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What's so great about Jerry Goldsmith?


MrScratch

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I like Jerry Goldsmith, but for as much as he is revered by some I feel like I should enjoy him more.  Below are the soundtrack CDs of his that I have.  Aside from the main themes what are some of your favorite tracks from these scores?  Also, what soundtracks of Jerry's would you recommend I add to my collection?

 

The Explorers

First Knight

Gremlins

Gremlins 2

Logan's Run

Mom and Dad Save The World

The Mummy

The Omen

Patton/Tora Tora Tora rerecording

Planet Of The Apes

Poltergeist

Star Trek The Motion Picture

Star Trek V

Studs Lonigan

Total Recall

The Wind and The Lion

 

(All are OSTs except for Gremlins, Star Trek TMP and Total Recall)

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Btw Goldsmith is one of John Williams few equals. His music is greater than any other composer of this age save for John & Horner. Everyone else is a least a step down. Jerry is that great.

 

To be blunt. Jerry is better than any living film composer except one, and better than just about all the dead ones too.

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25 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

Btw Goldsmith is one of John Williams few equals. His music is greater than any other composer of this age save for John & Horner. Everyone else is a least a step down. Jerry is that great.

 

Jerry Goldsmith Is Better Than Everything!

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1 hour ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

Buying more soundtracks isn't going to magically make you a bigger Goldsmith fan. Just focus on composers you do like. 

 

Buying them won't but listening to them might. I'm always seeking to expand my music knowledge and taste.

1 hour ago, JoeinAR said:

His Overture to the Twilight Zone. His theme to the Walton's is just pure magic. 

 

I do have that theme on a Kunzel recordings!

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2 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

Specifically Season 2 Mr. SCRATCH

 

Wow, I thought you meant Twilight Zone the movie.  I also do have a TZ show compilation CD with some JG on there.

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6 hours ago, MrScratch said:

I like Jerry Goldsmith, but for as much as he is revered by some I feel like I should enjoy him more.  Below are the soundtrack CDs of his that I have.  Aside from the main themes what are some of your favorite tracks from these scores?  Also, what soundtracks of Jerry's would you recommend I add to my collection?

 

The Explorers

First Knight

Gremlins

Gremlins 2

Logan's Run

Mom and Dad Save The World

The Mummy

The Omen

Patton/Tora Tora Tora rerecording

Planet Of The Apes

Poltergeist

Star Trek The Motion Picture

Star Trek V

Studs Lonigan

Total Recall

The Wind and The Lion

 

(All are OSTs except for Gremlins, Star Trek TMP and Total Recall)

 

It would help to know what your favorite scores are, in general. What John Williams scores do you love? Scores by other composers? And what are your favorite cues among that collection of Goldsmith scores you do currently own? I will say that you own but a small number of my very favorite Goldsmith scores. I think Mom and Dad Save the World is quite underrated, but I don't think it'd make my Goldsmith top 50... and I'm one of the few people in the world who doesn't love Total Recall (The Shadow is much, much better IMO). Also, the Varese rerecording is definitely not the best way to go for either Patton or Tora! Tora! Tora! (or The Sand Pebbles). You'll want to pick up the Intrada and LLL editions of those, respectively, to be able to appreciate their full power.

 

Logan's Run I've always struggled to like (particularly the synth heavy portions)... I enjoy Damnation Alley and its synths far more. And for someone just starting to explore Jerry's work, I'd recommend The Final Conflict over the original Omen. When it comes to his comedy scores for Joe Dante, The 'Burbs is my clear favorite over the two Gremlins scores...so yeah, need more info on your own tastes, I think. Mine might be different from yours. I really love some of his more obscure badass dark brass scores like Breakout and Contract on Cherry Street and High Velocity... I'd rate all three of those scores five stars, though I'm guessing I'm in the minority there. But I listen to those more than I listen to three quarters of the scores on your list, to be honest... (even Poltergeist, as brilliant as that score is...)

 

Yavar

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40 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

 

 I'm one of the few people in the world who doesn't love Total Recall (The Shadow is much, much better IMO). 

You’re going down a path I can’t follow. 

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What I find most impressive about Total Recall is its complex synth soundscapes and textures. On that front, it's brilliant. But thematically? Blah. "The Mutant" is pretty good and that melody is not used elsewhere in the score, even once. I find the main theme entirely boring, and the main title weirdly starts off with that Conan rhythm.

