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

[Jay 37,558]

49 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

does anyone think that the period from late 70s to late 90s, is the period we have the most recognizable themes in film music history ever? From all composers I mean.

 

Yeah

[Marian Schedenig 8,276]

2 hours ago, Andy said:

Nah, it works fine and I never would’ve noticed. 
 

and I don’t find Freud that difficult a listen.

 

For a 12-tone score, it is surprisingly listenable.

 

The Freud material in Alien works nicely, and blends in well with the rest of the score as presented in the film. And Scott's different approach compared to Goldsmith's first attempt at the score seems to make sense. It's just much less interesting musically.

[HyenaBoy 29]

For me: Turning Red (Ludwig Gorranson).

[Bespin 8,508]

Saving Ryan's Privates & Aliens

 

 

[LSH 971]

 

I do return to this now and again and I often find more to enjoy.

 

I think Newman should be at least commended for tackling something entirely outside of his comfort zone. For a composer with very very little action music in his portfolio, he copes incredibly well. The opening duo (though not in sequence on the album) of Grand Bazaar, Istanbul and The Bloody Shot make for a really impressive intro to the film and display some abilities I never knew Newman even had. 
 

It doesn’t match Arnold’s best efforts but, dynamically, it’s there.

[Edmilson 7,659]

It's a good action score, much better than people give credit for. Give me Newman's Bond scores any day over the boring action scores that became standard in Hollywood and are basically just copies of Bourne, The Dark Knight and Inception.

 

But I still don't think it deserved an Oscar nomination in 2012. It should've been Shore's An Unexpected Journey in its place.

[LSH 971]

I don’t really care about the Oscars but, you are right, it certainly deserves more appreciation… particularly from those who have the nerve to say every Newman score sounds the same.

[Tom Guernsey 2,334]

7 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

It's a good action score, much better than people give credit for. Give me Newman's Bond scores any day over the boring action scores that became standard in Hollywood and are basically just copies of Bourne, The Dark Knight and Inception.

 

But I still don't think it deserved an Oscar nomination in 2012. It should've been Shore's An Unexpected Journey in its place.

I need to give it another listen but it's one of those scores I just remember a damn thing about, aside from Adele always making me hanker for apple crumble (not a euphemism).

 

2 minutes ago, LSH said:

I don’t really care about the Oscars but, you are right, it certainly deserves more appreciation… particularly from those who have the nerve to say every Newman score sounds the same.

My main gripe would be Adele winning for her so-so song after years of John Barry not even getting nominated for his genre defining efforts.

[filmmusic 1,916]

Already 33 in, in my Goldsmith marathon, and I'm still in 1968.

Among others, I immediately distinguished this:

 

A great western theme, that is interwoven in many iterations inside the score.

I had noted it from the film I had seen long in the past.

Look for it! (I mean the score)

If I have to mention any indifferent scores, my mind goes to Sebastian (1968).

 

[LSH 971]

Keeping with Thomas Newman…

 

 

This score almost pre-exemplifies everything that Newman ended up being famous for.
 

American Beauty is great but this is where it all came from.

[Tallguy 3,552]

1 hour ago, filmmusic said:

Already 33 in, in my Goldsmith marathon, and I'm still in 1968.

Among others, I immediately distinguished this:

 

A great western theme, that is interwoven in many iterations inside the score.

I had noted it from the film I had seen long in the past.

Look for it! (I mean the score)

If I have to mention any indifferent scores, my mind goes to Sebastian (1968).

 

 

Wow. That's some amazing stuff.

[Bespin 8,508]

Danny Elfman - The Frighteners 

 

[crocodile 8,112]

 Planet Earth by George Fenton. What a lovely album, from start to finish. It reminds me of first visiting the UK for the summer 16 years ago.

 

Karol

[JNHFan2000 3,004]

Lovely score!

[filmmusic 1,916]

In my Goldsmith marathon I distinguished this theme here, albeit a bit kitsch-y:

 

Those first 4 chords of the theme remind me of some other theme. Well, they must be fairly common.. 

But I love it, nonetheless.

