For Orchestra!

“He’s the only one they call Feelgood”

I’ve been getting requests to do more rock. Everything from Pantera, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, and even Muse. Well, let’s take it back decade or two – enter ‘Dr. Feelgood’. One of the defining songs in the Motley Crue catalog that dropped in September 1989. It has attitude, awesome lyrics, and a killer drum groove and guitar line. So what did I do? Transfer that attitude to the orchestra.

This arrangement comes out a day before Motley Crue’s Greatest Hits CD. It’ll be available here, include all the favorite tracks from their catalog, plus a remix of “The Animal In Me”. I love ‘Dr. Feelgood’. I love the drums, vocals, lyrics, recording, album art, and even the bass line. When all these things come together it makes the orchestration effortless. Granted, the hours are still insane, but the creativity flows. I learned this years ago – its like everything in life, that when you’re ‘into’ it, then the effect is exponentially a better result. Practices are more enjoyable, performing and recording is effortless, and even the days flow by better. That’s why you have to not only love your community, and job, but everything surrounding them. It’s about the big picture – a song, much like life, is only as complete as its weakest link.

Dr. Feelgood is about addiction. Its a look at people who fight those inner demons, and their situation and desire for them. I wanted to pick up the tempo a little for this arrangement. As a result, the flutes and violins play the same lines, but are forced to play fast, punctuating parts to compensate for the tempo. Driving it home are the drums, which lay down the work for the horn and trumpet section to fill in the verses.

As I started doing in a few pieces ago – I continued to use the Xylaphone for the guitar solo. Since the instrument can’t hold out notes, then I had the performer play as tremolo to create the sustain you hear after the 2nd chorus. Also, I always try to change the 2nd or 3rd choruses, because I want each section to sound fresh to the listener.

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1. For Orchestra #21: The Beatles ‘Day in a Life’
2. For Orchestra #33: OK GO ‘This Too Shall Pass’
3. For Orchestra #15: MGMT ‘Kids’
4. For Orchestra #31: Kings of Leon ‘Use Somebody’
5. For Orchestra #26: The Cure ‘Friday I’m In Love’