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The Mummy vs The Wind and the Lion vs The Ghost and the Darkness


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The Mummy vs The Wind and the Lion vs The Ghost and the Darkness  

29 members have voted

  1. 1. Which score is the best of the three?

    • The Mummy
    • The Wind and the Lion
    • The Ghost and the Darkness
  2. 2. Which score is the second best?

    • The Mummy
    • The Wind and the Lion
    • The Ghost and the Darkness
  3. 3. Have you seen all three movies?



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The Ghost and the Darkness is definitely a very solid score. Pleasant throughout, track after a track. I didn't listen to the expanded release, but I assume it contains even more goodies. Sad to think that if this score from over 20 years ago accompanied a release in 2018, it would easily win Goldsmith an Oscar.

 

The Mummy features Goldsmith very experienced after all the earlier adventures. Musical features are maximized for an effect and the melodic nature of the score is distinctly above Jerald's typical level. Probably my favorite score of the 1990s.

 

The Wind and the Lion was very effective in it's lovely movie, but I do not find it to be among the best JG's  scores, and---as a standalone listen---not as rewarding as the other two.

 

I watched all three movies, and like them all. Mummy is a blast, The Wind a cult classic and Ghost & Darkness, I remember, made for a very fine evening a couple of years back.

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Oh, tricky.

 

Well, first choice isn't tricky, since THE MUMMY is probably my favourite JG score.

 

But  it's a pretty even match between WIND and GHOST. Ultimately, I like listening to GHOST more (being in his glorious 90s and all), but ya gotta love the 'arabic avantgarde' of WIND and wild tracks like "Raisuli Attacks". So I guess MUMMY, GHOST and WIND in that order, but all three damn fine score specimens.

 

Seen MUMMY (several times) and GHOST (once), but never WIND.

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The Wind and the Lion is top 20 Goldsmith material and the best one of the three, The Mummy, I am not sure would crack his top 20. It is a solid score and one of his best of the 90s together with Mulan and Basic Instinct, but a bit too cheesy for my taste, I almost never listen to it.

 

Never had any affection for The Ghost and the Darkness, but it isn't bad, it is still a decent score.

 

But overall, none of these three scores is something that I listen to, even if especially the first two are good.

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The Mummy is in my top two Goldsmith scores (with The Edge).

 

The Ghost and the Darkness has some good parts and I got the expansion for my birthday a few years ago, but somehow it never entirely clicked. Might give it another chance.

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35 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Btw guys, what's the best JG compilation album? And no, I'm not taking anything from Silva Screen for an answer.

 

Beware. Goldsmith never was good for the conventional orchestral set up's like Williams and the Golden Age guys, his music often is too idiosyncratic in recording and orchestration for the standard 'Orlando Pops records the Best of...' treatment.

 

This Spotify link is probably the best (and cheapest) sample:

 

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For a king's ransom:

 

https://www.musicbox-records.com/en/cd-soundtracks/4703-jerry-s-recall.html?search_query=jerry's+recall&results=169

 

Other's may have a few pieces but it's best to stay clear of them. Goldsmith did two or three (the LSO recording in 2001, 'Frontiers' with Varése) but you probably gonna hate scores like 'Russia House' after listening to them in these Pops arrangements.

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18 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

At least I get a 0,90 € voucher! :lol:

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1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I prefer JW.

 

Btw guys, what's the best JG compilation album? And no, I'm not taking anything from Silva Screen for an answer.

 

FRONTIERS is pretty good. Not Silva, but a rerecording nonetheless: https://www.amazon.com/Frontiers-Goldsmith-Scottish-National-Orchestra/dp/B00Y23WRLG

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3 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

FRONTIERS is pretty good. Not Silva, but a rerecording nonetheless: https://www.amazon.com/Frontiers-Goldsmith-Scottish-National-Orchestra/dp/B00Y23WRLG

 

But it's got POP arrangements!

 

13 minutes ago, Richard said:

Best score?

Just two words: RAISULI ATTACKS. 

