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

[Nick Parker 3,040]

3 minutes ago, kaseykockroach said:

The Thing is basically white noise!

 

Yo, say what?

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Didn’t J. Carpenter tell him he wanted a score that does nothing?

[Nick Parker 3,040]

1 minute ago, kaseykockroach said:

Didn’t J. Carpenter tell him he wanted a score that does nothing?

 

Did you listen to a score that does nothing? 

[publicist 4,643]

And he still does more in one piece of that than Giacchino does in three scores.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Maybe I’m confused and you guys were actually referring to Tiomkin’s The Thing from Another World?

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Can you post a track from The Thing that describes what you're talking about? Literally, words like "white noise" and "does nothing" are some of the last things that come to mind when I think of this score.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Every track, because I read the comments section on Thing fan sites, so I have proof that that score has destroyed the franchise forever! John Carpenter should be fired!

[publicist 4,643]

Let's thank John Carpenter for that instead. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Dracula (John Williams)

 

And I thought the OST was repetitive. At least that was only like a half hour. The main Dracula theme is repeated more than "Hey Jude." I prefer City in the Clouds. I did like the new Main Title and Storm and some other added tracks (KM's beloved Black Sunday-esque Van Helsing's Solution is a brief blast of whimsy and zaniness amid a lot of eerie atmospheric boredom) but this is a score that I think I still prefer in small quantities, specifically the John Mauceri Night Journeys, a nice 1990s recording that sonically blows these Varese discs away.

 

A rerecorded suite of highlights would seem to be ideal to eliminate the uninteresting underscore and rather flat sound. 1970s JW scores generally sound quite poor to my ears and this remaster doesn't make Dracula an exception. Disc 1 is for completists only. I can safely say I'll probably never listen to the bonus tracks again. Disc 2 is still a rather repetitive and odd album, but certainly a more entertaining listening experience than the complete monster.

 

Sorry, everyone!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

I intend to give both a listen (both OST and complete score), but it seems like The Fury is where Williams' horror chops really shined. 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

1 hour ago, Horner's Dynamic Range said:

The main Dracula theme is repeated more than "Hey Jude

 

Draaaaa-cuuuuuu-lalala-la! 

[Bespin 8,480]

24 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

 

Draaaaa-cuuuuuu-lalala-la! 

 

Dracula, the Opera?

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

25 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

 

Draaaaa-cuuuuuu-lalala-la! 

That's what it'd sound like if Leonard Rosenman scored the film! 

[crocodile 7,990]

On my flight back from holiday:

 

Pocahontas: The Legacy Collection by Alan Menken

The Rendezvous by Austin Wintory

ABZU by Austin Wintory

Sword and Sorcery: The Adventures of Conan by Basil Poledouris

 

 Balto by James Horner. ❤️ but... some of the cues sound suspiciously like Don Davis... or does Don Davis sound like James Horner? Either way, it's a very good album from Intrada. Horner wrote some of his finest music for these types of film and this one is no exception. Highly recommended.

 

Karol

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

I would protest that it doesn't sound like Don Davis to me, but come to think of it, the only D. Davis score I regularly put on is Peter Benchley's The Beast (I know, I know, I'm predictable).

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

Henry V by William Walton.

 

[crocodile 7,990]

4 minutes ago, kaseykockroach said:

I would protest that it doesn't sound like Don Davis to me, but come to think of it, the only D. Davis score I regularly put on is Peter Benchley's The Beast (I know, I know, I'm predictable).

 

Listen to this suite and tell me it doesn't sound familiar.

 

 

Karol

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

The Thing main title sounds like something Carpenter wrote himself. Or maybe he did?

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

It’s not even good as a Carpenter score. 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

One of the best film cues ever, comin' atcha live!

 

 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Homeward Bound by Bruce Broughton

Dracula by John Williams

Listening to the OST (will listen to the complete score soon afterwards). Every time the theme pops up, I imagine Dracula goofily waltzing around the room to the rhythm of the tune, then stopping and striking a goofy pose for the last two notes.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

2 hours ago, kaseykockroach said:

Dracula. Every time the theme pops up, I imagine Dracula goofily waltzing around the room to the rhythm of the tune, then stopping and striking a goofy pose for the last two notes.

