Goldenthal's Final Fantasy

[CYPHER 1]

Now here's a CD in my collection that I hadn't heard in quite a long time. A couple of nights ago I pulled it out, stuck in it the player and listened to the entire thing in the space of a few hours. I'd appreciated its merits before, but had found a lot of it to be too loud and noisy to be something I'd listen to regularly. This time though, I turned the volume down a little and found that listening to it in its entirety in such a concentrated time span really did wonders for my appraisal of it.

I'd always loved a number of the tracks on this CD, notably "Race to Old New York", "Code Red" (a very fine, thrilling cue and my personal highlight of the album), "Flight to the Wasteland" and of course the wonderful piano theme of "The Kiss". Where once the more bombastic "Toccata and Dreamscapes" had sent me cowering with hands clutched over my ears, with a little volume adjustment and bass control, I found this to be an awesomely energetic and above all creative track. The imaginative orchestration and instrument selection found specifically in this track but also throughout the entire score (especially the mild electronica of "Dead Rain") is very impressive. Ingesting the entire score in one hit really demonstrates its high degree of thematic unity as well as its unified tone and palpable atmosphere.

And the end credits song "The Dream Within" remains a favourite too . It really suits the film well and the opening music is particularly good. It would be nice to hear a purely orchestral version of this track although I can understand why such a thing (if it exists) was never included on the CD.

If anyone else has any thoughts and feelings about this CD that they'd like to share, by all means post away because I for one would love to hear them .

CYPHER

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

One of Goldenthal's best scores, though my favourite by him remains Sphere. And yes, Goldenthal usually writes great songs.

I have to disagree though: This score has to be heard LOUD!

Marian - Goldenthal fan.

Alien³ (Elliot Goldenthal)

[Molaram 0]

I have collected Goldenthal for about a year to two years. After I heard the Final Fantasy score in the movie, I was hooked and thus my first Goldenthal album was Final Fantasy. This is a score that I can put into the CD player and listen to it three or four times in a row easily. Hearing this album led to me listening to other Goldenthal albums and finding that he has a great gothicness to his style. He is also one of the most flexible and creative composers working today. I love his score to Titus that magnificently showcases his tallent at writing and mixing different genres (in Titus there is swing, heavy metal, and his own signature style all strung together). Interview With the Vampire, Cobb, and Sphere all have great moments in them as well, but I have recently been most impressed by Frida. It is such a different score than he usually writes that it is a great treat to listen to. But to relate back to the topic, I love Final Fantasy and it is definantly in my top five favorite scores of all time.

[ymenard 54]

There's a <cough> complete release of Goldenthal' FF score in great sounding quality available, you know, there ===> _wink_ (good luck finding it)

[Lurker 5]

Yes, the complete score is available.....isolated on the original DVD. This is nothing earth shattering.

Neil

[Simon R. 10]

Gotta love the string work in "Race to old New York" - crazy stuff.

[Justin 2]

Indeed Final Fantasy is a great score one of the years best! A lot of the score is releated to Demolition Man. Another fine Goldenthal score. I reccomend you check it out.

Justin -Who things Final Fantasy is better than Demo.

[A24 4,326]

Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio is the only Goldenthal CD I have. I was impressed at first but somehow I don't listen to it that much.

I'm not really familiar with his movie scores. I do remember a super corny song at the end of Final Fantasy which made my stomach turn. Is that on the CD as well?

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

There are two songs on the CD, one by Goldenthal (which is great) and one not by him (which is horrible).

Marian - who once saw FWP in a store and didn't pick it up in time.

[charlesk 0]

I truly respect Goldenthal for this score. He is innovative, amazing orchestrator, can do atonal stuff like few can, and tonal 'songs' of great beauty too. He can also imitate styles from others, like in Batman, or take disparate elements and merge them like in Titus and Frida. On top of anything, it shows that he researches to do his scores, unlike others like Horner, Elfman, and Zimmer who have been doing just the same for ages.

As for the movie, they just showed it this morning on HBO, so i saw it againg, and I reminded myself to buy the DVD. The technical achievement of the CGI acting is awesome, and Dr. Aki Ross is definitely the most beautiful woman I've even seen. I dig her.

[Mythos 0]

Final Fantasy is loud and it has to be.

But 'Interview with the Vampire' remaines as my favorite in my little 'Goldenthal' collection. Just great music und it suited the film so much...

[Jango Fett 0]

Goldenthal has done a great job with final fantasy. It very sooths the movie which was a ground braking project. All those animated characters and so

But to say that the score was a ground braking project.....

