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

[crocodile 7,984]

I enjoy the rerecording a lot, but I return to the original far more. It could be a nostaglia/familiarity thing, but it just sounds better to me.

It's married to the film for eternity. And yes, most of us had at least one of the old albums (Milan version in my case). I will buy the complete version of that performance, of course. But when I was talking about it making impression was simply due to the modern booming recording. This kind of a score benefits greatly from that. To hear all that orchestrations and stuff in such clarity is a revelation.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

I think the Tadlow Conan is spot on. The first time I listened to it, it felt like listening to the OST recording, only with a remastered sound and performance, if you know what I mean. The one cue on it which I think doesn't quite match the original is Theology/Civilization. Which happens to be my favourite cue from the score...

[crocodile 7,984]

One thing that felt strange for me: not hearing the narration in the opening piece. I'm so used to it.

Karol

[Brónach 1,301]

It's one of my favourite scores yet I still haven't heard the Tadlow recording which pisses me off. I've been purposely not listening to Varése's 16 track CD for quite a while.

I'm probably getting both recordings if I can and putting what's missing of one in the other and the other way around. Also indicate if something in one of the recordings wasn't recorded according to Poledouris' intentions, I overheard this happens slightly in the original. Heh, that would be the kind of care I can only have for my very favourites. Come with papa.

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

While the only original CD of the OST recording I have at the moment is the Milan album, I got a CDR copy of the Varese disc years ago, so I got un-used to the narration a while ago.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I missed the narration so much I edited it onto the Varese. I also included a DVD rip of the end narration before an edit of the end titles. Which is funny as I was unhappy at the Nimoy Khan narration on the FSM disc.

[Wojo 2,453]

I have heard the narration exactly once, and would never want it to open my Conan album. Never. Ugh.

I'd rather make Microsoft Sam speak "A long time ago in a galaxy far far away" between my fanfare and opening blare.

(not really, but still. It sounded neurotic in my head, so I had to say it)

[Brónach 1,301]

I don't want any narration on Conan. I haven't seen the film and I associate the music with other stuff entirely.

[Joe Brausam 214]

Everyone should own FSM's release of Dmitri Tiomkin's Land of the Pharaohs. Seriously this score is a real powerhouse, especially the first half. Anyone who enjoy's Tiomkin's crazy style would love this score if you haven't heard it before!

[Brónach 1,301]

Everyone should own FSM's release of Dmitri Tiomkin's Land of the Pharaohs. Seriously this score is a real powerhouse, especially the first half. Anyone who enjoy's Tiomkin's crazy style would love this score if you haven't heard it before!

Noted. I think I've only heard a pair of themes from The Alamo. Stuff to discover, no doubt.

[Joe Brausam 214]

The Alamo is another really excellent one if you ever get the chance to hear it all. Tiomkin really isn't for everybody, his music is chaotic and challenging at times, and always truly unique - so if you're into discovering something a little different but really awesome, definitely give this stuff a chance.

[Matt C 452]

Daybreakers - Christopher Gordon

Still an impressive score... the movie isn't a full-out horror film but a mix of ideas. Gordon took an unusual but appropriate method to score it -- strings for the humans and ominous electronics for the vampires. "Daybreak" is a great end credit suite wrapping up all the thematic material, while the song used in the theatrical trailer "Running Up that Hill" by Placebo is wisely included at the end.

It's a shame the CD is OOP, the score benefits from that full 32-bit CD mastering as opposed to the mp3 download.

[crocodile 7,984]

Is it already OOP? Didn't know that. Yes, it's a very good music.

As for Tiomkin, to be honest, I don't own any of his works on CD. But since I'm recently buying a lot of Tadlow stuff, I was thinking maybe their Alamo is good as well. Opinions on this one? Anyone? Joe?

Karol

[Brónach 1,301]

The Last Airbender. I had forgotten that parts of this score are actually very good. Very JNHish. It has some of these textures and sounds that seem to come naturally to this guy that sound like going somewhere far away. Howard the musicbender.

[Joe Brausam 214]

The Alamo is an excellent place to start - even people who don't seem to enjoy Tiomkin's style like this score. Very lyrical, it incorporates a lot of traditional Texas tunes as well as original ones composed by Tiomkin. The Green Leaves of Summer is gorgeous. It can be an overwhelming listen at first, the score proper does spread across 3 discs, but it's worthwhile.

[avalanche 0]

Giacchino's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Let Me In.

The former was entertaining for about half the time, but there were too many atmospherics cues near the middle that dragged the experience down. The later, I couldn't even finish. Just not my type of music, I guess. Back to the library they go!

Elfman's Big Fish.

