On this past weekend's episode of This American Life (the radio program) I caught two string quartet arrangements of some Led Zeppelin music - "Stairway to Heaven" and "Dazed and Confused" - so, naturally, I had to find out who performed the songs.
It turns out to be a group called The Vitamin String Quartet, which is part of the larger Vitamin Records. Now Vitamin is an oddity...they seem exclusively to pump out reimaginings of popular music in alternate genres, such as the "String Quartet to Led Zeppelin" (containing the aforementioned songs) and "The Lounge Tribute to Eminem: Chocolate on the Inside."
I'm conflicted about how to react to all of this.
On one hand, some of the arrangements on their products are very clever, and even enjoyable listens. On the other hand, these albums are pretty much in the same music-industrial flatus category of albums as "Now That's What I Call Music." I mean, c'mon! Do we really need an album full of new-agey U2 covers? This is the stuff hold music and grocery store white noise is made of.
It turns out to be a group called The Vitamin String Quartet, which is part of the larger Vitamin Records. Now Vitamin is an oddity...they seem exclusively to pump out reimaginings of popular music in alternate genres, such as the "String Quartet to Led Zeppelin" (containing the aforementioned songs) and "The Lounge Tribute to Eminem: Chocolate on the Inside."
I'm conflicted about how to react to all of this.
On one hand, some of the arrangements on their products are very clever, and even enjoyable listens. On the other hand, these albums are pretty much in the same music-industrial flatus category of albums as "Now That's What I Call Music." I mean, c'mon! Do we really need an album full of new-agey U2 covers? This is the stuff hold music and grocery store white noise is made of.