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

[gkgyver 1,645]

Listening to various John Barry scores.

The suspense cues in The Living Daylights are certainly, in my book, the best thriller/spy cues ever written.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

So much Goldsmith Star Trek...

[Incanus 5,713]

Dragonslayer - Alex North

Cocoon - James Horner

Jurassic Park - John Williams

Ooooh good stuff, although Dragonslayer is something I haven't quite gotten into yet. North is a hit and miss with me. Something like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Streetcar Named Desire work like hot cakes but Spartacus and Dragonslayer do not.

From Sanya Shoilevska Henderson's book Alex North, Film Composer.

Despite North's personal taste for the genre of intimate dramas, he composed music for some of Hollywood's most spectacular epics of all time-- Spartacus, Cleopatra, The Agony and the Ecstasy, and The Shoes of the Fisherman. He found the scoring of the big epic picture far more difficult, because he liked to identify with the film's subject and empathize with its characters. In this regard, he always tried to personalize the films as much as possible and to concentrate on the personal relationships between the characters. While he could identify with the subject matters and the characters in such films as Viva Zapata and Spartacus, it was not nearly as easy for him to identify with the subjects of others epics that he was assigned to score. Therefore, he developed an "objective" type of wring whenever the films implied such an approach. It meant supplying the dramatic situations with the most authentic and objectively most appropriate musical background without deep personal and emotional involvement. "Spectacles call for writing that is objective in character. I prefer to be subjective. I like to say something that has something to do with myself personally and mould it, so it fits the content of the film. I write best when I can empathize. When you can't do that, then you have to fall back on technique and write programmatic music. Each picture calls for its own solution."

North on DRAGONSLAYER:

"The picture offered me any number of opportunities in a dramatic sense that had nothing to do with characters. Except for the boy-girl relationship, everything had to be so removed from myself, because very often I’m able to express some inner feelings about how I relate to the film. I achieved that approach with A MEMBER OF THE WEDDING and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, where you have interpersonal relationships which lend themselves to the kind of score which is not necessarily lyrical but has more soul…is more compassionate. There was very little compassion in this story. It was not one of those kinds of films where you get thematic ideas in advance, jot them down and re-work them later.”

Thanks Mr. Shark! Those quotes help me to understand North's scoring ideology a bit better. Those scores make perfect sense in that context even though not necessarily better in my ears.

[Hlao-roo 389]

The Way West (Brian Keane)

The Motorcycle Diaries (Gustavo Santaolalla)

La cité des enfants perdus (Angelo Badalamenti)

Safe journey, space fans...wherever you are.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

That pic of Gustavo brings back memories lol

Ever listen to his score for On The Road, Alan?

Also, The Last Of Us is quite perfect.

[indy4 155]

I saw LA Confidential the other day...the main theme reminded me a lot of Bernstein's main theme from On the Waterfront.

[Incanus 5,713]

I saw LA Confidential the other day...the main theme reminded me a lot of Bernstein's main theme from On the Waterfront.

Yeah it is pretty much note-for-note the same. I love both scores to bits though. I wonder when the On the Waterfront will be released. There was some talk about releasing the original tracks a while back.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Oh yeah I remember that.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Also, The Last Of Us is quite perfect.

I haven't listened to this (or any of his more recent work), although the title track here is strong.

[Incanus 5,713]

Minority Report by John Williams: Another personal favourite of mine. I really dig the brooding atmosphere of this music.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Minority Report by John Williams: Another personal favourite of mine. I really dig the brooding atmosphere of this music.

"Anderton's Great Escape" aside, it's an album that has really grown on me. I think the scoring from the opening scenes up through Howard's arrest is absolutely first-rate.

[Incanus 5,713]

Minority Report by John Williams: Another personal favourite of mine. I really dig the brooding atmosphere of this music.

"Anderton's Great Escape" aside, it's an album that has really grown on me. I think the scoring from the opening scenes up through Howard's arrest is absolutely first-rate.

Yes that is one of my favourite sections of the score, that opening pre-crime scene. Spyders, The Greenhouse Effect (a rare pun in a JW soundtrack track title), Leo Crow...The Confrontation, Sean by Agatha and many other tracks are highly enjoyable.

[crocodile 7,982]

I kind of like and dislike this score. There is a lot of intriguing and intelligent stuff in it, but it doesn't seem to be the most involving of albums. It's as if Williams had plenty of ideas, most of them good, but couldn't find any backbone to piece it all together into one coherent whole. "Anderton's Great Escape", while an exciting and entertaining track, feels completely out of place.

Karol

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Well the film has that weird conflicting Spielberg lighheartedness to it. Where the tone is quite brooding and serious but in the action scenes you have that fluff like grilling burgers with a jetpack and interrupting sax practice.

[Incanus 5,713]

I kind of like and dislike this score. There is a lot of intriguing and intelligent stuff in it, but it doesn't seem to be the most involving of albums. It's as if Williams had plenty of ideas, most of them good, but couldn't find any backbone to piece it all together into one coherent whole. "Anderton's Great Escape", while an exciting and entertaining track, feels completely out of place.

