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

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

On 07/11/2021 at 11:35 AM, 77 said:

It is newly recorded after all, not from the 50s

 

It was recorded in the 20s.

[publicist 4,643]

The kind of re-recording that gets your blood boiling: a respectable 1996 performance by a Berlin orchestra of Franz Waxman's great score to the Lindbergh flight movie 'The Spirit of St. Louis', with a portion of the biblical Fox score 'The Story of Ruth' on top of it...and then they add some half-assed narrator, quoting from the movie (or the books, who knows) who talks over the most important cues. Bollocks, say! Just listen to track 3 after 01:51 and track 9 after the 01:56 mark for checking what we've lost here.

[Thor 7,478]

Yes, the narration is annoying, but I'm glad we have a rerecording. The original tracks are very scrawny-sounding.

[Thor 7,478]

 

Just a bit of morning Morricone.

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

2 hours ago, publicist said:

The kind of re-recording that gets your blood boiling: a respectable 1996 performance by a Berlin orchestra of Franz Waxman's great score to the Lindbergh flight movie 'The Spirit of St. Louis', with a portion of the biblical Fox score 'The Story of Ruth' on top of it...and then they add some half-assed narrator, quoting from the movie (or the books, who knows) who talks over the most important cues. Bollocks, say! Just listen to track 3 after 01:51 and track 9 after the 01:56 mark for checking what we've lost here.

 

I picked this up years ago without knowing it would have narration, and the narrator is the reason why I've hardly ever returned to it.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Damian: Omen II (Deluxe) by Jerry Goldsmith

Terrific from beginning to the end, my personal favourite of those three impeccable scores

 

Transformers: Age of Extinction (EP) by Steve Jablonsky

Super epic, containing most of the movie best titles (minus Dinobot Charge ) in a short but so enjoyable presentation

[Edmilson 7,397]

Maybe my favorite Thomas Newman score of the 2010s.

 

Beautiful score that mixes the usual "Newman-isms" with some Oscar and Lucinda-like choir. It's pretty much the same thing you've heard in previous Thomas Newman scores like Shawshank, The Horse Whisperer, Road to Perdition, Angels in America, etc., but if you don't mind listening to these tropes again, you'll be rewarded with some very touching music that is some of the best Newman wrote in the last decade.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Back to the Future part. III (25th) by Alan Silvestri

Far less good than the two previous entries, it's still a very nice score with some good action writing and fun source music. My main disappointment comes from the love theme which I find a bit flavourless

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

City Hall by Jerry Goldsmith

A really nice score

 

Fierce Creatures by Jerry Goldsmith

A lovely score reminding me a bit of Williams' The Accidental Tourist by its apparent simplicity

 

Would love to get an expansion of both although I'm not sure if there's enough missing cues

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

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

Fierce Creatures by Jerry Goldsmith

A lovely score reminding me a bit of Williams' The Accidental Tourist by its apparent simplicity

 

Would love to get an expansion of both although I'm not sure if there's enough missing cues

 

Apparently, there might be some bits and alternates in Fierce Creatures, if I remember some more recent comments correctly. But overall, there's more music in the album than in the film, because the score is very short and Goldsmith actually expanded it for the CD. In any case, it's a gem.

[Tallguy 3,380]

7 hours ago, May the Force be with You said:

Back to the Future part. III (25th) by Alan Silvestri

Far less good than the two previous entries, it's still a very nice score with some good action writing and fun source music. My main disappointment comes from the love theme which I find a bit flavourless

 

Wow. The opposite of what you said. III doesn't have the dizzying highs that BTTF has (clock tower!) but I think it's a better overall score. And there is something fantastically heartbreaking and melancholy about going from the manic craziness of Doc passing out before the title to the love theme and Marty driving Doc home in the rain.

 

And the three train chase tracks are almost as good as the clock tower sequence.

 

I might have to listen to this today.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Yes I've always thought Part III was obviously the best score of the trilogy.  I would say the train sequence is superior as an action setpiece.

