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

[Thor 7,553]

 

Sorry for the tiny cover, it's all I could find. This remains my favourite of Carl Davis' silent film scores, I think (out of the 20 or so I've heard, he did a LOT!). Accessible, delicious darkness, a little bit religioso.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,591]

@Thor, I'm assuming that you have heard Davis' score for the restoration of the 1927 NAPOLEON?

Thoughts?

[Thor 7,553]

27 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

@Thor, I'm assuming that you have heard Davis' score for the restoration of the 1927 NAPOLEON?

Thoughts?

 

Yeah, it's a little "too much" for my taste. Might prefer Coppola's version, actually (if we discount the original Honegger for a minute).

[Thor 7,553]

 

If you're a sucker for mournful Americana (which I am), then this 2009 score is for you. Beautiful, slow and poetic. Not quite on the level of Talmi's SAVANNAH, but a solid second place.

[crocodile 8,027]

 Cleopatra. Fantastic score, among North's best. Very rich and always interesting. The three principal themes are to die for.

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,112]

3 hours ago, Thor said:

 

If you're a sucker for mournful Americana (which I am), then this 2009 score is for you. Beautiful, slow and poetic. Not quite on the level of Talmi's SAVANNAH, but a solid second place.

 

That's an unknown composer to me. I'll check out his music. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,591]

It is North's best.

[crocodile 8,027]

6 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

It is North's best.

I love it dearly but for me The Agony and the Ecstasy takes that title. 😀

 

Karol

[Thor 7,553]

9 minutes ago, crocodile said:

I love it dearly but for me The Agony and the Ecstasy takes that title. 😀

 

Definitely does! One of my top 50 scores even.

 

I've tried multiple times to get into CLEOPATRA, but I can't.

[Edmilson 7,498]

I love Alex North. My favorite score from him is A Streetcar Named Desire, and I'm not even a jazz fan!

 

Also really like The Agony and the Ecstasy, Cleopatra, Spartacus, Dragonslayer...

[GerateWohl 4,402]

21 minutes ago, Thor said:

I've tried multiple times to get into CLEOPATRA, but I can't.

Yeah I mean, she is stone old, probably dry as the desert and... turned to dust. Would be almost impossible for everyone.

 

(I apologise in advance for that tasteless joke, but I couldn't resist.)

[filmmusic 1,844]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

If you're a sucker for mournful Americana (which I am), then this 2009 score is for you. Beautiful, slow and poetic.

Just listening. It's quite good, yeah, but I don't hear any "Americana".

Although to be fair, I have connected the term with Copland and Williams.

[Thor 7,553]

30 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

Just listening. It's quite good, yeah, but I don't hear any "Americana".

Although to be fair, I have connected the term with Copland and Williams.

 

Americana can take many forms and shapes. It doesn't only have to be jubilant "western music". I love how Talmi deconstructs some of those wide open intervals leaps usually associated with the style.

[LSH 969]

7 hours ago, Thor said:

 

If you're a sucker for mournful Americana (which I am), then this 2009 score is for you. Beautiful, slow and poetic. Not quite on the level of Talmi's SAVANNAH, but a solid second place.

Never heard of it. But I know you and your descriptions.

 

[Andy 4,154]

5 hours ago, crocodile said:

 Cleopatra. Fantastic score, among North's best. Very rich and always interesting. The three principal themes are to die for.

 

Karol

 

It is such a dense score, like a lot of North I've heard.  So much to chew on.  He can be challenging in a way, because he doesn't conform to what is expected.  But he has a way of surprising your ears with unexpected instrumentation and colors.   I really need to check out the Agony and the Ecstasy.  

[Thor 7,553]

 

Not really film music, not really classical music, but event music. Didn't know where to put it. Glennie-Smith's approximations of classical tropes are perhaps a bit too on-the-nose and homophonic, but they're very entertaining.

[Edmilson 7,498]

Listened to some really great stuff this week.

 

Jerry Goldsmith - Bad Girls

 

A nice western score for a movie that, since it was made in 1994, combined Jerry's trademark action music from the 80s/90s with his typical western sound from older movies. A pretty nice discovery! That's the great thing about Goldsmith: he did so many movies that are pretty much forgotten these days so new(ish, lol) fans like myself will always have some great discoveries to make.

 

Christopher Young - Urban Legend

 

The "Youngassaince" continues! As far as I know, this score wasn't officially released so it only exists in a few promos that you can find online. It's pretty great! Young's challenging and dissonant horror music is always engaging to listen to. A nice companion to Beltrami's Scream music. Anyone remember in the 90s, when slashers used to have nice dissonant scores that were also fun? 

 

Christopher Young - Species

 

Another Young 90s classic. It does seem a bit derivative, particularly from Goldsmith's and Horner's Alien scores (the main theme really makes the temp track clear). But the action, suspense and horror music is, as usual, very engaging and entertaining.