[Edmilson 7,659]

Priest by Christopher Young

 

Exhibit A that Chris Young should score a Batman movie, preferably an action-packed one with a gothic atmosphere (like the animated series).

[Bespin 8,508]

Al Silvestri - Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life

 

[thestat 359]

Continuing from LSH's post above, this track by Newman must have been very much out of his comfort zone, a simplistic car chase, probably temp-tracked with numbskull Tyler hammer score. There's a very cool jazzy approach here that works beautifully, and the choral stuff is ...well....something (probably not very idiosyncratically him,,,,). The last few minutes expand that Night Window sound from 1917 into action mode. Cool shit.

 

[JTN 2,274]

On 31/7/2023 at 2:40 AM, Bespin said:

Al Silvestri - Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life

 

How do you like

it?

 

On a side note: I like your shelf-posts, they always remind me of my own collection and how awesome owning all these great scores on CD is and just taking them off whenever you want to listen to any of them. This is the magic of collecting music. 
 

 

 

Batman, The Flash, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Doctor Strange - Danny Elfman gave all of them amazing themes and scores, Spidey is his second best effort. I wish LLL did SM2 too.

Finished CD 2 & 3, now onto CD 1.

[Bespin 8,508]

20 minutes ago, JTW said:

How do you like

it?

 

On a side note: I like your shelf-posts, they always remind me of my own collection and how awesome owning all these great scores on CD is and just taking them off whenever you want to listen to any of them. This is the magic of collecting music. 

 

I quite like it, it's a straightforward score written quick and without any pretention. 

[JTN 2,274]

7 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

I quite like it, it's a straightforward score written quick and without any pretention. 

Agreed. And The Frighteners by Elfman?

[Bespin 8,508]

12 minutes ago, JTW said:

Agreed. And The Frighteners by Elfman?

 

This one, I don't know. Ask me next year when I'll listen to it again!

[Tallguy 3,552]

On 27/07/2023 at 2:31 PM, filmmusic said:

Already 33 in, in my Goldsmith marathon, and I'm still in 1968.

Among others, I immediately distinguished this:

 

A great western theme, that is interwoven in many iterations inside the score.

I had noted it from the film I had seen long in the past.

Look for it! (I mean the score)

If I have to mention any indifferent scores, my mind goes to Sebastian (1968).

 

 

Hour of the Gun. Jerry Goldsmith. I've been listening on YouTube. It looks like @filmmusic is listening to the Nic Raine re-recording. I think what's on YouTube is Varese. Also I watched the film.

 

This is one of the most persistent ear worms I've had in ages! I haven't felt like this about a score I'd never heard of since I heard the Eiger Sanction for the first time! This is amazing!

 

What's another Goldsmith western I've never heard of? I don't think, outside of his pastiches in Dante's films, that I've ever heard a JG western before.

[Bespin 8,508]

Jerry Goldsmith - Air Force One

[Brónach 1,303]

 

[Tom Guernsey 2,334]

After this week's sad news, this is enough to cheer anyone up... OK so it doesn't have quite as much character as Elfman's two originals, but is still terrific fun.

 

[GerateWohl 4,499]

I wonder why Anne Dudley never was asked to write a Harry Potter score.

 

[Brónach 1,303]

excerpts from Hook, The BFG, Jane Eyre.

[Edmilson 7,659]

 

Someone posted a cue from this score on another thread, and I decided to give it a listen. And it caught me completely off-guard! After reading what the movie was about on Wikipedia (never heard of it before) I was expecting something small and intimate, perhaps for just a few Americana instruments... Instead, it's something big, bold and epic, at times reminding me of Doyle's scores for Kenneth Branagh literary adaptations or even Goblet of Fire. Just wonderful, and highly recommended.

[JTN 2,274]

Going through the Trilogy. One just can’t go wrong with these. The first one is a genuine classic, and while the other two get a little repetitive every now and then, but then again, so are the films, yet they never become boring and Silvestri always gives the themes some small twist, enhances them, develops them in a way that they remain exciting and fresh. Part III is almost as good as the original, a true sci-fi western, and the Doc-Clara romance has beautiful romantic sentimental music. The end scene with the train sequence is simply phenomenal, and the ending is Silvestri being at his very best. After Star Wars, the BTTF Trilogy are my go-to escapist scores that always cheer me up and entertain me and get better with each listening. 