No I can't say that

[CYPHER 1]

Thanks for the replies everyone (and by all means keep them coming, if you've got anything left in reserve ). Final Fantasy is the only Goldenthal CD that I own, but I've always got the impression that he was an admirable, educated and thoughtful composer, something that has been confirmed by many of your posts here. As for the film itself: I loved it. I felt it didn't just stop at delivering ground-breaking visual effects, but actually succeeded in creating sympathetic characters, an interetsing story-line and some thrilling set-pieces.

CYPHER

PS - Marian, mate, what's with your new avatar? It's kind of ... unnerving

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

Yeah, unnerving - but me.

You badly need more Goldenthal though. I suggest Sphere, Interview with the Vampire, Batman Forever if you want loud & over-the-top, and for advanced listening Alien³ and In Dreams....and I'm sure I left out several great ones.

Marian - who STILL hasn't heard Titus.

Monkey Island 2

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Is your nose really that big, or did you use Photoshop to alter it?

Stefancos-

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

I dunno if it's big or just looks big on that photo, but there are no special effects or makeup tricks involved.

Marian - who wouldn't use a photo of his whole, recognizeable face as an avatar.

[Molaram 0]

I would recomend TITUS for anyone who has enjoyed FINAL FANTASY. It really shows off Goldenthal's ability to blend different genres of music. I also highly recomend FRIDA as an advanced listening experience. I have never heard MICHAEL COLLINS yet, but I have heard no complaints of it.

Elfman's MIB

[CYPHER 1]

Yeah, unnerving - but me.

Your photo only looks weird because it's such a tight close-up. The human brain isn't used to seeing only that part of the face. But you're right - any more detail and you're true identity would be revealed!

You badly need more Goldenthal though.  

Man, I badly need more money . Then I'll think about what CDs to spend it on.

CYPHER

[Kühni 485]

.

[Jay 37,287]

Yes

[Kühni 485]

.

[Thor 7,465]

Don't care about no expansion, but YES -- this is a great score (missed this thread the first time around). The likelihood of seeing Goldenthal doing a big, epic score like this again is practically 'nill', but that means we can treasure this all the more.

[Kühni 485]

.

[Jay 37,287]

6 minutes ago, Kühni said:

*sad face* Oh well, the DVD-ripp will do fine until a change of the tide.

 

Mahalo, Jay!

 

The recording sessions leaked years ago now, you don't need dvd rips any more

 

01 1M1 Opening - Dream A (1:33)
02 1M2 (2:19)
03 1M4 Aki Searches (3:09)
04 1M6 There Is a Life Form (2:12)
05 1M7 Phantom Battle (0:52)
06 1M8 (1:26)
07 1M9 Arrival (1:05)
08 1M10P1 (1:23)
09 1M10P2 (0:28)
10 1M11 Code Red (2:59)
11 2M12 Flower Scan (2:41)
12 2M13 Dream B (Alt) (1:28)
13 2M13 Dream B (1:28)
14 2M14 Council Scene (5:20)
15 2M14B Council Exterior (0:43)
16 2M15 Gondola To Elevator (0:59)
17 2M16 Little Girl (2:11)
18 2M17 Hein Command Room (1:47)
19 2M18 Dream C (1:56)
20 2M19 Wasteland (3:00)
21 3M20 Phantom Battle II (2:06)
22 3M21 Dream D (1:16)
23 3M22 Fight - Escape (1:08)
24 3M23 Hein - Treatment Room (2:28)
25 3M24 Hein - Recap (1:34)
26 3M25 (1:03)
27 3M26 Dream E (1:58)
28 3M28-29 Hein Makes His Move (3:55)
29 3M30 Barrier Control Room (2:00)
30 4M31 (1:38)
31 4M31a (0:52)
32 4M32A Panic (1:02)
33 4M32B Car Chase (0:45)
34 4M33 (6:05)
35 4M34 Deep Eyes Dies (4:06)
36 4M34-35 Transition to Love (2:13)
37 4M36 Love Scene (2:15)
38 4M37 Hein Suicide (3:08)
39 4M38 Zeus Station Pt I (0:50)
40 4M38 Zeus Station Pt II (0:43)
41 4M39 Zeus Canon (2:53)
42 4M40 Crater (2:52)
43 5M41 Zeus Station II (2:16)
44 5M42 Earth Gaia (5:09)
45 5M43 Dream F (1:03)
46 5M44 Projection - Cleansing (2:45)
47 5M45 Alien Gaia - Earth Gaia (6:33)

TOTAL TIME -1:43:35