What is the last score you listened to?

[Morlock 11]

Goldenthal's S.W.A.T.. I'm kinda loving it.

It has some cool stuff, to be sure, although it never really grabbed me as a full score.

Me neither, but 'Bullett Frenzy', 'Run for Your Life' and especially 'Crash Landing' are phenominal. The rest is interesting enough.

[Marian Schedenig 8,175]

Yep.

[Hitch 57]

Horner's ALIENS, the deluxe Varese edition. Still immense, although I can see why Cameron dropped 'Combat Drop'.

Cameron and that bitch Gale Anne Turd were idiots!!!!

[Diego 21]

Super Mario Galaxy

The Secret of N.I.M.H.

Williams on Williams

Die Hard 2

[Taikomochi 1,136]

New Moon by Alexandre Desplat

The movie was meh, but I quite like parts of the score. Most of it seems unlike Desplat as it is far less inspired than other efforts like The Queen or Benjamin Button. Although, there are a few just great tracks such as "To Volterra", "Marry Me, Bella", and "Full Moon". Though, I wouldn't suggest it to anyone unwilling to overlook the film's flaws.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I thought The Queen was a borefest. The main theme for New Moon is Desplat-ish IMO. The second cue on the score, don't remember the title, starts off with 20 seconds of pure Hans, and then has a fade out and goes back into Desplat. It's weird.

[Morlock 11]

The Queen a borefest? I think it's damn good music on the album, and one of the finest film scores in recent years when viewed in the film. The best case of a composer nailing a tricky tone since...I don't know- PoA maybe? No, probably even farther back than that.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Goldsmith's incredible GREMLINS. Please, please, please can we have a legit release of this. Well, after Christmas anyway.

[publicist 4,643]

Goldsmith's incredible GREMLINS. Please, please, please can we have a legit release of this. Well, after Christmas anyway.

It'll come.

I took a liking to Chris Gordon's Mao's Last Dancer which is a dapper version of Memoirs of a Geisha (it's much more western in it's harmonic idiom, though, so it's maybe more easily digested).

Of the much lauded Red Canvas i found the 11-minute suite more than sufficient. If you're used to musical drones from recent Soundtrackland it is almost frightening how much musical content is contained therein.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Jurassic Park. Holy crap, that is one bass-tastic CD. I needed to turn down the sub. The same thing happens when I listen to the Concorde Indys. If I listen to my iPod/Tunes Raiders playlist (that's basically the 1995 CD with the additional 2008 CD tracks) on my system, the Concorde tracks are a nightmare of hiss and bass while the 1995 tracks are basically normal. Jurassic Park sounds normal, though, it just packs a punch.

[Whill 0]

1. Star Trek (2009)

2. Revenge of the Sith

3. Shadows of the Empire (ok, not a film score, but I iike it anyway)

[Diego 21]

Return of the Jedi, the Gerhardt re-recording, I like it a lot but it has always bother me that he didn't include any cue that has the Emperor's theme on it, it's a important theme in the film and without it you only get a partial picture of the score, I'm guessing it was because there was no choir available, probably a budget thing, but still I wish he had recorded The Emperor's death. Nevertheless it's very good and the Finale is my favorite version of them all.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I love Gerhardt's JEDI, and have a sentimental thing for it as well as it was the first CD I bought.

Herrmann and Newman's THE EGYPTIAN. Stirring, beautiful golden age score.

Goldsmith's THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS. I might have had a hard time forgiving the liberal use of the main theme if it wasn't so freakin' good.

More Goldsmith, this time SUPERGIRL. Fun, fun stuff with some wonderful typical touches. I still think it doesn't reach the heights of Williams, but the films are so different that it's hard to compare.

The trilogy ends with PATTON. Superb as always.

[Marian Schedenig 8,175]

Return of the Jedi, the Gerhardt re-recording, I like it a lot but it has always bother me that he didn't include any cue that has the Emperor's theme on it, it's a important theme in the film and without it you only get a partial picture of the score, I'm guessing it was because there was no choir available, probably a budget thing, but still I wish he had recorded The Emperor's death.

I've always assumed it's a budget thing. Although he did afford a choir for his Sea Hawk suite.

Nevertheless it's very good and the Finale is my favorite version of them all.

I love the orchestral arrangement of the Ewok song. Also, Gerhardt's Into the Trap is even more exciting than Williams' own.

[Hitch 57]

Having just watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I must say I particularly enjoyed Nicholas Hooper's score except when Williams' Harry Potter theme spoiled it.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Reprisals of Williams' music in HBP just felt out of place to me.

