What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (older scores)

[crocodile 8,017]

Sleepers. Undoubtedly, one of Williams' strangest efforts.

Karol

[Incanus 5,715]

Sleepers. Undoubtedly, one of Williams' strangest efforts.

Karol

And undoubtedly I love that score! Dark, strange and contains wonderfully unexpected sounds from the Maestro.

[crocodile 8,017]

It is definitely intriguing and different.

Now listening to Howard Shore's Mythic Gardens. I don't know much about concert music and how this piece would rank in the modern repertoire. But it's very enjoyable, probably more conservative than most composers would dare to write these days. I would rank this as one of his most accessible works, actually.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It's not bad, no. But I think I'll have to be in a really specific mood to revisit it. Those days where I'm hankering for that kind of really pared-down, straightforward stuff.

Not a score, but listening to John's Quartet La Jolla.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The Rocketeer. All day. It's my favorite James Horner score. I feel like everything he's done since the early 90s has heavily plagiarized The Rocketeer and Sneakers.

Every time I hear the ending of Rendezvous at Griffith Park Observatory, I want to run up stairs and rocket off the roof. I might die listening to this shit some day.

[Jay 37,368]

Yea, it's a freaking awesome score that I love more and more as the years go on. It's my favorite Horner too.

[Incanus 5,715]

Complete agreed! Such great energy and youthful exubrance in that score! The finale is a special highlight for me, the first thing I ever heard from the score on a Cincinnati Pops album years and years ago.

[nightscape94 965]

Elliot Goldenthal - Michael Collins

[Incanus 5,715]

Elliot Goldenthal - Michael Collins

One of my favourite Goldenthal scores. It is just a fine listening experience from beginning to the end.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Transcendence - Mychael Danna

I heard the movie was pretty meh, which is too bad for Wally. But I think Danna is underutilized, so I gave this a spin. Pfister obviously picked up on Nolan's musical sensibilities because this is very much Danna's take on that. Not much thematic content to speak of, at least after a single listen, but that doesn't necessarily bother me. There are some interesting textures, mostly of the synthetic variety, but they don't change much. This is probably best approached as an ambient "mood" album than anything else. It doesn't have much drive to it, but it's at least thoughtfully crafted. Certainly not destined to be a hit with most of the JWFan crowd.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

How does it compare to his Moneyball score? I found that one quite good in its own "minimalistic" way.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It's really different. Much less acoustic, for starters. And more amorphous harmonically and rhythmically.

On Youtube for now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFEvlQ5FIVY

[Naïve Old Fart 9,534]

Transcendence - Mychael Danna

I heard the movie was pretty meh, which is too bad for Wally. But I think Danna is underutilized, so I gave this a spin. Pfister obviously picked up on Nolan's musical sensibilities because this is very much Danna's take on that. Not much thematic content to speak of, at least after a single listen, but that doesn't necessarily bother me. There are some interesting textures, mostly of the synthetic variety, but they don't change much. This is probably best approached as an ambient "mood" album than anything else. It doesn't have much drive to it, but it's at least thoughtfully crafted. Certainly not destined to be a hit with most of the JWFan crowd.

So...I guess it's nothing like "Monsoon Wedding"?

[publicist 4,643]

DENNIS THE MENACE - Jerry Goldsmith (LLL EXPANDED)

Goldsmith in his most labored silly mode for this spoonfeeding John Hughes-version of a classic newspaper cartoon. It's essentially Goldsmith doing a jolly summer update of John Williams' wintery HOME ALONE scores (same producer) so you get a lot of americanized PETER AND THE WOLF, harmonicanized americana and very hardworking on-the-nose zaniness that seldom contributes more than a musical illustration of visual gags on screen. Goldsmith draws from his own GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY for the main theme and it's bright and punchy as hell but if you waded through an hour's worth of hewing and hawing versions of it (and the grumbling trombone theme for Walter Matthau's grouchy neighbor and the Gremlins light theme for the movie's scoundrel) it begins to feel like hard work. Because of the very literal nature of film and music, there's sadly none of the demented fun Goldsmith brought to i. e. THE BURBS or other Dante pictures.

LLL's version is basically unrecommendable to anyone without tolerance for this kind of stuff, but if you love elaborate pranks done with a 90-piece orchestra, this is your golden ticket.

Below: some choice cuts of the new stuff, if that isn't get your juices flowing this may not be for you

New Sound Bits

[Hlao-roo 389]

Well, Sami, if nothing else it's another spry demonstration of Goldsmith's indefatigable versatility. I don't find it labored at all, though as with other mickey-mouse scores some may find it laborious to endure in one go. Thanks for the sampler.

[Incanus 5,715]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by John Williams

The Terminal by John Williams

Unbreakable by James Newton Howard

[crocodile 8,017]

I need to give Unbreakable a listen.

The Stepford Wives

Karol

[Hlao-roo 389]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by John Williams

Aren't concerned that Williams's score doesn't go far enough in repudiating Western colonialism?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,534]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by John Williams

Aren't concerned that Williams's score doesn't go far enough in repudiating Western colonialism?

British colonialism was an abomination that worshipped Kali. Independence nicely did away with it.

[Incanus 5,715]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by John Williams

Aren't concerned that Williams's score doesn't go far enough in repudiating Western colonialism?

I am willing to take that chance!