What a vivid imagination.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

One of the best film cues ever, comin' atcha live!

 

 

Thanks for posting, Nick. 

How anyone can not like this, is, simply, beyond me. I loved it in 1982, and I love it as much, now.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not the biggest fan of Carpenters music myself.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

Oh, I don't know. CALLING OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT, is brilliant.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

7 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Not the biggest fan of Carpenters music myself.

I do love The Fog’s theme, but I don’t often desire to hear his music outside the films beyond that myself.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I'm seriously confused right now, why is everyone talking about The Thing score like it's Carpenter's? It's Morricone's through and through, outside of the theme! You think Carpenter would write something like this? A full on string canon in a horror film, I mean come on!

 

 

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

According to the Wikipedia entry for The Thing, a lot of Morricone's music went unused, and instead the film features a lot by Carpenter and Howarth. As I suspected.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

4 minutes ago, Norma's Corpse said:

According to the Wikipedia entry for The Thing, a lot of Morricone's music went unused, and instead the film features a lot by Carpenter and Howarth. As I suspected.

 

Oh yeah, and frankly I think for the best, in most cases. Really, it's mostly just tracking of the minimal theme with the bass drone.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

So we got ourselves two alien movies with messy music situations, eh fellers? 

[crocodile 7,990]

10 minutes ago, Norma's Corpse said:

According to the Wikipedia entry for The Thing, a lot of Morricone's music went unused, and instead the film features a lot by Carpenter and Howarth. As I suspected.

Quote from the producers Stuart Cohen:

 

Quote

 

In a perfect world, given unlimited time and resources, I think John would have preferred to compose the music for THE THING himself. The realities of the work yet to be done, however, combined with the need for a more expansive and layered approach to the score led us to consider other options. We initially offered the film to Jerry Goldsmith who was unavailable, doing both POLTERGEIST and TWILIGHT ZONE for Spielberg. Availability on musician John Corigliano (ALTERED STATES) was checked. The legendary Alex North read the script, had ideas, and wanted to meet but at that point I felt the only composer John would possibly entrust his film to other than himself was Ennio Morricone.

The film was far from complete or coherent - John was still filming in Stewart, so the film lacked most of the exterior scenes as well as amost all of the special effects, save the kennel . Morricone complained about the lack of continuity ( normally we wouldn't have run a film for any composer in this shape, and with the director not present ,but we did not have the luxury of time - we needed to secure his commitment, and were trying to wedge ourselves in to his schedule ) but agreed that if we were to come to him in Rome he would "see what he could do".

Doubts were definitively dispelled two months later when Morricone opened up his tattered valise and removed a reel of two inch tape containing the now-emblematic "heartbeat " theme. As we heard this for the first time in the recording booth at Universal I looked over at John, whose expression was initially one of relief, followed by something close to wonder... it seemed that Morricone had understood John perfectly. At the orchestral recording session the next day, I remember John coming in late and shyly taking a seat in the back, an observer for the first time as Morricone recorded the rest of the music for his movie. Having been recorded in large brushstrokes of sound, there was still the need for more specific transition and suspense cues which John, along with his partner, Alan Howarth, then supplied

 

 

And also one from Morricone:

 

Quote

 

Regarding The Thing, by John Carpenter, I've asked him, as he was preparing some electronic music with an assistant to edit on the film, "Why did you call me, if you want to do it on your own?" He surprised me, he said - "I got married to your music. This is why I've called you." I was quite amazed, he called me because he had my music at his wedding. Then when he showed me the film, later when I wrote the music, we didn't exchange ideas. He ran away, nearly ashamed of showing it to me. I wrote the music on my own without his advice. Naturally, as I had become quite clever since 1982, I've written several scores relating to my life. And I had written one, which was electronic music. And [Carpenter] took the electronic score.

