What is the last score you listened to?

[Incanus 5,714]

Memoirs of a Geisha by John Williams

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones (Somewhat Expanded Score with Bloody Sound Effects but Still Nice Edition) by John Williams: What can I say. I am one of the few who love this score. Perhaps because it is so different perhaps because it has the same emotional appeal to me as the previous one but this just takes a turn to a darker universe.

Munich - Attack at the Olympic Village

[Richard Penna 3,686]

Well it's been discussed to death but Ottman's score is temp track love at it's finest.

The FSM podcast nails everything that is wrong with this score. Plus I don't really care for the way Ottman's uses Williams' music, not to mention that it doesn't mesh with his music.

Ottman would have been better served to compose his own theme for Superman.

I've got to be honest about that podcast, and I think their arguments are flaw-hunting rubbish from a music fan's pov (but not someone who knows much about music theory).

They talk about the action being disjointed. I can think of loads of Williams action pieces that follow a progression of ideas and don't revisit previous ones - and they're still great cues. And they mention simpler chords underneath the love theme... so what? I refuse to believe Ottman 'couldn't' use the theme in the original way - he either those to use the simpler structure or Singer wanted it.

Meh... it's impossible for any composer to take a franchise away from the maestro and not be boiled alive for their efforts.

[Maxxie 1]

Meh... it's impossible for any composer to take a franchise away from the maestro and not be boiled alive for their efforts.

[Henry B 50]

Meh... it's impossible for any composer to take a franchise away from the maestro and not be boiled alive for their efforts.

Alexander Courage.

[crocodile 8,006]

Star Trek II by James Horner

The score as presented on the new release starts slow. But I have to say it's a very good listen, with the musical world slowly unfolding, rather than exploding right away (as heard on the original album). Some nice new bits, mostly at the end of the album. Love the cue when Spock dies. The sound quality is nice indeed, if not exactly spectacular. But then again it is the recording that is the problem, I guess. Nice liner notes and the release overall. I'm glad I bought this.

Now my GNP album is worthless...

Karol

[Ollie 1,059]

Well it's been discussed to death but Ottman's score is temp track love at it's finest.

The FSM podcast nails everything that is wrong with this score. Plus I don't really care for the way Ottman's uses Williams' music, not to mention that it doesn't mesh with his music.

Ottman would have been better served to compose his own theme for Superman.

I've got to be honest about that podcast, and I think their arguments are flaw-hunting rubbish from a music fan's pov (but not someone who knows much about music theory).

They talk about the action being disjointed. I can think of loads of Williams action pieces that follow a progression of ideas and don't revisit previous ones - and they're still great cues. And they mention simpler chords underneath the love theme... so what? I refuse to believe Ottman 'couldn't' use the theme in the original way - he either those to use the simpler structure or Singer wanted it.

Meh... it's impossible for any composer to take a franchise away from the maestro and not be boiled alive for their efforts.

Actaully I've been kind to the non Williams HP scores and the other Superman scores not by Williams. Not too mention the other Jaws and JP scores too.

I find Ottman to be an average composer based on other works besides Superman Returns.

[crocodile 8,006]

He seems to have a good taste overall. Only his technical foundation is the problem.

Karol

[Richard Penna 3,686]

I find a lot his work boring, but SR and Lake Placid really clicked with me.

Think of SR not as a Superman score, but as an action score - that's how I really like it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Charles Gerhardt's incredible recording of STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. Mesmerizing, love the way he puts the Death Star material ("The Death Star" and "Ben's Death") together with portions of "The Battle of Yavin".

This should be Williams' original arrangement for the concert suite. I love the alternate climax for the Yavin music, completely original to anything heard in all the films.

And his CE3k suite is incredible.

Indeed. CE3K has never sounded quite as good as here, I think.

Due to when this was released, I'm guessing this was the first appearance of the extended Throne Room suite. Was this an arrangement Williams did for Gerhardt, or one he did himself? If it's the latter I find it interesting it's appeared on a couple of albums conducted by Williams, not least ROTS.

My surround release of the CD doesn't include the original liner notes, but I once read them somewhere online. From what I remember, everything in this is the original Star Wars suite as prepared by Williams himself independently from this recording (i.e. the same suite as Meta recorded, I'd guess - never heard that myself), except for Here They Come!, which Williams added per Gerhardt's own personal request (a good one - his recording is awesome).

