5745 replies to this topic

[Chaac]

I used to listen to that score again and again, but I haven't for at least two years. Time to go to Skull Island.

[crocodile]

War Horse and Tintin

They're pretty damn good.

Back to Gaya

Lovely score. Even though, it more plays like a tribute, Michael Kamen's ghost is looming over it, clearly.


Right now listening to the 100 minutes of alternates from Ben-Hur. I've separated the whole set into five playlists: The film score, three LP albums, and the alternates. That's the best way to listen to it, I think. What's surpsrising these alternates almost create a score album of their own. And very good one at that.

Karol

[indy4]

Young Bess - Miklos Rosza

[crocodile]

Never heard that one. Is it good?

Karol

[E.T. & Elliott]

Beautiful 70 degree day. I felt no shame driving home blasting the EPCOT 1982 entrance medley with the windows down. Late afternoon, I layed out under the sun in the bed of my truck listening to War Horse. It's a good score, but it's by no means a favorite JW. I know that now.

[indy4]

Never heard that one. Is it good?

Karol

I am by no means a Rozsa expert, but it's enjoyable enough. I bought it mostly for the variation on Dies Irae in the track titled "Dies Irae," and that's still what I like best about it. But the rest of the score is pretty good, too. Can't say I've given it enough attention to really understand the score or review it properly, but it's a pleasant listening experience.

[Joe Brausam]

http://www.amazon.co...32115457&sr=1-5

Get this, indy4. It has a wonderful brass/organ suite from Young Bess, about 15 minutes long. It has a nice development of the Dies Irae material in the suite.

[indy4]

Thanks! I think you've told me about this before. It's on my "to buy" list, but it probably won't happen for awhile given all the other stuff that's also on the list.

Just listened to Philip Glass' 1000 Airplanes on the Roof. This is probably my favorite work by Glass, it's fantastic. The climax in "Where Have You Been Asked the Doctor" is chilling.

[E.T. & Elliott]

Joel McNeely's Hall of Presidents score is phenomenal. Listening to a crappy bootleg recording of the pre-show. Intrada should release this.

[indy4]

On The Town - A great first listen. I hear some welcome foreshadowings of West Side Story and Candide. What a fun score, I cannot wait to get to know this better.

[alicebrallice]

the social network - trent reznor & atticus ross

ugh, what an appallingly bad score it is. 'hand covers bruise' has grown on me, though.

[Jason LeBlanc]

its still WAY better than their dragon tattoo score

[alicebrallice]

I'll have to watch the movie and get back to you on that one.

did you prefer the swe or us version btw?

[Jason LeBlanc]

Never seen the swedish film, but it looks pretty boring

The Fincher film was terrific

[crocodile]

They're both lame to be honest.

Karol

[alicebrallice]

Never seen the swedish film, but it looks pretty boring

pffft..... well "our" score is way better.

[Matt C]

pffft..... well "our" score is way better.

You are so right on that one. So gorgeous.

[BloodBoal]

its still WAY better than their dragon tattoo score

It's like saying dog poop is better than cat poop. In the end, it's just poop.

[Jason LeBlanc]

I like the NIN album Ghosts I-IV better than either

[Wojo]

its still WAY better than their dragon tattoo score

It's like saying dog poop is better than cat poop. In the end, it's just poop.

Dogs don't eat their own, but a cat's poop is like a candy bar.

[alicebrallice]

Dogs don't eat their own, but a cat's poop is like a candy bar.

dafuq did I just read?

[Wojo]

If you had a dog, you'd know it to be true.

[crocodile]

John Carter by Michael Giacchino

Now this is the score that I wanted Star Trek to be. Giacchino has finally pulled it off. He finds a right balance between his more gritty and dry voice of late and a big heart of his animated scores. Reminds me a lot of early Arnold. A bit better recording helps as well. I like both Super 8 and Mission: Impossible 4, but this one is better than both of them combined.

Karol

[Matt C]

There Be Dragons (Warbeck and Folk)

I prefer Robert Folk's score for the international version, but Warbeck's original score is no slouch either. Folk emphasizes the drama with more emphasis on the guitar, which gives it such an irresistible flavor. Warbeck's is more restrained and subtle (hardly any guitar or any period instruments), and feels more at home in a John Madden film (like The Debt, which he did not score).

[Trent Bennett]

Yesterday I listened to the complete score for Superman Returns. I know this score gets a lot of flak here but I for one love it. I had not listened to it in a while and forgot how wonderful it is.

[KK.]

Schindler's List

I don't know why, but I was kind of in the mood for this today, so I popped in the CD, and I'm taken away as usual...

[Matt C]

Mercenaries - Tilton/Giacchino

I know Giacchino just wrote the theme for this, and Tilton wrote the rest but man... this is great stuff and better than Giacchino's Secret Weapons Over Normandy (and a lot of Giacchino's live-action output, including John Carter). The action music is plenty, but diverse enough so it doesn't grate. "Hidden Valley Bunker", "Swedish Fireballs" and "Countdown" are among the many highlights in this album. I don't know if it's just me, but overall this is a great effort by LLL.

The Northwest Sinfonia did such a good job performing this score (maybe Giacchino and Tilton should use them more often, hint hint). And thanks to someone else handling recording duties, Dan Wallin's mixing isn't bad at all.

[lonzoe]

La La Land Records Batman Forever

[Richard]

The Intrada "ALIEN". O.k., o.k., so I substituted the LP "main title" for the film version (I just prefer the latter), but this is without a shadow of a doubt, the scariest score I have EVER listened, and the images that it conjured up made me have bad dreams...again!
Sometimes it doesen't even sound like music, rather, it sounds like orchestral wretching. This is an absolute shining jewel in a very large crown!

[Taikomochi]

the social network - trent reznor & atticus ross

ugh, what an appallingly bad score it is. 'hand covers bruise' has grown on me, though.

I did hate it too, at first. But it did have a weird growing effect. I think regardless of how good it is as music, it works fantastically in the film, particularly in the first 15 minutes of the film. I enjoy listening to the score on that basis alone.

[Pasi Tiitinen]

I would love to see The Social Network but I won't because I hate all the music by these two gentlemen.

[Stefancos]

The score does not play very loudly in the film. A lot of the time you don't even notice it.

[Pasi Tiitinen]

Ok, I'll watch it.

[Taikomochi]

The score does not play very loudly in the film. A lot of the time you don't even notice it.

A lot of that is probably attributable to how much of the score is just bland ambience, which, admittedly, is pretty lame. However, the moments of the score that shine greatly enhance the film, particularly those opening 15 minutes. They kick ass, and I'm certain that's how it won its oscar.

[BloodBoal]

I would love to see The Social Network but I won't because I hate all the music by these two assholes.

Fixed.

[Pasi Tiitinen]

Amazing thing is that is EXACTLY what I fist intended to type!!!!

Scary

[BloodBoal]

I can read minds.

[KK.]

Thats a scary thought. I don't want you in my head!

Begone, foul demon!

[BloodBoal]

Thats a scary thought. I don't want you in my head!

Begone, foul demon!

I knew you would say that!

[Incanus]

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.