5755 replies to this topic

[crocodile]

I never quite got into is as much as I'd like. The main theme is great (contrary to what people say), but something gets lost someway halfway through. Maybe I should just give it a listen, because it's been a while?

John Carter is constantly being played this week. A really good score and very entertaining album.

Now it's time for David Arnold's Independence Day.

Karol

[Incanus]

I think the action music in Sleepy Hollow might get a bit frenetic and relentless for some listeners.

I am off to have an Indiana Jones score marathon, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[Romão]

Sleepy Hollow by Danny Elfman: Without a doubt my favourite Elfman score. Everything seems to fall into place in this one. The gothic darkness, the sweeping drama and romance, the macabre comedy and furious and relentless action are all present. And while the score is mostly monothematic the composer winds the melody through a fantastic set of variations, the main theme commenting the action as need be, working as a curtain opening herald of doom or transforming into a love theme interlude or becoming ghostly, childlike and playful. There are two or three accompanying motifs Elfman weaves between the strains of the main theme with regularity, the Mystery and Foreboding theme that seems to be everywhere in this score, informing almost all events in Sleepy Hollow, the short exclamatory Headless Horse Man motif swooping down on the listener as relentlessly as the character and the Riding motif making a couple of appearances underscoring, you guessed it, scenes where the Horseman pursues his victims.

The whole mood of this score is darkly romantic and Elfman eschews from outright horror music for the most part, his thematic ideas always anchoring the music in firm melodicism. As said above the main theme runs through an impressive array of permutations, keeping the music fresh and interesting throughout. Deep and weighty orchestrations offer melodramatic musical exposition to the unfolding gruesome events, lower woodwinds and brass often performing renditions of the secondary themes underneath the action. The action music itself is relentless and vicious, blaring and hammering, the orchestra and chorus attacking the listener brutally but always dancing on the fine between listenable and draining but never straying on the latter side as Elfman cleverly interpolates his themes into the mix and keeps the musical carnage engaging.

The album is well compiled, containing all the major sequences from the film in near chronological order which makes for a strong musical narrative. There is always enough breathing space between the heaviest action setpieces so that the listening experience does not wear you out and steadily builds towards a big finale containing yet again Elfman's classic Final Confrontation track. The gothically rich and romantic musical ideas capture the imagination, clever orchestrations and use of chorus all enhance this overall atmosphere. Here Elfman shows how horror can be done in style and scope.

My favorite Elfman as well But the first half of the album is much much stronger than the second half. As you said, the action music can get a bit grating in the second half.

The foreboding theme, as you called it, is terrific. When it is heard in The Story, with that Oboe backing, it sounds simply superb. Elfman has a gret knack for writing this sort of foreboding, driving, motifs. He also wrote a great one for Hulk

[Stefancos]

I am off to have an Indiana Jones score marathon, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Incorrect, you have to start with TOD.

[Incanus]

I am off to have an Indiana Jones score marathon, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Incorrect, you have to start with TOD.

Did I say something about a chronological marathon Stefan? You should pay more attention. And where is the much more effective WRONG! I ask you? Incorrect is too polite. Good old cold WRONG! in your face was much more effective.

[Stefancos]

You dont start a marathon at the 12th kilometre.

[Marian Schedenig]

You dont start a marathon at the 12th kilometre.

If the track is a closed loop, it doesn't matter where you start.

[Richard]

I am off to have an Indiana Jones score marathon, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Incorrect, you have to start with TOD.

Don't you have to start with "Indy's First Adventure"?

I can read minds.

Can you read my mind? Can you picture the things I'm thinking of?

[Stefancos]

You dont start a marathon at the 12th kilometre.

If the track is a closed loop, it doesn't matter where you start.

Which is not the case with a marathon.

[Wojo]

I'm pretty sure there's also no way to relate four scores and however many hours that is in your playlist to 26.2 miles' worth of running.

[Stefancos]

An average runner can do a marathon well under 3 hours, so he would not finish the whole trilogy.

[E.T. & Elliott]

You know, a chronological listen of the Indy scores is something I've never attempted. Indy's First Adventure, followed by Temple of Doom, Raiders, the rest of Crusade and maybe Crystal Skull. I'll have to try that.

I'm listening to Barry's King Kong. This score is absolutely amazing. That unmistakable romantic sound at some of his very best. Pulse-pounding and hair-raising stuff for that gigantic turned-on ape's various run-ins with nutty religious natives dressing up like priests to get laid, gun-toting environmental rapists and asshole National Guardsmen mining New York's bridges. I definitely desire the complete score without sound effects. There are far too many phenomenal cues missing, like Jack's story of the island, the actual arrival at Skull Island and the big guy's escapade in the Big Apple. Want.

[Wojo]

I would never attempt that because after listening to the circus train track go right into The Portuguese Coast....the "gap" of ROTLA and TOD, in either purportedly correct order, would be too jarring.

