Godzilla

[Pieter Boelen 633]

Every few days I will post a thread on a random score from my collection that we can discuss and rate. I made a playlist on my computer with one track of each score I've got, so by using the random play option, I'll be able to post a truly random score each time. Hopefully this will allow us to discuss some scores that would otherwise never be discussed. Also we can record the rating so that we can create a full list of the ratings given to scores by JWFan.com.

On my holiday I listened to a fair few scores that I never really listened to before, so just for fun I'll be posting those next.

Today's score is Godzilla by David Arnold. Are you familiar with it? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? How do do you think it works in the film? What are your favourite tracks?

So far JWFan has rated:

See Soundtrack Ratings by JWFan.com.

This web page contains the ratings from all my previous polls as well as those of Blumenkohl's.

Final ratings are converted to a 1-10 rating for both rating systems so that they can be compared.

[fommes 126]

4 stars. Good but he's done better.

[Ollie 859]

While the film was a travesty for Godzilla fans this score rates high for me. I give it a 4.5.

Now that I've had a chance to listen to the complete score, thanks to LaLaLand, there is a wealth of good music.

"Godzilla O Park / Godzilla Takes A Dive / Godzilla Versus The Submarine" cue is one of my favorites as well as "Evacuation".

Too bad Arnold didn't record an end credit suite instead of that lame puff daddy junk that closed the film.

[Pieter Boelen 633]

Consistently good all the way through, but I find the real stand-out moments are far between. I give it a 4-star rating. However I do admit that it's rather hard to provide real stand-out moments if the music is as consistently good as it is here. Indeed I'd have liked an End Credits suite. Still there's the 12-minute suite edit that was on the OST that isn't all that bad.

[Neimoidian 13]

Between 4 and 4,5. I have listened to the whole score once (and it was ... today), so I'm not sure about the rating.

[QMM 4]

It's great but I would've loved to have heard what Arnold originally wanted to do, being music that was a lot darker.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

Not familiar. I think I even have a cue from this somewhere, but I don't recall what it sounds like.

[Vaderbait1 1]

It's the only score I've ever ordered from one of those expensive clubs. That says something.

It's one of my favorites, though I, too, would have liked to hear the darker version Arnold intended. But I think a lot of it still made its way into the final score.

[Neimoidian 13]

Off topic, Arnold reused some ofGodzilla's melodies in both The World is not Enough and Die Another Day.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Yes he did.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

4.5

Arnold was the man in the 1990's!

[fommes 126]

Still there's the 12-minute suite edit that was on the OST that isn't all that bad.

It's shorter I think, and it was only the first two cues, not really that interesting. (nor representative.)

[MSM 85]

3 stars for being the last full blown symphonic Arnold score. This one is only a shadow of his work for Sargate and Independence Day, though IMO still preferable over the average Arnold Bond score.

3 stars and let's hope Arnold will return to his 4-5 stardom with Narnia 3.

[Pieter Boelen 633]

It's shorter I think, and it was only the first two cues, not really that interesting. (nor representative.)

Then what's the suite that I had somewhere? I'm pretty sure it contained parts of "Evacuation", "Taxi Chase" and "Brooklyn Bridge" as well. And I do recall it being 12 minutes.

[Vaderbait1 1]

It's shorter I think, and it was only the first two cues, not really that interesting. (nor representative.)

Then what's the suite that I had somewhere? I'm pretty sure it contained parts of "Evacuation", "Taxi Chase" and "Brooklyn Bridge" as well. And I do recall it being 12 minutes.

Might be a fan edit. I've never heard of a suite for Godzilla before.

And Arnold does great Bond scores. Casino Royale had some great music, but overall was a little generic. But you can't listen to Tomorrow Never Dies and even The World Is Not Enough and think that those are generic, dull, or boring. They're both great scores. DAD had some great tracks, but overall was a bloody mess.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

TND, TWINE and CR are fantastic scores!

[Pieter Boelen 633]

Might be a fan edit. I've never heard of a suite for Godzilla before.

Possibly. I somehow thought it was official though. Probably my mistake.

[Erik Woods 384]

3 stars for being the last full blown symphonic Arnold score.

Really? Then what would you call The Musketeer?

-Erik-

[Neimoidian 13]

3 stars for being the last full blown symphonic Arnold score.

Really? Then what would you call The Musketeer?

-Erik-

Not to mention fully symphonic, though restrained Amazing Grace.

[MSM 85]

3 stars for being the last full blown symphonic Arnold score.

Really? Then what would you call The Musketeer?

-Erik-

Oops, forgot about that one. I like Musketeer better than Godzilla, but it's also not up to the SG and ID4 standard (see my post in another thread.)

[Maglorfin 195]

I know I should be ashamed of myself, but I've not yet heard this one.

[Quintus 5,391]

Me neither, apart from what I heard of it in the cinema. If it's anywhere near as good as his ID4 score, I'm obviously missing out.

[Neimoidian 13]

Me neither, apart from what I heard of it in the cinema. If it's anywhere near as good as his ID4 score, I'm obviously missing out.

It's not as good, but it's good anyway. After couple of listenings I decided to give it 4.

[Richard Penna 2,082]

Only really liked the movie as an 'immature pleasure' back when I was a kid and I'm not an Arnold fan.

3 stars because it does work brilliantly in the film, but doesn't attract me as a listening experience.

[Neimoidian 13]

Only really liked the movie as an 'immature pleasure' back when I was a kid and I'm not an Arnold fan.

3 stars because it does work brilliantly in the film, but doesn't attract me as a listening experience.

It sounds much better when you are Arnold's fan.