What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (older scores)

[Holko 9,499]

It's good. 

 

You're allowed to prefer the CE3K OST, as wrong as it may be, and I can take Escapades over the OST, deal?

[Incanus 5,713]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi by John Williams: I like this score on the OST album but love it in expanded form. 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

4 minutes ago, Holko said:

It's good. 

 

You're allowed to prefer the CE3K OST, as wrong as it may be, and I can take Escapades over the OST, deal?

 

The difference being that preferring Escapades, one of Williams' finest translations from film score to concert hall, is a perfectly reasonable stance to me, compared to your continued hazing of my love for John Williams' original musical vision for Close Encounters!

 

 So the deal's off!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

CE3K is a good OST.

[Holko 9,499]

31 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

John Williams' original musical vision for Close Encounters!

You mean Disc 1 of the LLL, which approximates the original 2LP OST Williams intended to release before Arista talked him out of it at the last moment?  

[Nick Parker 3,040]

10 minutes ago, Holko said:

You mean Disc 1 of the LLL, which approximates the original 2LP OST Williams intended to release before Arista talked him out of it at the last moment?  

 

Yes, that one!--.....

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

Muppet Christmas Carol by Paul Williams and Miles Goodman

North Star by John Scott

[Incanus 5,713]

Lost: The Final Season by Michael Giacchino: This and The Last Episodes discs feature some of the best music of the show and everything really comes together wonderfully with ever a steady flow of new ideas wedded into the already impressive collection of themes and motifs. Slight lack of development of ideas like Jacob's theme is the only small complaint I have as Giacchino seems to be happy to repeat these ideas in the same form ad infinitum, only ever elaborating on their orchestrations but not their form, although I think this is entirely out of conscious planning and musical characterization rather than pure oversight. Listening to this music always reminds me how distinct this scoring is, so instantly recognizable in style and orchestrations and its dramatic language developed over 6 seasons. Surely one of the composer's biggest accomplishments.

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

Avengers: Infinity War by Alan Silvestri

Ice Age: Continental Drift by John Powell

Going through a bunch of Powell scores this week. Great listening thus far.

On November 12, 2018 at 11:46 AM, Incanus said:

Star Wars: The Last Jedi by John Williams: I like this score on the OST album but love it in expanded form. 

It is a very good OST, as far as narrowing things down onto an album.

 

The expanded form is the real deal though, yes. Fantastic stuff that wasn't on the OST, so yes.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

21 minutes ago, The Illustrious Jerry said:

 

Ice Age: Continental Drift by John Powell

Going through a bunch of Powell scores this week. Great listening thus far.

 

I love Sirens! 

Dawn of the Dinosaurs is probably my favorite of his Ice Age trilogy, but they're all fun listenin'. 

[Fancyarcher 350]

Jaws by John Williams

Jaws 2 by John Williams

Midnight Run by Danny Elfman

Black Beauty by Danny Elfman 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

2 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

Jaws by John Williams

Jaws 2 by John Williams

Midnight Run by Danny Elfman

Black Beauty by Danny Elfman 

 

Way to rep Vermont JWFans, Archer, that's a solid list! 

 

Come to think of it, does that mean JWFans make up half the population of Vermont?

[Loert 2,510]

Just came in the post. I think I know what score I'll be listening to this evening!

 

 

 

[Fancyarcher 350]

1 hour ago, Nick Parker said:

 

Way to rep Vermont JWFans, Archer, that's a solid list! 

 

Come to think of it, does that mean JWFans make up half the population of Vermont?

 

[KK 3,307]

And In The Endless Pause Came The Sound Of The Bees by Johann Johannsson

Prisoners by Johann Johannsson

Arrival by Johann Johannsson

 

Just one of those days...

[Trent B 337]

The complete score for Star Trek Generations.

[crocodile 7,984]

 Dracula by John Williams. My first listen of the new set.

 

Karol

[Brundlefly 2,385]

2 hours ago, Loert said:

Just came in the post. I think I know what score I'll be listening to this evening!

 

 

 

Tell me, if there were any revelations, like a cue that is much more impressive compositionally than one thought without the book.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

Dracula by John Williams

Lacks the precision of The Fury, meanders  quite a bit more. I do enjoy its ‘filler’ cues for the atmosphere they build, but a lot of the music’s moving without much of a purpose. Still, complete score remains better listening than the noisy album. I like this score, even if its lack of a drive or narrative only leave me to want to put on The Fury instead when I want to hear Williams’ horror chops.

 

Jaws 2 by John Williams

Now this is more like it! Keep the album though, complete score is pretty choppy.