[GerateWohl 4,402]

8 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Christopher Young - Urban Legend

 

The "Youngassaince" continues! As far as I know, this score wasn't officially released so it only exists in a few promos that you can find online. It's pretty great! Young's challenging and dissonant horror music is always engaging to listen to. A nice companion to Beltrami's Scream music. Anyone remember in the 90s, when slashers used to have nice dissonant scores that were also fun? 

There was an officially released soundtrack album, that contained mainly songs and an 18 minutes suite of the score.

I managed to get the promo from a soundtrack shop at the time, the only promo CD that I own.

 

[crocodile 8,027]

 Se7en. Bit rainy today in the UK so this fits the bill "nicely". I am always amused just how misleading the first (unused) cue is.

 

Karol

[Naïve Old Fart 9,591]

SE7EN is among Shore's finest scores. I don't have the C&C, so I'm so glad that I have the iso, on DVD.

[Smaug The Iron 516]

[Edmilson 7,498]

19 hours ago, Edmilson said:

 

Christopher Young - Species

 

Another Young 90s classic. It does seem a bit derivative, particularly from Goldsmith's and Horner's Alien scores (the main theme really makes the temp track clear). But the action, suspense and horror music is, as usual, very engaging and entertaining.

About Species, I almost forgot to mention: the main theme is clearly modeled after Camille Saint-Saëns and his "The Carnival of the Animals", perhaps with a bit of Elfman whimsy. It's a little distracting how similar it is to Saint-Saëns's famous piece, even more so than Menken's Beauty and the Beast or Morricone's Days of Heaven.

 

Also, it gives an impression that the score is much more "sweeter" than it actually is when actually most of it is dark suspense and action music.

[Mr. Who 920]

On 29/2/2024 at 10:57 AM, Thor said:

I tried EDGE OF THE WORLD awhile back, but alas it didn't do that much for me -- despite the tantalizing cover.

 

 

Is it on Williams' level? No, not really. But a "fat" and delicious orchestral score, ripe with pastoral beauty. Shame it's only out on a promo set.

I’ve always had an issue with JW’s Heidi (not because it is bad musically) but rather because the score is not appropriate for the story which is very Swiss. The american sound of JW’s score just doesn’t fit with the story, culture and the setting as someone who read the book as a kid.
 

Again, the JW score is well written music but just doesn’t feel appropriate for the story.

 

There is an older German/swiss TV show based on the same book whose score I would love to see released though.

[Thor 7,553]

44 minutes ago, Mr. Who said:

I’ve always had an issue with JW’s Heidi (not because it is bad musically) but rather because the score is not appropriate for the story which is very Swiss. The american sound of JW’s score just doesn’t fit with the story, culture and the setting as someone who read the book as a kid.

 

Yeah, it could perhaps do with a little more Euro-centric sound, but it's fine as a musical album, and it does hit the right notes of the story throughout. I think Williams "missed the mark" more clearly, geographically, with THE BFG. LINCOLN-style Americana for such a quintessentially British story.

[filmmusic 1,844]

 

Curious how Young ended up scoring this little film.

Anyway, the music is quite ethnic and I'm curious also how the composer wrote such music.

I mean did he study the music of the country or is he based on traditional melodies?

There are many vocal tracks, and I wouldn't ever think that a Hollywood composer wrote these, if I didn't know..

On 22/04/2024 at 3:44 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

SE7EN is among Shore's finest scores. I don't have the C&C, so I'm so glad that I have the iso, on DVD.

I had listened to this fairly recently, and I can't udnerstand what people find in it.

The Silence of the Lambs on the other hand, that's a masterpiece.

[GerateWohl 4,402]

Julius Caesar - Miklós Rózsa 

 

In the meantime one of my absolute favourites. Lyrical, epic, dramatic and one of Rózsa's most memorable themes with great variations. Love it.

[JTN 2,089]

On 22/4/2024 at 3:26 AM, Edmilson said:

 

Listened to some really great stuff this week.

 

Jerry Goldsmith - Bad Girls

 

A nice western score for a movie that, since it was made in 1994, combined Jerry's trademark action music from the 80s/90s with his typical western sound from older movies. A pretty nice discovery! That's the great thing about Goldsmith: he did so many movies that are pretty much forgotten these days so new(ish, lol) fans like myself will always have some great discoveries to make.

 

I can’t get enough of this score, just like The Mummy, this just wants me to listen to it over and over again. 
 

 

 

 

Anyone else a fan of Chris Boardman’s 80s badass synth score? It could’ve been written by James Horner in his Commando/48 HRS mode. Very cool score, I hope it will get rereleased some day. 