I have the albums tagged in the order of film release year, and that's it. Making TOD a prequel had no impact on the movie other than the date in the opening titles.

[Incanus]

Stanley & Iris by John Williams: A chamber sized delicate and optimistic score from the maestro. Always succeeds in cheering me up. Has a nice sunny feel that reminds me of spring and summer time.

[Faleel]

Making TOD a prequel had no impact on the movie other than the date in the opening titles.

thats not entirely true....

[Trent Bennett]

La-La Land's release for Godzilla by David Arnold.

It had been a while since I heard it and thought I'd give it a go again. Man what an awesome release and it's pure adrenaline fun, with hints from Stargate and Independence Day woven in.

The film itself is a guilty pleasure of mine but the score is awesome as hell.

[Stefancos]

Making TOD a prequel had no impact on the movie other than the date in the opening titles.

thats not entirely true....

It makes Indy's line from Raiders about not believing in magic and a lot of supersticious hocus pocus rather strange.

[John Crichton]

Been listening to my new copy of John Carter during all the Hook fun. Another home run for Giacchino, who's really been on a "peak career" roll the last 4-5 years.

[crocodile]

Been listening to my new copy of John Carter during all the Hook fun. Another home run for Giacchino, who's really been on a "peak career" roll the last 4-5 years.

I'd say it eclipses his other film works. I've been listening to this constantly over the past few weeks.

Karol

[Wojo]

Making TOD a prequel had no impact on the movie other than the date in the opening titles.

thats not entirely true....

It makes Indy's line from Raiders about not believing in magic and a lot of supersticious hocus pocus rather strange.

Please elaborate, Faleel. Don't be shy.

Additionally, I would argue that making TOD a prequel turns Indy's encounter with the Thuggee swordsmen near the bridge, when he reaches for his missing pistol, an inside joke that we don't get. The musical snippet also makes less sense because we haven't heard the full treatment in Raiders, when he just shoots the elaborate swordsman.

I think that Indiana Jones' introduction in Raiders is a much stronger character presentation than that in Temple. We see all the trademarks that we come to know. The hat. The whip. Him doing archaeology stuff. Action. Granted, in Temple, we get a lot of dialogue about Indy's archaeological exploits and see his womanizing, but until he spears the guy and starts shooting...even then, we may not understand what kind of man Indiana Jones is until he gets into the airplane IF Temple was our first introduction to him, and not Raiders. He's still Any Guy 80s Action Movie Star at that point.

Yes, both intros have the commonalities of Indy making mistakes, losing the treasure, running away, and barely escaping with his life.

That's about it.

[Faleel]

I find that it makes it seem (not entirely I admit) that he changes to what he is in Raiders during the course of the movie.

[E.T. & Elliott]

I still feel that the supersticious hocus pocus line in Raiders works given that TOD is a prequel. Indy experiences all these amazing things on his adventures, but he never recounts them to Marcus. In fact, Marcus blows off his story about what happened with the idol in Raiders. "Want to hear about it?" "Not at all." He never told him any of that shit that went down in Temple of Doom.

[Wojo]

I still feel that the supersticious hocus pocus line in Raiders works given that TOD is a prequel. Indy experiences all these amazing things on his adventures, but he never recounts them to Marcus. In fact, Marcus blows off his story about what happened with the idol in Raiders. "Want to hear about it?" "Not at all." He never told him any of that shit that went down in Temple of Doom.

I still disagree. He doesn't ask Brody if he wants to hear about the superstitious hocus pocus. He says "I don't believe." First person. Indiana Jones. Not..."do you, Marcus Brody, believe?"

Marcus blows off a story that -- the audience knows -- is totally grounded in reality, i.e. the traps in the idol temple and escaping from Belloq's Hovitos.

He doesn't blow off a discussion about the supernatural and we cannot know that the TOD adventure happened before. When the gov't agents confront Brody and Jones, Brody is as taken in by the story as Indy, but later we see Brody nearly scared to death about Indiana going after the Ark. He knows it is probably imbued with the power of God, but it is Indiana who is skeptical.

That's why this order works:

Raiders:
Indiana: [laughing] Oh, Marcus. What are you trying to do, scare me? You sound like my mother. We've known each other for a long time. I don't believe in magic, a lot of superstitious hocus pocus. I'm going after a find of incredible historical significance, you're talking about the boogie man. Besides, you know what a cautious fellow I am. [throws his gun into his suitcase]

Temple of Doom:
Shaman of Maypore: Now you see the power of the rock you bring back.
Indiana Jones: Yes. I understand its power now.

-------

Now turn it around, and view them in the order George Lucas instructs.

Shaman of Maypore: Now you see the power of the rock you bring back.
Indiana Jones: Yes. I understand its power now.