[Sir Hilary Bray 235]

Kelly's Heroes, Schifrin- turns out I had downloaded this a few years back and found it by chance. My favourite tends to be the music accompanying the Spaghett Western moment with the tank, Quickdraw Tank but it's all good stuff. The Whistle Instrumental has something about it, I guess it's all those beautiful vibes man.

Jurassic Park III- same as above by how I found it. I like it, it does a job but of course not a patch on the previous two. Though favourite parts tend to be that involving the JP theme (Dinosaur Fly-by and Brachiosaur on the Bank, chiefly) but there's that moment in "Bone-Man Ben" which accompanies the raptors taking the egg from Grant at the end and leaving, a sort of climatic/triumphant climb. Not long before the almost jingoistic sounding JP theme when all that military clobber turns up.

And this is why my music reviews never made the grade at uni.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Hmm... from the vault... reminded me of this groovyness.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Chinatown - Jerry Goldsmith

This is the smoothest, most sultry music that's ever been written for a film.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,534]

Smoother and sultrier than either "Basic Instinct", or "The Russia House", or "Body Heat"?

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I think so!

[Incanus 5,715]

Chinatown - Jerry Goldsmith

This is the smoothest, most sultry music that's ever been written for a film.

Smoother and sultrier than either "Basic Instinct", or "The Russia House", or "Body Heat"?

I think so!

I have to go with Richard on this one. Chinatown may be one of my favourite JG scores but on the whole the feel I get from it is not sultry. The love theme certainly has that quintessentially film noirish quality of longing and romance but for me there certainly are sultier scores, e.g. those Richard mentioned above.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Oh, I didn't mean sultry as in sexy, specifically. Just steamy, close.

[Incanus 5,715]

The Accidental Tourist by John Williams

The Book Thief by John Williams

Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams

Pan's Labyrinth by Javier Navarrete

[crocodile 8,017]

Spider-Man 3 by Christopher Young

The Fly II by Christopher Young

Creation by Christopher Young

http://youtu.be/l63T29QwjwE

Karol

[Hlao-roo 389]

Africa by Alex North

Ransom by Jerry Goldsmith

The Last Castle by Jerry Goldsmith

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within by Elliot Goldenthal

[Jay 37,368]

Planes by Mark Mancina

First time listening with headphones, usually I just listen to this at work. Loved it even more. Easily one of the best scores of last year, no question! Must pick it up on CD.

Glad to hear he's scoring the sequel!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Michael Collins - Elliot Goldenthal

[Matt C 454]

The Amazing Spider-Man - James Horner

I used to hate it, but I really enjoy it as a listening experience. I really liked Horner's approach to the character as more of joyful discovery and embodying Peter's innocence, rather than aping the soaring optimism of Elfman's theme. Some of the action music Horner was either unconsciously channeling Elfman ("Saving New York") or maybe as a tip-of-the-hat to the previous franchise... either way, it's nice.

Not saying it's one of Horner's best scores in the past decade or anything, but it's nice.

[Jay 37,368]

Not saying it's one of Horner's best scores in the past decade or anything, but it's nice.

What Horner scores from 2004-present to do you think are better?

[Matt C 454]

Not saying it's one of Horner's best scores in the past decade or anything, but it's nice.

What Horner scores from 2004-present to do you think are better?

None of them really. They're entertaining, but Horner's not at that peak he was in the 1980s to mid-to-late 1990s. Back then he turned out amazing scores like Krull, Journey of Natty Gann, Once Upon a Forest, Wrath of Khan and Titanic.

His stuff from the early 2000s to today are good but not really mind-blowing. Amazing Spider-Man is a touch above 'good' but not amazing.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

So it is his best score from the past decade.

[Jay 37,368]

Sounds like it!

[KK 3,307]

Scores I think are better than TASM:

Post-2004: The Legend of Zorro

Post-2000: A Beautiful Mind, The Four Feathers, The Missing

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I think I prefer A Beautiful Mind's sound-world to that of TASM, but I am not sure that it's a better score.

[publicist 4,643]

THE NEW WORLD is better by all accounts.

[crocodile 8,017]

All The King's Men is good. Overly dramatic and heavy-going, but slightly different from his usual melodrama (ignoring few "references" here and there). And, interestingly enough, Horner orchestrated it all by himself.

Karol

[Incanus 5,715]

It stood out in the film like a sore thumb but on the album it works wonders. Highly enjoyable album with a strong dramatic arc and it never overstays its welcome. Plus the self-homaging is not all that distracting in this one.

[Jay 37,368]

Where's all the love for Avatar, Karate Kid, and Black Gold?

[publicist 4,643]

I rate SPIDER-MAN more highly than either, if alone for the fact that Horner had to adapt to a different genre.

[KK 3,307]

Where's all the love for Avatar, Karate Kid, and Black Gold?

The first and last are derivative but enjoyable works. The middle, I don't like as much.

[publicist 4,643]

THE NEW WORLD was the last truly 'inspired' Horner, all the others are middling with some very good parts in between. Which is on par for Horner since 1995.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Which is funny, since he absolutely hated working with Malick.

[publicist 4,643]

He hated it afterwards, while working on it he still may have been animated by the thought of another Oscar.

[nightscape94 965]

I seem to recall he had an issue with Malick not being able to hold himself to a specific cut of the film and kept re-editing things constantly, which ended up butchering the music. I remember liking the score on album. The only memory of music I have while watching the movie was the use of the Das Rheingold prelude.