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


Ollie

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Gosh, you guys have seriously lit a fire under my butt to listen to LOTR scores RIGHTNOW. its been too long!

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It's effing amazing techno. Get me going, feeling amazing, nostalgic, lovey, hot, energized ......

And that's what I've needed as of late.

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Manfredini's first Friday the 13th score (LLL box). Man, is this great music! :worship: I remember how it used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid. It's absolutely perfect for the film. He didn't nail all the sequels as much (well Part VI sure is awesome) but the first one is definitely a classic and a quintessential horror score. They just don't make 'em like that anymore!

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Agreed with everything you said! I wish the parts they talked over had played out before/after they started talking. There was room!

I also forgot to mention how this disc makes it clear the Gondor theme was a huge part of the overall score from the beginning, originally meant to appear in both the prologue and the path through the Argonath statues. I love listening to those 2 alternates, but they clearly made the right choice replacing them in the final film.

The super-long all-choral destruction of the ring alternate gets pretty tiresome after a while. But the all-choir alternate Flight To The Ford is so cool!

Yes I agree about the album with you and BloodBoal. Some chances for more unreleased music were sacrificed for artistic form which was in the end not optimal. Also the Sammath Naur piece choral finale indeed loses momentum after a while, although now that I have listened to it a number of times it flows better than when I first heard it. Still I prefer the film version and the pure dramatic splendour of it.

Listened to this CD only once, but I remember liking the extended Emyn Muil choral segment. I like this one. Shore's vocal writing is so cool.

Currently listening to this (the whole album, not just this track):

[media=]

Karol

That album is just brilliant. Kamen's work is beautiful and accessible and when he was inspired he was truly inspired as these pieces show. :)

Minority Report by John Williams

Nixon by John Williams

Ah brooding and gothic Williams scores, wonderful psychologically charged and compelling stuff.

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So nobody but me hears Total Recall influences in Signs?

I honestly have to say I can't hear but tiniest hint of Goldsmith (JNH being somewhat influenced by him in general) in the score and certainly not before you brought it up I would have thought of Total Recall.

The Mummy by Jerry Goldsmith

The Shadow by Jerry Goldsmith

Patton by Jerry Goldsmith

The Final Conflict by Jerry Goldsmith

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Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (OST)

I know very little of Goldenthal's work, in fact before I recently got LLL's Batman Forever and got this CD used for real cheap, the only one of his score CDs I had was Demolition Man, which I only bought for the cue used in the Men In Black trailer! I have seen this movie, just once in the theater on opening weekend. So I don't remember much about it. The OST CD was enjoyable. I enjoyed the various textures used, I can't say I remember any themes at the moment. Of the two songs at the end, the first one was good, and the second one was awful awful awful! Yikes! Sometime I'd like to see this movie again, and check out the complete score (there is an isolated score track on the DVD I believe)

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Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (OST)

I know very little of Goldenthal's work, in fact before I recently got LLL's Batman Forever and got this CD used for real cheap, the only one of his score CDs I had was Demolition Man, which I only bought for the cue used in the Men In Black trailer! I have seen this movie, just once in the theater on opening weekend. So I don't remember much about it. The OST CD was enjoyable. I enjoyed the various textures used, I can't say I remember any themes at the moment. Of the two songs at the end, the first one was good, and the second one was awful awful awful! Yikes! Sometime I'd like to see this movie again, and check out the complete score (there is an isolated score track on the DVD I believe)

This is one of my favourite Goldenthal scores but it really needs a few listens for you to appreciate it properly, meaning that it is a score that may not make a very memorable first impression but will reveal its riches after several listens. Goldenthal like his mentor Corigliano writes at times quite challenging, almost concert hall type music, the avant garde trashing of Toccata and Dreamscapes here being an example of this, but both composers can also write a mean tune, the love theme heard on several tracks like the Kiss, The Dead Rain and Adagio and Transfiguration a highlight of the score for me. Goldenthal's larger than life gothic fanfares in The Winged Serpent and Zeus Cannon are also pure orchestral bliss to my ears. Now here is a score I would love to hear expanded as I am sure there is more material in the film than the little under 50 minutes found on the album.

