This album is, in my ever-so-humble opinion, the best album of 1999, and ranks in my Top 10 albums of the all times.
The Seduction of Claude Debussy is an ambitious 1999 concept album by Art of Noise, featuring a lineup of Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley, Paul Morley, and Lol Creme. Also appearing on the album are John Hurt, Sally Bradshaw, Rakim, and Donna Lewis. The group blended the music of groundbreaking French impressionist composer Claude Debussy with drum and bass, opera, hip hop, jazz, and narration, and described the album as "the soundtrack to a film that wasn't made about the life of Claude Debussy."
The continuity of Debussy's compositions is readily evident, yet the Art Of Noise has not held-back showcasing their own talents. The sound of the album is exquisite. Actor John Hurt narrarates throughout and the voices of the female singers used are near-perfect. Music and voice blend together wonderfully.
Only one song, "Metaforce", jarred me at first, for its style is markedly different from the rest of the CD. But even that track eventually sounds as though it fits in, a weird sort of way. It simply adds to the diverse, yet cohesive tone of the CD.
It is important that this work be listened to as a 'complete album'. It is not of the typical 'pop/single market' today, where one can skip to any track they choose. Do that, and this album will lose much of its beauty.
"The Seduction of Claude Debussy" is, quite simply, a complete, modern masterpiece. You will not find another one like it.
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