I like that the Main Title ends with the original coda from Throne Room, while Throne Room uses the revised one. On The Skywalker Symphony, Williams plays both with the revised ending, which I find redundant.

I am curious, Charlie, what is on the Close Encounters of the Third Kind suite?

The CD lists these cues:

Barnstorming; Arrival of the Mother Ship; The Pilots' Return; The Visitors; Final Scene

The whole thing comes as a single awesome 21 minute piece. Of course, it still leaves out tons of stuff (all the road music, for example, or the fugato from earlier in the film), but with all the Straussian atmospheric stuff at the beginning of this suite, I think it still sums of the score really well. The shorter suite usually performed is mostly just the lush finale.

[Wojo 2,453]

Star Trek II by James Horner

Now my GNP album is worthless...

Holy crap! Look at this!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan-Soundtrack-CD-RARE-OOP_W0QQitemZ110421266743QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item19b59ed137&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

$70 for a "like new" copy of a score made obsolete by a $19.95 unlimited release far superior in every way?

[Diego 21]

ah, but now is a collectible.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I knew Marian wouldn't fail me!

[crocodile 8,006]

Star Trek II by James Horner

Now my GNP album is worthless...

Holy crap! Look at this!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan-Soundtrack-CD-RARE-OOP_W0QQitemZ110421266743QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item19b59ed137&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

$70 for a "like new" copy of a score made obsolete by a $19.95 unlimited release far superior in every way?

Hmm... I might keep it for a little while longer then. It is still available in some stores.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

I never do.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Thanks for the information, Marian, but I am sad to see that the "road" music is not present on the Suite, that motif for the mountain (especially when used in "Night Seige" and "Mountain Visions") is my favorite part of the score...I am actually now listening to the shorter Suite performed by the New York Philharmonic, under the baton of Williams.

[John Crichton 4]

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones (Somewhat Expanded Score with Bloody Sound Effects but Still Nice Edition by John Williams: What can I say. I am one of the few who love this score. Perhaps because it is so different perhaps because it has the same emotional appeal to me as the previous one but this just takes a turn to a darker universe.

One of the few, but not the only one.

John- who still thinks William Ross should have scored Superman Returns

[indy4 155]

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones (Somewhat Expanded Score with Bloody Sound Effects but Still Nice Edition by John Williams: What can I say. I am one of the few who love this score. Perhaps because it is so different perhaps because it has the same emotional appeal to me as the previous one but this just takes a turn to a darker universe.

I agree, this has got to be one of Williams' most underrated. Of course it suffers from horrible treatment within the film, but the music itself is spot on.

[Trent B 337]

Attack Of The Clones isn't necessarily a bad film score...it's just the dullest of the six scores. Hell I like Return Of The Jedi more than that...and that says something there.

Edit: For those of us who have the GNP release for Star Trek II, yes it's a bit worthless right now and definitely not the $70 it's going for on Amazon or ebay by idiotic sellers. Those in their right mind would rather pay $20 for the complete and unlimited version from FSM.

[David Coscina 3]

Lifeforce by Henry Mancini and it totally kicks a$$.

[Ollie 1,059]

Yes it does.

[Datameister 2,042]

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones (Somewhat Expanded Score with Bloody Sound Effects but Still Nice Edition by John Williams: What can I say. I am one of the few who love this score. Perhaps because it is so different perhaps because it has the same emotional appeal to me as the previous one but this just takes a turn to a darker universe.

You're not alone. Probably my least favorite Star Wars score, but only because the competition is so stiff. Still parsecs ahead of most film scores I hear, at least these days.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I was quite surprised when I heard Lifeforce for the first time. "This is Henry Mancini!?"

[John Crichton 4]

War of the Worlds

Meh. I understand and respect what Williams was trying to do, but this is pretty hit and miss. The Intersection Scene, Escape from the City, The Attack on the Car, and The Return to Boston are probably my favorite cues. The last one in particular has some really good stuff going on.

Overall I'd call this the weakest score of a pretty solid year. Revenge of the Sith is Williams' last masterpiece IMO, Geisha is really good, and I've quite enjoyed Munich lately.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

The Intersection Scene, Escape from the City, The Attack on the Car, and The Return to Boston are probably my favorite cues.

I would like to add: Confrontation with Ogilvy, Epilogue (YES!!!), Reaching the Country, Separation of the Family, and Ray and Rachel.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've quite enjoyed Munich lately.

Good... good...