[Jurassic Shark 12,112]

On 19/04/2024 at 12:33 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

@Thor, I'm assuming that you have heard Davis' score for the restoration of the 1927 NAPOLEON?

Thoughts?

 

It's too much a pastice of great music by Beethoven, reducing it to light music.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,591]

42 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

It's too much a pastice of great music by Beethoven, reducing it to light music.

 Thanks, dude (!).

Way to ruin a perfectly nice evening 

[JTN 2,089]

Disc 2. I’m starting to like this score a lot now that I listened to the album program. I even like all the usual hornerisms. 

[filmmusic 1,844]

 

A milestone in film music!

Compare that Oscar Winner with today's Oscar winners..

(Sigh)

[Naïve Old Fart 9,591]

17 hours ago, JTN said:

Disc 2. I’m starting to like this score a lot now that I listened to the album program. I even like all the usual hornerisms. 

 

Cattle mutilations are up.

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

 

A milestone in film music!

Compare that Oscar Winner with today's Oscar winners..

(Sigh)

 

Ain't that the truth 

BEN-HUR is, quite simply, one of the greatest scores ever written, and a very strong candidate for the accolade: "Single Most Important Musical Work For Cinema".

[Holko 9,539]

On 07/04/2024 at 10:08 AM, GerateWohl said:

 

Still absolutely in music heaven with this boxset. 

 

6 disks, a hundred tracks and each one at least an 8 out of 10. As mentioned before, just one track per score.

During the week I dipped into some of the OSTs and it seems like they really managed to select my favourite track of each album for this.

And even though the order of the scores is chronological the albums flow surprisingly well.

Well thanks for the recommendation! I checked the Hungarian soundtrack store and got this for ~35€ almost completely blind, and I'm not disappointed. I wasn't feeling disc 1 and 3 that much, but liked most of the rest a lot! I like having context for my music so I searched up at least a short wiki summary for every single track while listening - so many depressing French movies! But still very diverse and strong material.

[Thor 7,553]

 

I love the smell of Karaindrou in the morning! Uhm.....that didn't come out quite the way I expected, but her wonderful, haunting textures are perfect, mild openers for the day.

[JTN 2,089]

2 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Cattle mutilations are up.

I'm sorry, I don't get it...

[Tallguy 3,406]

3 hours ago, JTN said:

I'm sorry, I don't get it...

 

Sneakers quote. Dan Akroyd is a conspiracy theorist. And so is his character.

[Marian Schedenig 8,218]

3 hours ago, JTN said:

I'm sorry, I don't get it...

 

Don't look… listen!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,591]

We are the United States Government. We don't do that sort of thing.

[Andy 4,154]

 

Tess - Philippe Sarde

The score lives up to its reputation. It is romantic yet haunting and melancholy. It has a way of really sticking with you and staying in your brain.   Sound quality is good, but not great.  Nothing personal, but I wonder if Chris Malone or Mike Matessino could’ve made this a bit clearer and cleaner. I’m so happy I took a chance on this CD because it has opened the gateway to my Philippe Sarde journey, and I’m having fun trying more of his scores. The Sarde box set will be purchased this week.

And speaking of Sarde,

 

 

The Manhattan Project- Philippe Sarde 

 

I’ve owned this one for years. My first Sarde.  And for a long time, my only.   This score is so light and friendly.  Really beautiful 80s vibe.  There’s a little friction from the less interesting conspiracy material.  But mostly, it’s just a joyful listen.   I understand the theme is almost a complete recycle of Sarde’s earlier Le Choc score.  No matter.  It’s delightful. 
 

 

Hanover Street - John Barry

 

Familiar. That’s the word I’d use to describe it.  There’s nothing here outside Barry’s comfort zone. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I swear I’ve heard the theme before, and I’ve never seen the film.   I was glad to hear the score do a sharp turn into darker snare-driven Barry for the War material.  The score really has two faces, romantic and war/danger.   I just love how effortless Barry makes everything, and how effortless it is to appreciate and enjoy it. 
 

 

The Rocketeer - James Horner

 

Sweet Christmas!!!  I mean, I’ve heard it a thousand times. But if your heart doesn’t soar in the Main Title, and your pulse doesn’t race in Flying Circus, you might be dead.  I love the way Horner uses the Brainstorm/Wrath of Khan motifs in Rendezvous at Observatory to build up the tension! A standout track!  The OST is nearly perfect, but the added bits on the expansion are most welcome and don’t drag anything down. 
 

The Rocketeer, quite simply, is one of my favorite scores of all time.  Listening to it this week lifted my soul. 
 

This is what it’s all about. 