[Tallguy 3,380]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

I would say the train sequence is superior as an action setpiece.

 

Objectively that's probably true. But the Clock Tower is one of the greatest "WOW!" moments in cinema history for me.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

I have to agree with @Tallguy, and @Disco Stu.

BTTF pt. III has the best score, by a country mile.

[Bespin 8,480]

@May the Force be with You We'll give you a second chance for reviewing Back to The Future III correctly (the expansion), after two or three more listenings.

 

Don't fuck it up!

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

2 minutes ago, Bespin said:

@May the Force be with You

Don't fuck it up!

What a potty mouth!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

I'll take that second chance 😜

At my defense it was only the second time I listened to this one while I've been listening to the two others over 30 times so not the same sensibility for it.

Perhaps I'll have the same experience as I did with Basic Instinct: first listening 'meh', second one 'pretty nice', third 'that's really good', fourth 'wtf was wrong with me two months ago'! Now I listen to it almost once a week

[Holko 9,499]

Well, Dragonslayer (1981) is not the easiest listen, especially if one expects a classic Sword&Sorcery adventure epic, but the samples and a watch intrigued me enough to buy it and dive in. I kind of hate to say it because I'm not a fan of these posts and comparisons, but it really does feel less like a film score following the obvious action and more like a symphonic tone poem, North's musings on this dark medieval time of corrupt leaders, of sorcerers and their tangible fun and flexible magic going away and being replaced by distant rigid preachers, where the emphasis in "the last of the dragons" gets placed on the tragicness of "last", as much or even more being in awe of the elegance of its flight than fearing its attacks. First listen but surely not the last! Not bad liner notes but didn't really manage to catch any of the motifs it talks about, might sync it up to the film too to see if that helps.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Lincoln by John Williams

I think Williams wrote two kind o masterpiece in this century: those which feel complexed, extremely worked to give the most perfect score and those which feel obvious, almost written as the music flows.

Lincoln is one of the later, it feels like it was written with so much ease and like if there was no other way to write it.

I'm madly in love with it

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

It's one of his most elegant scores, and beautifully performed. But I'm getting a bit annoyed by the album. I like the assembly in general, but some of the crossfades are horribly artificial.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Yeah I noticed one or two, it's a bit like War Horse which is similar in its elegance and perfect construction bu also have some weird cross-fade or too abrupt ending

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Fitzwilly - John Williams (Music Box, just the film recordings)

 

Every time I put this on after "Main Title" and "Theft / More Theft" I get so excited and I'm ready to declare it an early Williams masterpiece.  But then the rest of the score plays and is just really good, not amazing.  It's obviously one of his best early scores though.  But boy those first two tracks are just somethin' else.

[Jay 37,322]

John Williams - JFK (complete DVD rip)

 

Randomly chose this today looking for something on my hard drive I haven't heard a million times.  It's not a pleasant listen, due to all the sound effects and dialogue, and music repeated a bunch of times via tracking.  But it's a good reminder I should listen to the OST album again some time soon, it's been ages.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

It's a fantastic score, @Jay.

Top-10 JW, for me.

Curiously, the O.S.T. makes a better listening experience, than the DVD rip.

I even like the songs.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Maleficent by JNH

There was a time where I didn't like at all JNH compositions but since I start to rediscover him through King Kong, Waterworld and Wyatt Earp I've completely changed my mind.

Today I listened to this score which start with a nice suite, nothing terrific but a pleasant one and then you come to all the fantastic materials, sometimes light in some kind of effortless writing but also dark and strong in the vein of Elfman's old gothic scores.

In one word great!

 

Plus as a bonus you have the Lana Del Rey song which concludes beautifully this presentation

[Brundlefly 2,385]

35 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

It's a fantastic score, @Jay.

Top-10 JW, for me.

Curiously, the O.S.T. makes a better listening experience, than the DVD rip.

I even like the songs.

It is, just as Catch Me If You Can, a fantastic album. In both cases the OST with the songs should ideally be preserved on an expanded release.