Indiana: [laughing] Oh, Marcus. What are you trying to do, scare me? You sound like my mother. We've known each other for a long time. I don't believe in magic, a lot of superstitious hocus pocus. I'm going after a find of incredible historical significance, you're talking about the boogie man. Besides, you know what a cautious fellow I am. [throws his gun into his suitcase]

Now, is Indiana really a believer, and he's playing it cool for the benefit of his friend and mentor? That'd be the only way the TOD/Raiders order makes sense. Indiana starts out being skeptical about a bunch of rocks, then becomes a believer. Then when confronted by the power of God, he goes all macho to show Marcus that he's not actually scared out of his mind, since he already defeated a boogie man in charge of a mind control cult -- magic! superstition! -- who worshipped a god tantamount to the devil.

Maybe. I just don't like it.

-----

But then again, Indiana Jones learns nothing from his previous adventures, because he later actually asks Brody if he believes in the power of the Grail, after recognizing what danger his father's in. It's not like he hasn't already gone up against God once before. No...

[Faleel]

remember though, the Ark is BC and the Grail is AD. big difference.

[crocodile]

I'm listening to the Conan The Bararian done by City of Prague Philharmonics. I got it this afternoom. And what a treat this is. I always knew the score, but it felt somewhat flat. The new recording is exactly what it needed. Fantastic job that finally makes a great piece of work truly great.

Karol

[Charlie Brigden]

I enjoy the rerecording a lot, but I return to the original far more. It could be a nostaglia/familiarity thing, but it just sounds better to me.

[Stefancos]

Well soon Intrada will give us the complete score.

[KK.]

Fair enough, but personally, I always listen to the Prague re-recording when I feel like some Conan. Its truly a fantastic piece of work. You can always count on a good Tadlow release!

[Wojo]

I would buy the complete original score, but I'd never listen to it.

[KK.]

Listening to James Newton Howard's The Last Airbender at the moment. This is an absolutely fantastic score! But as I'm listening to the album, I keep getting frustrated at the stupid choir re-use issue with the album (for economic purposes, they practically got rid of the choir on the album), you can faintly hear the epic choral chanting that Howard had written and its barely audible!!!!

[crocodile]

I enjoy the rerecording a lot, but I return to the original far more. It could be a nostaglia/familiarity thing, but it just sounds better to me.

It's married to the film for eternity. And yes, most of us had at least one of the old albums (Milan version in my case). I will buy the complete version of that performance, of course. But when I was talking about it making impression was simply due to the modern booming recording. This kind of a score benefits greatly from that. To hear all that orchestrations and stuff in such clarity is a revelation.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig]

I think the Tadlow Conan is spot on. The first time I listened to it, it felt like listening to the OST recording, only with a remastered sound and performance, if you know what I mean. The one cue on it which I think doesn't quite match the original is Theology/Civilization. Which happens to be my favourite cue from the score...

[crocodile]

One thing that felt strange for me: not hearing the narration in the opening piece. I'm so used to it.

Karol

[Chaac]

It's one of my favourite scores yet I still haven't heard the Tadlow recording which pisses me off. I've been purposely not listening to Varése's 16 track CD for quite a while.

I'm probably getting both recordings if I can and putting what's missing of one in the other and the other way around. Also indicate if something in one of the recordings wasn't recorded according to Poledouris' intentions, I overheard this happens slightly in the original. Heh, that would be the kind of care I can only have for my very favourites. Come with papa.

[Marian Schedenig]

While the only original CD of the OST recording I have at the moment is the Milan album, I got a CDR copy of the Varese disc years ago, so I got un-used to the narration a while ago.

[Charlie Brigden]

I missed the narration so much I edited it onto the Varese. I also included a DVD rip of the end narration before an edit of the end titles. Which is funny as I was unhappy at the Nimoy Khan narration on the FSM disc.

[Wojo]

I have heard the narration exactly once, and would never want it to open my Conan album. Never. Ugh.

I'd rather make Microsoft Sam speak "A long time ago in a galaxy far far away" between my fanfare and opening blare.

(not really, but still. It sounded neurotic in my head, so I had to say it)

[Chaac]

I don't want any narration on Conan. I haven't seen the film and I associate the music with other stuff entirely.

[Joe Brausam]

Everyone should own FSM's release of Dmitri Tiomkin's Land of the Pharaohs. Seriously this score is a real powerhouse, especially the first half. Anyone who enjoy's Tiomkin's crazy style would love this score if you haven't heard it before!

[Chaac]

Everyone should own FSM's release of Dmitri Tiomkin's Land of the Pharaohs. Seriously this score is a real powerhouse, especially the first half. Anyone who enjoy's Tiomkin's crazy style would love this score if you haven't heard it before!

Noted. I think I've only heard a pair of themes from The Alamo. Stuff to discover, no doubt.