Tom Guernsey

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Trevor Jones) - I seem to remember enjoying the film (from low expectations) but Jones' score is great fun, even if the main thematic material isn't his most memorable. However, if you just want a chunky, but entertaining orchestral blowout, you can't go far wrong.

The Family Stone (Michael Giacchino) - a delightfully frothy and charming comedy score, with a fun central waltz theme. A nice change from his heavier blockbuster efforts. Citizen Kane (Bernard Herrmann) - giving the McNeely re-recording a spin. A fine enough effort, although I think the Chandos version under Rumon Gamba is a better option overall. Better sound and performance. Especially noticeable how the brass figure at the opening of Chronicle Scherzo (the one which opens the Welles Raises Kane suite) is all blurred on the McNeely. Gamba is much more incisive and the recording is clearer (but still warm). Also, the Gamba is more effectively arranged into longer suites (not that I especially mind individual tracks). Mars Needs Moms (John Powell) - One of those Powell scores that probably slips under the radar a bit, but it's a fun effort with a typically enjoyable and memorable, heroic main theme, but plenty of gentler, more heartfelt moments.

Re Talgorn's Petit Prince - I certainly enjoy his stuff, but this appears to be very much out of print and not available digitally as far as I can see so looks like I'll just have to imagine! Finally received the Quartet release of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The original album presentation certainly sounds amazingly good, a really significant improvement over the prior release I have which was the 21 track previously expanded edition. I assume that one is just a mix of the original stereo album and a few mono tracks (I seem to recall there being a few random mono tracks mixed in). Nice to finally get a classic score it great sound, so many of those old Morricone scores sound pretty ropey. Indeed, many not so old ones aren't exactly great - I can understand when it was his early days doing things on a shoestring, but for some of those later ones, it's surprisingly he wasn't more demanding in this regard when he had the reputation and influence.

Might have to find this one, being Talgorn, it's almost certainly wonderful.

Of those, my favourites would be Young Guns II, Lilo & Stitch (although the album is a bit stingy with the amount of score), The Mexican (if you like his western stuff, this is great), Richie Rich (kinda repetitive but charmingly infectious) and Soapdish (so catchy, he doesn't write stuff like that any more). I'm not super keen on his synth stuff either... I so wanted Ferngully to the Silvestri equivalent of Horner's Once Upon a Forest, which perhaps informs my opinion of it too much. I'm sure there's a few others I like but don't know as well... certainly plenty to explore (and that comes from someone who feels his recent stuff is a bit meh at times).

Someone made this rather super alternative (FSM custom covers I think) which I use. Great album either way.

Just one of those editorial decision I guess! The LLL had the original album programme on disc 2 but having realised I've only listened to it once since getting the expanded album, I've deleted and just enjoying the End Credits now... Heroic Ennio!

The Untouchables (Ennio) - having randomly had the end of Victorious randomly pop into my head last night while watching TV (then spending 10 minutes trying to work out where it was from), had to give this one a listen. Still one of my favourite Morricone scores and great to have it expanded by LLL. I never did understand the original album presentation (which won a Grammy!) ending with Machine Gun Lullaby which just leaves you hanging... I mean, maybe that was the point, but I always used to just put the End Titles (first track on the original album) at the end for a much more satisfying resolution. Having another "do I need to keep the original album" debate now... from the LLL liner notes, I don't think I'd lose anything ditching the original album presentation...

After my rush of Jerry listening this week, I went back to some of his inspiration and listened to Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin, from the 5 CD Living Presence set, which really does sound amazing for its age (if only so many soundtracks of that vintage had been preserved so magnificently - and that's not a slight on those doing the restorations, just a factor of the recording tech at the time and tape storage options). A friend used to tease me at school as to whether I'd "listened to any Bartok recently" at which time I really hadn't (it was full on JW, James Horner, Jerry, Alan Menken etc.) but since discovered Bartok and now love his work. The Concerto for Orchestra, of course, but also the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste, both of which are masterpieces.