Some decent cues, but overall it didn't leave much of an impression. "Finale" was a nice closer, but there were only a few moments up to that point that caught my ear. I believe I picked this up for $2.50, so no big loss.

[KK 3,307]

I'm listening to Phillippe Rombi's Angel for the first time. A beautiful score with some fantastic themes. Fans of the Golden Age especially will love this.

[Brónach 1,301]

Giacchino's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Let Me In.

The former was entertaining for about half the time, but there were too many atmospherics cues near the middle that dragged the experience down. The later, I couldn't even finish. Just not my type of music, I guess. Back to the library they go!

Your local library has film music?

Lucky man...

[Taikomochi 1,136]

Mine does, but only the most popular scores, many of JW's releases and pop albums for example. They also offer a service that lets you rent stuff from libraries across the state, which is a good way to find more obscure things, actually.

[avalanche 0]

Your local library has film music?

Lucky man...

Yes, and you can reserve anything in the system's catalog (something like 40 libraries worth) and have it delivered to your closest branch. And they launched a mobile app last year which makes it even easier to reserve material. I love our library!

Most of the offerings are from the major labels, and Varese, but I have found a few La-La Land releases as well. No FSM or Intrada.

[crocodile 7,984]

The Alamo is an excellent place to start - even people who don't seem to enjoy Tiomkin's style like this score. Very lyrical, it incorporates a lot of traditional Texas tunes as well as original ones composed by Tiomkin. The Green Leaves of Summer is gorgeous. It can be an overwhelming listen at first, the score proper does spread across 3 discs, but it's worthwhile.

I will keep that in mind. How about The Fall Of The Roman Empire. And which edition to buy?

I'm listening to the newest Predator release (which I just got today). It's such an iconic score, I remember liking it very much in the film when I first saw it and the main theme got stuck in my brain for so long before I heard it apart from the film. In short - it's a really memorable music. And yet it remains one of those (like Star Trek VI, Die Hard, Planet of the Apes), which you appreciate more for texture and clever build up, as opposed to simply "enjoying it" on album. I, for one, like this kind of stuff. And there is so much to savour. Thanks again Intrada!

One of the things that really struck me is that John Debney really studied this work in great detail when composing Predators. Every single thematic idea and texture is somehow reprised in there (the Dies Irae-like motif in particular). Only Silvestri's work is a suspense score whereas the new one is a testosterone-filled action fest. But I like both.

Karol

[Joe Brausam 214]

After listening to the LLL release of The Fall of the Roman Empire I can safely say that for the price you're much better off with the Tadlow recording. It is an improvement over the original tracks (at least considering the state they're in) in nearly every way. It also includes a few very interesting cues, such as "The Mysterious Forest" that aren't included on the LLL release. It's film scoring at its least subtle and it's most glorious. Simply listening to the Prelude from the Tadlow version should sell you on it! The LLL is a nice historical supplement to have if you enjoy the Tadlow, but I would not recommend it in place of the Tadlow.

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

D'oh. I don't know the score and wasn't aware of the Tadlow recording, so when I liked the first clip, I ordered the LLL... guess if I like that, I'll have to get the Tadlow as well.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

HUNGER GAMES. It was pretty good, but not brill. Don't see what all the fuss regarding Horn of Plenty is about either.

[alicebrallice 134]

the da vinci code - hans zimmer

I have to rewatch the movie... 'chevaliers de sangreal' is pure magic.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

You like hansu?

[Incanus 5,713]

That's Hansu's best score in years although he still makes a real orchestra sound like synths in it. He is talented at that.

[alicebrallice 134]

You like hansu?

I'd never confess my love for zimmer in here.

[Josh500 1,615]

You like hansu?

I'd never confess my love for zimmer in here.

My only favorite Hansu score is The Lion King.

Yeah, that one is a keeper!

[Incanus 5,713]

You like hansu?

I'd never confess my love for zimmer in here.

A wise move. Most wise.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[alicebrallice 134]

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

I actually like The Prince of Egypt by hansu.

[alicebrallice 134]

what about sherlock holmes? (first one)

[Incanus 5,713]

Oh no BloodBoal! You were right! She is turning people slowly into worship of the false idol that is Hansu. She does this with innocent questions at first but then comes the brainwashing! Authorities! Help!

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

I'm not the biggest fan of a modern Zimmer. I like the older stuff more...

[Incanus 5,713]

I'm not the biggest fan of a modern Zimmer. I like the older stuff more...

Not you too!!! It is the Black Sleep of Hansu! Snap out of it!!!

