Jorn
Symphonic
Frontiers Records
2013
Jorn Lande is the Crow, The Duke of Rock, one of the last few great singers of hard rock and heavy metal to emerge. Along with Ripper Owens, Kelly Sundown, Russell Allen and a few others he’s one of the few of a dying breed.... the last of the great singers... people who can actually sing and have character and charisma and could lead metal on, once the old gods, vacate their thrones, either due to old age, or due to the twilight of time.
It’s a rather, bizarre but also interesting idea of his or his company - who knows - it seems to take some of his songs, as well as some of his favorites and create a compilation, actually his third, considering the recent two, he did release for Frontiers, but this time, re-arranging the songs, with faux classical orchestrations.
One gets a healthy selection of songs from the man’s career that’s however far from obvious, omitting some obvious hits in favor of some deeper cuts, chosen in the light of their possibility to translate better into a pseudo-orchestral context in a better way.
“I Came to Rock” gets an interesting treatment of strings that sound very epic and dark and add immensely to its atmosphere and make it sound really grandiose.
“Rock and Roll Children” is more typical, close to the original, and while the arrangement is nice, I think it ends up sounding a bit like an over joyously played keyboard (which it is I guess – sampling an orchestral part). It’s well done – but the original is one of those songs that’s so hard to top, that it can hardly be equaled. But even to come close, it quite a feat, so, props for managing even that, since it’s no small accomplishment!
“The World I See” manages to almost channel the magic of Rainbow. The rich layers of orchestration here perfectly molded along with the track become one epic-colossal song.
“Burn Your Flame” recalls of “The Snakes”, and here Jorn, channels his trousersnake. Need I say more? “Symphonic”? No! Coverdale-ic! Yeah-baby!
“Man of the Dark” again here, comparisons, with the original don’t reveal such huge differences, the keyboards – with some orchestral arrangement are way more prominent, changing the mood somewhat, but I suppose, I’d still prefer the guitar laden version of the song, although, this version has its merit too, as an alternative take.
“My Road” isn’t really – symphonic, as per se, it’s more of an acoustic number, with Jorn mournfully crowing away...
“Time to Be King” is Jorn’s take on Masterplan’s song and this is an even more string “luscious” version than what previously available. You can hear violins and cellos panning from the left to right and such etc. etc. throughout…
“Black Morning” is another Coverdale-athon – but this time, it has this stringed orchestration, mocking the main theme, going on, to “symphonize” it, that that’s really fitting!
“Like Stone in Water” seems to have worked quite nicely in this context, of “symphonization”, just because, there’s a very eerie, violin, mixed very low, that makes it very disturbing to listen to. It actually gave me the chills!!! Yikes 3! And it’s a nice song too... but it’s really stirring, whoever came up with that, sound and that idea and whole lower volume mixed stuff – should give himself a pat at the back, ‘cause he’s a genius!
“Vision Eyes” is a bit of a more progressive song, that is a little more intricate and here the symphonic character, is debatable.
“War of the World” again is not that different from the original, becoming somewhat more luscious, with more prominent keyboards, with keyboard orchestral hits coming to the fore and with keyboards, burying and substituting some guitar parts... true. Well it’s mellowed down – but it’s still a damn impressive song and a song that it’s something that would have sat very well even in a Rainbow album, which is no small compliment… I guess...
“Behind the Clown” is a tender ballad... but also a tortured one a painful one... the symphonic treatment, can only be heard applied very carefully on top, over the guitars I think, very nicely, done. Beautiful.
“A Thousand Cuts” is another prog cut, with slight purple taints and the general crowing of Jorn ever apparent. Hear the arrangement is a lot more thought into the song, instead of accompanying it so it works – very well, bonding with it into one.
Finally “The Mob Rules” maybe not the most obvious Sabbath hit, but nonetheless, no worse for that, shows once more that Jorn is one of the few worthy heirs to the crown that the mighty man on the silver mountain once bore. None will ever be as great as he ever was, but at least people like him seem to be able to carry the legacy “capably” without tarnishing the legend – in the name of what’s popular.
“Symphonic” if one looks at it coldly, it may be perceived as an easy way as to milk some die-hards out of some pennies. But a) most people these days don’t buy CDs anymore, only the fanatics do and b) from having the pleasure to interview Jorn once, he’s not the kind of dude that would milk his fans like that so.... while it may have not been a necessary release, that doesn’t mean it cannot be a fun one. If your pocket can afford this “bloody luxury” as the mighty Coverdale would put it, go ahead and indulge...
