Bond Album: “Born”

...This album offers a new take on classical music, blending orchestral music with dance beats. Hearing the same song over and over again, being played virtually the exact same way, it gets kinda monotonous (quick, name the best recording of Beethoven's Fifth...or how about Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?). So it seems like four talented classical musicians got bored with their jobs one day, and after hooking up with a production team, they were ready to shock the world. And Bond was born. This album is their concept, with new interpretations of classical music. At times, the strings are covered up by slighlty too much production, but that's okay. The songs are fun, but the first two sound a little bit too generic (as far as the production goes, i.e. bland techno beats), but after that, with Victory and Oceanic, this album kicks it into gear. Oceanic is a standout, sounding like a glorious soundtrack (strangely reminiscent of the introduction to Beauty and the Beast). Track #6 builds up through the first minute and a half, and the ladies' talents really shine on this song (with an orchestra to back them up), with their sense of rhythm ringing out as the song builds and builds...Alexander the Great sounds like it could have been used in The Princess Diaries (or some similar movie), especially since the mood seems like one of awakening, or a new beginning. The rest of the album follows suit, with some more fun and interesting songs, not to mention the most unique version of The 1812 Overture...Hymne sounds a little bit like Finlandia at first, but is very nice. The second version of Victory gives the original a run for it's money, with both songs being filled with tons of energy and power. I can't say enough about the chance that these ladies took to make this album, because their careers as classical musicians might never be the same, but it was a chance well taken, and the results are rewarding. Following in the footsteps of composers and performers that took a chance and presented a new style (gee golly gosh, weren't such greats as Lizt and Gershwin, not to mention the early jazz composers, considered "wild" and "daring?" Music isn't meant to be "pure." It should be explored and experimented upon...), the ladies of Bond have leaped into the musical fray, and compared with the musical talents of most of the other groups out today (yes, musical talent is a requirement to making music...), they stand on top.

A lot of the problem with Classical music is that some uninitiated believe it to be unapproachable and overly long and boring. Comparing a standard classical piece to a three and a half minute pop song, the classical piece is indeed complex, long, and perhaps far beyond the attention span of the average listener.

Bond makes a great introduction for those people. The songs, for much of the CD, are culled from classical tunes that people have at least passing knowledge of. Combining these standards with a gentle techno beat, Bond creates music that really stands out from the norm. (Who would have thought that The Barber of Seville was actually a Latin dance ditty?)

Even beyond the pieces that everyone knows and loves, Bond selects pieces that showcase their exceptional classical training. These pieces are towards the middle and end of the CD, by the time which listeners have already found themselves engrossed in the music.

The only worry that I have is that Bond has used up all their creative talent on their first CD. More often than not, this is the case with crossover classical artists. Hopefully this group will be around for a while, putting out quality CDs like their debut.

I finally received my copy of Bond's "Born" cd in the mail. It was definitely well worth the month long wait for this cd. I first heard of the group on CNN's World Beat program and was intrigued by what I heard. Just because the music is classical doesn't translate into boring, elevator music. I love the Mike Batt mix of "Victory", too bad it was only around 3 minutes long. I hope I hear more from this classical quartet. They could liven up the classical genre for years to come.

I honestly think that this group is going to revolutionize and revive the classical music genre for the more popular audience. I mean, not only are these girls terrific instrumentalists, but their music is incredible with it's blend of violins, electric guitars and dance beats. I saw a quick segment on the TV guide channel about this group and I didn't even catch the whole thing. I saw what kind of music they did and I was completely intrigued. Weeks later when I remembered them again, I went looking for them on the internet and bought the album a few days later. I was not disappointed and it was well worth the search. I love classical music, I love dance/pop music, and I ABSOLUTELY love this album and I can't wait to see how Bond grows in the future. I am just glad that I am here on the ground floor and I found out about them when I did. Their music is amazing and I recommend it to...who am I kidding...I AM recommending it to everyone I know in hopes of spreading the word. Beautiful, Fun, & New. So many words to describe their music...

I bought this cd on a whim. I had heard of the performers before and was interested from the start, but was not quite sure what to expect. Bond is a string quartet that performs familiar pieces with a little added insentive. It appeals to both young and old listeners with both a strong dance beat and beatifully played violins, viola and cello along with a variety of other instruments. I was in love with this CD the second I heard the first song. Its new additions to the classical pieces make it much more appealing for those hesitant to listen to non-lyric music. With great performers:

Haylie Ecker= 1st violin

I would recommend this to nearly any music-lover and have spread the word to my family and friends who all love it. I am absolutely ecstatic with my purchase because REALLY good albums are hard to find but this was definitely one. A perfect 10+!