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

[BloodBoal 8,711]

[Marian Schedenig 11,694]

Moscow/Stromberg is very good and complete. Utah/Kojian is shorter but great (a little more Golden Age sounding, I'd say). And the suite recorded by Gerhardt is essential.

And then of course, there's Sursum corda, the concert work from which the main theme is taken.

[A24 5,156]

[crocodile 9,724]

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol by Michael Giacchino

A surprisingly different score from its predecessor. Whereas that one was a product of an still underdog composer, who had a lot to prove, this one feels much more relaxed. Giacchino finally figured out what his voice sounds like and doesn't need to over-clutter the composition anymore. I really appreciate his economy in use of an orchestra these days. Another difference between the two is that M:I:III was a heavy straightforward orchestral action score. Ghost Protocol definitely feels more like it was written for the original TV show (with a contemporary edge, obviously), with all its ethnic colours and playfulness. It might put some people off, especially the 10-minute Indian (almost Slumdog Millionaire-like music) sequence. The action music feels less distinctive this time around. But, frankly this outing is less about action and more about caper/heist. And there is a great sense of fun to it all, which has been always the best thing about Giacchino. The album is maybe slightly too long, but, at the same time, it doesn't have any particularly weak spots. It's just the type of genre that maybe requires a shorter and tighter treatment. If David Arnold is a definite contemporary Bond composer, then Giacchino certainly nails Mission: Impossible franchise with equal skill and wit.

But, of course, Super 8 is better still.

Karol

[indy4 160]

Listened to Jericho and The Ghostbreaker. The former was definitely the musical highlight for me, especially Goldsmith's contribution. The latter was musically not super interesting, but historically it was cool to hear where Williams was at that point. I heard a little bit of None but the Brave and Family Plot. Still, thank god it's only 25 minutes long.

It's also an interesting listen due to the fact that I've recently been preoccupied with Williams' two most recent works. Boy, has he changed (although I'm sure as I get to know Ghostbreaker more, I'll spot some similarities).

[crocodile 9,724]

Batman Returns by Danny Elfman

One of my absolute favourite scores ever, as presented on last year's La-La Land album. A flawless release.

Earlier I listened to the recent release of Die Hard.

Mars Attacks! by Danny Elfman

Karol

[Incanus 5,890]

The Nativity Story by Mychael Danna: An excellent Christmas score that is both beautiful music but also intelligent in its construction. Danna gathers a wide variety of music throughout the centuries of Western musical tradition that is directly or indirectly connected to the nativity story and blends it with his own musical ideas in a score that is suprisingly cohesive and thematic and resonates the humanity of the story. He uses authentic period instruments, Roman instruments, Hebrew chants, Christmas carols and liturgical music with great skill and subtlety but also answers the religious and spiritual of the story with heavenly choral and soloist writing which is undeniably the highlight of the score, the music's pure and clear tones echoing resoundingly as if from another world. It is music from the other end of the Christmas music spectrum, less festive or fun and more contemplative and reverent. But it works beautifully.

[crocodile 9,724]

I was about to listen to it tonight.

Karol

[Romão 2,473]

The Nativity Story by Mychael Danna: An excellent Christmas score that is both beautiful music but also intelligent in its construction. Danna gathers a wide variety of music throughout the centuries of Western musical tradition that is directly or indirectly connected to the nativity story and blends it with his own musical ideas in a score that is suprisingly cohesive and thematic and resonates the humanity of the story. He uses authentic period instruments, Roman instruments, Hebrew chants, Christmas carols and liturgical music with great skill and subtlety but also answers the religious and spiritual of the story with heavenly choral and soloist writing which is undeniably the highlight of the score, the music's pure and clear tones echoing resoundingly as if from another world. It is music from the other end of the Christmas music spectrum, less festive or fun and more contemplative and reverent. But it works beautifully.

I was surprised to how ancient and authentic the music sounded. And that latin version of Silent Night sent shivers down my spine. Thor would love this one, I reckon...