[Datameister 2,042]

WOTW has some moments that really excite me, but the whole thing feels rather bland to me.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Final Fantasy VI (or III, I guess)

I think this is my favorite work of Nobuo Uematsu's (as well as my favorite game in the series). "Aria de Mezzo Carattere" bears some similarity to the later "Aeris' Theme", especially in the beginning, but congratulations to Uematsu for making the dreaded MIDI female voice sound good (too bad he could not do the same for that awful MIDI male soloist that appears throughout the score). This score was probably more epic than the Super Nintendo could allow, I am surprised the cartridge could hold this much music.

[Incanus 5,714]

Munich by John Williams

The Lost World by John Williams

The Hoosiers by Jerry Goldsmith

Rudy by Jerry Goldsmith

[Maglorfin 196]

Alan Silvestri - Flight of the Navigator

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Lifeforce by Henry Mancini and it totally kicks a$$.

Yes it does.

I never got into it, really. Am I missing something?

- Marc, back home, ripping his CDs bought in Austria.

John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra - Parade of the Slave Children

[Incanus 5,714]

The Shipping News by Christopher Young: This is another score that grew on me greatly after I first got it. The atmosphere of the music is captivating whisking me away on a personal trip to explore some coastline just above a roaring sea somewhere in Newfoundland or at any northern seacoast. The air of sea and seafaring, tinged with the voices of instruments from the Old World Uillean Pipes, bodhran, penny whistle, fiddle and hurdy gurdy all help to create a beautiful Celtic soundworld that is balanced with the dramatic sound of the symphony orchestra. It is a perfect score for the film and on its own it conjures such strong images and moods it became my favourite Young score. The main theme that is the centerpiece of the score and the thing that first attracted me to this soundtrack is a powerful piece of music with a sense of journeying, the sea, joy and as it ever arcs higher and higher of poignant triumph and freedom. The main body of the score is more subtle projecting the emotions of the characters and individual scenes, but still full of melodies and charm. I would describe most pieces on the album as delicate or lightly ethereal even though expressed through the folksy tones of the above mentioned instruments.

[crocodile 8,006]

The Shipping News by Christopher Young: This is another score that grew on me greatly after I first got it. The atmosphere of the music is captivating whisking me away on a personal trip to explore some coastline just above a roaring sea somewhere in Newfoundland or at any northern seacoast. The air of sea and seafaring, tinged with the voices of instruments from the Old World Uillean Pipes, bodhran, penny whistle, fiddle and hurdy gurdy all help to create a beautiful Celtic soundworld that is balanced with the dramatic sound of the symphony orchestra. It is a perfect score for the film and on its own it conjures such strong images and moods it became my favourite Young score. The main theme that is the centerpiece of the score and the thing that first attracted me to this soundtrack is a powerful piece of music with a sense of journeying, the sea, joy and as it ever arcs higher and higher of poignant triumph and freedom. The main body of the score is more subtle projecting the emotions of the characters and individual scenes, but still full of melodies and charm. I would describe most pieces on the album as delicate or lightly ethereal even though expressed through the folksy tones of the above mentioned instruments.

Years in horror genre made a mark on Young's music. There is a truly eerie atmosphere to this music. Which works very well, I think.

Karol

[Trent B 337]

Alan Silvestri - Flight of the Navigator

What do you think of it?

Ya it's primarily a synth score but it's a nostalgia score for me. I really love the movie, one of my favorites growing up since I would watch it a lot.

I'm glad I was able to buy the official CD of it used from MovieMusic.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Torchwood: Children of Earth (Ben Foster).

I really enjoyed the music in this series, it really grabbed me as I watched it. Then again, the entire 5 hours was television perfection (or very near) so everything grabbed me. I like the simple 3-note motif that binds the score together, it has some real balls. The emotional cues can be a bit over the top out of context, but still very nice and beautiful. There's a lot of similarities to Zimmer in the score, but Zimmer performed entirely by an orchestra (save for the electronic percussion). But I like a lot of Zimmer's stuff so that didn't bother me. It fit quite well with the tone of the serial.

I wonder that if the speculation that Murray Gold will be leaving Doctor Who is true, whether Foster will take over or also leave. I certainly can't think of anyone better to take over the role. He knows all of Gold's themes and material more than anyone and can certianly do dark well as this score proved.

