Tag Archives: orchestral

EP review : RONNIE ATKINS – Symphomaniac

Posted on November 25, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers Records [release date 18.11.22] There is yet to be an “orchestral” album of rock songs that outdoes Wang Chung’s Orchesography, but this EP from Ronnie Atkins gets close. In fairness, this is Symphonic Rock in all its bombastic splendour. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Danish National Concert Choir, EP, orchestral, review | Leave a comment

Album review: THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA – Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Celebration

Posted on October 22, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 28.10.22] The question has to be asked. Do we really need another take on the classic ‘Tubular Bells’? It has to be one of the most re-worked pieces not least by Mike Oldfield himself. Well, it … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Ella Shaw, instrumental, London Contemporary Voices Choir, Mike Oldfield, orchestral, review, rock, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Celebration | Leave a comment

Album review: CLIVE MITTEN – Suite Cryptique: Recomposing Twelfth Night 1978-1983

Posted on March 20, 2021 by GRTR! HQ

Bumnote Records/Twelfth Night Records [Release date 02.04.21] I have to say the band Twelfth Night have completely passed me by. I’ve known vaguely their name but never really investigated their music, that is until the arrival of a new double-CD … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Clive Mitten, instrumental, orchestral, Progressive Rock, review, Suite Cryptique: Recomposing Twelfth Night 1978-1983, Twelfth Night | Leave a comment

Quick plays: LYLE WORKMAN, CAMERON GRAVES

Posted on February 22, 2021 by GRTR! HQ

Pete Feenstra chatted to Lyle Workman for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio in May 2021. LYLE WORKMAN Uncommon Measures (Blue Canoe Records) Digital [Release date 19.02.21] Physical [Release date 16.04.21] Workman has recorded or toured with any number of well-known … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Cameron Graves, interview, intsrumental, jazz fusion, Jazz rock, Lyle Workman, orchestral, radio, review, Seven, Uncommon Measures | Leave a comment

Album review: JAZ COLEMAN & The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra – Magna Invocation

Posted on October 27, 2019 by jason

A Gnostic Mass For Choir And Orchestra Inspired by the Music of Killing Joke Spinefarm Records [Release date 29.11.19] Finding fame as a founder member of post punk band Killing Joke, Coleman became (in)famous as singer and frontman, a rasp, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alternative, Jaz Coleman, Killing Joke, Magna Invocati, orchestral, review, rock, The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra | Leave a comment

Album review: IAN GILLAN & THE DON AIREY Band and Orchestra – Contractual Obligation Album #2 Live In Warsaw

Posted on July 28, 2019 by jason

IAN GILLAN with the DON AIREY BAND - Contractual Obligaiton #2 Live In Warsaw

earMUSIC/Edel [Release date 26.07.19] Recorded in November 2016, while Deep Purple were on some downtime, and vocalist Ian undertook this short tour with current Purple pianist Don Airey’s band. Oh, and an orchestra. Deep Purple have, with their current line-up, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, Contractual Obligation Album #2, Deep Purple, Don Airey, Gillan, Ian Gillan, live, orchestral, Rainbow, review, rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: LED ZEPPELIN MASTERS – Symphony Hall, Birmingham, 13 April 2019

Posted on April 14, 2019 by jason

The Led Zeppelin Masters (also known as the Zep Boys in their native Australia) – vocalist Vince Contarino, guitarist Tzan Niko, bassist Warwick Cheatle and drummer Bradley Polain – were back for their second UK tour with the 35-piece Black … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Birmingham, Black Heart Orchestra, classic rock, gig, Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin Masters, orchestral, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Stairway To Heaven, symphonic, Symphony Hall, Vince Contarino | Leave a comment

Album review: JASON BECKER – Triumphant Heart

Posted on December 6, 2018 by petefeenstra

Mascot (Release date: 07.12.19) Without overlooking the desperate circumstances of guitar virtuoso Jason Becker being stricken by motor neurone disease, the idea of an album filled with some of the greatest rock guitarist of our time playing mostly his music, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Ben Woods, Bob Dylan, but acts as a shock to the system. No matter, certainly redresses the album’s equilibrium, Chris Broderick, Codany Holiday, Dave Gilmour, David Lee Roth, David Lee Roth era dirt toned shreds, funk, Glauco Bertagnin, Greg Howe, guitar, Gus G, Jake Shimabukuro, Jason Becker, Jeff Loomis, Joe Bonamassa, Marty Friedman, Mattias IA Eklundh, Michael Lee Firkins, namely Joe Satriani, Neal Schon, orchestral, Paul Gilbert, Richie Kotzen, rock, Steve Hunter, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Trevor Rabin, Triumphant Heart, Uli Jon Roth, ‘Triumphant Hearts’ makes a joyous statement about Becker’s enduring creativity in the face of incredible adversity and the fact he is still a major catalyst to his contemporaries. This is best eviden | Leave a comment