 

Now The Shadow, on the other hand...this is probably my single favorite superhero score. Yes, Jerry was obviously instructed to give them the "Danny Elfman Batman sound", but he entirely made it his own and in terms of composition I think he far eclipsed Elfman (even though I love that score). THIS gives Total Recall a run for its money when it comes to variety of sounds and complexity of soundscapes, both synth and acoustic. AND its got not just one but THREE fantastic themes at its core (plus some scattered repeated motifs). Besides the main theme, there's a cool percussive villain one that gets a ton of variation and I find it totally addictive. And there's an absolutely GORGEOUS love theme, which you'd hardly know from the original album because it only appeared once there, briefly in the end credits cue. But on the fantastic Intrada expanded album which TRIPLES the running time of the score, it is fleshed out and developed in the score in grand fashion...

 

This one's still in print, even though the original Arista album is Sony-owned. I'm betting once Intrada sells out of this expanded edition, that's it! I would highly recommend it as one of Jerry's top three scores of the 90s...

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7684/.f

Yavar

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6 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

Btw Goldsmith is one of John Williams few equals. His music is greater than any other composer of this age save for John & Horner. Everyone else is a least a step down. Jerry is that great.

 

To be blunt. Jerry is better than any living film composer except one, and better than just about all the dead ones too.

 

I agree with you but also would add that Jerry's frustration is he never found his Lucas, Spielberg...that perfect partnership of artistry, craft, and popularism that was the vehicle for your creative ideas to be so widely experienced.  Yes, Horner and Goldsmith had blockbuster creative properties but not on the scale of Spielberg, Lucas.  They also have vastly different personalities that would influence their art.  Yes, these are generalities but generally accurate...JW was extremely socially adept and modest.  Goldsmith was cranky and egocentric.  Horner (I just realized) was on the Asperger spectrum which made him shall we say abrupt.  This would affect their hirability to a degree too. Ultimately, they are all great in their way and different even when occupying each others space.

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2 hours ago, MrScratch said:

 

Wow, I thought you meant Twilight Zone the movie.  I also do have a TZ show compilation CD with some JG on there.

No season 2 the Waltons. Possibly tv's greatest theme.

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One thing not mentioned (or if it was I missed it) 

 

The ponytail, it is the source of Jerry's greatness.

 

Btw its in Stefan's posession now.

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3 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

What I find most impressive about Total Recall is its complex synth soundscapes and textures. On that front, it's brilliant. But thematically? Blah. "The Mutant" is pretty good and that melody is not used elsewhere in the score, even once. I find the main theme entirely boring, and the main title weirdly starts off with that Conan rhythm.

 

Now The Shadow, on the other hand...this is probably my single favorite superhero score. Yes, Jerry was obviously instructed to give them the "Danny Elfman Batman sound", but he entirely made it his own and in terms of composition I think he far eclipsed Elfman (even though I love that score). THIS gives Total Recall a run for its money when it comes to variety of sounds and complexity of soundscapes, both synth and acoustic. AND its got not just one but THREE fantastic themes at its core (plus some scattered repeated motifs). Besides the main theme, there's a cool percussive villain one that gets a ton of variation and I find it totally addictive. And there's an absolutely GORGEOUS love theme, which you'd hardly know from the original album because it only appeared once there, briefly in the end credits cue. But on the fantastic Intrada expanded album which TRIPLES the running time of the score, it is fleshed out and developed in the score in grand fashion...

 

This one's still in print, even though the original Arista album is Sony-owned. I'm betting once Intrada sells out of this expanded edition, that's it! I would highly recommend it as one of Jerry's top three scores of the 90s...

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7684/.f

Yavar

 

I second this. I can't recommend it enough. One of the all time great super hero scores

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What an extraordinary theme writer

 

Of the top of my head

 

Raisuli Theme

Star Trek Main Theme

Ilia's theme

Great Train Robbery Theme

Imhothep Theme

Mummy Love Theme

Patton Theme

Ave Satani

The Omen Love Theme

Chinatown Theme

Russia House Theme

Basic Instinct Theme

Carol Anne's Theme

Papillion Theme

 

Such instantly memorable themes.