[Diego 21]

Hook

The Mummy Returns

Men in Black

The Sea Hawk

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Shipping News by Christopher Young: This is another score that grew on me greatly after I first got it. The atmosphere of the music is captivating whisking me away on a personal trip to explore some coastline just above a roaring sea somewhere in Newfoundland or at any northern seacoast. The air of sea and seafaring, tinged with the voices of instruments from the Old World Uillean Pipes, bodhran, penny whistle, fiddle and hurdy gurdy all help to create a beautiful Celtic soundworld that is balanced with the dramatic sound of the symphony orchestra. It is a perfect score for the film and on its own it conjures such strong images and moods it became my favourite Young score. The main theme that is the centerpiece of the score and the thing that first attracted me to this soundtrack is a powerful piece of music with a sense of journeying, the sea, joy and as it ever arcs higher and higher of poignant triumph and freedom. The main body of the score is more subtle projecting the emotions of the characters and individual scenes, but still full of melodies and charm. I would describe most pieces on the album as delicate or lightly ethereal even though expressed through the folksy tones of the above mentioned instruments.

My favorite Young score as well.

[Richard Penna 3,686]

Just going through my 'incoming' folder. and I've got Red Dragon on.

Wow, 3 tracks in and this is complex, sumptuous stuff. This is the Elfman I like

Also just got hold of The Shipping News, a score I didn't like upon first listen quite a few years ago. I can see why I didn't, but I'm absolutely loving this now. Killick-Claw Harbor, 2:10 .. oooohh yeaahhhh.

My score collection would be nowhere without this thread

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Red Dragon seems to try and emulate Hannibal to me. Although I haven't listened to it in awhile.

[John Crichton 4]

Final Fantasy VI (or III, I guess)

I think this is my favorite work of Nobuo Uematsu's (as well as my favorite game in the series). "Aria de Mezzo Carattere" bears some similarity to the later "Aeris' Theme", especially in the beginning, but congratulations to Uematsu for making the dreaded MIDI female voice sound good (too bad he could not do the same for that awful MIDI male soloist that appears throughout the score). This score was probably more epic than the Super Nintendo could allow, I am surprised the cartridge could hold this much music.

I'm always amazed how he gets such a lush orchestral sound out of the SNES synth library. In fact the samples are much better than FF VII, even though it's a previous generation console.

As for the score itself, it's probably my favorite of his too, though I love the whole run from VI to IX almost equally. It's interesting how his use of themes evolves from VI to IX. VI's are very in your face, obvious, and character based. By the time you get to IX they've become more subtle, more rooted in story aspects, but arguably more intregal to the backbone of the score.

...I'm not sure where all that's coming from, I guess I'm just in a rambling mood.

I wonder that if the speculation that Murray Gold will be leaving Doctor Who is true, whether Foster will take over or also leave. I certainly can't think of anyone better to take over the role. He knows all of Gold's themes and material more than anyone and can certianly do dark well as this score proved.

It was confirmed a while back that Gold is departing along with the rest of the old RTD crew, but as far as I know there's been no word from the Moff on who his replacement will be.

[David Coscina 3]

I was quite surprised when I heard Lifeforce for the first time. "This is Henry Mancini!?"

It's actually an amazingly complex dynamic score. I had passed off a lot of Mancini's work because of his lite comedy scores but this is a monster score with some wonderful nods to Bartok, Debussy, and Ravel along with the English composers like Walton and Vaughan Williams. Really amazing score. I also bought Nightwing but it did not resonate the same as this does. I will try it again though.

[Incanus 5,714]

Red Dragon seems to try and emulate Hannibal to me. Although I haven't listened to it in awhile.

I would say The Red Dragon is one third Silence of the Lambs, I hear Shore here quite a bit in the brooding dark material, and one third of Hannibal and one third of Danny Elfman. It is certainly more furious than either of the previous scores and has a rhythmic propulsion that is pure Elfman.

Drag Me to Hell by Christopher Young: A very good score. Took about 4 listens for me to start getting into this. Deliciously devilish and disturbing music. The use of voices is exemplary in this score, creating a truly unsettling atmosphere. Violin yet again lends itself to be the instrument of the devil, sawing with virtuosic fury and dancing with glee over the misfortunes of the poor people caught in the gypsy's curse. Some of the orchestral carnage borders true violence to the ears but Young knows how to keep it interesting by injecting melody to the music at right moments, even if just hinting at the main theme. Solace from the unrelenting horror is provided by 3 tracks (Tale of A Haunted Banker, Familiar Familiars and Brick Dogs Ala Carte) where a more compassionate theme for what I gather is the main protagonist is introduced. Young also has gathered a staggering amount of creepy orchestral techniques from his bag of trick accumulated during his long career of scoring suspence and horror and unleashes all of it on the listener here. I have not seen the film but from the comments made on the MB I can surmise that somehow he has found a balance between melodic and dissonant here that truly can add depth and fun to such a devilish story. From the point of musical story telling this album is excellent.