 

Balto by James Horner

Hot diggety, am I happy to have this in good sound at last. I crave to hear the Fievel scores get this treatment someday, but I assume that’s not destined to happen especially soon. Ah well, this’ll do.

[publicist 4,643]

 

The third of Horner's 'slick' 1995 scores still makes me wonder what his temp for the hymnal main theme was, as the melodic line is very unusual for the composer (recalling a pop song i cannot remember). It also was around the time when Horner became much more bold in his self-plagiarizing, which brings the score down several notches, as much of the minimalist underscore is barely disguised 'Sneakers' (that one was a real idiomatic innovation in 1992). More noteworthy are the big jingoistic set pieces - 'The Launch' and the prolonged finale of the whole re-entry and the end titles with Annie Lennox warbling the theme over a pop-backing track - which sound like Horner waited all his professional life to come up with them: with their religious allusions they're as showy as any big Williams repertoire piece and he must have felt elated to get those in a highly visible movie (subtle they ain't, of course).

 

Of the Howard/Horner collaboration i still vastly prefer 'Cocoon' but for its shiny blockbuster gloss i concede that A13 probably deserves the top spot.

[crocodile 7,984]

Maybe it was Steve Bramson?

 

 

Karol

[Incanus 5,713]

The Nativity Story by Mychael Danna

 

Chinatown by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Stepmom by John Williams

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

35 minutes ago, publicist said:

The third of Horner's 'slick' 1995 scores still makes me wonder what his temp for the hymnal main theme was, as the melodic line is very unusual for the composer (recalling a pop song i cannot remember).

 

Almost certainly this was behind much of the tone, no?

 

 

Likely my favorite of his scores.

[publicist 4,643]

Nah, there was a pop song which was a dead ringer for that theme:

 

 

3 minutes ago, TGP said:

Likely my favorite of his scores.

 

No way, much too populist and syrupy to hold that place, imho.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Oh the trumpet tune.  No ideas there, other than a warmer take on the classic Copland.  I can make no claims as to whether or not its his best score of course, but favorite, yeah, it is here.  For me Horner is like Newman.  There's much overlap between scores, and you can hear recurring ideas getting tried out in different ways.  You sort of pick your favorite package.  Populist, syrupy, maybe, but I have lots of time for this rather tightly composed and no note gone to waste score.  Many fond memories of stoned listening.

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

39 minutes ago, TGP said:

Many fond memories of stoned listening.

 

Yes!

[publicist 4,643]

3 hours ago, TGP said:

Oh the trumpet tune. No ideas there, other than a warmer take on the classic Copland.  I can make no claims as to whether or not its his best score of course, but favorite, yeah, it is here.  For me Horner is like Newman.  There's much overlap between scores, and you can hear recurring ideas getting tried out in different ways.  You sort of pick your favorite package.  Populist, syrupy, maybe, but I have lots of time for this rather tightly composed and no note gone to waste score. Many fond memories of stoned listening.

 

Sure, it's also exceptionally polished (no mean feat). For stoned listening i still would prefer something more inwards and contemplative.

[MrJosh 892]

Jaws 3-D - Alan Parker

 

I'm growing fond of Parker's themes for this movie. There is something about his themes that have suck in my head after listening, and I'm humming them through the day. I'm a fan of the quieter sections of the score, more-so than the action cues. 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

Love the Seaworld music! 

[Incanus 5,713]

Dracula (Varese Deluxe Edition) by John Williams: Finally a release worthy of this great score! 

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs by John Powell

Lincoln by John Williams

...oh, and how can you not want to play the first act of music of The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams when you look out the window and see this:

 

[Loert 2,510]

23 hours ago, Brundlefly said:

Tell me, if there were any revelations, like a cue that is much more impressive compositionally than one thought without the book.

 

I guess the main revelation for me was seeing just how widely that beginning motif in the horns is used throughout the score. I didn't really pay attention to it before seeing the notes on paper, but it's everywhere.

 

One thing I found peculiar was the voicing of that last  "kiss" chord towards the end of "A New Life" (the loud one here at 2:08). I always thought that it felt incomplete in some way, or at least that it made the music feel that it was still heading somewhere. Well, I think I finally know why. Typically, with tutti orchestral chords, the rule is that the brass, wind and strings fill out the entire pitch range on their own (so, if you were to isolate the brass, you would have the trumpets at the top, and the tuba playing the bass note, with trombones and horns in between - you wouldn't just have the trombones playing, for instance). In this case, Goldsmith had the wind and brass play the full range, but he leaves a big gaping hole in the mid-range of the strings. Basically, the violins play A#4 C#5 F#5, the basses play F#0, and the cellos play F#1. That's it! There's nothing in between F#1 and A#4 - that's over three octaves. The violists aren't even playing anything at that moment, even though they were playing during the crescendo a few seconds prior. What this does I suppose is give the brass and wind more dominance over the chord sound, and it seems to give the chord a more organic feel, than if you just had the entire string section playing as well. I've never seen anything like it - usually you might see just the high strings playing, or just the low strings - but not the high and low with a gaping hole in the middle (though I believe Stravinsky may have done stuff like that...)