[Bespin 8,480]

We need an expansion of JFK, of Born on the fourth of July... and Catch Me if You Can, and... on and on...

[bruce marshall 1,315]

3 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

It's a fantastic score, @Jay.

Top-10 JW, for me.

Curiously, the O.S.T. makes a better listening experience, than the DVD rip.

I even like the songs.

" curiously"😗

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

11 hours ago, Bespin said:

We need an expansion of JFK, of Born on the fourth of July... and Catch Me if You Can, and... on and on...

...and The Witches Of Eastwick, and The Accidental Tourist, and Nixon, and Cinderella Liberty, and Angela's Ashes, and...

[Thor 7,478]

 

This one is being reissued now in early December, on Silva. I have vague memories of renting the film on VHS in the 90s, but no memory of the score. So it's a nice re-acquaintance, Isham's electronic score oscillates between moody textural pieces (occasionally with a trumpet/jazz tinge, as is his custom), broad melodies and throbbing suspense. Took me a couple of listen-throughs, but ultimately found it qualified for my digital collection.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

2 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

...and The Witches Of Eastwick, and The Accidental Tourist, and Nixon, and Cinderella Liberty, and Angela's Ashes, and...

...and Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, and The Patriot, and Seven Years in Tibet, and Sugarland Express, and The Terminal, and Amistad, and...

 

(And Stepmom for Jurassic Shark and Fiddler on the Roof for Jay now he doesn't have any spare copy)

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

52 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

This one is being reissued now in early December, on Silva. I have vague memories of renting the film on VHS in the 90s, but no memory of the score. So it's a nice re-acquaintance, Isham's electronic score oscillates between moody textural pieces (occasionally with a trumpet/jazz tinge, as is his custom), broad melodies and throbbing suspense. Took me a couple of listen-throughs, but ultimately found it qualified for my digital collection.

It's a great early Isham work.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

14 hours ago, Bespin said:

We need an expansion of JFK, of Born on the fourth of July... and Catch Me if You Can, and... on and on...

 

3 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

...and The Witches Of Eastwick, and The Accidental Tourist, and Nixon, and Cinderella Liberty, and Angela's Ashes, and...

 

1 hour ago, May the Force be with You said:

...and Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, and The Patriot, and Seven Years in Tibet, and Sugarland Express, and The Terminal, and Amistad, and...

 

Just wondering how long it will take them to release just ONE of the three Oliver Stone titles...

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

It will take them as long as it will take Stone to reclaim his credibility, in Tinseltown: a very long time.

[Edmilson 7,397]

5 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

...and The Patriot, and...

Fixed.

[A24 4,326]

 

The sound of the French horns in Drummer's Salute is still impressive, even after all this time.

[Jay 37,322]

Jerry Goldsmith - Love Field (Varese Deluxe)

 

Woah!  I liked this a lot!  The action music in Lost Luggage and The Motel is awesome, and everything else is good too.  The main theme is used a lot, but is very nice, even if it does kind of remind me of "Send In The Clowns"

[Holko 9,499]

Images (together with @Chewy and@crumbs) - Fantastic, moody, inventive JW. Every track has something new to bring to this really well assembled album. I like the way the instrument groups or the way of playing or the writing itself can represent normalcy and madness, (the arrival of strings for example destabilising and driving out the lute and bells like in Dogs, Ponies and Old Ruins), fading in and out, playing solo, or even getting confused (like the aforementioned strings in solo getting the most classical and non-weird track on the album).

 

The Wizard of Oz - Lovely songs, lovely score variations of them, all fun as hell.

 

Shadows of the Empire - Love every single track.

 

Krull - Top tier adventurous Horner, excellent.

 

Conan the Barbarian (Rerecording) - All highlights again, love the way it gives weight, depth and... meaning to the film's world in a way.

 

Black Sunday - Not exactly all highlights but one single highlight, a very well-built up narrative. Very fun. By now I'm noticing Kabakov's theme popping up everywhere, originally it took me a while to even recognise it.