Judging purely on the value of the songs themselves providing you don’t have them…
It’s a rather, bizarre but also interesting idea of his or his company - who knows - it seems to take some of his songs, as well as some of his favorites and create a compilation, actually his third, considering the recent two, he did release for Frontiers, but this time, re-arranging the songs, with faux classical orchestrations.
One gets a healthy selection of songs from the man’s career that’s however far from obvious, omitting some obvious hits in favor of some deeper cuts, chosen in the light of their possibility to translate better into a pseudo-orchestral context in a better way.
“I Came to Rock” gets an interesting treatment of strings that sound very epic and dark and add immensely to its atmosphere and make it sound really grandiose.
“Rock and Roll Children” is more typical, close to the original, and while the arrangement is nice, I think it ends up sounding a bit like an over joyously played keyboard (which it is I guess – sampling an orchestral part). It’s well done – but the original is one of those songs that’s so hard to top, that it can hardly be equaled. But even to come close, it quite a feat, so, props for managing even that, since it’s no small accomplishment!
“The World I See” manages to almost channel the magic of Rainbow. The rich layers of orchestration here perfectly molded along with the track become one epic-colossal song.
“Burn Your Flame” recalls of “The Snakes”, and here Jorn, channels his trousersnake. Need I say more? “Symphonic”? No! Coverdale-ic! Yeah-baby!
“Man of the Dark” again here, comparisons, with the original don’t reveal such huge differences, the keyboards – with some orchestral arrangement are way more prominent, changing the mood somewhat, but I suppose, I’d still prefer the guitar laden version of the song, although, this version has its merit too, as an alternative take.
“My Road” isn’t really – symphonic, as per se, it’s more of an acoustic number, with Jorn mournfully crowing away...
“Time to Be King” is Jorn’s take on Masterplan’s song and this is an even more string “luscious” version than what previously available. You can hear violins and cellos panning from the left to right and such etc. etc. throughout…
“Black Morning” is another Coverdale-athon – but this time, it has this stringed orchestration, mocking the main theme, going on, to “symphonize” it, that that’s really fitting!
“Like Stone in Water” seems to have worked quite nicely in this context, of “symphonization”, just because, there’s a very eerie, violin, mixed very low, that makes it very disturbing to listen to. It actually gave me the chills!!! Yikes 3! And it’s a nice song too... but it’s really stirring, whoever came up with that, sound and that idea and whole lower volume mixed stuff – should give himself a pat at the back, ‘cause he’s a genius!
“Vision Eyes” is a bit of a more progressive song, that is a little more intricate and here the symphonic character, is debatable.
“War of the World” again is not that different from the original, becoming somewhat more luscious, with more prominent keyboards, with keyboard orchestral hits coming to the fore and with keyboards, burying and substituting some guitar parts... true. Well it’s mellowed down – but it’s still a damn impressive song and a song that it’s something that would have sat very well even in a Rainbow album, which is no small compliment… I guess...
“Behind the Clown” is a tender ballad... but also a tortured one a painful one... the symphonic treatment, can only be heard applied very carefully on top, over the guitars I think, very nicely, done. Beautiful.
“A Thousand Cuts” is another prog cut, with slight purple taints and the general crowing of Jorn ever apparent. Hear the arrangement is a lot more thought into the song, instead of accompanying it so it works – very well, bonding with it into one.
Finally “The Mob Rules” maybe not the most obvious Sabbath hit, but nonetheless, no worse for that, shows once more that Jorn is one of the few worthy heirs to the crown that the mighty man on the silver mountain once bore. None will ever be as great as he ever was, but at least people like him seem to be able to carry the legacy “capably” without tarnishing the legend – in the name of what’s popular.
“Symphonic” if one looks at it coldly, it may be perceived as an easy way as to milk some die-hards out of some pennies. But a) most people these days don’t buy CDs anymore, only the fanatics do and b) from having the pleasure to interview Jorn once, he’s not the kind of dude that would milk his fans like that so.... while it may have not been a necessary release, that doesn’t mean it cannot be a fun one. If your pocket can afford this “bloody luxury” as the mighty Coverdale would put it, go ahead and indulge...
Judging purely on the value of the songs themselves providing you don’t have them…