I also remember reading that the isolated track on the DVD has also Goldenthal's commentary on it, which to the annoyance of fans is comes on the top of the score iso track, the unreleased bits especially.

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Goldenthal is a composer I want to get into more of. I really enjoy LLL's Batman Forever album. I forgot I also have the Alien 3 OST, but I haven't listened to it in probably 15 years,

As for Final Fantasy I do intend to give it more listens. As I said the textures he uses were pretty unique, not the same as many other scores I have heard. I'll have to try to spot that love theme next time I listen

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I'm a big fan of Elliot Goldenthal, I think the more you hear of him, the more you understand his unique musical language. His Gothic sound is quite chilling sometimes...like watching a good scary movie.

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Goldenthal is definitely a composer whose work needs time to appreciate. And I love his Final Fantasy score.

Passion of the Christ by John Debney

The Gospel of John by Jeff Danna

Dream House by John Debney

Legends of the Fall by James Horner

Pretty random list, I know.

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Some very dramatic music in there!! My favorite of those is the Gospel of John. Beautiful score, beautiful melodies.

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Ahh, Gospel of John is my second favourite in that list (favourite being Legends of the Fall). As great as the melodramatic force of The Passion of the Christ is, The Gospel of John succeeds more in its balance of ethnic instrumentation and wonderful themes. It's a moving score indeed. I've always loved it when the Danna brothers take on films that require ethnic music of some kind.

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Agreed with everything you said! I wish the parts they talked over had played out before/after they started talking. There was room!

I also forgot to mention how this disc makes it clear the Gondor theme was a huge part of the overall score from the beginning, originally meant to appear in both the prologue and the path through the Argonath statues. I love listening to those 2 alternates, but they clearly made the right choice replacing them in the final film.

The super-long all-choral destruction of the ring alternate gets pretty tiresome after a while. But the all-choir alternate Flight To The Ford is so cool!

Yes I agree about the album with you and BloodBoal. Some chances for more unreleased music were sacrificed for artistic form which was in the end not optimal.

Yet you keep on kissing Doug Adams' ass on his blog... You're as despicable as one can be.

Oh BloodBoal, you young whippersnapper, tact and thoughtfulness are the soul of discretion but you don't have either, shouty clown, who didn't mean well at all with that comment btw. I can certainly speak my mind even at Doug's blog about the album, although I am of the mind that the Rarities with its contents is pretty well conceived, there might have been a couple of things that they could have included instead of the interviews etc.
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I wish we could get that bit in Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe that Ian Holm signs over clean without his vocals.

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I wish we could get that bit in Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe that Ian Holm signs over clean without his vocals.

I would not mind those things, including the Last Debate Theatrical version and the White Rider alternate. But those are available from other sources. Plus we have "paltry" about 2½ hours of alternates from those films already, including all the Rarities Archive material.
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Where is the Last Debate theatrical version - in the video game?

The White Rider alternate, are you talking about the OST version of the music where Shadowfax shows up and they ride away? Or the "I fell through space and time" alternate bit from the EE end credits?

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Where is the Last Debate theatrical version - in the video game?

The White Rider alternate, are you talking about the OST version of the music where Shadowfax shows up and they ride away? Or the "I fell through space and time" alternate bit from the EE end credits?

