Sleeve Dog Records
2009
Classics
About This Album
Although the term "classic rock" was coined for radio formatting, to distinguish the pop music of the late '60s and '70s from what came after, it carries a baby boomer's presumption of superior quality, and that presumption plays into the concept of Susan Werner's album of '60s and '70s cover songs, called Classics. The title also offers the hint that Werner intends to take the concept a step further by presenting arrangements of songs by America, the Animals, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Paul McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, and Stevie Wonder that tie them into what is traditionally called classical music, even to the point of sprinkling in quotes from compositions by Bach, Chopin, Rodrigo, Satie, and Vivaldi here and there, as the music is played by chamber instruments including a string quartet, classical guitars, piano, and a few reeds and horns. It sounds like a pretentious idea, and the results sometimes are as pretentious as might be expected; it seems to depend on the song. In the album's press release, Werner is quoted as saying, "It seemed to me a chamber music approach to pop songs could reveal the poetry and impact of some of these lyrics in ways that groove-driven arrangements completely overlook.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4 and 5)

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