Popular Post Incanus 5,714 Posted September 3, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted September 3, 2015 The River Music Composed and Conducted by John Williams A review by Mikko Ojala This is a little gem from 1984 that shares the year with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but musically is in a wholly different world. Rural Americana performed by small ensemble, given at times a subtle jaunty pop sensibility by a drumkit and peppy rhythms and graced with numerous gorgeous flute and guitar solos the River is a fascinating opus in the middle of the run of the composer's grand symphonic works. Williams's music perhaps with even too generously compliments director Mark Rydell's very everyday drama of a family (Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek in leading roles) struggling to make ends meet on their farm with the constant threat of the nearby river flooding and with a greedy banker/developer (played by Scott Glenn) waiting to foreclose on the land. Sounds less than riveting drama and plot-wise doesn't it. Well not so with the music! Despite the short running time of the album (the movie doesn't have much more music) the composer crafts not one, not two but three distinct thematic ideas, the jaunty down-on-the-farm main theme, the smoky bluesy often flute-led love theme for the family and the main couple and the dignified and noble "ancestral home" theme that stands for the sanctity of home and hearth and the worthy fight of standing up to the forces of nature (and pressures of modern society). Whoever says Williams is only the guy for strum-und-drang should listen to this humble work with down-to-earth melodicism, beautiful and emotional small scale soloist work, especially for flute and guitar, and the joie-de-vivre that bubbles throughout the music. It is a short album full of highlights. The track The River presents a 2-part end credits suite opening with the sprightly and excited rendition of the main title theme where drumkit gives it a slightly more contemporary (for 1980s) feel before the love theme takes over full of bluesy almost film noirish styled yearning and ends in an extended solo flute coda. Absolutely wonderful stuff and a great way to open the album. The Ancestral Home (the finale of the film, here presented in the middle of the album) is the grandest piece on the album but there is not much orchestral grand standing as Williams slowly builds and builds the long lined noble and gentle Americana theme in the strings, illustrating musically a gradual and steady struggle, which finally burgeons into a triumphant crescendo coinciding with shots of the family and neighbours coming together to build protective wall against the river, celebrating the small victory of the individuals and the community. Love Theme from The River is an extended performance of the bluesy melody, first introduced by flute and trumpet and then given a grander string accompanied reading, that is somewhere between truly romantic and longing. A truly outstanding piece of writing that feels so inherently American without pulling out the old Copland sound palette. The Pony Ride is another playfully energetic piece featuring the main theme and great deft guitar work. It is of course not all sunshine and fun and for variety we have the slow burning suspense of the Tractor Scene (a classic matter-of-fact JW title!) where slow threatening atmosphere is conjured up with minimal means. In the same style the slightly ominous Rain Clouds Gather (the actual main title) introduces the main theme on electric bass and the love theme on flute, both almost sullen and subdued by the foreboding as the eponymous river is seen swollen up by the rain. This is also the only piece of the score that in my opinion gives even a slight hint that it was written in the same year as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as the flute work here has the same mysterious, almost exotic dark quality that pervaded some of the early scenes in the Indian village in that Indy film. Young Friends Farewell presents a tender guitar dueting with the flute which rounds off the album in wistful mood, leaving us almost with a musical question mark and certainly wanting for more. The River is an often overlooked little gem of a score, intimate yet full of colours and variety and shows how Williams thrives in very different musical genres and situations and is always acutely aware of the size of the film and what are its requirements. The score is a stylistic second cousin perhaps to the later grander evocations of rural Americana in Rosewood or even the flute solo moments in War Horse and just as good. Not to be missed! 4/5 -Mikko Ojala- The Illustrious Jerry, Ricard, Omen II and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Good album, and because of its stong Noir elements, it's not all that typical for JW. For indeed, a Harry Potter fan checking out more work of Williams would be disappointed by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,714 Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 Good album, and because of its stong Noir elements, it's not all that typical for JW. For indeed, a Harry Potter fan checking out more work of Williams would be disappointed by it.Depends entirely on the said fan's wider tastes but yes for those who have gotten used to JWs big sound such scores are usually a complete surprise. For a dedicated JW fan it is a delightful little new facet to his musical persona.Speaking of the jazzy/bluesy noir aspect, it would have been great if JW had had a chance to score a real film noir in this style or in the Steiner/Rózsa feel (hints of that can be heard in the Last Crusade and the fun film noir source music in Home Alone 2). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Andrade 1,263 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Not the conventional film noir, but what about "The Long Goodbye"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,714 Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 Not the conventional film noir, but what about "The Long Goodbye"?Ah true. A noir but highly unconventional one indeed and with a great score although with a rather brilliant concept. Far cry from classic style of the genre. Johnny channels so well the great Maxie Steiner film noir sensibilities. And I guess Minority Report is a more modern take on the genre with an equally modern orchestral take on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Nice summary, Incanus - The River is a wonderful score. I believe that the soundtrack album was recorded directly after the actual film soundtrack, so is not exactly the same as what we hear in the movie.There was a nice story I read somewhere (it might have been in FSM) about the guitarist Tommy Tedesco finding it especially tough to get through the Growing Up track, because his son was seriously ill in hospital at the time and his friend Shelly Manne (the famous jazz drummer) had recently passed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Great review as always Incanus! Good album, and because of its stong Noir elements, it's not all that typical for JW. For indeed, a Harry Potter fan checking out more work of Williams would be disappointed by it.Nah, it's a perfectly entertaining and terse album. I'd recommend it to most people, even Harry Potter fans.