Album review: BIRDSONG AT MORNING – Signs And Wonders

Posted on October 15, 2018 by GRTR! HQ

Blue Gentian Records [Release date 22.08.18] ‘Signs And Wonders’ is a remarkably ambitious album from a band based around singer/songwriter/vocalist Alan Williams. But then this is a band that released a 4-CD box set debut in 2011. This time the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 5.1, acoustic, album, Birdsong At Morning, Blu-ray, Marillion, orchestral, review, rock, Signs And Wonders | Leave a comment

News: STEVE HACKETT – orchestral tour, box set, radio interview

Posted on September 13, 2018 by GRTR! HQ

Prog-meister Steve Hackett tours with a 41 piece orchestra in October, plus there is the release of a 6-CD/2-DVD box set covering the years 1984-2006. Steve’s orchestral tour stems from a one-off performance in March 2017 in the USA. He’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS | Tagged box set, Broken Skies - Outspread Wings (1984 - 2006), Genesis Revisited, guitar, guitarist, interview, orchestral, prog, Progressive Rock, radio, Steve Hackett, Tour, uk | Leave a comment

Album review: MICHAEL ROMEO – War Of The Worlds, Pt. One

Posted on July 4, 2018 by petefeenstra

Music Theories Recordings [Release date 27.07.18] Former Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo’s ‘War of the Worlds’ has very little to do with the enduring Jeff Wayne adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic sci-fi book. However, the title does give the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Deep Purple, electro, Frank Zappa, guitar, H.G. Wells, Jeff Wayne, John Anderson, John Macaluso, John “JD” DeServio, Jon Anderson, metal, Michael Romeo, orchestral, Pearl And Dean, review, Rick Castellano, symphonic metal, Symphony X, War Of The Worlds Pt.1, Yes | Leave a comment

Album review: FOREIGNER – With the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Posted on April 13, 2018 by GRTR! HQ

earMUSIC [Release date 27.04.18] 2-CD As rock gets old, anniversaries and special editions are the order of the day. I can’t see the current crop of younger rock bands having this luxury 40, or even 25, years on. But, for … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, chorus, Foreigner, Jeff Pilson, Kelly Hansen, Mick Jones, orchestra, orchestral, review, rock, with the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra & Chorus | Leave a comment

Album review: VANGELIS – Delectus (Box set)

Posted on January 23, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Win the box set!! (Comp. closes 19.02.17) UMC [Release date 03.02.17] Just too late for Xmas, comes this mammoth 13-disc box set of Vangelis’ albums on Vertigo and Polydor, remastered from the original first generation tapes under the big man’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, ambient, boxed set, Delectus, instrumental, Jon Anderson, new age, orchestral, reissue, review, rock, soundtrack, Vangelis | Leave a comment

Album review: GORDON GILTRAP & PAUL WARD – The Last Of England

Posted on January 2, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

On Sunday 15 January 2017 at 18:00 GMT David Randall chatted to Gordon Giltrap on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, with tracks from the new album. Angel Air Records [Release date 20.01.17] Gordon Giltrap? Where do you start? This veteran … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged acoustic, album, Gordon Giltrap, guitar, guitarist, instrumental, orchestral, Paul Ward, review, rock, The Last Of England | Leave a comment

Album review: KANSAS – Always Never The Same

Posted on April 20, 2016 by jason

Store For Music www.storeformusic.com An album overlooked in the Kansas catalogue being originally released back in 1998, three years after their last studio album ‘Freaks Of Nature’. I remember reading an interview back at that time where drummer Phil Ehart … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Always Never The Same, classic, Kansas, orchestral, Phil Ehart, prog, re-issue, review, rock, Steve Walsh, the Store For Music | Leave a comment

JON LORD – Concerto For Guitar And Orchestra

Posted on October 14, 2012 by GRTR! HQ

earMusic Rock and Classical music have long been awkward bed fellows. And while it’s over four decades since John lord first dipped his toes into the water to meld his Deep Purple organ licks with orchestral music, his ‘Concerto For … Continue reading →