[Incanus 5,890]

The Nativity Story by Mychael Danna: An excellent Christmas score that is both beautiful music but also intelligent in its construction. Danna gathers a wide variety of music throughout the centuries of Western musical tradition that is directly or indirectly connected to the nativity story and blends it with his own musical ideas in a score that is suprisingly cohesive and thematic and resonates the humanity of the story. He uses authentic period instruments, Roman instruments, Hebrew chants, Christmas carols and liturgical music with great skill and subtlety but also answers the religious and spiritual of the story with heavenly choral and soloist writing which is undeniably the highlight of the score, the music's pure and clear tones echoing resoundingly as if from another world. It is music from the other end of the Christmas music spectrum, less festive or fun and more contemplative and reverent. But it works beautifully.

I was surprised to how ancient and authentic the music sounded. And that latin version of Silent Night sent shivers down my spine. Thor would love this one, I reckon...

Yes Danna does an excellent job in blending modern and ancient in the score. It all comes together really organically. His use of the carols etc. is very clever since he e.g. quotes the Coventry Carol, which is about Herod sending his men to kill the infants, in scenes involving Herod himself and his soldiers searching for the child. Terrific subtext which echoes through the centuries of musical influence. And the Silent Night sung in Latin is indeed goosebump inducing, the arrangement sublime.

[crocodile 9,724]

What amazes me about Danna's music (and his brother's twin The Gospel of John opus) is how unpretentious all the ethnic instruments sound and how everything creates a natural whole with the western orchestra. They are tastefully done.

Now listening to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus by both Danna brothers. Another fine and intelligent example of their craft. A fantasy score that for some reason is not very cherished among film music fans. Or is it because of the film? Weird really, it's one of the best scores in the past few years, in my opinion. Full of wit and imagination.

Karol

[indy4 160]

I'm not too familiar with Mychael Danna, but I love his score to Little Miss Sunshine.

[Romão 2,473]

What amazes me about Danna's music (and his brother's twin The Gospel of John opus) is how unpretentious all the ethnic instruments sound and how everything creates a natural whole with the western orchestra. They are tastefully done.

Now listening to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus by both Danna brothers. Another fine and intelligent example of their craft. A fantasy score that for some reason is not very cherished among film music fans. Or is it because of the film? Weird really, it's one of the best scores in the past few years, in my opinion. Full of wit and imagination.

Karol

I've been meaning to listen to it for quite a while now. Must track it down...

[publicist 4,650]

Now listening to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus by both Danna brothers. Another fine and intelligent example of their craft. A fantasy score that for some reason is not very cherished among film music fans. Or is it because of the film? Weird really, it's one of the best scores in the past few years, in my opinion. Full of wit and imagination.

Karol

When i heard it in the movie, it didn't left any impression on me. Has the album some longer, structured tracks?

[crocodile 9,724]

No, it's generally quite short and all over the place, but I, for one, found it interesting.

Karol

[Jilal 681]

Mission Impossible (Danny Elfman)

Great score, i like it very much. It's the first Elfman score i've ever listened to.

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

The Runner from Ravenshead - Dane Walker

Pretty good pastiche score for a low budget film.

[crocodile 9,724]

Home Alone by John Williams

Karol

[nightscape94 968]

Oddly for me, the only two scores I'm familiar with from the Danna's are Jeff's Gospel of John, and Mychael's Nativity Story, and I'm not religious. Gospel of John being the better of the two scores.

[Nick Parker 3,049]

Yeah, Gospel John is pretty good.

[nightscape94 968]

[Wojo 2,458]

Home Alone by John Williams

Karol

I listened to this album on the drive back to my apartment this evening. It was the very first time listening to the LLR presentation cover-to-cover, and I enjoyed it. The Christmas carol medley at the end was really neat, and if I had the liner notes with me, I'm sure it would explain if that was used in the film, was cut, or is just an added bonus for album owners. And the alternate Carol of the Bells finale was stunningly beautiful.

