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

[Bespin 8,480]

Good old John Williams.

 

Heidi, The Reivers, The Towering Inferno and Midway.

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

We need to start a campaign to change the title of THE REIVERS.

It's too damn similar to THE RIVER, and is a source of constant confusion😉

 

[Faleel 5,340]

The World is Not Enough - David Arnold

[SteveMc 2,674]

2 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

We need to start a campaign to change the title of THE REIVERS.

It's too damn similar to THE RIVER, and is a source of constant confusion😉

 

We need to pass a law requiring Steve McQueen and Mel Gibson's respective faces be plastered on the covers to tell them apart.

[Faleel 5,340]

7 minutes ago, SteveMc said:

We need to pass a law requiring Steve McQueen and Mel Gibson's respective faces be plastered on the covers to tell them apart.

Just as long as they actually look right

 

[publicist 4,643]

 

A potboiler-ish blockbuster score that still gets some points for at least executing the vapid standards with some style (Newton Howard is the only one who has really mastered the mix of orchestra vs. heavy electronics for this kind of shtick). He takes the Zimmer et al. aesthetics and develops them more along the lines of a traditional thriller/action score. There's still a lot of musical zeros on display (lack of musical structure, i. e. murky suspense cues and so on), but also a fine and suitably bombastic action piece like 'Chase Across D. C.', its blunt musical imprint getting a good workout in the last quarter of the album ('Eight Floors Down' onwards). 

 

The lack of narrative depth prevents the score from going beyond purely superficial gloss-up, but as far as these things go, it's better than most.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Some nice things but not one of the best Zimmer score.

[Thor 7,478]

14 minutes ago, May the Force be with You said:

Some nice things but not one of the best Zimmer score.

 

That's true. The great selections on the OST make it out to be a much better score than what what you actually encounter on the dreadful expansion, but I do credit it with the 'birth' of Zimmer's power anthem style.

[Richard Penna 3,675]

JNH's Dreamcatcher.

 

A direct result of their recent club releases going on Spotify - I'd never considered it originally, but give me a chance to listen for free, and it gets a shot

 

It doesn't suffer from the dull/meandering style of some of his more recent thriller type scores, and instead has some nice string/brass work and some nice melodies. Some may be turned off by the electronics, but I felt it worked.

[Bespin 8,480]

On 5/6/2021 at 1:51 PM, Jay said:

John Williams - The Reivers (Masters of Film Music CD edition)

 

A recent purchase of mine, I bought it because people here said it had better sound quality than the 1995 Sony CD.  Well, maybe it does (I haven't heard the 1995 CD in a minute), but the sound quality is still bad!  Muffled and full of clipping!

It's fun music but boy, it's long overdue for a proper remaster...

 

Hello @Jay I wanted to return on that review you made.

 

I'm currently listening to the album.

 

First of all, for the Sony edition, they removed too much background noise, which is very present on the MOFM release, and that's perfectly normal regarding the age of the recording (I love natural background noise, remove it and you kill the music!). So the sound was really "muffled" all the way on the Sony release.

So you can't say the sound is "muffled" on the MoFM release.  Some parts of the mixed tracks are less brillant than others, and again, I want you to remember that's a 1969 Master. And for the era, I think it was a very rich and complex mix, containing many different parts and instruments. There are string sections (mostly appearing in stereo), brass, harmonica, banjo, piano, guitar, flutes, percussion, bells and whatever... and all that in a pretty awesome stereo for the era! This score is pretty much the Big orchestra meet the Saloon!

 

Then, the tape shows some rare artifacts and some analog edits, which are perfectly normal.

 

Finally, I prefer to talk about "saturation" rather than "clipping" for these old recordings. Like it's the case for the score of "Jane Eyre", the high volume passages suffers from saturation. Unfortunately, it's kind of "Normal" saturation for many Masters of this era... 

 

So unless MM would have access to the original elements (which is less than certain), the saturation will always be present on the Master of "The Reivers".

 

AND THAT'S OKAY!

