This classical remix of Smash Mouth is sincerely incredible
Dancing Astronaut, as its name would suggest, is a site primarily dedicated to covering high-quality dance music and related news. There are, however, moments in music culture outside of the electronic realm that are of such seismic importance, that they warrant coverage from this outlet. The material discussed in this story is one that holds this degree of magnitude.
In June of 2016, Smash Mouth’s desperate defiance against being labeled as a “one hit wonder” and “the Shrek band” was exposed in a viral Gawker article. In the months since, the self-proclaimed “6 hit wonder” band has experienced an unprecedented resurgence in the form of innumerable memes. Indeed, the inventiveness and artistic dedication that many expend in lampooning the group surpasses Smash Mouth’s own ingenuity.
Enter Ben Gelber.
On New Year’s Eve of 2016, Gelber put the cap on a year of Smash Mouth memes by re-tooling “All Star” in the vein of a Bach-penned choral quartet. Succinctly titled “All Star but it’s a Bach chorale following the conventions of the Common Practice Period,” this arrangement delivers exactly what it promises. Past its hilarity, Gelber’s revision of the song is actually musically enthralling. Steve Harwell’s vocals are transposed into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass harmonies, accompanied solely by a pipe organ.
Luckily for any choirs who wish to recreate this chorale (which every choir should), Gelber has set his musical notation for the arrangement atop footage from the official “All Star” music video.
Experience “All Star but it’s a Bach chorale following the conventions of the Common Practice Period” in all its splendor below:
H/T: FACT