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

[Bespin 8,480]

🤠

 

Sakamoto - The Last Emperor
Jerry Goldsmith - Forever Young
Hess - Ladies in Lavender
Jerry Goldsmith - The Shadow OST

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Charlotte's Web by Danny Elfman

I've never heard of it before but what a delightfull score, so poetic and engaging

 

The Last Castle (Intrada) by Jerry Goldsmith

A solid score with a very strong main title and a gorgeous evolution of it. Goldsmith really was great until the end!

[crocodile 7,988]

 Sunset Boulevard by Franz Waxman. 

 

Karol

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

One of my recent random holiday CD purchases was spotted by my impressively diligent other half (I look out for Broadway cast recordings for him and he looks out for soundtracks for me) in a box under a counter at a second hand shop in Vannes (in southern Brittany, it's lovely, do visit) was a copy of The Manhattan Project by Philippe Sarde (one L, two Ps... I can never remember) which I recalled owning but as it was about 3 Euros figured I may as well grab it. Glad I did as what I had was the Sister Mary Explains it All album which contains half a dozen tracks from that score, and the same from each of The Manhattan Project and Lovesick (no, me either). However, I clearly missed that Varese released an expanded 1,000 copy edition of The Manhattan Project, matching the original LP release, but doubling what was on the CD release.

 

I can't really match the description of the movie (basically a kid friendly thriller where a teenager invents an atomic bomb, as you do) to the music, which is much more lush and orchestral than might be expected. Not sure if it was intentional, but it sounds like a previously unheard Jerry score for Joe Dante, orchestral, tuneful and certainly more grandiose than I was expecting. One of the themes sounds (for no apparent) reason by the Christmas carol The First Noel, which is a little bit distracting.

 

Sarde is one of those composers whose stuff I often rather like, but I couldn't really pin his style down in the way you can for his compatriots such as Georges Delerue. Another recent listen was Sarde's score to Tess (as we were visiting the town of Locronan which it was filmed) which is absolutely gorgeous and should be in everyone's collection.

[Andy 4,089]

21 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

is much more lush and orchestral than might be expected. Not sure if it was intentional, but it sounds like a previously unheard Jerry score for Joe Dante, orchestral, tuneful and certainly more grandiose than I was expecting. One of the themes sounds (for no apparent) reason by the Christmas carol The First Noel, which is a little bit distracting.

Yes and yes!  Pair it with Sugarland Express’ 12 Days of Christmas for a holiday extravaganza!

 

It is a sweet and friendly sounding score, no doubt a product of the 80s Amblin sound of the time.  I don’t remember seeing the film, but for some reason I have the Varese… I must’ve bought it after being impressed by the samples. 
 

Thanks for the recommendation on Tess.  Is there a CD release you recommend?

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

27 minutes ago, Andy said:

Yes and yes!  Pair it with Sugarland Express’ 12 Days of Christmas for a holiday extravaganza!

 

It is a sweet and friendly sounding score, no doubt a product of the 80s Amblin sound of the time.  I don’t remember seeing the film, but for some reason I have the Varese… I must’ve bought it after being impressed by the samples. 
 

Yeah it definitely has that 80s family movie orchestral sound. A bit of Jerry and a bit of JW too here and there to be honest. Really lovely stuff.

 

28 minutes ago, Andy said:

Thanks for the recommendation on Tess.  Is there a CD release you recommend?

I have the version on MCA France paired with Le locataire which had pretty decent sound. I think all of the various releases have the same contents.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

54 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

...a kid friendly thriller where a teenager invents an atomic bomb...

 

 

[crocodile 7,988]

 Legend. Quite possibly one of Goldsmith's greatest achievements. I get why some people find this a difficult score to get into due to the - sometimes very aggressive - use of synths. I myself find it really magical and charming. I don't think the composer ever achieved that kind of balance between the organic and synthetic again in his career. It's a fully realised fantastical world that I get to venture into every time I put this music on. A world that is both enchanting and bit frightening. This is what great fantasy film music used to be about.

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

13 minutes ago, crocodile said:

 Legend. Quite possibly one of Goldsmith's greatest achievements. I get why some people find this a difficult score to get into due to the - sometimes very aggressive - use of synths. I myself find it really magical and charming. I don't think the composer ever achieved that kind of balance between the organic and synthetic again in his career.

 

He received the just reward for his herculean efforts - he got rejected. 