Karol

Sean's theme really forms the thematic backbone of the score but the music is very much setpiece oriented. We have some other motifs making fleeting appearances but it is really Sean's thematic idea that binds things together both in the narrative and on the album. Williams' approach to the suspense is both very classic with Herrmannesque little motifs working from one cue to the next with the additional Anne Lively's wailing theme (Spielberg's suggestion) adding another recurring element. The action is highly rhythm driven, taking lead from the general action mode of the noughties, the score actually trying to be very hip and cool and modern in its approach. The music does have its share of meandering suspense cues like Dr. Eddie and Miss Van Eych but on the whole I find it a modern John Williams love letter to Bernard Herrmann's musical creations for Hitchcock films, much as Spielberg says in the liner notes.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Also, The Last Of Us is quite perfect.

I haven't listened to this (or any of his more recent work), although the title track here is strong.

You should check out the full score then. It's mostly carried by that main theme but there is some nice underscore and action music as well. There are two volumes of it that have been released.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Minority Report by John Williams: Another personal favourite of mine. I really dig the brooding atmosphere of this music.

Qiute simply, the greatest JW score, this century, narrowly beating-out "POA".

"All you have to do is...download it, darling".

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

For me, A.I., MINORITY REPORT and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA are his greatest scores this millennium. Never had any real affection for POA. Always struck me as a pastiche score.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

That it is, Sharkey, but cares if it's Rossini, by way of "Jane Eyre", when it sounds this good?

Give it another go (as I shall "MOAG"). You might like it.

[crocodile 7,982]

The Matrix trilogy. Repeating myself, I know. But those are just so good.

Karol

[Hlao-roo 389]

I was really hoping for more significant output following his work on the Matrix franchise; obviously, that didn't come to pass. Most of the living film composers I enjoy tend to not write scores anymore, sadly.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You are attracted to hopeless causes!

Curious about mrs. Roo.

[Score_Fan 36]

Thanks to Blumen Cohlsman, Syriana- By Alexandre Desplat. I loved it.

[Images 1]

My Big fat Greek Wedding by Janko & Wilson, simply delightful!

[Sir Hilary Bray 235]

Star Trek The Motion Picture

blinding grandeur and sense of 'epic' in The Enterprise, The Meld to drama in Destruction of Epilson Nine or adventure in Leaving Drydock. Compared to the other Goldsmith scores this feels majestic. Final Frontier has that alien sound and is exciting but TMP just is something else.

[Faleel 5,329]

Raiders, I just realized that the opening of "To Cairo" is the Medallion theme.

[Incanus 5,713]

The Blue Max

Spielberg/Williams Collaboration

Williams on Williams

Keisuke Wakao Plays the Music of John Williams

[Hlao-roo 389]

Star Trek The Motion Picture

blinding grandeur and sense of 'epic' in The Enterprise, The Meld to drama in Destruction of Epilson Nine or adventure in Leaving Drydock. Compared to the other Goldsmith scores this feels majestic. Final Frontier has that alien sound and is exciting but TMP just is something else.

In other words...

[publicist 4,643]

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS - John Barry

Still the most satisfying Barry/Bond on an album (others have better songs but the incidental score often is not that great). It's romantic Barry galore - even cues like "Mujahadin and Opium" have that gloomy romantic feel - with several strong themes playing off each other. Obviously, Barry presented several song-suitable thematic ideas to the producers and when most of them were rejected he decided 'to hell with 'em' and used them anyway. So we have an action theme that's a song (The Pretenders' "Where has everybody Gone"), a song love theme (The Pretender's "If there was a Man") that seems to have been Barry's favourite and a-ha's "Living Daylights" (co-written with Barry) that is used sparingly in the underscore, too. To go with the times there is a rather humdrum 80's beat behind the action scenes, but if you survived Arnold's nerve-wracking basement DJ techno assaults that shouldn't bother you. Top all that with even more sweeping motivic ideas ('The Sniper was a Woman'/'Airbase Jailbreak') in the usual high Barry style (it's hardly new but just so classy) and you have a hell of an expanded EMI album which is just fine with it's 68 minutes.

[Romão 2,274]

Agreed on all counts, Publicist

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Ocean's Eleven - David Holmes

North By Northwest - Bernard Herrmann

Images - John Williams

[publicist 4,643]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDDOZfSM7uk&&

(Di$ney-ban, probably)

A FAR OFF PLACE - James Horner

Still one of the magical exceptions of James Horner's post-GLORY career: fusioning his mellow string-rich sound (ace main theme) with more ambitious-than-usual underscore that channels Smetana and Bach as much as Bartok and Ligeti. There's still the big question out there if Horner farmed this out to ghost writers in large parts - he wrote about 10 scores in 1993 - but then, who wanted to have such an elaborate approach for a Disney kids movie, anyway? Whatever the true story, this children's journey through the African desert deserves a complete release, though the 40-minute Intrada still is a winner.