[JNHFan2000 3,004]

2 hours ago, JTW said:

Going through the Trilogy. One just can’t go wrong with these. The first one is a genuine classic, and while the other two get a little repetitive every now and then, but then again, so are the films, yet they never become boring and Silvestri always gives the themes some small twist, enhances them, develops them in a way that they remain exciting and fresh. Part III is almost as good as the original, a true sci-fi western, and the Doc-Clara romance has beautiful romantic sentimental music. The end scene with the train sequence is simply phenomenal, and the ending is Silvestri being at his very best. After Star Wars, the BTTF Trilogy are my go-to escapist scores that always cheer me up and entertain me and get better with each listening. 

The Western theme from the 3rd is in my Top 3 favorite Silvestri themes. I wish there was a full concert suite of 3 minutes for that. It's cool!!

 

 

 

After Davis' passing this week I thought I would explore his music a bit more.

Mostly familiar with Pride & Prejudice, Champions, Topsy Turvy & Widow's Peak.

I mostly explored his scores for the silent films.

The Phantom Of The Opera & Intolerance were teriffic.

 

But my favorite was Napoleon. I was blown away, from the first cue to the last. The orchestration, the thematic writing. Just gorgeous!

 

This was my favorite cue. I love the way Davis uses the Marseille throughout the piece (and the score). He  reaks it down and builds it up. Fantastic!!

 

I love exploring new stuff like this. Shame it's almost always when someome passes away.

 

 

 

[JTN 2,274]

1 hour ago, JNHFan2000 said:

I wish there was a full concert suite of 3 minutes for that. It's cool!!

I was just thinking about that while listening! That Silvestri could write a Back To The Future Symphony. 
The End Credits of Part III is sort of a “best of” suite á la John Williams. Silvestri’s score is the heart and soul of BTTF just as Williams’ is that of Star Wars. 
 

[Jurassic Shark 12,258]

1 hour ago, JNHFan2000 said:

But my favorite was Napoleon. I was blown away, from the first cue to the last. The orchestration, the thematic writing. Just gorgeous!

 

This was my favorite cue. I love the way Davis uses the Marseille throughout the piece (and the score). He  reaks it down and builds it up. Fantastic!!

 

Yes, it's very good, not least by the help of Beethoven.

[Tallguy 3,552]

4 hours ago, JTW said:

Going through the Trilogy. One just can’t go wrong with these. The first one is a genuine classic, and while the other two get a little repetitive every now and then, but then again, so are the films, yet they never become boring and Silvestri always gives the themes some small twist, enhances them, develops them in a way that they remain exciting and fresh. Part III is almost as good as the original, a true sci-fi western, and the Doc-Clara romance has beautiful romantic sentimental music. The end scene with the train sequence is simply phenomenal, and the ending is Silvestri being at his very best. After Star Wars, the BTTF Trilogy are my go-to escapist scores that always cheer me up and entertain me and get better with each listening. 

 

II is like a Greatest Hits of I. Which was fine back when I didn't have a proper score album. But III is one of my favorite scores all on its own.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,760]

On 31/07/2023 at 1:40 AM, Bespin said:

Al Silvestri - Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life

 

 

Where the hell's the thumb?!

We need the thumb. Give us us thumb!

[Thor 7,700]

 

I don't often listen to big and bold orchestral film music anymore, but occasionally one comes along that impresses me (usually from other countries than the US). Here's one example that did in 2020, one of my top 10 favourite scores that year -- from veteran Iwashiro (THE CROSSING, THE DOG OF FLANDERS). 

[JNHFan2000 3,004]

That score is terrific!!

[bollemanneke 3,369]

The mask. Insufferably loud.

[Thor 7,700]

 

Eidelman was on fire in the late 80s and early 90s. Here's one of his finest efforts from that period -- some religoso moments, some choir, some breathtaking woodwind writing. CD is incredibly hard to come by these days, but I'm sure it's on YouTube or whatever.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,760]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

... but I'm sure it's on YouTube or whatever.