 

1969!!!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

57 minutes ago, Thor said:

That's true. The great selections on the OST make it out to be a much better score than what what you actually encounter on the dreadful expansion, but I do credit it with the 'birth' of Zimmer's power anthem style.

That's exactly what I felt that I should have stick with the OST. But after listenning to the Batman Forever expansion (which is trully a blast) I thought that it might be the same with Zimmer. Silly me...

[crocodile 7,988]

Rio Conchos (LLL)

Patton (Intrada)

Gone With the Wind: Max Steiner's Classic Film Score

Snow Falling on Cedars

 

In regards to Patton, I've got to say I really like the original recording. Bought the Intrada album only a couple of months ago. I only had the Varese re-recording in my collection. I do like that disc but the echoplex effects in that wet recording is nowhere near as effective as in the original. Glad I picked it up. What a fabulous score this is.

 

Karol

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,176]

4 minutes ago, crocodile said:

In regards to Patton, I've got to say I really like the original recording. Bought the Intrada album only a couple of months ago. I only had the Varese re-recording in my collection. I do like that disc but the echoplex effects in that wet recording is nowhere near as effective as in the original. Glad I picked it up. What a fabulous score this is.

 

It's been ages since I listened to it, but weren't the echoplex effects on the Varese "performed live" by the trumpets instead of actually using an echoplex… machine?

[Thor 7,478]

 

This is basically a collection of film music cues  that are "leftovers" that didn't quite make it into my ultimate religious sound playlists, and that I assembled into an album - of sorts - of its own. But there's nothing "leftover" about the music itself -- it all bloody gorgeous. The cover is something I smacked together in 2 minutes.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Glad to see someone else liking Battle: Los Angeles around here but that must be some strange transition between The Fall of the Roman Empire to that one.

[Thor 7,478]

Just now, May the Force be with You said:

Glad to see someone else liking Battle: Los Angeles around here but that must be some strange transition between The Fall of the Roman Empire to that one.

 

He, he. Normally, yes, but there is no action music here. They're all within more or less the same hymn-like tone, so the transitions aren't that jarring.

[Bespin 8,480]

1986.

 

ST IV - Voyage Home, American Tail, Hoosiers, Spacecamp.

 

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

3 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

It's been ages since I listened to it, but weren't the echoplex effects on the Varese "performed live" by the trumpets instead of actually using an echoplex… machine?

I believe you are correct. The Varèse re-recording of Patton reproduced the echo effect acoustically rather than through the echoplex. I always rather liked the Varèse version, the concert version of the Patton March (labelled as Entr’acte) is pretty great even if it has a little of the oft disliked concert hall acoustic (which people seem to somewhat inaccurately associate with classical recordings; even if classical isn’t recorded quite as drily as some film music they are far from echoey and muddy but it varies wildly).

 

I have to admit that I never much liked the original film tracks from Patton. It always sounded a bit thin to me. I was quite disappointed when I heard them on the original FSM release. The Intrada version definitely improves matters due to better sound but for me, the definitive presentation is the original soundtrack re-recording which is both performed superbly and sounds great.

 

Although I guess it’s easier/more practical to perform in concert, I never quite understood why Jerry wrote that different ending to the Patton March for the Generals Suite which has a slightly awkward coda tagged on. The original which crashes to the final half a dozen notes leaving the trumpets echoing into the distance is as ingenious as it is dramatic.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

An epic score with a gorgeous main title. That's a score that truly worth its expansion although the OST works very well in itself.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

5 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

It's been ages since I listened to it, but weren't the echoplex effects on the Varese "performed live" by the trumpets instead of actually using an echoplex… machine?

Right. Live.

It doesn't work musically.

Echoplex or bust!

[crocodile 7,988]

5 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

It's been ages since I listened to it, but weren't the echoplex effects on the Varese "performed live" by the trumpets instead of actually using an echoplex… machine?

Honestly, I cannot remember and I cannot consult the booklet as the CD is back home.

 

Lionheart

 

Karol

[Bespin 8,480]

I prefer a more natural interpretation, much better than an echoplex-thing-from-the-past-gimmick, which sound strange even in the movie.