[crocodile 7,982]

Some animated Horners definitely need to be released. A list of worthy titles is actually surprisingly long.

I have indulged myself with Gremlins, War Horse and The Desolation of Smaug today.

Karol

[Jay 37,281]

I cannot stop listening to Desolation of Smaug. Every day I think I should listen to some new film score I haven't heard yet, but always end up listening to DOS anyway

It might be the most easily accessible of the LOTR/TH scores.

[alicebrallice 134]

My Big fat Greek Wedding by Janko & Wilson, simply delightful!

love that one!

[Jay 37,281]

Hi Alice!

[crocodile 7,982]

Me too, actually. Maybe not every day, but it's the most often listened to album in the past four months, sure.

I've read quite a few negative reviews. In fact every single Polish review calls it a snoozefest (not a Newman reference, sorry Alice) and the most uninspired Shore. Can't see how. Probably most people can't stand 2-hour albums, no matter what they present. I'm having a time of my life. It flows beautifully, even on the out-of-order presentation. It's youthful and full of ideas. Not sure if Shore can outdo himself this year. I hope he can.

Karol

[Jay 37,281]

I think TABA will outdo both AUJ and DOS. And I didn't even think ROTK did the same to FOTR and TTT.

And as much as I love DOS (and AUJ), I still feel that having the standard versions of the OSTs be 1 disc instead of 2 would have been a much better plan.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Any love for Mark Snow's music for The X-Files? A 90s staple.

[nightscape94 965]

Any love for Mark Snow's music for The X-Files? A 90s staple.

Fantastic cue

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

This one too. Really moving scene.

[Incanus 5,713]

Me too, actually. Maybe not every day, but it's the most often listened to album in the past four months, sure.

I've read quite a few negative reviews. In fact every single Polish review calls it a snoozefest (not a Newman reference, sorry Alice) and the most uninspired Shore. Can't see how. Probably most people can't stand 2-hour albums, no matter what they present. I'm having a time of my life. It flows beautifully, even on the out-of-order presentation. It's youthful and full of ideas. Not sure if Shore can outdo himself this year. I hope he can.

Karol

It is a moodier score with less of the happy harmonic wonder of AUJ and LotR scores but I like the mix of almost grimness of the opening half (few lighter moments interspersed) and the slightly more wondrous and action oriented latter half. The 2 disc set works very well as a listening experience for a LotR/Shore fan. 2 hour+ album is just too much for an average listener/reviewer I think.

I think TABA will outdo both AUJ and DOS. And I didn't even think ROTK did the same to FOTR and TTT.

And as much as I love DOS (and AUJ), I still feel that having the standard versions of the OSTs be 1 disc instead of 2 would have been a much better plan.

Yes. Not only would it make the Special Edition more special it would give those who want it, a more succint listening experience album of ~70 minutes.

And yes I am really excited for the last score of the trilogy. I am sure Shore will pull all stops for that one.

Seven Years in Tibet by John Williams

Hella W by Panu Aaltio

The Adventures of Tintin The Secret of the Unicorn by John Williams

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Both those Snow cues were awful.

[crocodile 7,982]

The dreaded Spartacus!

Karol

[Faleel 5,329]

Prince Caspian - Harry Gregson-Williams.

[publicist 4,643]

RIO 2 - John Powell

Rather slight collection of what sounds like bridging cues between song numbers (sound is the patented Powell Energy Drink Animation Sound. With great scores like ICE AGE 3 or MARS NEEDS MOMS so easily available, why bother?

[crocodile 7,982]

Or Happy Feet.

Karol

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Or Horton Hears A Who. Or How To Train Your Dragon.

The score is not his worst animation effort, some good cues, but overall nothing special.

[crocodile 7,982]

Batman Returns. While this is Elfman's masterpiece in his classic period (some people would disagree) and my personal favourite, one of the aspects that is never discussed would be Face to Face song by Siouxsie & The Banshees. Might be slightly dated by now, true. I always loved it - not only how string arrangement blends with the pop elements, but also how Elfman brings together all three main themes from the film. One of the better uses of score material - subtle enough not to ruin the tunes (like Horner does).

Karol

[crocodile 7,982]

Naqoyqatsi. The conversation on modern composer in the other thread reminded me of my favourite Philip Glass score. I do appreciate the first two as well, they are classics after all. But this one just clicks the most with me. Maybe that has something to do with Yo-Yo Ma's cello solos that bring a bit more life to otherwise quite mechanical minimalism. It feels less like a regurgitated Koyaanisqatsi (even though, it probably it is to some extent) and more like something where the composer managed to utilize his bag tricks to something a bit more... natural sounding. The score is more pleasant than its predecessors and easier to enjoy. It's a rather small ensmble, but Glass puts it to great use, creating a very eclectic and relaxing album.

Karol