[Edmilson 7,498]

The Social Network - Trent Resznor and Atticus Ross

 

 

I was in the mood for an electronic dark and disturbing score last week so I put this on Spotify (I tried listening to Challengers but eh, not my thing). It's pretty nice, some Thomas Newman-like piano and ambiances with dark additions to make it more disturbing. Pretty good, but I still prefer Gone Girl, my favorite from Resznor and Ross.

 

Endurance - John Powell

 

 

My journey through little known or forgotten John Powell scores continues with this little gem. I love how much of a voice Powell had so early on his career (this is from 1998, one year after his first solo movie). The combination between African voices and instruments with Powell's orchestra is really well done. Tracks such as Chasing the Bull and The Great Tree are wonderful, filled with that Powell wholesomeness that make his scores so nice and heartwarming - the former, aside from the African instruments, could've been in Ice Age 2 or Ferdinand.

 

I was a bit disappointed by the climactic track The Final Race. It's over 8 minutes of some dark build-up that is not terribly engaging and for some reason reminded me of Thomas Newman's score for Road for Redemption. Then when the climax comes it's pretty good, but again the build-up could've been better.

 

Anyway, Powell has a lot of gems that I still need to listen. I never heard stuff like Face/Off, Forces of Nature, I Am Sam, Rat Race, D-Tox, Alfie, P.S.: I Love You, Stop-Loss, Happy Feet Two (I kinda gave up on that one when I saw that most of the OST is pop songs, will try again one of these days)... Hope those are good!

[Thor 7,553]

Glad to see some Sarde love, Andy!

 

And Edmilson, THE SOCIAL NETWORK remains a top 3 R&R. Although not as good as their recent CHALLENGERS. ENDURANCE is possibly my alltime favourite Powell. Either that or FACE/OFF.

 

 

 

The Stu Phillips version, which I prefer over the Barry (yes, provocative, I know!). Suave and sexy.

[JTN 2,089]

This is a fantastic score. It reminded me of JW’s THE LOST WORLD, and in a good way. 

[GerateWohl 4,402]

2 minutes ago, JTN said:

This is a fantastic score. It reminded me of JW’s THE LOST WORLD, and in a good way. 

[JTN 2,089]

9 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

 

[Thor 7,553]

 

Don't know where to put this. It's a 1973 vinyl that I got from my dad, by Geoff Love (under the pseudonym Manuel) and his orchestra playing film hits, classical evergreens and other easy listening stuff. Loungey.

[crocodile 8,027]

7 hours ago, JTN said:

This is a fantastic score. It reminded me of JW’s THE LOST WORLD, and in a good way. 

Of the Arnold's output, it's one of my faves. 😀

 

Karol

[Thor 7,553]

 

Hey, I found another! Playing now.

[thestat 352]

Doyle's Indochine is such a fantastic idiosyncratically Doyle version of a historical epic score - it's sweeping and devastating in its melodic exuberance, but then it has these barnstorming cues that are just astonishing in their power. It would be great if he was allowed to go back to this:

 

[Edmilson 7,498]

John Powell - Rat Race

 

 

My journey through under-appreciated Powell scores continues with this extremely fun score.

 

I saw this movie a couple of times when I was a kid and on both occasions I almost pissed myself laughing at it. The reason I liked it so much was because this is really a live-action cartoon filled with cartoonish situations, and the score is a great part of that. Powell's music is grandiose, epic and exaggerated, making use of female choirs and a huge brass section playing can-cans and stuff to emphasize how ridiculous all of that is. Its pseudo-classical style kinda reminded me of old cartoons that used classical music to a very comedic effect.

 

One of the rare scores that make me want to laugh out loud just by listening to it.

 

John Powell - Happy Feet

 

 

On the other hand, despite this being a cartoon for kids, this is a much "serious" effort for JP. It's still nice and wholesome of course, but I liked that Powell went to comparatively dark territory, some of which predating his Dragon scores (and I mean that literally, there are parts of it that Powell lifted years later on the HTTYD movies).

 

Once you exclude the stupid songs and focus on Powell's music (one piece of advice: forget about the bootleg recording sessions floating around there, the OST is a much better experience because it really is focused just on the Powell scores), there is much to appreciate. It makes me wish we had more Powell/George Miller collaborations, the Australian director really pushed his music into interesting and under-explored territories.

 

Imagine a JP score for Fury Road? Or for Miller's aborted Justice League movie? 

 

John Powell - Happy Feet Two

 

 

Just the score, which starts on track 10, not the stupid songs.

 

It's as good as the first one, and sometimes even better! Miller inspired Powell to really do something fresh and interesting with his music for the first. Again, this is noticeably darker than your average John Powell score for a kid cartoon but this only makes it stand out even more on his career.

 

It would be a dream come true if Miller did a Happy Feet Three and asked a post-HTTYD trilogy and post-Williams Powell back. 

[Bespin 8,487]

Since 2 weeks, I listen to only one score : Minority Report (expanded).