 

 

[Bespin 8,480]

Don't react with anger to my posts, mercy.

[Jay 37,319]

20 hours ago, publicist said:

Newton Howard is the only one who has really mastered the mix of orchestra vs. heavy electronics for this kind of shtick). 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, Bespin said:

Hello @Jay I wanted to return on that review you made.

 

I'm currently listening to the album.

 

First of all, for the Sony edition, they removed too much background noise, which is very present on the MOFM release, and that's perfectly normal regarding the age of the recording (I love natural background noise, remove it and you kill the music!). So the sound was really "muffled" all the way on the Sony release.

So you can't say the sound is "muffled" on the MoFM release.  Some parts of the mixed tracks are less brillant than others, and again, I want you to remember that's a 1969 Master. And for the era, I think it was a very rich and complex mix, containing many different parts and instruments. There are string sections (mostly appearing in stereo), brass, harmonica, banjo, piano, guitar, flutes, percussion, bells and whatever... and all that in a pretty awesome stereo for the era! This score is pretty much the Big orchestra meet the Saloon!

 

Then, the tape shows some rare artifacts and some analog edits, which are perfectly normal.

 

Finally, I prefer to talk about "saturation" rather than "clipping" for these old recordings. Like it's the case for the score of "Jane Eyre", the high volume passages suffers from saturation. Unfortunately, it's kind of "Normal" saturation for many Masters of this era... 

 

So unless MM would have access to the original elements (which is less than certain), the saturation will always be present on the Master of "The Reivers".

 

AND THAT'S OKAY!

 

1969!!!

 

Like I said I hadn't heard the 1995 Sony edition in a while, I don't remember any specifics of its sound. But I agree, removing noise (especially with 1995 technology instead of today's) too aggressively is way worse than leaving it alone. Leave in the noise and all the music instead of removing noise and taking music with it! 

 

There are tons of albums from 1969 that sound amazing! Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Pink Floyd... Of course those were recorded intending to be heard on album, while The Reivers score was recorded to be mixed into the mono film and then they later made an album of out those recordings. It will never sound amazing, but hopefully it will sound better than either of these CD versions someday. 

 

And yea, I probably used the wrong terminology... But whatever is happening when the music gets loud that causes the distortion is a real bummer. It ruined my enjoyment of the wonderful music!

 

I hope then original scoring elements are safe in a vault somewhere! 

[publicist 4,643]

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

I find it to be the weakest score of the Planet of the Apes. Not much of a fan of what Tom Scott wrote for that one, it feels like a poor version of the Goldsmith score

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

And even Goldsmith's original score wasn't that great...

 

[Holko 9,499]

18 minutes ago, May the Force be with You said:

I find it to be the weakest score of the Planet of the Apes. Not much of a fan of what Tom Scott wrote for that one, it feels like a poor version of the Goldsmith score

I get a lot more enjoyment out of it than the Rosenmann ones.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

14 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

And even Goldsmith's original score wasn't that great...

 

 

14 minutes ago, Holko said:

I get a lot more enjoyment out of it than the Rosenmann ones.

Well I did prefer both Rosenmann scores although I only liked Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Beneath habing the same default as the Tom Scott's score

[crocodile 7,988]

 Battle Royale by Masamichi Amano

 

 

 

Karol

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

On a Qatsi listening streaks this week… now onto Powaqqatsi. Probably my favourite of the three of Glass’ scores from an enjoyment perspective. The fusion of minimalism and world music is absolutely terrific here. The well known (three part) Anthem will be familiar from the Truman Show but the rest of the score is well worth exploring. 

[crocodile 7,988]

It might be the best one. However, I do have a soft spot for Naqoyqatsi as it was one of my first Philip Glass albums.

 

Karol

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

A really nice score from Goldsmith with a terrific main title and some nice scarry cues.

[crocodile 7,988]

Was it an expanded set @May the Force be with You or the old album?

 

Karol

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

14 minutes ago, crocodile said:

It might be the best one. However, I do have a soft spot for Naqoyqatsi as it was one of my first Philip Glass albums.