[John Crichton 4]

Hooper doesn't know how to connect his music and Williams' organically, he just pidgeonholes it in. James Hannigan does such a better job with his game scores (at least OotP, I haven't listened to his HBP).

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Medal Of Honor and Medal Of Honor: Underground

Giacchino still hasn't topped these in my book, especially the former.

[Datameister 2,037]

I still can't get myself to particularly like Medal of Honor, personally. I like the main theme, but to me, the rest sounds like...well, video game music. (I know that's not an inherently bad thing...I'm being somewhat facetious.)

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The whole point is that it doesn't sound like video game music. How dare you?!

But seriously, it's basically a film score for a nonexistent film. I probably hold it so high among his repertoire because I got the game when it first came out. So there's a nostalgia factor.

The action cues kick Zimmer's ass any day.

[John Crichton 4]

What's wrong with sounding like video game music? There's music in 8-bit games that top anything written in many modern film scores.

[Datameister 2,037]

Meh, I've heard Zimmer action material that I prefer, personally. And it does sound like video game music to me - not so much in the stereotypical ways, but it's immediately obvious to me when I listen to it that it wasn't written to score any particular events or moments. It sounds like it's just trying to create a relatively stable mood that can be looped indefinitely without becoming too inappropriate to whatever you're doing in particular part of the game. In other words, its structure has nothing to do with any specific onscreen action, and more to the point, it doesn't sound like it could have anything to do with any specific onscreen action.

Okay, I'm taking a listen again and trying even harder than usual to imagine it as a film score. I guess I can hear it. Maybe this is just another Giacchino work that leaves me cold at first and eventually forces me to fall utterly in love with it.

...

Crap. I think it's happening. Thanks, Koray. Guess I'm gonna have a lot more trouble going against the grain on this one.

And generally speaking, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with sounding like video game music any more than I think there's anything inherently wrong with sounding like classical music. It's just that I tend not to enjoy those genres.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Well MOH is one of my favorite scores of all time, so I'm glad I could show you a little bit of the light.

[Marian Schedenig 8,175]

What's wrong with sounding like video game music? There's music in 8-bit games that top anything written in many modern film scores.

Yet the MoHs still aren't my favourite works by Giacchino.

[Ollie 1,059]

Giacchino's first MOH score is better than 90% of the film music composed in the past 10 years.

It sounds like it was composed for a movie, not a game.

[Datameister 2,037]

Don't get me wrong, I'm still not hearing how it's so vastly superior to my favorite Giacchino works such as Lost and Disneyland's Space Mountain. But then again, I didn't care for either of those at first...Giacchino has a weird effect on me.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Giacchino's first MOH score is better than 90% of the film music composed in the past 10 years.

It sounds like it was composed for a movie, not a game.

We are finally in agreement! Although I think we agree on a lot of things.

[John Crichton 4]

MoH is still my favorite Giacchino as well. The first two in fact I would put above anything else I've heard from him, though I still have a large Lost-sized gap in my collection.

[mahler3 478]

Really enjoyed Avatar, I posted a mini review in the Avatar thread.

Some really clever and interesting writing and finally some cues flavoured with Horner excitement as opposed to the meandering and subtle projects he's scored in recent years.

Giacchino's first MOH score is better than 90% of the film music composed in the past 10 years.

It sounds like it was composed for a movie, not a game.

Absolutely! Chris Lennertz work on the later games is really good too.

[Datameister 2,037]

I still have a large Lost-sized gap in my collection.

That's a very large gap in a Giacchino collection. Not to mention a collection of the best television shows ever made...

[Morlock 11]

Twilight: New Moon. I like it. Particularly the theme...I was surprised by how much I responded to it, after having gotten used to the piano reduction.

[Maglorfin 196]

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Man, I love this score and its glorious 2002 VS presentation!

[Marian Schedenig 8,175]

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Man, I love this score and its glorious 2002 VS presentation!

Also played that yesterday.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Home Alone 2 for me as well tonight. Now listening to Pops in Space.

[OneBuckFilms 319]

TWOK on the way to work this morning.

If it's in my mailbox, InnerSPACE will get my ears perked.

If not: I might play Temple of Doom or Star Trek (2009), or perhaps something else.

[pete 906]

I listened to Benjamin Button as I went to sleep last night. It's a score that's really turned me onto Alexandre Desplat, and so far the only movie I've seen score by him.