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,714 Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Nice summary, Incanus - The River is a wonderful score. I believe that the soundtrack album was recorded directly after the actual film soundtrack, so is not exactly the same as what we hear in the movie.There was a nice story I read somewhere (it might have been in FSM) about the guitarist Tommy Tedesco finding it especially tough to get through the Growing Up track, because his son was seriously ill in hospital at the time and his friend Shelly Manne (the famous jazz drummer) had recently passed away.Ah that is an interesting little anecdote about Tedesco. It is a beautiful piece, Growing Up, which has that tender almost dream-like feel to it. And I did not know they re-recorded the OST. Must have been one of the last Williams scores to have a separately reimagined musical programme recorded specifically for the album. JW assembled some great soloists for this score, again from the ranks of the Hollywood studio players I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Great review as always Incanus! Good album, and because of its stong Noir elements, it's not all that typical for JW. For indeed, a Harry Potter fan checking out more work of Williams would be disappointed by it.Nah, it's a perfectly entertaining and terse album. I'd recommend it to most people, even Harry Potter fans..It is but it isn't very Potter-ish. It's Williams at his most reflective.To a Harry Potter fan, I would say, check out Hook, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 You seem to be under the misguided impression that most here value Williams because of Potter!It's obviously his Star Wars and the big Spielberg scores where his legacy lies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Oh, I wasn't really thinking of JWfan members. I was thinking of some random kid jumping on his bed with a replica of Harry's wand in his hand. I wouldn't go to that kid and say "I think The River might be something for you". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 I would... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilal 569 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Speaking of the jazzy/bluesy noir aspect, it would have been great if JW had had a chance to score a real film noir in this style or in the Steiner/Rózsa feel (hints of that can be heard in the Last Crusade and the fun film noir source music in Home Alone 2).I'd say the Main Titles for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN are quite film-noirish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,714 Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 Speaking of the jazzy/bluesy noir aspect, it would have been great if JW had had a chance to score a real film noir in this style or in the Steiner/Rózsa feel (hints of that can be heard in the Last Crusade and the fun film noir source music in Home Alone 2).I'd say the Main Titles for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN are quite film-noirish.Well that stuff harkens back perhaps more to the 1960s swinging comedies in the vein of Mancini's Pink Panther but there are slight hints of noir in there but it is much more humorous and playful in general. Something like Irina's Theme from KOTCS or To Austria or The Austrian Way from TLC are closer to the Steiner-esque vein I am talking about. Recollections (Father's Theme) is perhaps closer to the noir, actually to my mind sharing the some of that longing feel as the Love theme from The River. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 For CMIYC, there is something too studied, too academic about it that kind of kills the fun for me, but whatever. THE RIVER, on the other hand, is pure old-style Williams when every score had 3 or 4 hummable melodies - with the impressionistic flute bookending the end title being one of my earliest non-STAR WARS sightings of Williams music (movie was on tv in the late 80's).It's not his best Rydell but then, neither is the movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 For CMIYC, there is something too studied, too academic about it that kind of kills the fun for me, but whatever. THE RIVER, on the other hand, is pure old-style Williams when every score had 3 or 4 hummable melodies - with the impressionistic flute bookending the end title being one of my earliest non-STAR WARS sightings of Williams music (movie was on tv in the late 80's).It's not his best Rydell but then, neither is the movie.Catch Me if You Can is far too bleak and disjointed for me, especially compared to the stylistic and breezy main title cue. It's one of my least favorite post-77 Williams scores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Really? I like the music of Catch Me If You Can more than War Horse, Tintin or Crystal Skull. Then again, I'm always bored with Williams' wall to wall action scores. Not that I listen to CMIYC that often. Maybe it's time to give it another spin. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Yeah out of those four it's easily the best. It is a film/score that really requires the right mood to work, but when it's the right time, it's very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Catch Me if You Can accurately captures the feeling of sitting alone in the rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,714 Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 Catch Me if You Can accurately captures the feeling of sitting alone in the rain.And isn't that awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 That just proves music is abstract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Or rain is abstract! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Oh, I wasn't really thinking of JWfan members. I was thinking of some random kid jumping on his bed with a replica of Harry's wand in his hand. I wouldn't go to that kid and say "I think The River might be something for you". Maybe that's why the kid will never discover anything beyond Harry Potter. Why pigeon hole people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I'll wait a few years until he's ready. For now, let him enjoy the world of Potter. I mean, if a kid is playing with his Star Wars toys, who am I to say "Put those away, kid, and let me introduce you to the world of 2001: A Space Odyssey"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Hey I was like seven when that happened. It's never too early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Let me put it this way, if KM is humming The Imperial March while he's taking a shower, would you open the door and say: "Hmm, I think you're the perfect candidate for Images"? Really? Sharkissimo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 No, but mostly because I don't want to see KM in the shower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Alex does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Let me put it this way, if KM is humming The Imperial March while he's taking a shower, would you open the door and say: "Hmm, I think you're the perfect candidate for Images"? Really?I have a container of body wash with a Darth Vader lid. That's... Wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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