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


Ollie

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Star Trek IV The Voyage Home- Leonard Rosenman

Star Trek VI -The Undiscovered Country, Cliff Eidelman

 

the former is so indelibly linked to the film that it's hard to imagine the film without it. The main theme has a sense of urgency early on, matched perhaps by The Whaler ("Full powered descent Mr Sulu") and the start of "Crash/Whale Fugue". The expanded score makes it more complete of course. The inclusion of the alternate Whaler (i.e the recap montage they had prior to the credits) is a good one and even the alternate main title (intriguing to hear the TOS theme done 'big' for a film). Then there's of course what I think of the quirky tracks -Market Street and Ballad of the Whale. I don't quite see the need for the two minutes or so at the start of Market Street before it's the moment where Kirk and co walk into the street. 

It's not a bad score and neither is VI. I raise eyebrows at Horner's response of his career outgrowing Trek, as much as a IV Horner score intrigues, one done nine years after his first Trek is as much intriguing. Re-uses of Kirk and Spock's theme perhaps intermingled with some updating of his Klingon theme. 

Eidelman did a good job and the highlight remains Battle for Peace. Again, the expanded score makes it much more better. 

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I wanted any pic of Biker Crash to be my cover for Christopher Young’s Ghost Rider, but alas, no pic would load. Something about it needing to be a jng file. Phooey. I’ll deal with that fiddle-faddle later and just have it on my home screen pic while I listen. 

This score puts hair on your chest. 

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3 hours ago, Sir Hilary Bray said:

Eidelman did a good job and the highlight remains Battle for Peace. Again, the expanded score makes it much more better. 

 

Its great achievement for me is Eidelman nailing both the naval aspect of Star Trek and the bittersweet touch of the TOS crew's final mission. The score doesn't have as much meat on it as most other Trek scores, but what meat there is I count among the highlights of the series.

 

Side note: When I was at Forbidden Planet in London last Sunday, they played the ST7 end credits on the shop radio. Not the Trek score you usually expect to hear in public, even in a geek shop.

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1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

During the mid 1990s, Spielberg was taking a well deserved break after the emotionally challenging production of Schindler's List, Lucas was still preparing the prequels and the rerelease on theaters of the Original Trilogy, and the world haven't heard about a young wizard boy named Harry Potter yet. So, Williams just scored three non blockbuster movies on that period post the success of Jurassic Park and the Oscar for Schindler, but before The Lost World.

 

I decided to revisit his scores composed during that period:

 

-Sabrina is a delight, a smaller and romantic score whose OST makes for a feel good listen. My favorite track, however, is the 10 minute The Party Sequence, but I assume JW didn't write no one of those jazz pieces, just arranged them, write?

Williams didn't compose any of those pieces. These are the album credits for the track but they do not mention who arranged the music: 

Quote

 

The Party Sequence - When Joanna Loved Me / The Shadow Of Your Smile / Call Me Irresponsible / Stella By Starlight
Written-By [Call Me Irresponsible] – Sammy Cahn & James Van Heusen
*Written-By [Stella By Starlight] – Ned Washington, Victor Young
Written-By [The Shadow Of Your Smile] – Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster
Written-By [When Joanna Loved Me] – Jack Segal, Robert Wells (2)

 

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Minority Report by John Williams

 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug by Howard Shore

 

Medal of Honor: Fronline by Michael Giacchino

 

Medal of Honor: European Assault by Christopher Lennertz

 

The Mummy by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Rambo II by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Rambo III by Jerry Goldsmith

 

 

 

 

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STTMP

STII

Jaws Intrada

Laputa: Castle in the Sky - original

 

 

Isle of Dogs - had to after rewatching the film. It works perfectly there, giving it a rythm and holding it all together. On album, though, it's repetitive and ultimately doesn't seem to go anywhere or amount to much, it just repeats and repeats, playing with adding or subtracting instrument groups, then stops at one point. The 3-note whistle had a bigger presence in the film (but mostly just whistled, I guess), I think that would've had the potential to become a CE3K 5-note thing, symbolyse the human-dog relationship, play it properly or dissonantly accordingly. I like the traditional instrument choices and somehow that ryhmicness makes it addicting, though.

