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Remembering Michael Kamen


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Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

My feelings towards this score were always ambiguous, but it doesn't change the fact that it has pretty outstanding moments given how little time he had to finish it. I think this is one of the most interesting modern takes on classic swashbuckling music. The Korngold inspiration is clear, but you can easily tell it is Kamen all the thw way through.

Karol

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Sadly I don't have too many of his scores, but what I have I will listen to today:

The Dead Zone

Licence to Kill

Die Hard 2

Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves

X-Men

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:D Band Of Brothers Suite One

In many many ways I prefer this score to it's companion piece by John Williams.

Kamen's main title plays like a more intimate, private version of what Williams was trying to do with SPR. But whilst Hymn For The Fallen is of an epic score serving as a memorial for all who fell in WWII, Kamen's theme seems more personal, more closer somehow. Like it remembering a family member, or a dear friend who fell.

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Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

My feelings towards this score were always ambiguous, but it doesn't change the fact that it has pretty outstanding moments given how little time he had to finish it. I think this is one of the most interesting modern takes on classic swashbuckling music. The Korngold inspiration is clear, but you can easily tell it is Kamen all the thw way through.

Karol

The merits of the score as a whole are up to debate, but the main title overture is simply one of the greatest pieces of music I've ever heard.

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Michael Kamen was of my favourite composers. My final awakening to his music was with Robin Hood, but there were already some outstanding achievments before it. One of his ealiest scores, The Dead Zone remains as one of my all time favourite horror scores.

I might play today his concert works, the Concertos for Saxophone and for Electric Guitar, and his wonderful Symphony.

Also will play, because of the personal significance it holds for me -- and that it seemed also to Kamen him self -- Mr Holland Opus.

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My favorites are definitely Die Hard 2, and Robin Hood.

I also like Dead Zone, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard and Die Hard 3, and Last Action Hero. I still need to hear Band of Brothers and X-Men though.

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My school band is playing Robin Hood - the Overture, "Everything I Do" (a rock ballad/concert band arrangement not heard on the OST; quite good), and the finale. I didn't like Robin Hood too much before, but this has definitely expanded my appreciation for it.

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Kamen was definately in my top 3 favorite composers before he died so suddenly. His death struck me more than Goldsmith mostly because I'd listened to a lot more of his stuff.

Does anybody have a recording of his When Johnny Comes Marching Home from Die Hard 3? I need to expand my Kamen library

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What's the general consensus of Brazil compared to the rest of his work, as far as you guys are concerned?

Michael Kamen was probably one of the most underrated film composers around. He really deserves a better place in music history.

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What's the general consensus of Brazil compared to the rest of his work, as far as you guys are concerned?

I don't own the album (yet), but what I remember from the film was very good.

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I share his birthday, and I'm going to listen to Robin Hood since I've played Band of Brothers a few too many times.

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What's the general consensus of Brazil compared to the rest of his work, as far as you guys are concerned?

I've never seen the film, but I just got the album off of Ebay. Started listening to it once...a bit eclectic for a cursory examination. I'll have to give it an in depth listen one of these days.

I just got The Iron Giant, and I love it. Love the Russian feel to it (Well, the Prokofiev feel).

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  • 9 years later...

I belive this is from a legit twitter account. Not many followers though. It may be of interest to some here who frequent the twitterverse. Highlander and Prince of Thieves are probably the most frequently requested over the years. I would also like a From the Earth to the Moon set. I know LLL were hinting at X-Men, it feels like a long time since we've had some new Kamen.

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Quintus said:

The Iron Giant is probably my favorite Kamen score. The last few cues are heartbreaking and then grin inducingly triumphant. 

 

It's certainly one of his best. Powerful stuff.

 

9 minutes ago, Richard said:

I like most Kamen scores that I have heard, but HIGHLANDER, LICENCE TO KILL, and BRAZIL, really do it for me.

 

Highlander and Brazil are truly up there for me. The re-imagining of the exisiting song for Brazil was truly brilliant. Hauntingly so.

A few interesting tweets from the last week. A proper Highlander release would be fantastic. They've been talking about it for so long. I have no interest in The Avengers old or new but I would of course still be interested in what Kamen did do for the 1998 movie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

 

Count me in. Don't think any of his ballet work has ever been released. This will certainly be fresh to my ears. Hopefully they can drum up enough interest to encourage plenty of music from the Kamen vaults to be released!

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3 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

So now even the dead use twitter?

 

Maybe one day they will make it to the JWFan forums. Think of the post count possibilities!

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