[Neimoidian 14]

I listened to Benjamin Button as I went to sleep last night. It's a score that's really turned me onto Alexandre Desplat, and so far the only movie I've seen score by him.

I recommend Lust Caution. Very good movie and really charming score.

[Morlock 11]

Terence Blanchard's A Tale of God's Will. Love this album, which includes variations on theme from Inside Man, particularly the stunning 'Funeral Dirge'.

(500) Days of Summer. I'm usually not a song soudntrack type of guy, but damn if this isn't one fun album. The Carla Bruni track was a real surprise.

[Joe Brausam 214]

Sodom and Gomorrah - Rozsa

This one is a little harder to get into than his other epics, especially the 2 disc release, but once you do it is a rewarding listen. If nothing else, it has a wonderful overture and the love theme and main theme are top notch.

[Datameister 2,037]

Currently listening to Horner's Apollo 13. I like this score. I'm sure it's got plenty of Horner-isms in it, but luckily for me, it doesn't have many of the ones I personally recognize. To my ear, it sounds like a score in the style of Horner, not a rehash of other Horner scores. And I do like Horner's style. Anyway, there's a lot of good material in this score that captures the wonder of space flight as well as its militaristic ties, the tension everyone was feeling, and the triumph of the astronauts' safe return. I think a significant part of the film's emotional effectiveness is due to the score.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've been listening to The Fugitive in bits and pieces. I haven't had the time to sit down and listen to it all for 2 hours straight. I'm just finishing up the main score now, and then will move on to the alternates and such. I forgot how amazing this score was. Absolutely LOVE the montage motif.

[OneBuckFilms 319]

Currently listening to Horner's Apollo 13. I like this score. I'm sure it's got plenty of Horner-isms in it, but luckily for me, it doesn't have many of the ones I personally recognize. To my ear, it sounds like a score in the style of Horner, not a rehash of other Horner scores. And I do like Horner's style. Anyway, there's a lot of good material in this score that captures the wonder of space flight as well as its militaristic ties, the tension everyone was feeling, and the triumph of the astronauts' safe return. I think a significant part of the film's emotional effectiveness is due to the score.

This is one of my favorites. Best to get the Promo rather than the OST (with sound effects and songs).

[Datameister 2,037]

Mind you, I never said which release I was listening to... :cool:

[Incanus 5,713]

Soul of the Ultimate Nation (SUN) by Howard Shore

First Knight by Jerry Goldsmith

Arsene Lupin by Debbie Wiseman

Minority Report by John Williams

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Goldsmith's POLTERGEIST. It's amazing the way the score builds, up until the double of 'It Knows What Scares You'/'Rebirth' and everything goes nuts. Need to get the second one.

'Across The Stars'. Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the general score, I adore this theme and it kills me that the romance in the film (and ROTS) was so insipid and mistreated, as with this theme behind it, it could have been beautiful. Maybe it's just me, but I'd love to hear a choral version, which would have worked if the romance and the tragedy had come anywhere close to deserving it.

[Wojo 2,453]

Mind you, I never said which release I was listening to... :cool:

I own both Apollo 13 albums.

In fact, I'm still in the mood for James Horner, so the score it is.

[crocodile 7,984]

Mind you, I never said which release I was listening to... :cool:

I own both Apollo 13 albums.

In fact, I'm still in the mood for James Horner, so the score it is.

The promo is nice, of course. But the albums contains all that is necessary really.

The New Moon: Not that I loved it, but it might turn out to be one of the best scores of the year. While I'm grateful for the album, it's running time works against it.

Karol

[Ollie 1,059]

The promo is nice, of course. But the albums contains all that is necessary really.

Karol

While the original album contains the import cues, the dialogue bleeding into the cues can be annoying and ruin the listening experience, plus all those songs are unneccessary.

The Academy promo is the way to go.

[crocodile 7,984]

The promo is nice, of course. But the albums contains all that is necessary really.

Karol

While the original album contains the import cues, the dialogue bleeding into the cues can be annoying and ruin the listening experience, plus all those songs are unneccessary.

I haven't noticed that. That's probably because I tend to listen to the whole album.

Karol

[Wojo 2,453]

I listened to the Apollo 13 album to death back in high school. While it does contain the essential cues, you cannot whittle it down to a score-only album because of how much the songs and dialogue overlap the transitions.

For a casual fan, it's cheap and effective, as it treats the movie material like a concept album.

For a completist or big fan of Horner, of which I am both, the promo score is essential. Fortunately I found it on eBay when it was quite affordable.