I just felt totally unwilling to then listen to Home Alone 2, so I switched to some TSO for the few remaining miles.

[Naïve Old Fart 13,023]

I'm not too familiar with Mychael Danna, but I love his score to Little Miss Sunshine.

"Monsoon Wedding" is wonderful!

"Karma Sutra" is not bad, either, nor is "The Ice Storm".

[Jilal 681]

Alliance Assembly (ROTJ)

I love this cue.

[Marian Schedenig 11,694]

And the alternate Carol of the Bells finale was stunningly beautiful.

O Holy Night, actually. It's one of the best bits in the score. A Carol of the Bells based finale would have been something, too, though.

[crocodile 9,724]

Never actually gave this score as much credit, to be honest. But when I listened to it recently, it somehow worked beautifully. Maybe it's something that works only around this time of a year. In any case it's a very well produced album.

War Horse by John Williams

Karol

[Wojo 2,458]

Thanks for knowing what I meant, Marian. Ever know something but not let your fingers in on the joke? I was really tired.

[ZackR 187]

War Horse - Love it. Just beautiful

Home Alone (LLL + OST playlist) - This has been a favorite since I first saw the movie as a kid in the theater. This IS Christmas music to me.

Home Alone 2 (Deluxe) - A wonderful followup and complement to the original.

The Nativity Story - Mychael Danna - This one quickly became a favorite.

I forgot to add:

The Polar Express - Alan Silvestri

I've been working on an analysis of this score just for fun but it's taken much longer than I expected. I've listened and watched this film probably ten times in the last two weeks - either to listen to the score or just watching it with the kids. I went from hating this movie a few years ago to really enjoying it. I've always loved the score though. It deserves the LLL treatment. I wish their relationship with WB would result in a complete release!

[crocodile 9,724]

Never heard a note of The Polar Express. But given that I kind of like his A Christmas Carol, it might be worth a listen.

The Black Dahlia and The Lost World today. Both really good ones.

Karol

[ZackR 187]

I love it. I really do. It sounds like he took the general feel of Ice Dance from Edward Scissorhands and it expanded it into a full score. I could see some people thinking it's a bit repetitious, but I just love it. I don't think it's a rip-off of Edward Scissorhands like some do, but it certainly sounds "inspired by" it. There's not a full score release - just a suite and a bit on the OST, but there is an FYC promo that has some of the highlights.

[lonzoe 19]

Earlier today I listened to Morricone's Fat Man And Little Boy (for the 3rd time), Elfman's Serenada Schizophrana, Standard Operating Procedure, & Iris Cirque Du Soleil. All were excellent. FM&LB has really resonated with for the past few days I've listened to it. The score reallys stays with you, imo. I'm glad LLLR released this.

Just finished Silvestri's The A-Team. On first listen I feel this is better than his GIJOE score. I was actually surprised how good it was. It ain't Predator, but it was still pretty good. Definitely notice stuff on cd that I couldn't hear in the movie b/c of mixing and sound effects.

[Incanus 5,890]

Checkmate / Rhythm in Motion by John Williams: Groovy stuff. Crime jazz side of John Williams and some very nice show tunes with almost tongue in the cheek twist. I am glad I got this one in time since it is a great entry in Johnny's early discography.

Midway by John Williams: Finally we have the original tracks from this score. I can't say this is a revelation after the nice re-recording of the score but the Varese CD Club release has some historical value since we finally have an official release of the actual score. The finale of Men of the York Town March and The Midway March is inarguably the highlight of the album. Downside of sparse spotting is that Williams only accentuates intimate moments and tension but the battles are left almost unscored and most of the pieces are too short to develop satisfyingly which is a shame since at times there is classic JW energy and vibe going on that you would wish had some time to breathe and develop.

[BloodBoal 8,711]

[Naïve Old Fart 13,023]

Didn't have time to listen to either of the complete scores, but...

Yesterday, I listened to "Brother/Sister, Father/Son", and then "South America, 1936"/ "In The Idol's Temple/"Escape From Peru" (or whatever it's called).

