You know what really grinds my gears? "String Quartet Tribute To..." albums.

Seriously, do we need to hear a string quartet playing tunes by System Of A Down or Foo Fighters? Looking at one of my favorite torrent sites, I find "A String Quartet Tribute To..." albums for the music of:

Foo Fighters
System Of A Down
Dashboard Confessional
Tool
Tori Amos
Kasabian
The Roots
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Flaming Lips
Pink Floyd
Nirvana
Nine Inch Nails
Massive Attack
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Garbage
David Bowie
Deftones
A Perfect Circle
Korn
Radiohead
Underoath
Iron Maiden
R.E.M.
Pearl Jam
Dream Theater
The Beatles
Sarah McLachlan
The Mars Volta
Death Cab For Cutie
Avenged Sevenfold
Taking Back Sunday
Diana Krall
Tupac Shakur
Disturbed
Thrice
Jane's Addiction
Fleetwood Mac
Weezer
Creed
Hawthorne Heights
Coheed And Cambria
Metallica
Incubus
Limp Bizkit
Norah Jones
The Smiths
Phish
The Offspring
Linkin Park
The Cure
The Killers
Mastodon
Senses Fail
Elliott Smith
The Pixies
Atreyu
Interpol
New Order
Joy Division
Muse
Maroon 5
Dave Matthews Band
Bright Eyes
Bon Jovi
Bob Dylan
Black Sabbath
Bjork
Fall Out Boy
311
Fiona Apple
Coldplay
The Arcade Fire
The White Stripes
Slayer
Panic At The Disco
My Chemical Romance
Marilyn Manson
Yellowcard

...but the full-orchestra Tull semi-tribute A Classic Case is terrible.

Not the same as a full album. Plus they did it as part of a artistic statement about contemporary music, not just a dumb novelty record.

...when they opened for the Modern Jazz Quartet in '89. I think there was a "Machine Gun" among their few other Hendrix covers, but I couldn't swear to it.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings do a mean Manic Depression. I've been looking around for a clip, but so far, no luck.

Rock bands ripping off string quartets.

Really, if i see one more CD of Nine Inch Nails doing their arrangement of Ravel's Quartet for Strings in F Major I'm going to blow a gasket.

Don't even talk to me about Bob Jovi's Beethoven:The Late Quartets CD.

and there was a cover of the instrumental "black diamond" as done with a full orchestra. no room for the peter criss drum solo

"Lick My Love Pump" done by the Boston Pops.

:) I'm also interested in checking out the piano tribute to Iron Maiden.

Not enough horsepower in a string quartet. You need a full symphony orchestra for Iron Maiden, Tool and Mastodon.

I'll just put on some Rhapsody and jam out to that - a very good integration of the two musical forms.

Or I'll just listen to Holst's The Planets or Carmina Burana for some original heavy metal!

Never heard of Apocalyptica?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tN6_1dJveM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JjQGt7WjK0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqUXDdJ3C-c