He leaned more heavily on Sibelius in the second and third scores, although nothing specific. Viking Wedding sounds a bit like Borodin's Prince Igor (particularly the the choral writing). Furies in Love reminds me of Joe Hisaishi (so not classical) a little. However, it's very much more inspiration than specific works (unlike, say, James Horner, where you can point to large passages, lovingly rendered and incorporated with his own material those passages are).

I still don't know how I didn't love this score from the first listen, it certainly has some of the best writing Powell has ever done and adds more great, new material to the original themes than HTTYD2 (great though that score is) for my money. Absolutely superb. Currently listening to Elmer's rejected score to Gangs of New York which really is a very fine work indeed. Surprisingly dark and aggressive in places (which you'd expect from the film, but not from the composer, at least not in that stage of his career). I would be great to see the music restored to the film sometime. Has anyone tried?!

Maybe the source music?! Either way, his music for Lower Decks is good fun. I like the idea of a CD as it's generally tuneful and appears to be fully orchestral throughout (but I could be mistaken, synth orchestras are pretty good these days!). I guess the risk is that the cues are very short and much less enjoyable when separate from the show.

I'll be unoriginal and say Azkaban, although it is a bit of shame that so much of the thematic material from the first couple of movies was jettisoned for this one. However, JW did a masterful score in a different direction, which works well given that it's the first of the movies directed by someone new and so the movie itself was quite different in style. I don't dislike the Hooper scores nearly as much as everyone here it seems. Sure they are quite lightweight, but some of his melodic material is quite enjoyable but he was certainly quite a strange choice for such a major franchise. I have never warmed to either of the Desplat scores. They just seem so dark and grungy. I can barely remember a thing about them despite ample listens. I also quite enjoyed Imogen Heap's music for the stage show. Which surprised me as I know nothing of her work, but was fully prepared for it to be totally different to the movie scores; indeed its style has much in common with contemporary theatre (not necessarily new plays, but contemporary performances of older ones too) so it didn't really surprise me at how it sounded, but I can imagine how it's not for everyone. I'm keen to try the video game scores, especially the James Hannigan ones, although my recollection is that they are for sale but aren't called Harry Potter (for some unfathomable reason).

Possible spoilers for Lower Decks! Not sure what the vibe is on Lower Decks, but have just binged it after it appeared on Amazon in the UK. OK, it's quite goofy, but the Star Trek in-jokes and random call-backs are great. Nice that the last episode changed the status of some of the characters so maybe the dynamics might change in the second season. However, from a film music perspective (music by Chris Westlake who I don't really know at all I must admit), I really enjoyed the spoofing of Horner's nautical flourish from the second and third movies in the penultimate episode, especially effective as the first few notes of the main theme from Lower Decks are identical to Horner's main theme. The sign-off spoof from Star Trek VI was neat too, although shame it didn't call back to Eidelman's score more. And I couldn't help but getting a thrill with the TNG/TMP theme appearing during the final episode at a pivotal moment. Couldn't quite work out if it was a re-recording or tracked (possibly from The Final Frontier).

Belatedly sharing of this super tribute to Jerry for his 92nd birthday last week... Really terrific suite (almost a mashup) of most of his major scores and plenty of less well known ones. My only (really minor) criticism would be that an uneducated audience could easily mix them up without having the sheet music and also, no Gremlins! Surely that must be his best known movie theme outside of Star Trek?! But still, really fun and a largely great performance. Be good if this made its way to CD one day.

Decided to give Galaxy's Edge another listen today based on the positive comments here. I still can't quite get over the feeling that it sounds like something someone else writing in a Williams style, especially since it doesn't contain any of the Star Wars themes. Had similar feelings about the Back to the Future and ET rides which (as far as I recall) don't recall any thematic material from their respective scores. I assume it's a cost/licensing thing?