[Josh500 1,615]

This is slowly but surely turning into a Hansu love-fest!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,713]

This is slowly but surely turning into a Hansu love-fest!

Do we have an army of closet Hansu fans on the MB all of a sudden?

It's too late for that. I think she already has LeBlanc under her control. You must flee, Finnish Boy. Find the Chosen One. The One that will bring balance to the forum. Only He will be able to get rid of this Zimmerita (yeah, that's how they call Zimmer's groupies). Go now, and never turn back! Farewell, Finnish Boy. I'll see ya in anotha life, brotha!

Too many pop culture cross references here. Does not compute.

Gotta make a counter strike against this Hansu love!

Hedwig's Theme

Let the true music purify your minds! Repent and thou shall be saved!

[alicebrallice 134]

I'm not the biggest fan of a modern Zimmer. I like the older stuff more...

Not you too!!! It is the Black Sleep of Hansu! Snap out of it!!!

oh he's asleep alright...

mwahahhaha!

[Incanus 5,713]

Non, rien de rien, Non, je ne regrette rien...

[Taikomochi 1,136]

Non, je ne regrette rien, Non, je ne regrette rien...

BWOM-BWOM BWOM-BWOM

That's a toe-tapper right there.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,713]

Non, je ne regrette rien, Non, je ne regrette rien...

BWOM-BWOM BWOM-BWOM

That's a toe-tapper right there.

The farts are back!

Goldsmith first used them for Rambo II and Hansu resurrected them bigger and badder than ever before. Ultra-über-super-duber-coolness! They're like echoes that pass through the different deeply deep layers of a dream and/or nightmare. They are like a philsophical question about the whole existence in 3 dimensions if the being asking the question happens to be someone's bowels.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,307]

Hey, so if I said I like a lot Hansu's scores (not his recent trash since Inception/Dark Knight), am I condemned to JWFan hell?

Oh no BloodBoal! You were right! She is turning people slowly into worship of the false idol that is Hansu. She does this with innocent questions at first but then comes the brainwashing! Authorities! Help!

It's too late for that. I think she already has LeBlanc under her control. You must flee, Finnish Boy. Find the Chosen One. The One that will bring balance to the forum. Only He will be able to get rid of this Zimmerita (yeah, that's how they call Zimmer's groupies). Go now, and never turn back! Farewell, Finnish Boy. I'll see ya in anotha life, brotha!

Perhaps its time to resurrect the Church of Our Dear Lord and Saviour John Williams so that we can get a Grand Inquisitor to clean up this mess...

[indy4 155]

On the Town (Bernstein) and The Canyon (Glass).

Also listened to Iris (Elfman). It's good, but I wish there weren't so many blatantly obvious synths used. The brass synths are especially difficult to listen to. The main theme is also something that gets less and less interesting each time I hear it, from a purely emotional level. Oh well. It's still one of the better scores of 2011, it's just not as good as I once thought.

[Incanus 5,713]

Sleepers by John Williams: A very dark yet somehow lyrical and very powerful score from the Maestro. This is one of those chameleon-like scores from the composer, so unique is the sound and ambience of the music compared to his big blockbusters. Thoughtful woodwind solos, ghostly choir chanting Latin Mass text, electric bass, forlorn and haunting horn solos and delicate flute playing accompanied by synth and real percussion that adds a modern day feel to it all come together from the ecclectic parts to form a compelling whole that is propulsive, psychologically charged and dramatic all at once.

The score is rooted in several motifs that help to tie the ecclectic elements together. The main theme is rarely heard, a redemption melody for the whole cast of the main characters, celebrating their victory in the film. Williams builds upon this melody in the Hell's Kitchen track, weaving the triumphant main theme with the other motifs heard in the score. Another prominent idea is a solo horn call, representing isolation and loneliness, both physical and mental that the characters whose lives were destroyed while so young endure. Another distinct 4-note construct accompanies the revenge, violence and horror involved in the whole story and a dies irae-styled ever forward moving motif sets pace to the plot of the main characters to find redemption, hinting at the day of reckoning for the guilty in the story. A solemn string idea revolves around the experiences the boys go through in the youth prison and the physical violence receives its own wailing brass and percussion motif reprised a couple of times on the album.

The bleakness of the musical landscape might be found off-putting by many but I would suggest the listener to persevere since this is a wonderful and intricate piece of film scoring, challenging but extremely rewarding in the end. The 56 minute album is well put together and offers a good listening experience that has a solid dramatic arc which takes you from the deep gloom of the first half of the album to a gradual musical redemption when you reach the magnificent Reunion and Finale with a particularly noteworthy heart melting flute solo and Williams-styled sense of closure.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah I agree, it's not very good.