Suggestions needed: rock music with "classical" instruments

[Teerawit]

I was wondering if anyone can offer recommendations on general rock music (or soft, easy-listening rock) that incorporates the use of instruments like violins, violas, cellos, etc. in addition to electric/acoustic guitar. Not really looking into progressive rock...just mainstream rock I guess.

If anyone's heard Collective Soul's "Run" or Guns N' Roses' "November Rain" that is that "sound" of music I'm referring to.

 

[10068]

Umm... hm... not exactly what you are looking for, but close... Aqualung! By that one guy. forgot the name of the band somehow

Rock with flute.

EDIT: Although they are kinda Prog... dammit. I guess consider this post useless

 

[RotAtoR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek Umm... hm... not exactly what you are looking for, but close... Aqualung! By that one guy. forgot the name of the band somehow Rock with flute. EDIT: Although they are kinda Prog... dammit. I guess consider this post useless

Jethro Tull

There is also tons of symphonic prog rock that would probably fit the bill, but then again I'm a little biased to the progressive side of music.

 

[fewtch]

Does Moody Blues, "Days of Future Passed" qualify?

 

[Feanor]

How about Godspeed You Black Emperor! ? orchestral space rock is niiiice

 

[soundboy]

ELO (Electric Light Orchestra)....enough said.

 

[britishbane]

Atom heart mother-pink floyd

 

[Bunnyears]

Beatles recordings of Michelle, Yesterday, Got to Get You into My Life for starters. And then you can graduate to the PDQ Bach's Beatles Book.

 

[wakeride74]

I am partial to female vocals but I really dig:
JEM: Finally Woken
rock/electronic/strings, it all works pretty well together and she has a unique and great voice... very kewl

 

[terrymx]

sorry i'm going to talk about mostly prog bands in this post.

if not into prog rock i don't even know how mainstream rock would be using these kind of elements. some of these bands everyone just mentioned are indeed prog rock, originator even.

yes, genesis, e.l.p. and king crimson are symphonic prog rock bands. also jethro tull, but they has a more folkish-lyric driven element. i would think that these music are softer than the general mainsteram stuff.

yeah i'm gonna have to recommend kayo dot again. its sort of advantgarde, used dozens of classical instruments and have some rock elements, but mostly transcend genres. although there are parts that are heavy with screams, and then the softer part is just great. ironically, i think these music resemble novembers rain sound very much. alot of emotion changes. (Topspin14m, can you back me up on this)

people should check out the band pain of salvation, swedish band, evolved to prog rock after the first 2 albums.

actually i'm not big into prog rock either. i think prog rocks are very complex stuff and not about getting the catchy sound, and sometimes the theme is about fantasy, as in Tolkien. my alternative is shoegaze and dream pop.

 

[dhwilkin]

May be more metal than rock, but Nightwish's latest album "Once" is backed by a full orchestra, and is very good.

 

[markl]

The first 6 Moody Blues albums are just fantastic. As fewtch suggests, Days Of Future Passed is a great place to start exploring their catalog.

 

[Teerawit]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Now I have alot of music to sample on amazon and itunes!

 

[Wmcmanus]

Anything from the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Their Christmas trilogy is especially cool. Orchestral christmas rock, and well executed at that, if you can imagine. The box set it the way to go.

 

[Jahn]

Aerosmith, when they have the strings back them up on their anthemic stuff, like, hmm, that song on the Armageddon soundtrack. And I think they have a live concert out somewhere with them being backed by an orchestra the whole time.