That sounds like a good bet then... I saw it was available earlier but hadn't bought it yet, but that's a selection of comments I can get on with. Plus his Lost in Space music is aces so happy to hear his other stuff too

Quite happy still with loud action music (albeit with some nuance, else it just gets tiring... you know, Remote Control style), but do enjoy JW's more intimate scores. I guess the one thing to consider, especially with something like The Accidental Tourist, is that the film is fairly sparsely scored so massive amounts of variety aren't really required, just gentle use of music to highlight certain key moments, rather than wall to wall, but obviously when it's on album and the music plays through, the repetition is much more obvious. Notwithstanding that, none of those listed are repetitive in a way that becomes tedious, although I've never massively cared for Presumed Innocent but will have to give it a spin. NP: Far from Heaven - Elmer's last and one of his loveliest.

Bit late to the party, but these are great, especially the more avant garde sections such as during the Klingon Battle, although I highly recommend listening to The Cloud over on their YouTube channel. The adaptations are both faithful but also surprisingly idiomatic a lot of the time (aside from the odd sustained note or chord that you might do differently). Fascinating to hear all those unusual harmonic progressions and how he voices the chords in the V'Ger sections. Listening to the Main Title of King Solomon's Mines, the build-up to the main theme is surprisingly sparse and atonal at times; you'd never guess it was from a throwaway, silly adventure film (although guess the same goes from the opening scenes from Raiders).

Always enjoyed that but will hold out listening again until I get the new expanded release. Good call though. Currently on the Frontiers compilation Jerry conducted during his stint doing various re-recordings with the RSNO for Varese. I have a soft spot for this album as a decent collection of his sci-fi scores although always feels a bit insubstantial somehow. The performances are decent but a bit boomy in places plus some tracks miss the synths (Total Recall in particular). Compared to the aforementioned Tadlow selection it’s an enjoyable canter through his sci-fi scoring but does make you wish he’d had the fame and leeway to record more extensive compilations like JW does.

Oh yes! That's great fun. Those crazy trumpets.

U-Boats: The Wolfpack (Christopher Young) - Best fake Jerry Goldsmith score ever ;-) Good fun, action scoring. Shame the sound field is a bit narrow, but otherwise a nice ballsy performance too. Any other suggestions of good fake Jerry?! He doesn't get ripped off nearly enough as JW... (I'm looking beyond early James Horner here).

Thought I'd put Amazon on and would agree with the above. Actually, listening to the End Credits, it's more like Waterworld. But still JNH. Also a bit of a Mission vibe in the choral arrangements at times too. I thought this was one of those scores that was almost entirely temp track variations, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe thinking of another Alan Williams score...

Haha... not even the best cue named The Hunt by Jerry Goldsmith ;-) But still, one of the top five I'd say. Although is it the best track called Trial Run? There's the one from The Sand Pebbles to choose from, but also Guide For the Married Man and The World's Fastest Indian by Peter J Robinson... Now on The Chairman. Definitely in need of a better sounding release, a very fine score indeed. Is that a possibility? Not sure what the deal is with this one.

A couple more Jerry listens: Twilight Zone: The Movie - giving the extras a spin, nice to hear the album edits (which make it easy to recreate the original album, should be so wish) and the songs are kinda fun. I appear to have a higher threshold for cheese than I used to... First Knight - also going through the extras, nothing revelatory here but some nice alternates. Always thought this was a great score and glad to have the complete thing, although the original album is a nice tone poem of the highlights even though it manages to miss out Lancelot's theme completely if I recall correctly. (Joining the pantheon of JW scores that do the same... in particular A.I. and The Phantom Menace missing David's and Qui-Gon's themes respectively) Suites and Themes from the cracking Tadlow Blue Max re-recording. I actually really love Tadlow's compilation extras (notably the Maurice Jarre ones) and this is no exception. Great to have a few fine scores that don't usually get much of a look in, such as A Gathering of Eagles which feels like a follow up to The Blue Max, plus The Chairman which has fairly mediocre sound on the original album. That could really use a decent re-recording. Also good to have The Final Conflict represented, it doesn't get nearly enough attention in compilations, although a shame they didn't include The Hunt. Not that Trial Run isn't a fine cue, but The Hunt is a clear highlight outside of the opening titles and finale. Great to have the finale in isolation too. The build-up to it on the expanded album is great, but sometimes you just want the second coming without waiting for it. As it were.