Yes the alternate bit from the TTT EE credits. And the Last Debate ending is found in the Battle for Middle Earth 2. But those would have been nice to have "officially".
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Ug ...the completist in me is sad that there are bits of LOTR music that must be taken from video games and DVD menus. Can't wait for your edits, Jason :) :) :)

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It would be nice if the LOTR trilogy received the modern "definitive specialty label treatment" that so many other classic scores get these days, but it will probably never come to be. At least we can get most of the way there ourselves with a vast amount of research, ripping, and editing

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Oh BloodBoal, you young whippersnapper, tact and thoughtfulness are the soul of discretion but you don't have either, shouty clown, who didn't mean well at all with that comment btw. I can certainly speak my mind even at Doug's blog about the album, although I am of the mind that the Rarities with its contents is pretty well conceived, there might have been a couple of things that they could have included instead of the interviews etc.

Oh, you reminded me one thing I forgot to mention: the fact that the In Conversation tracks weren't (or at least, do not feel) prepared. It's like this:

Doug Adams: So, Howard, what do you want to talk about?

Howard Shore: I don't know, man. Whatever you want, man. The fans already bought the CD anyway if they're listening to this, so we can talk about anything we want: beer, sex, drugs... Whatever, man.

Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit, as there are some interesting tidbits in these tracks, but nothing that couldn't have been included directly in the book...

I think those tracks were originally part of the planned DVD that was to come with the book but when it got scrapped they wanted to carry the interviews over to the CD.
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Of the two songs at the end, the first one was good, and the second one was awful awful awful! Yikes! Sometime I'd like to see this movie again, and check out the complete score (there is an isolated score track on the DVD I believe)

The second song is crap, but the first one (written by Goldenthal) is fantastic.

If you like FF, give Sphere a try. It's somewhat similar in ambiance and intensity, and my favourite Goldenthal score. Interview With the Vampire is another one that's quite accessible.

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If anything, it shows Goldenthal is a much better songwriter than Horner ever was. Confirmed also by Frida, The Tempest and Michael Collins (to lesser extent).

Karol

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Honey I Shrunk the Kids by James Horner: As could be said about many Horner scores, derivative but entertaining.

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Star Trek IV by Lenny Rosenman

Trent was right, the new Intrada edition does change one's opinion on this score. I actually find it really enjoyable now.

Captain America: The First Avengers

If only Avengers score was as good as this. he 2011 had much more personality, melody and colour. And this cool old school vibe, all of which is absent in the 2012. Best Silvestri work since The Mummy Returns. People say Cap's isn't used enough in the score, but in fact it makes countless cool appearances. This is my favourite track:

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX_K5yd5xkg

Karol

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Star Trek IV by Lenny Rosenman

Trent was right, the new Intrada edition does change one's opinion on this score. I actually find it really enjoyable now.

Captain America: The First Avengers

If only Avengers score was as good as this. he 2011 had much more personality, melody and colour. And this cool old school vibe, all of which is absent in the 2012. Best Silvestri work since The Mummy Returns. People say Cap's isn't used enough in the score, but in fact it makes countless cool appearances. This is my favourite track:

Karol

post-17845-0-94971700-1344540340_thumb.j

*Avenger

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A Very Long Engagement by Angelo Badalamenti

His most enjoyable work, in my opinion. Good stuff.

Dragonslayer by Alex North

Again. Absolutely loving it. Makes we want to buy this uber-expensive Spartacus set. Alex North was one of the best things to happen in film music history, no doubt about that.

Karol

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Yes, that's what I was talking about!

There are other parts that are more TR-like too

Now that I think about it some of the Mars material sounds a bit like Signs.
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Chris Bacon - Source Code

One of the best main titles in a long time! I immediately noticed it when watching the movie and I enjoy it everytime I listen to separately as well. The rest of the score it perfectly enjoyable and has good moments of action, suspense, and drama. Even though nothing else is as good as the main titles, its still a good listen. I think Chris P Bacon is a composer to watch!