[crocodile 7,988]

You know, I've never actually seen the US release of the film. I only know the one with his score. Can't imagine anything else in it.

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

15 minutes ago, crocodile said:

You know, I've never actually seen the US release of the film. I only know the one with his score.

 

Which features an insultingly low mix and several headscratching cue shuffles. The score wouldn't have saved the movie, but applied right it would have clarified the storyline. They went quite Don Quichote on this one, always going for the wrong thing (i. e. the US edit features some gorgeous footage which they took out for the first release).

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

It's a rare thing when both versions of a film are a mess, but that's the sad fact about LEGEND.

I won't compare scores, because they're chalk and cheese. I like both.

The best version, imo, of LEGEND, is the extended version, on the Blu Ray.

[Tallguy 3,380]

I think the only film that I don't like that I really wish that I did more than Legend is Conan.

[Faleel 5,340]

ROTS

[Bespin 8,480]

When a movie have two official scores and more than two cuts... it's because it's not a masterpiece.

 

But it has a 22 yo Tom Cruise.

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

... and an eighteen year-old Mia Sara 

[Bespin 8,480]

🤠 (the thematic is not hats, but the 30s!)

 

James Horner - The Rocketeer OST
Randy Newman - The Natural
John Williams - Memoirs of a Geisha
Howard Shore - The Aviator

[crocodile 7,988]

 Willow. Really enjoying the new album. The new material definitely enriches the already sprawling score. Some really good stuff, I particularly love The Enchanted Forest. Such a cool atmospheric cue.

 

Karol

[Edmilson 7,396]

2 hours ago, Bespin said:

James Newton Howard - The Aviator

I didn't know JNH had written a rejected score for this film! Is it as good as Howard Shore's music for the same movie? 

[Tallguy 3,380]

2 hours ago, Bespin said:

🤠 (the thematic is not hats, but the 30s!)

 

James Horner - The Rocketeer OST
Randy Newman - The Natural
John Williams - Memoirs of a Geisha
James Newton Howard - The Aviator

 

With 50% Howard Hughes! 

 

I just finished listening to The Natural myself. 

[Jay 37,322]

James Horner - Willow (OST)

I grabbed my physical CD to listen to one last time before the Intrada edition arrives.  I loved it as much as always!

 

 

John Powell - The Bourne Identity (OST)

 

I actually never owned this before, but decided to pick up a used copy for like 5 bucks on Amazon to check out before checking out the new expansion.  I liked this for a while, until I look at where I was on the album, expecting to be arriving at some sort of big finale / climax soon, only to realize I was already in those final 4 tracks of demos / whatever they are, and a finale/climax doesn't really exist on this album.  Strange.  Looking forward to the Tumescent Edition next.

[publicist 4,643]

The guy's on my radar for some time, and the romantic Zorro/Old Gringo etc. mix of the 'No More, No Less' cues makes for a very compelling listen.

[Bespin 8,480]

A tribute to James Caan (1940-2022)

 

Danny Elfman - Dick Tracy

John Williams - Cinderella Liberty

Nino Rota - The Godfather

Stanley Wilson/Jerome Moross/John Williams, etc - Wagon Train

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

    An alternate tribute to James Caan:

 

ROLLERBALL - Various/Previn,

 

A BRIDGE TOO FAR - Addison,

 

        THEIF - Tangerine Dream,

 

                         1941 - Williams.

[Jay 37,322]

David Arnold - Independence Day (Complete)

 

I randomly realized this week that I hadn't heard this score in a quite a while, so set out to rectify that.  Holy hell, I loved it as much as always.  Just one of my favorite scores ever.  How lucky we were to get a complete edition only 14 years later, so many other favorites took so much longer!

 

 

John Williams - Jurassic Park (Complete)

 

All the talk made me want to revisit this score again, which I already know like the back of my hand.  The new edition is the best way to experience it, I love every second of it!

[Tallguy 3,380]

 

Happy birthday, Tron! (Tomorrow, actually.) 40 years! As I'm sure most of you know (and they younguns must be tired of hearing) 1982 was a hell of a year for nerds in specific and movies in general.

