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

[crocodile 8,012]

I'm not a biggest fan of Gilliam's work and this film is among those I cannot quite swallow.

But I do appreciate his sensibilities, they offer something else.

Inky, the complete score is up on Youtube. The album is about 47 minutes long so it's not a long one. You might like it. Or not. Hard to say.

Karol

[Brónach 1,302]

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Wolfenstein: The New Order by Michael Gordon

Been having the main theme stuck in my head for days now. Keeps reeling me back into memories of the game. Not the best stand alone experience, as it's a little undercooked, but superbly effective with what it's supposed to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH0nfdkYIrw&index=4&list=PLglekgMiTGf80xKcty9csDJD1LJGDG69B

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I prefer Tangerine Dream.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

To what?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Neu!

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

The Cider House Rules!

[DreamTheater 131]

There is a nice near Rózsa-esque feel to that piece but with a more modern twist.

I like it!

Also check out Poteyenko's Age of Pirates: Carribean Tales while you're at it. Even better and the album is twice as long.

[Incanus 5,714]

The Score by Howard Shore: This score dabbles in near archetypical jazzy heist movie sound with a decent sized orchestra with vibraphone, assorted percussion and drumkit thrown into the mix. Shore dispenses with lengthy themes and develops shorter musical ideas, like the simple initially 7-note main theme, the 6-note heist theme and another 4-note rising figure for suspense and tension, throughout with single-minded determination. Rhythm is the key here as well as the atmosphere of "cool" which propels the whole soundtrack forward and the composer has a very active ever-present percussion section working the whole time, bringing a sort of energetic nervous simmer to the whole affair from start to finish. Shore accentuates the mood with jazzy double bass, vibraphone and suspenseful sounding flute solos which most of the time blend into the fabric of the orchestra and smoky muted trumpet lines that echo the urbane atmosphere. The result is a rather enjoyable piece of film music.

While the music is mostly forward propelling some short solaces from the rhythms can be found, like the tense but detached Set Up, where the muted brass, piano and bass waft through an atmopshere of ambiguous glassy string harmonies and atmospheric Iron Clad where whiny strings develop an intesifying line above a percussion base. Otherwise the score churns forward with the often subtle but unrelenting percussion. All culminates in the 11 minutes of energetic heist music in Running Late and the final setpiece Suspended that offers not only most powerful versions of the motifs used in the score as the drama reaches its height but also the jazziest suspense piece of the score where bass, bowed cymbals and the muted brass and fluttering flutes conjure palpable sense of tension, Shore expertly ractheting the suspense to fever pitch with the ever intensifying percussion and brass blasts. And everything is drawn to a musical conclusion in Bye Bye, which sees the final satisfying send off to the main theme and its accompanying motifs.

The score for The Score does contain some very groovy and energetic pieces of music and lovers of jazzier urbane scores might find it highly enjoyable on that account. The use of jazz bass, vibraphone and percussion is often inventive and adds a suitable touch "cool" to the whole soundtrack. The downside of the quite short album (less than 40 minutes) is the single-minded focus on the rhythms and forward motion which can become tiring as the tone and style vary very little over the course of the listening experience. While a tad monochromatic this relatively small scale work from Shore showcases his versatility and ability to paint such singular feel and atmosphere in quite effortless chameleon-like way. A nice change of pace for anyone wanting to explore the composer's ouvre beyond his Tolkien epics that too often overshadow his prior career.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

King Kong '05

James Newton Howard should score a Star Wars movie (when Williams is finished of course).

[Brónach 1,302]

I always remember this.

[DreamTheater 131]

King Kong '05

James Newton Howard should score a Star Wars movie (when Williams is finished of course).

Dude, you could have worded that slightly differently...

[Jay 37,359]

They are making other SW films every year in between the Episode ones; JNH will probably score one of those eventually.

[Brónach 1,302]

JNH is one of my teenage musical loves

[crocodile 8,012]

I like JNH when he's doing smaller, gentler stuff. And some wondrous stuff, too. And suspenseful. Even in big films.

It's just his big action that I'm not fan of. Feels very calculated, by the numbers and, well, boring.

Karol

[Brónach 1,302]

Depends on the action, although it's in the action where I most notice JNH-isms.

[Jonesy 55]

Yeah, his action stuff is pretty distinctive.

[Jay 37,359]

There's nothing boring about Waterworld.

[crocodile 8,012]

Never finished that album, for whatever reason.

Karol

[Jonesy 55]

There's nothing boring about Waterworld.

Well said!

Across the Desert

[crocodile 8,012]

Yeah, his action stuff is pretty distinctive.

Never said it doesn't sound like anyone.

What I said is that it feels unimaginative to me. Always felt action music was the weakest thing about his writing (kinda like Giacchino, really). He exceeds elsewhere, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC4iH0s4jtg

Karol

[Jonesy 55]

Oh yeah, his action stuff tends to be predictable. Some Maleficent cues come to mind.

[Brónach 1,302]

He does better mixing it up with his "wondrous" parts that croc mentioned.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I like JNH's action music pre-mid 00s.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

What I said is that it feels unimaginative to me. Always felt action music was the weakest thing about his writing (kinda like Giacchino, really). He exceeds elsewhere, though.

Agreed (though there a few exceptions).

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Mad Max: Fury Road by Tom Holkenborg

If you hated the percussion in Man Of Steel, then don't listen to this, because that's essentially all it is.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Has it got MoS-style synth programming?

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Sort of. It's real grungy.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Great!