[compos24 0]

War of the Worlds - John Williams

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Red Dragon seems to try and emulate Hannibal to me. Although I haven't listened to it in awhile.

I remember Elfman back in 2002 he was staying well away from Zimmer's material. There are more Shore and Herrmann influences in Elfman's score.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I didn't mean reusing material, but he took a similar approach.

[Morlock 11]

What? Elfman maybe trying to get closer to Shore's work...but I hear absolutely no similarity to Zimmer in there. I think it's one of Elfman's most effective scores, works wonders in the film. Reminds me very much of Herrmann, and the film is good enough to contain it.

[indy4 155]

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince:

First off, hearing it on CD made me appreciate it much more than hearing it with the film. There were a few strong positives:

- "In Noctem" and all its variations. I like the idea of having a theme for

Dumbledore's death that is developed throughout the film, hinting at the inevitability of the horrible event and the upcoming terror that all of the fans of the books were well aware of and anticipating/dreading.

The theme itself is very good, I especially love its variation in the beginning of "Opening." When I saw the film and heard that tragic sounding music as the title appeared, I remember being both excited and anxious. I remember thinking "oh boy, this one's gonna be a tear jerker." Unfortunately, as the film proceeded it became more evident to me that a more appropriate opening piece of music would have been "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley, so I guess in that sense the score didn't quite work harmoniously with the film, but I like to think of the beginning of "Opening" as Hooper's introduction to what could have been a very moving film.

- "When Ginny Kissed Harry" and "Harry and Hermoine"--both feature some beautiful string work, I think this music worked really well within the film as well as being a great listening experience. I think Hooper realized that while the love music of OotP was supposed to be hesistant and restrained, he could give a real melodic identification to this one, as the relationship proves to last unlike Harry and Cho's.

- The Quidditch music. It reminds me of "Flight of the Order" from OotP, in that it manages some very exciting and very playful music. It's a great fun to listen to.

- "Wizard Wheezes." It's a fun listen.

The negatives:

- The biggest fault here is the "bad guy" music. I mentioned how much I loved the beginning of the "Opening," but afterward it decays into a generic ostinato that seems to be building up to something--the problem is, while this "theme" is building, the Death Eaters are already full out attacking! There's not building of tension going on in the film, so why does the music reflect that? The music Hooper gives us in this scene is both inaudible in the film because it's so quiet and completely unengaging. It actually hurts the scene. And near the end is starts to sound almost MVish. And the worst part is, this is the only "theme" Hooper uses to identify with the dark forces throughout the entire film. No real melody, no real theme, nothing to actually make me frightened.

- The music does hardly anything for the film. The opening, the Quidditch music, and the love music was the only bit that stood out to me when watching the film.

- Most of the score is just plain immemorable (which explains why I can only think of 3 negative bullet points).

I'd say it is easily worse than OotP as well as all three of Williams' scores, it now battles GoF for the second-to-last ranking. There are some moments of real awesomeness, but as a whole it just isn't a memorable listening experience. I wouldn't say it's bad, I'm not exactly sure what I'd say it is yet.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

- The music does hardly anything for the film. The opening, the Quidditch music, and the love music was the only bit that stood out to me when watching the film.

I disagree. I thought it supported the film very well, except for the Harry/Ginny scene (which was misguidedly cheesy to begin with, and the music gave it the rest... it's like that much-hated AOTC scene, only worse) and the Quidditch music (because taking a theme for a fugue and just repeating it unisono followed by a pause is *really* primitive and cheap).

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

The music just came in too early and awkwardly in that scene. You get a feeling there's something brewing, but you're not sure it's going to be a love scene - until the gentle music kicks in that is. Meh.

I sort of like the score though. It's no PoA, but it's alright. I like the In Noctem material. Don't see why everyone has his panties in a bunch over this thing. Oh wait, it's Harry Potter scored by someone other than John Williams.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Oh, I liked the rest of the score, although it seemed to work much better in the film than on my (so far only) separate listen.

[indy4 155]

Wow Marian, we are almost completely opposite on this thing. I hated it when I saw the film, I think on CD it's a much better listen. Still no OotP, though.