 

Actually, here is the playlist I'm listening to:

Creation of Tron
We've Got Company
Break In [for Strings, Flutes, and Celesta]
Wormhole
Ring Game
Lightcycle Games (From Tron)
Escape
Water, Music, And Tronaction
Miracle and Magician
Magic Landings
Tower Music - Let Us Pray
The Light Sailer
Sea of Simulation
A New Tron and the MCP
Anthem
Little Interludes (From Tron)
Ending Titles (Film)
Only Solutions
Trinitron (From Tron)
Theme from Tron
Tron Scherzo
Love Theme
Anthem [Studio Version] (From Tron)
1990's Theme
Only Solutions (12")
Creation of Tron V. 1 (From Tron)
Creation of Tron V. 2 (From Tron)
Anthem for Keyboard Solo
Tronaction [Original Version]
Ring Game and Escape
Ending Titles (LP)

 

Good stuff!

[Andy 4,089]

Great playlist. I think mine is similar, using material from Wendy Carlos Lost Themes and the bonus tracks on the 2002 CD.  What can I ask are there other sources I should be mining?

There’s an extended Only Solutions?!?

 

Why are you using the LP for the End Title?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

7 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

Happy birthday, Tron! (Tomorrow, actually.) 40 years! As I'm sure most of you know (and they younguns must be tired of hearing) 1982 was a hell of a year for nerds in specific and movies in general.

 

Actually, here is the playlist I'm listening to:

Creation of Tron
We've Got Company
Break In [for Strings, Flutes, and Celesta]
Wormhole
Ring Game
Lightcycle Games (From Tron)
Escape
Water, Music, And Tronaction
Miracle and Magician
Magic Landings
Tower Music - Let Us Pray
The Light Sailer
Sea of Simulation
A New Tron and the MCP
Anthem
Little Interludes (From Tron)
Ending Titles (Film)
Only Solutions
Trinitron (From Tron)
Theme from Tron
Tron Scherzo
Love Theme
Anthem [Studio Version] (From Tron)
1990's Theme
Only Solutions (12")
Creation of Tron V. 1 (From Tron)
Creation of Tron V. 2 (From Tron)
Anthem for Keyboard Solo
Tronaction [Original Version]
Ring Game and Escape
Ending Titles (LP)

 

Good stuff!

Now, that is a big list 

 

TRON is a groundbreaking score, from a groundbreaking film. Both are all-time favourites.

No, I don't get tired of hearing about 1982.

[Tallguy 3,380]

52 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Now, that is a big list

 

Niiiice.

[Holko 9,499]

Listened to Humanoids from the Deep and Wolfen. I didn't dislike either, but I guess they were more fascinating than really enjoyable, as an 80s Horner origin story with lots of nice Alien and Jaws references and a growing Danger Motif. Wolfen especially felt like his energy that would be allowed to flow free and be let out in Khan, Krull and Aliens was already completely there but held back.

[GerateWohl 4,343]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

Listened to Humanoids from the Deep and Wolfen. I didn't dislike either, but I guess they were more fascinating than really enjoyable, as an 80s Horner origin story with lots of nice Alien and Jaws references and a growing Danger Motif. Wolfen especially felt like his energy that would be allowed to flow free and be let out in Khan, Krull and Aliens was already completely there but held back.

But still, since Wolfen was there first, they all kind of sound like Wolfen or at least they make heavy use of motifs from Wolfen, which was in my mind a bad decision by Horner to repeat himself in that way.

[Holko 9,499]

Wolfen felt like he had these ideas and inspiration (he even invented the start of Hedwig's Theme!) but wasn't allowed to explore them quite as much as he wanted to, so when he got the better bigger opportunities he kept on developing those ideas. I'm happy with them together as a whole.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

3 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

Niiiice.

CUTE. END OF LINE.

[Bespin 8,480]

17 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

                         1941 - Williams.

 

For a cameo in a fight scene?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

Exactly 

[Bespin 8,480]

🦾🤖🚀🛸🪐

 

John Williams - Minority Report (expanded)
James Newton Howard - Mockingjay Part 1
James Horner - Aliens (expanded)
Hans Zimmer - Inception OST

[publicist 4,643]

 

[Bespin 8,480]

A Tribute to the flutist Sheridon Stokes (1935-2022)

 

John Williams - The Witches of Eastwick OST

John Williams - E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial OST

John Williams - The Fury OST

John Williams - Jaws OST

 

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

2 hours ago, publicist said:

 

Given that there are a decent number of Rota compilations out there, some by pretty distinguished orchestras and conductors, this one still holds up pretty well. It helps that it has a somewhat wider choice of selections too.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

STII; TWOK

Retrograde

[Bespin 8,480]

19 hours ago, publicist said:

 

 

This album has been recommended by moviemusicuk.us, it's sure an album to discover!