 

Grand Budapest Hotel - now this is more like it. After a couple listen you can distinguish the good handful of motifs played around with, making it less repetitive. There's a couple multitrack cluters that have an internal structure, escalation between them, and in the end, Canto at Gabelmeister's Peak and Troops Barracks really feel like they're grander than what came before and have been built up to. Moonshine is a perfect bow on the package, such a fun piece. Cimbalom always butters my heart up, but combined with the balalaika it's very effective in creating a Central/Eastern European feel. I dig it.

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The Banner Saga 1, 2 and 3

 

This is a game franchise that would have been unknown for me, if it wasn't for the fact that Austin Wintory is the composer. 

 

His scores for the franchise are quite bold and unusual for a Kickstarter-funded tactical role-playing game that takes place in a fictional world inspired by the Norse mithology. They are performed by an orchestra with no string section, just brass, thunderous percussion and woodwinds, besides multiple soloists and vocals. 

 

The music is very engaging and intelectually stimulating. Some of the action music is like Horner's Aliens, Williams' Jurassic Park and The Lost World, and, of course, Goldenthal. And, on the third score, there's a few action tracks that are very War of the Worlds-esque. But, as I said, with no strings, which makes the whole thing very brutal. 

 

It's not easy listening, that's for sure, but it is well composed and well crafted. But avoid the songs, they are very boring.

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17 minutes ago, Holko said:

Grand Budapest Hotel 5 or so more times

 

 

I wasn't a fan of the album first, but then I watched the movie and the music worked wonderfully there.

 

Actually, 2014 is my favorite year for Alexandre. I love every single one of the scores he put out that year: Grand Budapest, Godzilla, The Imitation Game and even Unbroken.

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2 hours ago, Holko said:

Grand Budapest Hotel 5 or so more times

 

I tried to like it but alas it never clicked with me.

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Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Jerry Goldsmith

Alien by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Thanks to @Holko and @SteveMc for a successful Goldsmith '79 listening session on the Discord! Two fantastic scores featuring some of my favourite of Goldsmith's themes and ideas. Great session made possible by Jerry's wonderful music.

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It is surprisingly long album. I like everything so far but my favourites are The Night Journeys, Hedwig's Theme, The Duel, Princess Leia's Theme. I actually find Sabrina to be quite lovely. It's not a score I particularly like but it surely has a nice theme. The Chairman's Waltz is played really fast, not sure if I like that. I'm glad to have waited for the DE as 27 minutes is quite a lot of extra material As with The Hobbit albums, I absolutely see no point of the standard album.

 

Karol

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Peter Pan - James Newton Howard

 

It's a very Mickey Mouse-type score, but it fits with the lush hyper storybook feel of the film. Obviously, Howard took a bit of inspiration from Williams' Hook with cues like "Fairy Dance" and "Flying" but I think people overlook this score. Some major highlights in Howard's body of work. I would've loved to been on Sony Scoring Stage during the recording of "Flying"... the last minute and a half give me goosebumps. (Universal Studios uses "Flying" as part of their cinematic water show during the day, so it was a pleasure to hear that cue pumped through large speakers.)

 

 

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Big Fish - Danny Elfman (chrono ordering of Burton boxset version)

 

Starting off October listening to one of Elfman's *least* spooky scores.... but also one of his best.  The complete score is a bit of a hodgepodge, but it's really all about that final third.  Perfection!  As I've said before, "Finale" is possibly my single favorite Elfman cue.

 

The essential section is the tracks you can see in this screenshot.

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I really need to give Big Fish another listen!

 

The Shape of Water

Such a beautiful score for a beautiful film and deserving of its Oscar win. My favourite Desplat score.

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Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones (complete score)

 

I was scrolling to a bit of Prequel Memes last night (it's amazing that just about every line in every scene of these movies are memeable), and decided to revist this. And I really like it! 

