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Weekend LISTening: Rock Goes To The Symphony

Paul McCartney conducts a 40-piece orchestra during recording sessions for <em>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</em>.
Larry Ellis
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Getty Images
Paul McCartney conducts a 40-piece orchestra during recording sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

On Friday, the Los Angeles indie rock band Foxygen released a theatrical, bombastic new record called Hang, which features a 40-plus-piece orchestra. Since Foxygen is certainly not the first band to take classical musicians on a field trip to the local dive bar, we figured this was a perfect chance to revisit some of the most magical moments when symphonies have starred in rock recordings. Check out a dissection of each song below, plus a Spotify playlist to take with you on the go.

Copyright 2017 XPN

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.
Talia Schlanger hosts World Cafe, which is distributed by NPR and produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. She got her start in broadcasting at the CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster. She hosted CBC Radio 2 Weekend Mornings on radio and was the on-camera host for two seasons of the television series CBC Music: Backstage, as well as several prime-time music TV specials for CBC, including the Quietest Concert Ever: On Fundy's Ocean Floor. Schlanger also guest hosted various flagship shows on CBC Radio One, including As It Happens, Day 6 and Because News. Schlanger also won a Canadian Screen Award as a producer for CBC Music Presents: The Beetle Roadtrip Sessions, a cross-country rock 'n' roll road trip.