 

It's not, but I found a whole bunch of other stuff, by Eidelman, including SYMPHONY FOR ORCHESTRA AND TWO PIANOS, performed by the LSO, so, result... kind of.

[TolkienSS 410]

On 25/07/2023 at 9:19 PM, Jay said:

 

Yeah

 

2003 is the cutoff for me.

John Williams released his last all time classic, worldwide recognisable theme in 2001 with Harry Potter.

And in 2003, The Return Of The King marks the end of the transcendent old school orchestral film making epic, and Curse Of The Black Pearl ushered in the era of Hollywood orchestral pop music film scoring.

[Tallguy 3,552]

9 hours ago, TolkienSS said:

 

2003 is the cutoff for me.

John Williams released his last all time classic, worldwide recognisable theme in 2001 with Harry Potter.

And in 2003, The Return Of The King marks the end of the transcendent old school orchestral film making epic, and Curse Of The Black Pearl ushered in the era of Hollywood orchestral pop music film scoring.

 

The last earworm I can think of was Zimmer's Man of Steel. But I could put in Arnold's Good Omens. It's been sparse, to be sure.

[JNHFan2000 3,004]

Even though I'm someone who loves loades of scores that are released these days. And I could humm quite a few themes from tge last 20 years.

 

I think the really great themes are indeed from the late 70's to early 00's.

Probably the best theme from the 10's are The Avengers, Flight theme from How To Train Your Dragon & Rey's Theme.

 

There's a few more imo, but these I feel are also themes who have gone into public consciousness

[Naïve Old Fart 9,760]

19 hours ago, TolkienSS said:

 

2003 is the cutoff for me.

John Williams released his last all time classic, worldwide recognisable theme in 2001 with Harry Potter.

And in 2003, The Return Of The King marks the end of the transcendent old school orchestral film making epic, and Curse Of The Black Pearl ushered in the era of Hollywood orchestral pop music film scoring.

I would agree, except... no HP music was released, in 2003. PIECE OF ASS was released in 2004 

[Bespin 8,508]

10 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

I would agree, except... no HP music was released, in 2003. PIECE OF ASS was released in 2004 

 

At last I learn what PoA means!

[TolkienSS 410]

37 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

I would agree, except... no HP music was released, in 2003. PIECE OF ASS was released in 2004 

 

No, I mean for me, the era of epic famous orchestral film music in classic Hollywood movies is tied to John Williams, who did his last score of this kind in 2001/2002, and Return Of The King marks the end of that phase in Hollywood altogether.

 

Because right then, we had Pirates of The Carribbean and Batman Begins shortly thereafter, and everything changed.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,760]

Also agreed, but POTC was 2003, and BB was 2005. PIECE OF ASS was in-between... but I understand what you mean.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Bespin said:

At last I learn what PoA means!

Where've you been, Bes? It's been doing the rounds, for a while.

[Tallguy 3,552]

3 hours ago, TolkienSS said:

Because right then, we had Pirates of The Carribbean and Batman Begins shortly thereafter, and everything changed.

 

Interesting that you tie those together. I think of At World's End (2007) as being Zimmer's last really "theme-y" score. (For some reason I don't count 4 and 5.) Man of Steel a little bit, I suppose. And I know Wonder Woman has it's fans.

 

But yes, Batman was a turning point.

[Edmilson 7,659]

I like to point specifically to Batman Begins, Inception and Powell's Bourne trilogy as the scores who turned Hollywood from the John Williams orchestral style into something more, say, Zimmer-ized. The seeds to those types of scores were already being planted since the 80s/90s with Black Rain, The Rock, etc, but it took Christopher Nolan to actually initiate the "RCP revolution".

 

That said, we should all keep in mind that this is not Zimmer's or Powell's fault, they were doing what they thought was the best for their movies. The problem is with stupid Hollywood producers who want that kind of sound in every blockbuster.

[Brónach 1,303]

i wish every movie sounded really specific, like itself, or like a few other movies