 

I love the warm and romantic material for Anakin and Padme's romance, the fun and exciting action music (specially The Jango Fett Fight and the original On The Conveyor Belt), the almost Herrmann-esque motif for harp illustrating Anakin's slow descent into madness from The Arrival at Tatooine, the use of Dies Irae on the haunting and dark Anakin Changes, the badassery of Entrance of the Monsters and, of course, the Finale and End Credits. I love how the score (as Williams recorded it, not the stupid changes Lucas and his music editors did) ending with a very somber and menacing Imperial March.

 

I consider AOTC a close cousin of Williams' first two Potter scores, and as a fan of his late 90s/early 2000s phase, I really have a soft spot for this score, much better than the idiotic movie it was written for.

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9 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

James Horner - An American Tail (Intrada 2019)

 

I’m so glad Matessino handled this release, as it is a true highlight of the year so far for me.  A marvelous score I’m so happy to have in this expanded form.

It is indeed quite superb.

 

21 hours ago, Incanus said:

Across the Stars Deluxe Edition by Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams: :lovethis:

It is quite excellent, isn't it? Other than the fast tempo of The Chairman's Waltz which I'm not so sure about.

 

Karol

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Link's Awakening remake

 

I like what they did here!

 

 

Jake Kaufman - Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

 

This is super fun!  Right now "Scuttle Town" and "Risky Boots" are earworms that do not leave my head

 

 

Yasunori Mitsuda - Chrono Cross

 

Starting to finally get into this one, some gorgeous stuff here!

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Mortal Engines is a major guilty pleasure score for me.  It's a dunderheaded score but man I can't help finding stuff like the last half of "Welcome to London" entertaining

 

 

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John Powell - Solo

 

I like this OST a lot and really, really, really would love to listen to a complete presentation!

 

 

Jerry Goldsmith - Total Recall (Quartet)

 

An action masterpiece, masterfully presented!

 

 

Basil Poledouris - Starship Troopers (Varese Deluxe)

 

An action masterpiece, masterfully presented!

 

 

 

Brian Tyler - Now You See Me

 

I love this score but hate the presentation.  The official OST and the Soundcloud OST are both all over the place in terms of chronology and pacing.  Re-ordering the soundcloud tracks into a more-chronological order helps but isn't ideal.  I'd love, LOVE a complete release or leak.

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19 minutes ago, Jay said:

Basil Poledouris - Starship Troopers (Varese Deluxe)

 

An action masterpiece, masterfully presented!

 

 

Not perfect though - ref. end credits suite sourced from lousy-sounding film stems.

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There was a couple of things from the isolated score that could have been included with the Deluxe Edition but anyways the D.E. is a good release.  Like Jay I didn't include the "End Credits" piece for my iPod.  All it is as far as I recall is tracked and edited music. 

Just like the "End Credits" for Air Force One which no doubt will be a film stem rip.

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17 hours ago, crocodile said:

It is quite excellent, isn't it? Other than the fast tempo of The Chairman's Waltz which I'm not so sure about.

 

Karol

Yeah I am a bit on the fence on that one as well but on the whole it is a fabulous album. I can't think of a single adaptation I wouldn't like on this disc. Having Markings here is a special treat as well. I even like the rather sweet little interview on the DVD. Nothing new to a seasoned JW-fan but Mutter and Williams have such wonderful mutual rapport even beyond the usual complimentary pats on each other's backs. And Williams asks the more interesting questions actually. And it is endearing to hear Williams in outmoded fashion referring to Mutter e.g. as "dear lady". Very sweet.

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On 10/3/2019 at 7:26 AM, Incanus said:

Yeah I am a bit on the fence on that one as well but on the whole it is a fabulous album. I can't think of a single adaptation I wouldn't like on this disc. Having Markings here is a special treat as well. I even like the rather sweet little interview on the DVD. Nothing new to a seasoned JW-fan but Mutter and Williams have such wonderful mutual rapport even beyond the usual complimentary pats on each other's backs. And Williams asks the more interesting questions actually. And it is endearing to hear Williams in outmoded fashion referring to Mutter e.g. as "dear lady". Very sweet.

I've been listening to this pretty much every day. And it does get even better with repeat listens. It has been a tough and stressful week and this album is really helping.

 

Karol

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