 

Karol

Often the way! Quite possible that I bought Powaqqatsi first and hence have a soft spot for it! Naqoqatsi is perhaps the most traditional of the three and sounds more like a number of other contemporary Glass orchestral scores with less of the strangeness and quirkiness of the other two. 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

1 minute ago, crocodile said:

Was it an expanded set @May the Force be with You or the old album?

 

Karol

It was the Intrada expanded set.

I find that most of Goldsmith scores benefits from better listening experience with those expansions.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Great score perfectly mixed with the 9th symphony.

I was wondering if anyone know if the 30th anniversary is a much better improvement or if it doesn't bring much new to it?

[Marian Schedenig 8,176]

3 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

And even Goldsmith's original score wasn't that great...

 

Surely there's something against this sort of thing in the new rules!?

 

[Holko 9,499]

Last Black Man in San Francisco - fantastic!

[Marian Schedenig 8,176]

2 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

On a Qatsi listening streaks this week… now onto Powaqqatsi. Probably my favourite of the three of Glass’ scores from an enjoyment perspective. The fusion of minimalism and world music is absolutely terrific here. The well known (three part) Anthem will be familiar from the Truman Show but the rest of the score is well worth exploring. 

 

Interesting. It's clearly my least favourite of the three. I love the Anthem parts, and I like the rest, but nothing about grips me like the mesmerising Koyaanisqatsi or the sublime Naqoyqatsi do. Also, as the films go, it didn't do much for me, unlike Koya. (I've yet to see Naqoy).

[crocodile 7,988]

13 minutes ago, May the Force be with You said:

Great score perfectly mixed with the 9th symphony.

I was wondering if anyone know if the 30th anniversary is a much better improvement or if it doesn't bring much new to it?

It's a substantial improvement. Not only does it contain more material but it also is sourced from first generation source. 

 

Karol

[A24 4,326]

 

 

It's the only score I listen to these days and it just dawned to me that its Main Theme is extremely close in style and emotion to the opening scene in Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky, which scene is exemplary of how to use music in films (in that the music is telling a different story than the images).

 

Just hear and see for yourself:

 

 

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

I know that some don't enjoy this small Williams score that much but I have to say that each time I played it back I get more into it. The piano melodies are truly wonderful and it real blessing to have that score before the less intimist SW sequels.

[SteveMc 2,674]

40 minutes ago, May the Force be with You said:

I know that some don't enjoy this small Williams score that much but I have to say that each time I played it back I get more into it. The piano melodies are truly wonderful and it real blessing to have that score before the less intimist SW sequels.

A top 10 JW score for me.  

[Bespin 8,480]

2 hours ago, SteveMc said:

A top 10 JW score for me.  

 

It's the 11th time you say an album is in your JW top 10! 

 

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 hour ago, Bespin said:

 

It's the 11th time you say an album is in your JW top 10! 

 

[Matt C 452]

"The Flash" (Shirley Walker)

 

LLL needs to re-issue this CD. It is a perfect encapsulation of what Walker could (and did) do later on "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series." She expertly deconstructs and weaves Elfman's theme in different ways, while crafting different motifs for all the secondary characters. The music is clear, very thematic and like the DC animated series, feels big even with only 30 musicians on each episode.

[Thor 7,478]

 

The opening theme ("Eddie's Dead") is a marvelous piece of THE THIRD MAN pastiche, but alas the rest of the album doesn't hold up as well. Which is weird, because Martinez is usually so brilliant at providing interesting suspense textures.

[crocodile 7,988]

 The Orville Seasons 1-2. Finally actually got around to giving the two albums a proper listen. Very enjoyable, not at all like other contemporary TV music and way above the majority of what Hollywood offers. If there's anything I can say against this music is that it is not particularly distinguishable from all its templates. And yes, there are some temp track references that seem bit obvious (like the Kryptonite-like motif appearing in one McNeely score). But it's all good fun and there is no real dull moment. Will be revisiting it and waiting for the next season. 

 

Karol

[Thor 7,478]

 

One of my favourite scores of 2019. If you're interested, you can read my review of it here.