The former is just about my favoutite piece from "ROTJ", and is very nicely underscored. The music that underscores Leia saying "Hold me", and then sequeing into the shuttle landing, is sublime.

The latter is...well it's just about the best piece of opening music from any film, EVER. No-one is writing stuff of that calibre, these days, and that, I'm afraid, includes John Williams.

[Richard P 5,303]

Significant 'previews' of LLL's X-Files box.

Really struggling to decide whether to buy this or not - there's some really good stuff, and some not so great stuff, and a lot of it is synth meanderings, which while not meaningless, take a specific mood to enjoy.

[Taikomochi 1,460]

I have come to like the box more as time passed. It's not easily accessible, but I appreciate it now a lot more than I did when I got it. It's one you have to work for, if you know what I mean.

[crocodile 9,724]

Mission Impossible 4. I really like this score. Not as heavy-handed as the previous one (which I also like).

Karol

[Jilal 681]

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. A fantastic score, probably one of Williams' best works.

[indy4 160]

Agreed!

Iris:

This is one of Elfman's best. It is very clearly a work by Elfman - I hear bits of Corpse Bride and especially Big Fish, amongst others - but it is also different enough to a fascinating listen. The main theme is sorta Glass/Herrmannesque, how it takes one motif and just changes the chord and key. I'd say this is the third best score of the year, after War Horse and Tintin.

The Sea Hawk:

A fairly enjoyable, optimistic work. It's my first exposure to Korngold other than the Robin Hood main theme. I love Sea Hawk's main theme and love theme. The former gets played way too much in almost the exact same variation in the first couple tracks, it makes it easy to tire of it. The underscore was decent, although I found myself getting distracted several times. I'm not sure if it'll grow on me or not. It was worth it just for the the main title, the variations of the love theme, the awesome choir version of the main theme, the finale, and a few other select tracks. Oh, and "The Slaves Liberate Themselves, Murder" is a definite inspiration for "Hook-Napped." Even the sudden pauses are the same.

[Romão 2,473]

It will grow on you, Indy, believe me. The intricacy of the music is staggering, and repeat listens really bring them to the front. It's an amazing display of skill and talent

[indy4 160]

It will grow on you, Indy, believe me. The intricacy of the music is staggering, and repeat listens really bring them to the front. It's an amazing display of skill and talent

Okay, I am excited to get to know this score then.

[KK 3,313]

I listened to W.E. for the first time. What a wonderful score by the ever talented Abel Korzeniowski!

I'm now listening to Desplat's score for Extremely Close and Incredibly Close and I like what I'm hearing.

[Matt C 605]

Stardust - Ilan Eshkeri

I know some film score fans look down on this as "another blah fantasy score", but I love it. "Shooting Star", "Flying Vessel" and "The Star Shines" are just standout for me. I'm going to listen to it again...

[lonzoe 19]

Silvetri's GIJOE:ROC, The A-Team, and Captain America:TFA

[Goldsmithfan 6]

Fringe: Season 2. Love it! Bring on season 3 Varese!

[Marian Schedenig 11,694]

Stardust - Ilan Eshkeri

I know some film score fans look down on this as "another blah fantasy score", but I love it. "Shooting Star", "Flying Vessel" and "The Star Shines" are just standout for me. I'm going to listen to it again...

It's certainly not a revolutionary score, and at times it borders too much on a primitive RC sound. But it's definitely inspired and, like the movie, has an awful lot of heart. The whole thing is a bit uneven, but I love the highlights.

[indy4 160]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:

The songs are fantastic. Such an innocent and optimistic score. The underscore will take some time to get used to, but as with Bambi and Pinnochio I think I will learn to like it.

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

Sadly the OST is missing the Finale.

[indy4 160]

This is the version I got, which includes the finale:

http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disneys-White-Seven-Dwarfs/dp/B000001M4D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325637907&sr=8-1

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

I mean, the cue when the witch tries to bring the boulder down on the dwarves.