Tom Guernsey

As long as he has time to mix up with film work that’s cool. I know he’s often said that he couldn’t previously quite imagine composing without images to start from and had to effectively conjure up images to inspire him for Serenada Schizophrana but it feels like he’s gained the confidence to write absolute music and to do it really well!

I hadn’t thought of that! It’s not even clear what that outline is meant to be or represent. I’m sure someone could do something great using actual/concept art from the JP scored films featured and turn it into an epic montage of dragons, dinosaurs, chickens and Matt Damon!

Oh yeah. That Jerry Fielding eh? ;-)

Well I love to eat and cook too so maybe haha. There’s lots of nice places round Notting Hill for sure. I do miss there being so many great second hand cd shops. In the U.K., Oxfam book shops often have a good classical selection but a lot of the second hand shops have closed down. Music and Video Exchange at Notting Hill used to have a separate unit for classical music, soundtracks and dvds but has downsized considerably. Still a pretty good choice though and lots of boxed sets. I had to stop myself buying the boxes set of Villa-Lobos’ symphonies as I own most if not all of them already but a smart boxed set is always so enticing! And it was only £13.

Yes indeed and same. I think one time I bought over 20 CDs, many of which were only a pound or so. I have got a few soundtracks there but I’m at the stage where I more or less own everything that’s been released that I might want stage but for classical there always seems to be something else to explore. Maybe it’s safer you don’t explore your local used CD shops, your wallet won’t thank you! If I’m visiting London for a long weekend I usually try and pop in there. I don’t actually think there are any other especially interesting second hand shops in london for classical or soundtracks. A couple in Manchester though.

He should have scored it in the style of Hawaii 5-0.

Should have specified the title (think I assumed everyone would know what I was talking about, apologies!). Maybe not awful but it’s certainly incredibly dull. I’ve added the JW/SS album cover (in its pullout form) as well!

Fair. It’s more of the same to be honest. If you didn’t know you probably wouldn’t realise!

For anyone in and around London, the music and video exchange in Notting Hill is due to have a big new selection of classical albums out on display next week. They had a flood in their basement where all the classical music was sold and it’s still closed bht glad they are managing to get back on track. Even from their limited selection I still managed to just buy half a dozen albums… ugh I have no willpower.

More of a quick answer but for anyone in and around London, the music and video exchange in Notting Hill has a fair few FSM albums (mostly Newman, Waxman) for sale. If there’s a better thread for this, anyone please feel free to copy and paste. They will also have a big new batch of classical music for sale from next week for those classically minded!

Of what?!

Definitely. I decided that it would better divided into episodes as each one makes for a satisfying listen and is a more manageable length. Plus I can use a range of the custom artwork people have created in my library! One issue with tv albums is the length even with the best of them.

I have to admit that I haven’t enjoyed his video game scores as much as I hoped. It’s like it’s written by John Williams bot. However, as it’s for (I assume) long sections of game play where they want it to sound like the battle of hoth or whatever for a sustained period without quite resolving then it’s ideal. It has to sound just enough like Star Wars action music and it’s perfect for what it’s for. However if he can take the musical DNA of Star Wars and apply it to proper narrative drama I think he could probably do a decent job.

While I always treasure a big box of CDs from LLL, Intrada or SAE, there are definitely a few that are more memorable or treasured than others and that’s definitely right up there. I think the package containing Jurassic Park and TLW and another with the 3 disc Star Trek: TMP would be at the top of my most exciting parcels. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, when expansions were rather fewer and further between, there was probably a greater frisson of excitement such as when I received the Star Wars special editions or the first time ET was expanded but there are still some pretty special collecting moments. I totally relate! I usually give anything new one listen but so easily if it’s not a grail, long sought after scores can still easily disappear from my consciousness. Ironically I made a point of listening to Masada a few months ago before the new version was released. I have re-ripped the new mastering into iTunes (just replacing the original files) plus the extra tracks, I’m not sure when I’ll actually get round to it all again! Oddly it’s not a Jerry score that I have ever really got into and listen to the re-recording more often. Nice to have that in better sound.

Fair comment! I think it’s just the realisation that it’s not next year but the year after which makes it seems so distant. Let’s face it, if he’d announced HTTYD2 two years ago, I doubt we’d have all expected a worldwide pandemic and land war in Europe to have happened in the gap. Hope the two years until 2024 are better all round lol.

Makes sense that if he wrote an updated version of a concert arrangement that he’d record it for the sequel when the opportunity arose. But it’s basically half the concert arrangement of Alice’s theme (more or less) from the original score but then works in some music from other cues (including the finale I think) from the midway point. It does make it a more varied suite I think.

Yes I think it was. I thought that’s what I’d said but maybe I didn’t express myself very well!

Just giving this a listen and reaffirm my recommendation to check it out. Really lovely. Just to clarify that the non-Menken tracks are traditional music from the era not speeches.

Following the discussion on civil war scores in another thread, giving his Lincoln score a listen. Lovely stuff even if the main theme sounds a bit like the carriage ride music from The Little Mermaid. For those who feel JW’s Lincoln score was a bit too understated, a fine alternative!

I totally sympathise. I get especially carried away when buying classical online at Presto as most albums are £5 to £7 for a lossless cd quality download and even less for Naxos or if they have a deal on. I usually set myself a limit of £20 but that’s still 4 or 5 albums. Plus all the other stuff… doesn’t help that I had a hard drive failure last year which wasn’t properly backed up (now my library is double backed up!) so I had several months of music to reimport and/or copy from the backup I did have so it all appears as “unplayed” in my iTunes. Think I still have like 2 weeks of solid listening to catch up on! Still, it’s an enjoyable problem to have I guess!

Gosh I thought I was bad for not getting round to listening to things 😜. It took me a while to get round to the other scores in the set I have to say (and they didn’t actually interest me much in the end, even the other Jerry ones) but glad I got it anyway.

And (according to Facebook memories), exactly two years after I acquired it. Fun score. The most Joe Dante score that isn’t a Joe Dante score. I also got the Planet of the Apes set in the same order. And The Swarm. I was clearly in a Jerry scores wildlife mood… some other great titles in that delivery!

Does anyone fancy making a custom cover for the John Powell compilation? I mean the album is great but the artwork is absolutely terrible. I can’t believe they couldn’t find something better. Even a decent picture of the orchestra would have been good. It really needs something like that amazing Dan Struzan (I think?) panoramic montage used in the first JW/SS album but appreciate not everyone can afford to commission something like that for their first compilation!

I agree. I didn’t massively enjoy the films and didn’t like some of the changes to the songs (making BatB more epic in particular seemed at odds with the gorgeously understated original) but the underscoring for both was superb.

Bloody hell, Rabbit and Rogue is amazing. I forgot quite how good it is. There are some definitely some synergies between it at the percussion concerto, notably (obviously I guess!) in Gamelan.