The Dutch art rock band
Ekseption, led by keyboardist Rick van der Linden, did its best to mix elements of classical music with rock (and sometimes a bit of jazz) during the late '60s and early '70s. While the music may have turned on some youths to centuries-old music that they might otherwise never have explored, van der Linden's watered-down arrangements of the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach,
Sergey Rachmaninov, and Ludwig van Beethoven haven't stood the test of time very well, in spite of the obvious high level of musicianship required to pull them off. Weaker still are van der Linden's originals, which feature forgettable vocals by Steve Allet. Especially ridiculous are Will Luikinga's lyrics to
Rachmaninov's "Prelude in C sharp minor," recast as "On Sunday They Will Kill the World." Few of
Ekseption's LPs were ever available outside of Europe, though the long-defunct band still has a cult following attracted to its work. ~ Ken Dryden