[GerateWohl 4,343]

17 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Given that there are a decent number of Rota compilations out there, some by pretty distinguished orchestras and conductors, this one still holds up pretty well. It helps that it has a somewhat wider choice of selections too.

I have a sampler of Prague recordings of suites of Rota scores for Fellini. I wonder if it is contained in this sampler or if it is a completely different recording.

[Bespin 8,480]

This compilation (it's not a "sampler")?

 

Same recordings.

 

[Tom Guernsey 2,280]

2 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

I have a sampler of Prague recordings of suites of Rota scores for Fellini. I wonder if it is contained in this sampler or if it is a completely different recording.

I expect they are taken from the same sources as the 2CD album, although I don't have both to compare, however that is pretty much their business model when it comes to film music collections!

 

2 hours ago, Bespin said:

This comilation (it's not a "sampler")?

 

Same recordings.

 

Again, sure the Rota on this are the same recordings. However, since you mentioned it, one of my favourite Silva collections. Absolutely delightful choices, mostly in excellent performances too. When you have 101 JW collections to choose from, the Silva one is hardly a top choice, but when it comes to pulling together a quirky range of tracks with lots of stuff you may never have heard before, albums like this are often terrific (and terrific value).

[Bespin 8,480]

☀️

 

Danny Elfman - Silver Linings Playbook (The Soundtrack + The Digital Score)

Mychael Dana - Little Miss Sunshine OST

Marc Shaiman - Patch Adams OST

Mychael Danna - Life of Pi OST

[publicist 4,643]

Today i look almost fondly at the temp track bleed in these early 90's adventure scores, because in final analysis there's just fine craftmanship at work here, no matter how unoriginal (the culprits: a whole lot of Silverado, plus chase music from Indy 1 and 3).

[Bespin 8,480]

🦾🤖🚀🛸🪐 (2/2)

 

Alan Silvestri - Ready Player One (short "cassette program" )
James Newton Howard - Mockingjay Part 2
Danny Elfman - Terminator Salvation
Daft Punk - Tron Legacy - The Complete Edition

[bruce marshall 1,315]

2 hours ago, publicist said:

Today i look almost fondly at the temp track bleed in these early 90's adventure scores, because in final analysis there's just fine craftmanship at work here, no matter how unoriginal (the culprits: a whole lot of Silverado, plus chase music from Indy 1 and 3).

"Temp track bleed"

 

Best euphemism for plagiarism I have EVER heard!😅😙

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

Aladdin And The King Of Thieves - Mark Watters & Carl Johnson

 

I was listening to Menken Aladdin and I started looking for the other 2 scores.

The 2nd doesn't have a release, but this is a really fun listen. It's nowhere near Menken's score, but it has some great moments.

 

Wedding Attack Of The Forty Thieves is a great track

[Jay 37,322]

Varese compilation - Screen Themes (1988)

 

 

 

 

A nice compilation of music from many films of 1988!  It features John Scott conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in new recordings of:

 

Big by Howard Shore - Oh, this was so lovely it made me want to immediately check out the whole score album!

Shoot to Kill by John Scott - decent

Coming to American by Niles Rodgers - Hey, this was fun!

Masquerade by John Barry - nice

Da by Elmer Bernstein - ok

Die Hard by Michael Kamen - I don't think I've ever heard any re-recordings of this score before.  It was good!

The Milagro Beanfield War by Dave Grusin - nice

 

And then needle-dropped OST tracks from

 

Beetlejuice by Danny Elfman - obviously fantastic, and a nice album opener

Crossing Delancey by Paul Chihara - meh

Cocoon: The Return by James Horner - oooh, this was fun!  It reminded me that I need to revisit his two Cocoon scores

Madame Sousatzka by Gerard Gouriet - nice

Criminal Law by Jerry Goldsmith - I loved that I could tell this was Jerry even though I've never even heard of this score.  Everything he does is great

Nightmare of Elm Street 4 by Craig Safan - Hey, I actually liked this!  The organ sounded cool

Betrayed by Bill Conti - ok

Who Framed Roger Rabbit by Alan Silvestri - I remember liking this score in general, but this 11 minute suite was kind of all over the place....