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I like JNH when he's doing smaller, gentler stuff. And some wondrous stuff, too. And suspenseful. Even in big films.

It's just his big action that I'm not fan of. Feels very calculated, by the numbers and, well, boring.

His highlights are often the more melodic moments, yes (something he has in common with Poledouris). I like the action stuff in Kong a lot too, though. There's something about it that reminds me of Goldsmith at times.

The score as a whole has quite an array of cool themes, too. I wouldn't object to JNH doing a leitmotivic Star Wars score.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Some of his action stuff, like The Fugitive, is definitely Jerry 2.0.

[Lewya 360]

Mad Max: Fury Road by Tom Holkenborg

If you hated the percussion in Man Of Steel, then don't listen to this, because that's essentially all it is.

Is the score out yet? Where if so? Can't find it, not on Spotify nor iTunes/Amazon yet. Says it is out in 2 days.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Some of his action stuff, like The Fugitive, is definitely Jerry 2.0.

But Jerry outclassed him in US Marshals.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Always!

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

Knights of Badassdom (McCreary) - Good Lord this is one of the most unashamedly fun scores I've heard in a long time. Bagpipes? Metal-inspired drop-tuned guitars? A great melodic center? Check, check, check. Bravehart-meets-Iron Maiden might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if that sounds like an appealing concept to you, give this a listen. I've finally been won over as a Bear McCreary fan.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Mad Max: Fury Road by Tom Holkenborg

If you hated the percussion in Man Of Steel, then don't listen to this, because that's essentially all it is.

Is the score out yet? Where if so? Can't find it, not on Spotify nor iTunes/Amazon yet. Says it is out in 2 days.

http://www.filmmusicmedia.com

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

How's the quality of the Halo 2 re-recording? They did kind of a shoddy job with the first one.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Wrong person to ask

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

D'oh!

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

How's the quality of the Halo 2 re-recording? They did kind of a shoddy job with the first one.

If you're talking about the "Anniversary" scores, better than the first one, but that's not really saying much. There's also something weird going on with the mix that I can't quite pinpoint, but Steve Vai's guitar sounded much better on the original releases.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I can't say that there was much need to redo Marty's original work, if any at all. They're totally fine, not at all dated or anything.

[KK 3,307]

Yeah, his action stuff is pretty distinctive.

Never said it doesn't sound like anyone.

What I said is that it feels unimaginative to me. Always felt action music was the weakest thing about his writing (kinda like Giacchino, really). He exceeds elsewhere, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC4iH0s4jtg

Karol

Agreed. Action was always JNH's weakest department. He's excelled more with more impressionistic or harmonic vices.

Having said that, I think Kong sums up a lot of his best action material. As said here, at times channeling Goldsmith, the score really is a remarkable feat for the time it was written in.

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

I can't say that there was much need to redo Marty's original work, if any at all. They're totally fine, not at all dated or anything.

I love the basic concept of having an acoustic recording of the score, but the end project just sounds really half-assed.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

The sampled stuff is pretty inconspicuous, especially combined with the live Chicago/Seattle musicians - the latter of whom totally or near totally replaced anything sampled from 2 on. All the anniversary business just seems like a waste to me.

Now playing....

Ah hell, better just make it all four of Marty's Halo scores now playing.

Never got into Davidge's stuff for the new game. Probably just haven't given it enough attention.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Some of his action stuff, like The Fugitive, is definitely Jerry 2.0.

But Jerry outclassed him in US Marshals.

Nope. THE FUGITIVE's still a better score. Besides, for all of US MARSHALS' patriotic sturm and drang, it never reaches the badassery of

Sykes` Apt or Kimble Dyes his Hair. Fretless jazz bass + Mike Fisher's sampled drums + orchestra. Wonderful.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Meh. Goldsmith's macho strut in US Marshals is much more appealing.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Classic Isham.

[publicist 4,643]

AFTER THE FALL - Mark Streitenfeld

Being a rather typical example of a maligned modern film composer out of Zimmer's ACME school of assembly line manufacturers, Streitenfeld nevertheless often comes up with some decent ideas and has the musical chops to work them into musical pieces that might not endanger the mighty throne of Williams & Co. but still leave this listener a returning customer. AFTER THE FALL, a not-too-well received drama gets a wafting, dreamy soundscape of light synths, electric guitars, plucked strings and sonorous cellos that have no place to go musically - the whole middle portion could be excised - but for the first three and last two pieces it's a nice ride. Like most of Streitenfeld's recent work, there is something sympatico unassuming about it - he never needs to pump up his stuff with the blunt neanderthaler drang of the Djawadi & Co. school - so i stay cautiously optimistic about his POLTERGEIST score.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[publicist 4,643]

RED EYE - Marco Beltrami & Co.

After listening to the pulsating Powellesque main titles on Intrada's website, i gave in and bought the score. Seldom in recent times i was so brutally reminded why most film music shouldn't be released on more than 5 to 10-minute singles: there's just nothing more there. While the release of this score was most certainly a business decision - Doug Fake would have to make considerable semantic twists and turns to sell this 70-minute product as musical nugget laying undiscovered for years - it still rankles that you can just scan through the selections on this cd on Audition waveforms and discover nothing more than a 5-minute succession of bass drum hits or really long chords. There are nods to Kamen and Beltrami's own action scores, as well as Powell's bubbly style to liven things up but those are the definitions of 'fleeting moments'.

It's a long haul, and i'm afraid nothing beyond the main and end titles warranted anything like a soundtrack release.