Post by Taylorholic78 on Jul 20, 2005 5:43:57 GMT -5
www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-livjimduran20_muco072005jul20,0,6185900.story?coll=orl-caltop
A classic case of conflict
Duran Duran looked and sounded great-- but where was the full orchestrated sound?
As a rock show, Duran Duran's collaboration with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra on Monday offered something rare in the age of computer-generated light shows and recorded vocal tracks:
The fleeting notion that, at any moment, something might actually go wrong.
It didn't -- and the sold-out show at the Chapin Auditorium at the Orange County Convention Center, was an interesting marriage of high culture and old-school MTV.
Not that there weren't a few bumps along the way.
Duran Duran, featuring the original lineup of singer Simon LeBon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and the rhythm section of Andy Taylor, John Taylor and Roger Taylor, had to keep the volume to a reasonable level to blend with the armada of strings and horns.
When the band performed songs such as "New Religion" without the orchestra, it didn't seem loud enough. The imposing power of amplified guitars and keyboards is part of the experience, and it's unlikely that many ears were ringing on Tuesday morning.
The trade-off was that the turned-down approach yielded a more subtle sound mix than the band could have delivered in an arena.
LeBon's vocals, for instance, were always comfortably above the instruments. He responded by delivering the material with strong, energetic style.
Speaking of style, it should be added that all the band members are still very cute, especially for guys in their 40s. LeBon looked trim and fit in his sharply tailored black and white suit and Rhodes made an '80s fashion statement with his sculpted hair-do and glittery black pants.
Lest anyone forget it was a Duran Duran show, the band bookended the orchestral portion of the evening with sets that undeniably lifted the energy level. Signature songs such as "Union of the Snake" and "Wild Boys" were augmented by colorful, abstract images on a half dozen narrow, vertical video screens suspended behind the band.
There were moments when the combination worked. When the French horns and trombones announced the chorus of "Ordinary World," a song LeBon dedicated to the victims of the London bombings, it was majestic.
Unfortunately, the horns were the only part of the orchestra that could be heard. Nor were there the kinds of expressive dynamic shifts that could have conveyed the ensemble's full creative power.
Because of that, some the orchestral ballads started to sound the same after a while. Still, the crescendo in the closing "Rio" was a roaring finale.
It wasn't classical, but it was a gas.
Jim Abbott can be reached at jabbott@orlandosentinel.com
* from the Orlando Sentinel - www.orlandosentinel.com
A classic case of conflict
Duran Duran looked and sounded great-- but where was the full orchestrated sound?
As a rock show, Duran Duran's collaboration with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra on Monday offered something rare in the age of computer-generated light shows and recorded vocal tracks:
The fleeting notion that, at any moment, something might actually go wrong.
It didn't -- and the sold-out show at the Chapin Auditorium at the Orange County Convention Center, was an interesting marriage of high culture and old-school MTV.
Not that there weren't a few bumps along the way.
Duran Duran, featuring the original lineup of singer Simon LeBon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and the rhythm section of Andy Taylor, John Taylor and Roger Taylor, had to keep the volume to a reasonable level to blend with the armada of strings and horns.
When the band performed songs such as "New Religion" without the orchestra, it didn't seem loud enough. The imposing power of amplified guitars and keyboards is part of the experience, and it's unlikely that many ears were ringing on Tuesday morning.
The trade-off was that the turned-down approach yielded a more subtle sound mix than the band could have delivered in an arena.
LeBon's vocals, for instance, were always comfortably above the instruments. He responded by delivering the material with strong, energetic style.
Speaking of style, it should be added that all the band members are still very cute, especially for guys in their 40s. LeBon looked trim and fit in his sharply tailored black and white suit and Rhodes made an '80s fashion statement with his sculpted hair-do and glittery black pants.
Lest anyone forget it was a Duran Duran show, the band bookended the orchestral portion of the evening with sets that undeniably lifted the energy level. Signature songs such as "Union of the Snake" and "Wild Boys" were augmented by colorful, abstract images on a half dozen narrow, vertical video screens suspended behind the band.
There were moments when the combination worked. When the French horns and trombones announced the chorus of "Ordinary World," a song LeBon dedicated to the victims of the London bombings, it was majestic.
Unfortunately, the horns were the only part of the orchestra that could be heard. Nor were there the kinds of expressive dynamic shifts that could have conveyed the ensemble's full creative power.
Because of that, some the orchestral ballads started to sound the same after a while. Still, the crescendo in the closing "Rio" was a roaring finale.
It wasn't classical, but it was a gas.
Jim Abbott can be reached at jabbott@orlandosentinel.com
* from the Orlando Sentinel - www.orlandosentinel.com
