September will, in the UK at least, see the issue of Songs Without Words, a collection of pop-rock hits that have been “classicalized.” David Bowie, Sting, Coldplay–all your middlebrow favorites, given the ultimate middlebrow treatment. This is nothing new, of course; Christopher O’Riley has tenderly massaged the Radiohead catalog two times, and done the same for other artists’ work as well. Still, a few big British names have been tragically overlooked in this “let’s show everyone that this stuff is legitimate” sweepstakes, so we’d like to see which ones we should lobby Classic FM and UCJ Music for on the next edition of this comp.
The “Genius” of Celine Dion [Guardian]
Gary Glitter
I just put All Change on, so I’m voting for Cast. Although classical versions of Daydreamer and I’ll Manage Somehow would also be good.
Crass.
Did you really just refer to David Bowie as middlebrow?
Kula Shaker, but only stuff off “Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts.”
@MtHeartAttack: THANK you. The guy made some cheesy stuff for sure, but no way is he “middlebrow,” especially compared to the likes of Sting and Coldplay.
Menswe@r, specifically the B-sides.
@MtHeartAttack: I certainly did.
@Michaelangelo Matos: That’s just not right.
@slowburn: How about upper middlebrow?
@The Illiterate: Ooh, I like it!
KLF! Especially The JAMs’ 1987.
Definitely Black Grape, just for the the spectacle of Reverend Black Grape being done by a huge brass section (for the harmonica-ish bits) it would be great!
Can I get a witness?
what, like this?:
[www.amazon.co.uk]
there are TOO MANY CHOICES on this poll, although i picked menswe@r, it could easily have been any one from 5…
heavenly!
Elbow!
@Ned Raggett: Agreed 100%.
And The KLF would be fucking fantastic.