 

Always - Same as above, not all highlights but one big beautiful bunch of bittersweet longing and release. That solo in Among the Clouds, those gorgeous alternate credits...

 

War of the Worlds - I think I finally managed to catch myself in the perfect mood with it and broke the "okay, I love all of it, this is a great score" barrier. I'm already familiar enough with it that I can concentrate on and appreciate smaller details but I listened to it long enough ago that I was being surprised by twists and turns like how good a 12-minute gapless assembly from Intersection Scene to Driving Away is, the existence of Attacking the Car, the lovely album extensions and their seamlessness of Disc 1 for Ray and Rachel and Refugee Status, how big Robbie Joins the Fight Gets, the sudden screaming Red Planet after we were lulled to such a different mood for multiple tense but lowkey and minimal cues, the calming ending but very dire and un-optimistic epilogue... again, I love it all!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I listen mostly to tv themes since they are short and fit my time schedule. I love the Season 2 Land of the Giants theme. Johnny Williams was one hell of a composer.

 

So is that Mike Post guy.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Medecine Man by Jerry Goldsmith

I decided to visit that one as some people here constantly mentioned it and it's a lovely score which however feel to miss so much music (or perhaps was it the intention to focus mainly on one theme?)

 

Matinee by Jerry Goldsmith

Terrific score that need an expansion (33minutes is far too short). Goldsmith and Dante were hell of a duo!

[Tallguy 3,380]

Ahhh I've been caught in one of my occasional "Let's listen to EVERY version of the Doctor Who theme (official and unofficial) ever made!" And then find variations of THOSE! 

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

Ahhh I've been caught in one of my occasional "Let's listen to EVERY version of the Doctor Who theme (official and unofficial) ever made!" And then find variations of THOSE! 

 

 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

1 hour ago, Tallguy said:

Ahhh I've been caught in one of my occasional "Let's listen to EVERY version of the Doctor Who theme (official and unofficial) ever made!" And then find variations of THOSE! 

 I was listening to variations of the Hawaii Five-0 theme. Its just damn fanstastic. 

This led me down the variations of The Wild Wild West. Kick ass stuff. 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Memoirs of a Geisha by John Williams

So beautiful, so moving, so perfect... Another proof that Williams can constantly surprise us by writing unusual and immediate classic (drop a tear)

[Edmilson 7,397]

It's a great score, although the Revenge of the Sith references do puzzle me when I'm listening to it.

[Jay 37,322]

Bruno Coulais - Wolfwalkers

 

Saw the film recently and loved it; Checked out the OST album on Spotify just now and it's pretty good!  Seemed like a very short album and that the long climax isn't represented well, though

[Holko 9,499]

Superman - another all-highlights score, I'm still almost surprised how much I love it and go along with its narrative after not liking the movie at all. Great themes and variations, unique passages or culminative finales, this has it all.

 

Lincoln - Quite the contrast, quiet and solemn, mellow and soothing. Fantastic.

 

The Eiger Sanction (with @crumbsand @Chewyagain) - Still release of the goddamn year, whatever BF brings. The distinct parts the score can be divided into, the insanely versatile melancholy main theme, the fun Morricone-ey sound and villain theme, the futile climbing theme, the inspirations ranging from centuries old classical harpsichord fugues to impressionism with all the icy cold textures and quietly bleak soundscapes you can feel on your skin to jazz which is always great to hear JW return to, half unused in the film, all locked in a vault for 45+ years, what a travesty, what a find, what a score, what a well-preserved sound, what a release!

 

Obsession (Tadlow) - Wow. I remember liking the OST, obviously enough to buy this, but this is something else! I don't even know what to say after a first listen but really really loved it.

[Tallguy 3,380]

22 minutes ago, Holko said:

after not liking the movie at all.

Whaaaa...? 

[Holko 9,499]

29 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

Whaaaa...? 

Yes. What I remember is an overly childish tensionless growthless silly mess with weak acting, script, logic, effects and visuals. And a killer JW score it really doesn't deserve.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Superman is for kids