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7 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

What I find most impressive about Total Recall is its complex synth soundscapes and textures. On that front, it's brilliant. But thematically? Blah. "The Mutant" is pretty good and that melody is not used elsewhere in the score, even once. I find the main theme entirely boring, and the main title weirdly starts off with that Conan rhythm.

 

Now The Shadow, on the other hand...this is probably my single favorite superhero score. Yes, Jerry was obviously instructed to give them the "Danny Elfman Batman sound", but he entirely made it his own and in terms of composition I think he far eclipsed Elfman (even though I love that score). THIS gives Total Recall a run for its money when it comes to variety of sounds and complexity of soundscapes, both synth and acoustic. AND its got not just one but THREE fantastic themes at its core (plus some scattered repeated motifs). Besides the main theme, there's a cool percussive villain one that gets a ton of variation and I find it totally addictive. And there's an absolutely GORGEOUS love theme, which you'd hardly know from the original album because it only appeared once there, briefly in the end credits cue. But on the fantastic Intrada expanded album which TRIPLES the running time of the score, it is fleshed out and developed in the score in grand fashion...

 

This one's still in print, even though the original Arista album is Sony-owned. I'm betting once Intrada sells out of this expanded edition, that's it! I would highly recommend it as one of Jerry's top three scores of the 90s...

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7684/.f

Yavar

 

Where could one find samples of this love theme, on YouTube perhaps?

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13 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

 

It would help to know what your favorite scores are, in general. What John Williams scores do you love? Scores by other composers? And what are your favorite cues among that collection of Goldsmith scores you do currently own? I will say that you own but a small number of my very favorite Goldsmith scores. I think Mom and Dad Save the World is quite underrated, but I don't think it'd make my Goldsmith top 50... and I'm one of the few people in the world who doesn't love Total Recall (The Shadow is much, much better IMO). Also, the Varese rerecording is definitely not the best way to go for either Patton or Tora! Tora! Tora! (or The Sand Pebbles). You'll want to pick up the Intrada and LLL editions of those, respectively, to be able to appreciate their full power.

 

Logan's Run I've always struggled to like (particularly the synth heavy portions)... I enjoy Damnation Alley and its synths far more. And for someone just starting to explore Jerry's work, I'd recommend The Final Conflict over the original Omen. When it comes to his comedy scores for Joe Dante, The 'Burbs is my clear favorite over the two Gremlins scores...so yeah, need more info on your own tastes, I think. Mine might be different from yours. I really love some of his more obscure badass dark brass scores like Breakout and Contract on Cherry Street and High Velocity... I'd rate all three of those scores five stars, though I'm guessing I'm in the minority there. But I listen to those more than I listen to three quarters of the scores on your list, to be honest... (even Poltergeist, as brilliant as that score is...)

 

I own every legally released John Williams composition there is, my favorites are his great classic blockbuster scores specifically his 1975-1984 blockbusters, so I guess I just love great melodic symphonic film music.  I like all of John's scores to some degree, the only ones I don't really care for are John Goldfarb and The Terminal.  I even greatly enjoy his jazz/pop infused scores like Cinderella Liberty, Not With My Wife You Don't and Earthquake. 

 

In general, I'm always looking for new music, it doesn't have to be similar to something I already like.  I'm on Spotify all the time looking for new (new to me) music but I find their film score/soundtrack selection to be lacking.  Jerry has 60 or so soundtracks which is maybe a quarter of total film score output. 

 

Some of the Goldsmith CDs I got were cheap eBay add-ons from sellers I was buying other stuff from.

8 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

What an extraordinary theme writer

 

Such instantly memorable themes.

 

Oh absolutely.  I know a lot of his themes but with the exception of POTA I never listen to a Jerry score in it's entirety, unlike Williams.  First Knight, The Mummy and Poltergeist probably come the closest.

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Anyone else reckon people's collective interest in Goldsmith is slowly fading? He had a big post-death honeymoon period that lasted years where so many of his scores received lavish expanded treatments and re-releases, but when newer and younger members here list their favourite composers, he's more conspicuously absent in the conversation than he was about a decade ago. Is he now just stepping back into the status that North, Mancini, Herrmann, Rosza, etc now occupy? Well liked enough but not enough people care anymore sort of thing?

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Yea, that's accurate.  It's in large part due to the fact that he didn't score as many big popular movies as Williams or Horner did, so they remain discussed more simply because young / new film score fans are more likely to have seen films that they scored and then check them out.

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