Oh, sh*t: DG embraces The Who

Oh, sh*t: DG embraces The Who

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norman lebrecht

April 28, 2015

Alfie Boe sings ‘Love Reign O’er Me’ from Pete Townshend’s “Classic Quadrophenia”, released by the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft on June 8, 2015.

the who

Please tell me it ain’t so.

 

Comments

  • Brian b says:

    Good heavens, doesn’t anybody remember Wagner tenor Peter Hofmann’s ‘Rock Classics’ lp?

    • Alvaro Mendizabal says:

      That was in a time in which there were – literally – Dozens of releases of classical music every month.

    • Gene Gaudette says:

      I do! It was pure, unadulterated, high-camp crossover kitsch gold. I can’t see this latest offering from DG coming anywhere close to that level of fun.

  • Alvaro Mendizabal says:

    “Deutsche Grammophone IS classical music” says their slogan. Well Norman, this is what classical music is – apparently.

  • Blane Harford says:

    Beautiful interpretation!

    Why the negative coverage?

  • The Ox says:

    Good idea…wrong vocalist.

  • Alvaro Mendizabal says:

    Deutsche Grammophon IS classical music. Is this classical music? Nowadays 2Cellos playing michael jackson IS classical music, so The Who surely must be, right?

  • Gene Gaudette says:

    They should seriously change their slogan to “DG >WAS< Classical Music."

    The label's love affairs with (the admittedly very talented) Gordon "Sting" Sumner and Declan "Elvis Costello" McManus some 15ish years ago were ill-conceived, did nothing for the label's reputation, and, as my sources tell me, little to nothing for their bottom line.

    As for this latest round of amateur hour A&R, can Max Hole and his marketing geniuses be serious about this?

    Issuing a selection from a third-rate "rock opera" that was conceived, executed, edited, and marketed to the lowest common audience denominator (let's face it – "Tommy" is no "200 Motels") is several kilometers below embarrassing.

    And getting Alfie Moe to sing it is like slapping lipstick on slime mold.

    • Gene Gaudette says:

      Correction, “Quadrophenia”, just as bad as “Tommy.” I take responsibility for a moment of cerebral flatulence.

  • Paul Mann says:

    I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the combination of Alfie Boe and Pete Townshend amounts to classical music. It might not be my cup of tea either, but I don’t think it’s a moral issue. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

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