 

But where's the frickin' lion?

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The Wind and the Lion is undoubtedly a Goldsmith classic, but The Mummy ranks highly among my favourites because it combines sheer fun and spectacle, some of Goldsmith's most gripping rhythmic writing, and pure elegance (The Caravan). I like bits from The Ghost and the Darkness quite a bit, but even the original album was a bit uneven in memorability to me, and I don't yet hear much added value in the expansion.

 

1 hour ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

The Mummy is just a poor man's King Solomon's Mines (which is a wealthy man's Raiders).

 

And I've never really understood the popularity of King Solomon's Mines either.

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27 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

What a disappointing title.

No it's not. The film is, in part, about two immovable forces, one being a man who believes that he has Allah on his side, and the other is the (then) POTUS. 

Nothing's changed.

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2 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

 

 

And I've never really understood the popularity of King Solomon's Mines either.

Popularity? All I ever read is people finding that score to be obnoxious and ‘too loud’. Drax is the only other fan of that score I’ve ever met! 

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The Mummy is a fantastic textural score. It really adds a lot to the movie it is supporting. It has the regal old world feel to it. And its nasty bits have a true sense of menace and evil.

 

The themes are big and bold. The love theme is lovely.

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1 hour ago, TheUlyssesian said:

The Mummy is a fantastic textural score. It really adds a lot to the movie it is supporting. It has the regal old world feel to it. And its nasty bits have a true sense of menace and evil.

 

The themes are big and bold. The love theme is lovely.

I agree, all that can be said about The Mummy, but still not to the extend of the other two.

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23 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Btw guys, what's the best JG compilation album? And no, I'm not taking anything from Silva Screen for an answer.

 

Well then, nothing. 

 

You're missing out. The SS rendition of Under Fire in my opinion bests the OST. To the point that I actually cannot listen to the OST anymore. 

 

Yes I said it.

 

I also love their renditions of Baby, Secret of the Lost Legend and In Harm's Way. Their replication of the synth work on the former is especially impressive. I also enjoy their take on "The Mission" from The Sum of All Fears.

 

If you remain averse to anything SS, the V/S Frontiers sci-fi score comp is pretty nice (although the synth-less Total Recall just sounds wrong to me).

 

The Philharmonia concert (which was later re-issued by SS - darn just can't escape them can you JS) is also a nice listen.

 

On the subject of The Mummy, the suite on Tadlow's Blue Max album is terrific fun. 

 

I struggle with Ghost and the Darkness because the sampled vocal chants just sound tacky to me. Not my favourite ethnic JG score. I'll take Congo over this.

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10 minutes ago, JTWfan77 said:

the V/S Frontiers sci-fi score comp is pretty nice (although the synth-less Total Recall just sounds wrong to me).

 

Actually, I checked out that album years ago. I don't remember anything from it, so it probably didn't make much of an impression. I'll check it again to be certain.

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6 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Actually, I checked out that album years ago. I don't remember anything from it, so it probably didn't make much of an impression. I'll check it again to be certain.

 

Its more interesting for its low-key selections, such as The Illustrated Man and Damnation Alley.

 

The more "popular" choices, such as ST: TMP and Total Recall, don't do as much for me in this guise.

 

Unfortunately it's a missed opportunity as a definitive JG sci-fi collection as it's lacking anything from Planet of the Apes and Outland (apparently the sheet music for the latter could not be located, I read somewhere).

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30 minutes ago, JTWfan77 said:

You're missing out. The SS rendition of Under Fire in my opinion bests the OST. To the point that I actually cannot listen to the OST anymore. 

 

Yes I said it.

 

 

We will guide you now back to your cell.

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Probably sacrilege to say so, but I actually prefer Elfman's "The Hunt" over Goldsmith's "The Hunt". But the latter is obviously on a whole other level in terms of being cutting edge.

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1 hour ago, publicist said:

We will guide you now back to your cell.

- or to the executioner:

2 hours ago, JTWfan77 said:

I'll take Congo over [The Ghost and the Darkness].

 

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