3-CD Dutch Collection / Essential Alan Parsons Project / whatever other names the compilation had in various territories), I think I may like the
slightly looser, folkier demo version better.

A slightly different mix of “Separate Lives” and a very rough early demo of the instrumental “Hawkeye” are included, as well as the customary “naked” medley, featuring instrumental excerpts from several songs on the album. “The Naked Vulture” also features various improvised spoken word bits by Lee Abrams (credited on the album as an anagram of his name, “Mr. Laser Beam”) which were later edited into transitions between songs. I almost wonder if perhaps the Lee Abrams material shouldn’t have been its own track, separate from the music, because here it shows up repeatedly as a transition, which takes me right out of the music itself when I’m listening.

The booklet surprises me a bit here – it reveals that there’s going to be quite a bit of repetition of the essay material from album to album – and it also dances around the problems that Parsons and Woolfson were experiencing with Arista at the time (from the insistence on Woolfson lead vocals to the disputed, never-released album The Sicilian Defense). Even more surprisingly, it features a coda that hints at possible future collaborations between Parsons and Woolfson, which makes me wonder if perhaps something isn’t already waiting to happen once the remastered albums are all released, a la Crowded House’s “surprise” reunion on the heels of the DVD and CD release of their 1996 farewell concert. Vulture culture, indeed.

In the end, sadly, I can really only give this album three stars – while I apprciated the lyrics more, the delivery on many of them is all wrong thanks to Arista’s interference, and the album’s inherent weaknesses carry through to some of the bonus material, which takes the shine off of things just a bit.

1. Let’s Talk About Me (4:29)
2. Separate Lives (4:38)
3. Days Are Numbers (The Traveller) (4:52)
4. Sooner Or Later (4:24)
5. Vulture Culture (5:22)
6. Hawkeye (3:48)
7. Somebody Out There (4:54)
8. The Same Old Sun (5:26)
9. No Answers Only Questions (Final Version) (2:10)
10. Separate Lives (Alternative Mix) (4:16)
11. Hawkeye (Demo) (3:17)
12. The Naked Vulture (10:42)
13. No Answers Only Questions (The First Attempt) (2:57)

Released by: Legacy / Arista
Release date: 2007 (originally released in 1985)
Total running time: 61:23