 

[Holko 9,499]

The Terminal OST

 

Quite charming and enjoyable, if a bit repetitive presentation. Gets the Southeast-European feel adequately when needed. The dark invasion cue in the beginning possibly could have set up a mood from which all the goofy easyness needs to build up, without it it feels a bit aimless at times. Some very nice and diverse orchestrations - cimbalom!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

Far From Home: Adventures of Yellow Dog by John Scott

 

Possibly my favorite adventure score of the 1990's. A top shelf favorite for yours truly, from any composer of any era. A rare score of any kind where I adore every single cue. Truly a grand, glorious and invigorating listening!

[Incanus 5,713]

9 hours ago, The Illustrious Jerry said:

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs by John Powell

Lincoln by John Williams

...oh, and how can you not want to play the first act of music of The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams when you look out the window and see this:

 

I hope you didn't have a "battle in the snow" on your way out. No dodging of AT-ATs or having to trudge through snow banks? No hiding in Tauntaun's innards to survive?

 

Dracula (Varese Deluxe Edition) by John Williams: Again. I just revel in the Gothic romance of this work and now in sound quality I only dared to dream of in the years past while listening to the old OST album. The new set has plenty of highlights admittedly many of which were on the original soundtrack album but now the whole thing feels much more complete as a musical journey with more variety and shades than before. I think I love both this and The Fury for their different but equally powerful takes on horror genre, which as publicist said in his lengthy first listen comments are made all the more special since Williams didn't dabble in the genre more after this.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,498]

22 minutes ago, Incanus said:

...equally powerful takes on horror genre, which Williams didn't dabble in the genre more after this.

Well, there were the Prequels 

 

 

Oh, no! You know Christmas is just around the corner, when Inky dons his red cloak, and pointy hat! 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, MrJosh said:

Jaws 3-D - Alan Parker

 

I'm growing fond of Parker's themes for this movie. There is something about his themes that have suck in my head after listening, and I'm humming them through the day. I'm a fan of the quieter sections of the score, more-so than the action cues. 

Mr. Josh, I think you mean "stuck" 

[Incanus 5,713]

2 hours ago, Richard said:

Oh, no! You know Christmas is just around the corner, when Inky dons his red cloak, and pointy hat!  

Ho ho ho!

[crocodile 7,984]

12 minutes ago, Incanus said:

Ho ho ho!

I spend so much time with bantering millennials at work that my brain reads it as "Hoe! Hoe! Hoe!".😏

 

 The Fury (OST). One of the better assembled Williams albums out there.

 

Karol

[Naïve Old Fart 9,498]

1 hour ago, Incanus said:

Ho ho ho!

Now I have a machine gun.

[Incanus 5,713]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

Now I have a machine gun.

2 hours ago, crocodile said:

I spend so much time with bantering millennials at work that my brain reads it as "Hoe! Hoe! Hoe!".😏

 

 The Fury (OST). One of the better assembled Williams albums out there.

 

Karol

Yeah I think Monsignor is equally well put together OST assembly but The Fury is special because it was specifically re-recorded. The Epilogue alone is worth the price. 

[crocodile 7,984]

 Creed II by Ludwig Goransson

 

Karol

 

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

9 hours ago, Incanus said:

I hope you didn't have a "battle in the snow" on your way out. No dodging of AT-ATs or having to trudge through snow banks? No hiding in Tauntaun's innards to survive?

Thank you for your consideration. All things well here, no problems!

[crocodile 7,984]

Lush 1970's John Williams goodness:

 

Dracula

The Fury

Family Plot

Black Sunday

Jaws 2

 

It's a most wonderful period in his career. Isn't it wonderful that virtually everything from 1975-1979 is now available in expanded/complete form?

 

Karol

[Bespin 8,480]

The best thing of the seventies remains me! 😜

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

Ah yes, that typical French pride.

[Bespin 8,480]

I'm not french I'm an American... who speak french!

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

That's not a thing!

[Bespin 8,480]

You are from Ontario, you know us, but other people think that in Québec we are more french than american, that's totally false.

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

I haven't done this in a while but it's a habit, so I'll get it out of the way.

 

 

 

Separatist!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

King Kong Lives, Gets Laid, Has a Kid and Then Dies by John Scott