 

 

Karol

[Holko 9,499]

Lincoln OST

 

Well this was a surprise! Instead of an hour or a bit less of Americana Horn (as I stupidly expected), we have a varied and enjoyable experience with nice motifs and textures! And just when it starts to get "boring", there comes a fiddle+banjo almost-source, Battle Cry of Freedom or a piano solo to spruce things up! 

Really liked it, though not quite as much of an instant love as Geisha.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

John, do you take Ennio’s music to be your lawfully wedded husband? 

[Incanus 5,713]

Rebecca by Christopher Gunning

 

Karaoke & Cold Lazarus by Christopher Gunning

 

Abzû by Austin Wintory

[Bespin 8,480]

It's been a long time! 

 

The Fury (expanded score)

[crocodile 7,990]

 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald. It's not terribly good, is it? 

 

Karol

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

52 minutes ago, crocodile said:

 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald. It's not terribly good, is it? 

 

Karol

It lacks passion or energy. Which, given what I've seen of the film trailer and reactions, seems to be understandable. There doesn't seem to be anything in the film that would offer much of interest to a composer beyond the usual fantasy music tropes that Elfman popularized. 

[publicist 4,643]

Energy it doesn't lack but coherence and musical development beyond flighty short theme citations.

 

The elephant labored and bore a mouse, indeed. Terrible movie this will be.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Energy it has, perhaps, but it feels artificial.

 

I imagine doing two crappy fantasy romps back to back probably left JNH bored. 

[KK 3,307]

Occasional flashes of colour aside, it's a terribly turgid affair. It's a shame because some of the thematic material has potential, which was better serviced by its predecessor I suppose.

 

1 minute ago, kaseykockroach said:

I imagine doing two crappy fantasy romps back to back probably left JNH bored. 

 

 

Both scores do sound like the work of a composer who feels very uninspired and unchallenged.

[Bespin 8,480]

Jaws C&C Playlist with all the source music.

 

That's so much more funny with the source music hehe

[publicist 4,643]

JNH wrote some good new themes but they are not used that much except for a few establishing cues. It's the same as Yates' collaboration with Desplat: big finale cues sound like movie trailers and utilize (almost) no themes, think of the Elder wand finale. Hard to believe that the composers wilfully refrain from using their own musical blueprints over important scenes.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

I'd rather not wallow in a composer's failure to engage himself with an apparently bland movie. 

Instead, I think I'll take pictures of Doby in his sweater!

[Matt C 452]

Halloween (John Carpenter/Cody Carpenter/Daniel Davies)

 

It doesn't work as effectively on the album as it does in the film. Carpenter's original themes pop up and he uses them sparingly to good effect, but most of the album is grinding background noise (a la Blade Runner 2049). 

 

You could probably cull the more interesting cues into a nice 10-15 minute suite.

[Incanus 5,713]

Dracula by John Williams: Superb darkly romantic horror that is wonderful ride from start to finish and performed with Gothic gusto by the London Symphony Orchestra.

 

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate by Austin Wintory: Wonderful chamber-sized musical mayhem for strings, trumpets, synths and percussion done with panache and skill.

[Holko 9,499]

Catch Me If You Can OST

 

Loving Escapades, I didn't find this to have much else to offer than that phenomenal piece. Coming off it, I also found the mix/quality a bit lacking, the main title especially seemed narrow and distant, lacking the punch the instruments have in the S/W III recording.

[crocodile 7,990]

I was listening to John Powell's Prussian Requiem last night. Seemed like the most fitting occasion yesterday. I know know this album by heart.

 

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Good show, old boy!

[Nick Parker 3,040]

6 hours ago, Holko said:

Catch Me If You Can OST

 

Loving Escapades, I didn't find this to have much else to offer than that phenomenal piece. Coming off it, I also found the mix/quality a bit lacking, the main title especially seemed narrow and distant, lacking the punch the instruments have in the S/W III recording.

 

Aw, man, there's tons of goodies in there! I don't know where to start, realky. Tracks like this did nothing for you?

 

 

[Holko 9,499]

Oh. I listened to it last night and completely forgot that was there, I liked it.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

And what about this?