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Far and Away by John Williams: I keep forgetting how wonderful this score is, a beautiful mix of Irish and Americana with old fashioned dramatic sweep and rousing set pieces. Although Chieftains adds some local Irish colour the orchestra carries much of the melodies, a good many for Ireland and the central Love theme and a Coplandesque one for the Land Race. A far too often forgotten gem of an album that really charts the story of the film from start to finish and contains a good dramatic arc, even the more subtle and atmospheric romantic cues adding to the whole and offering variety and breathers from the often humorous and energetic Irish scrapper music at the beginning and in the middle portion of the album, which culminates in the track The Big Match, a mix of grand action and heart wrenching pathos.

As mentioned before the Land Race sequence, divided into three cues is a big highlight charting the course of the finale of the film, running a gamut of emotions from the rousing opening for the settler race and the subsequent scenes where the protagonists fight for their plot of land in Oklahoma to the desperation and tragedy and finally to the triumphant and lyrical send off of the love theme as the couple is united at the end of the film. I remember hearing the End Credits for the first time on Filmworks CD and I had to get the soundtrack album soon after, so impressive was that 6½ minute summary of the score, a wonderful beginning of the 90's style Williams end credits suite, which really brings the album to a grand finish. What a terrific emotional and fun score from Williams.

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Yeap, definitely although the soundtrack album is a pretty good one.

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Super 8 and Medal of Honor by Giacchino

Now listening to Naverette's Pan's Labyrinth. It's a largely excellent score, but pushes its melodramatic parts a little bit too far for it to be truly effective.

Karol

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The Haunting by Jerry Goldsmith.

I really like this one - even the recording has a very spacious quality to it, which fits the context of a large, empty, mansion. The theme in 'Home Safe' is a beautiful melody (works wonderfully in the film - actually inspired me to find the score), and there seem to be several other little motifs that bring to mind a rather spooky desolation. Wonderful use of counterpoints too.

Possibly my favourite smaller Goldsmith score :)

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As a whole I never found the score that appealing. The carousel music is annoying, and the suspense stuff is ok. But that theme is wonderful, and makes the CD worth owning.

I wouldn't call it a "smaller" Goldsmith score though. Among those, Fierce Creatures is a rarely mentioned gem.

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My 6-year old sister got hooked on Williams music. Especially Star Wars.

Tonight, we listened to all kinds of tracks, and she wanted me to play them over and over and over again, ad nauseam.

SW Main Titles, Imperial March, Across The Stars, Cantina Band, Bounty Hunter's Pursuit, Love Pledge and The Arena, Duel Of The Fates, Superman March, Harry Potter ....

She was whistling the music all day long.

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And she's hooked. You can slowly introduce some heavier stuff like War of the Worlds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Images.

Sleeping with the Enemy (LLLR).

Enjoyable score. Nothing amazing though.

Yeah I remember this being one of the first Jerry Goldsmith scores I ever listened, borrowed from the library back in the day when I was just exploring the film music world. A lovely main theme but on the whole pretty middle of the road Goldsmith.

Super 8 and Medal of Honor by Giacchino

Now listening to Naverette's Pan's Labyrinth. It's a largely excellent score, but pushes its melodramatic parts a little bit too far for it to be truly effective.

Karol

After listening to it for a while now Super 8 would indeed benefit from a slightly tighter album but the highlights are some of the best material Giacchino has ever written.

Medal of Honor is a thoroughly fun and enjoyable score and the way the composer develops his ideas, either for set pieces or the main themes, in these long self contained musical portraits of situations and places is very satisfying, the freedom of tinkering with the structure really affecting them in the best possible way. While some thematic ideas might be derivative a bit, they are not on the Horner level of borrowing, rather capturing the spirit of adventure scores of the past and Giacchino carries them through the score and develops them in an interestring way.

Pan's Labyrinth is a curious score as it is wonderfully orchestral, has a nice main theme and impressionistic musical painting but on the whole there is something that stops it from becoming a classic, a certain lack of heart or intangible magic of the best film scores. Perhaps it is the overly monothematic approach or the slightly morbid atmosphere of the musical world. A 4 star score for its merits though.

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