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

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

It's a great score.

I need the "Precrime... it works!" music, as my ringtone.

[JTN 2,279]

I adore “Everybody Runs!”, “Anderton’s Great Escape” and “Spyders”. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

So do I... and that's "Spyders" 

[JTN 2,279]

Ryght!

[JTN 2,279]

Silvestri is great at western (too). 

[Andy 4,290]

 

 

Amerika - Basil Poledouris

 

You might look at that impressive cover with the badass Soviet trooper with grenades and rifle, and assume given the title, this will be an action score, with lots of heavy metallic percussion and anvil like Robocop or Conan.

 

And you'd be wrong.

 

For a score that supports a story of American spirit under the occupation of communist Soviets, you might expect lots of obvious patriotic trumpet and snare.

 

Again, that's not what Poledouris does (save for maybe the final track).  This is a VERY good CD, and a surprising side of Poledouris for those who know only his Starship Troopers style sound.  It's very human and emotional, with some unexpected uplifting cues of optimistic nature.  And expectedly, one or two that sound like a tragic prison march or dirge.  One thing I will say is it is very episodic in nature.  Each cue seems quite different than the next.  Likely due to the fact that this was a 7 part miniseries, with different characters telling different stories each episode.  So there can be a lack of thematic cohesion here.   But this is surprisingly not an action score, or the typical Red Dawn style patriotism on display.

 

My advice is to listen to each cue as its own mini concert piece, as most of them run a generous 4 minutes each.

 

It's an enjoyable gem that never gets talked about.

[Thor 7,713]

Yes, AMERIKA is fine indeed.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

... the dream goes on 

[Bespin 8,516]

JW - The Legend, CD03

 

[Bespin 8,516]

May the 4th be with You.

• John Williams - The Legend - CD 1 & 2
• Robert Ziegler – The Star Wars Saga - The Essential Collection
• Ondřej Vrabec, Czech Studio Orchestra – Star Wars Stories: Music From The Mandalorian - Rogue One - Solo
• Joel McNeely – Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire

This program makes exactly 69 tracks. So I'll stop there.

[JTN 2,279]

Silvestri does Herrmann. Very moody. 

[filmmusic 1,916]

 

Listened to it, influenced by that new thread.

Ok, well, it's not the best John Williams, neither a style I generally like, but surely I'd love an official release for historic purposes.

Shouldn't someone tell Williams that there is a bootleg out there with lousy quality, and he doesn't gain anything by vetoing this release?

[JTN 2,279]

9 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Shouldn't someone tell Williams that there is a bootleg out there with lousy quality, and he doesn't gain anything by vetoing this release?

They are all dead.

[filmmusic 1,916]

 

A nice "religious" score by an unknown composer to me.

I particularly love the pastoral theme in tracks 6, 15 and 20.

[Thor 7,713]

Indeed. As I said over on FSM, you really can’t go wrong with Ilarramendi. Posted a lot of his stuff earlier in the thread.

[thestat 359]

Poledouris' Amerika is great as Andy pointed out above. I am very aware that BP's reputation was as a hard hitting action composer but there are so many testimonies out there from those who knew him, including Lennertz, that he was primarily an emotionalist. This is where cues like the following totally highlight Andy's point about BP's duality (or in fact, singularity):

 

[thestat 359]

Finnish shit, Driftwood 2 - go, mad boy go!

[JTN 2,279]

Still my favorite JP score. So energetic and inventive. 

[Thor 7,713]

 

Only 19 minutes, but one of my favourite scores from 2011. Love the religioso/pastoral/Delerue-ian bits as well as those 70s/Pink Floyd-esque organ bits. Haven't found another Hewitt score yet that reaches these heights.

[filmmusic 1,916]

22 minutes ago, Thor said:

Love the religioso/pastoral/Delerue-ian bits

I guess I should listen to this too, since I'm searching for religious sounding soundtracks.

 

* * *

 

 

Can't say I liked this.

Too sparsely composed. Of course that is the style of Preisner, but I like it better in Kieslowski or other films.

[Thor 7,713]

14 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Can't say I liked this.

Too sparsely composed. Of course that is the style of Preisner, but I like it better in Kieslowski or other films.

 

I like it, but it's not as ethereal and gorgeous as some of his other work in a similar idiom. It's a little "stark" and detached somehow.

[Thor 7,713]

 

I played this a lot when it came out in 2016. Came in 8th that year. But the novelty value of the vocal variations eventually wore off a bit, so I haven't played it in a long time now. But it's still good stuff, and of course, the 1-minute JURASSIC PARK variation was icing on the cake.

[Thor 7,713]

 

Spurred by Konstantinos to play some of my Illarramendis again, this is a nice 1997 collection of various scores for the producer Elias Querejeta, including one of the first-ever scores I owned by him, EL ALIENTO DEL DIABLO. That one was on a fan-made 2CD-R set of Spanish film music, for which Jim Titus later designed a cover. Illarramendi is fantastic when he's wistful, less so when he does suspense, which is often a bit static and intense (again much like Delerue). But it's all gold.

[Thor 7,713]

 

One of my top 3 scores from 2022, with gorgeous use of synths and Pink Floyd-ian elements (including a shout-out to "Echoes"). You can read my review here. Gary was so kind as to send me this transparent vinyl, for which I'm very grateful. It's the best-sounding vinyl in my collection!

[Thor 7,713]

 

Continuing my journey through the vinyls I got from my dad. This is not the film soundtrack, but the original Broadway soundtrack -- and a German pressing, no less. I've always had a soft spot for hippie music, although some of the songs are a bit on the rowdy side here.

[Thor 7,713]

 

Another soundtrack found among my dad's LPs (I'm impressed he had a few -- he's never been into soundtracks). I love this, nobody could do elegant pop as well as the late Bacharach. Also, the film has one of the funniest moments of all time -- that wonky car scene -- which left me in stitches when I saw it as a kid (I THINK that was ARTHUR; I might be confusing it with another Dudley Moore film).

 

...and on to:

 

 

Again from my dad's vinyl collection. Not the film soundtrack (on which Williams plays piano), but the Broadway version. This is the later stereo version of the original 1957 album.

[Thor 7,713]

 

I NEVER expected to find this in the vinyl collection. I can say with 100% certainty that this not something my dad bought himself (even if he is a James Brown fan), but probably got from someone. But I, on the other hand, have a close connection to this album. A friend of mine bought it on CD in the 90s, I copied it to cassette and listened to it countless times. Fantastic songs, amazing score. Of course, I later bought the DiCola ROCKY IV score CD -- if that counts as an expansion, it's one of the best expansions ever. But ultra-cool to have this vinyl!

 

Moving on to....

 

 

Haters may hate (especially over the Oscar ordeal), but I've always felt this is an amazing score. I'm glad my dad acquired it on vinyl. I'm just a sucker for melancholy. In recent years, I've been on a Lai binge, and while nothing can match his magnum opus BILITIS, this will remain a favourite. Very glad to own this on vinyl too.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

 

 

 

This beat PATTON.

This beat PATTON!

What... the... actual?

 

[Thor 7,713]

8 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

This beat PATTON.

This beat PATTON!

What... the... actual?

 

Hehe. Yes. While I love Patton, Love Story blows it out of the water, IMO. But sure, yeah, I know it’s a big issue for film music fans.

[Jurassic Shark 12,262]

2 minutes ago, Thor said:

Hehe. Yes. While I love Patton, Love Story blows it out of the water, IMO. But sure, yeah, I know it’s a big issue for film music fans.

 

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." What a bunch of bollocks!

[Tom Guernsey 2,342]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

This beat PATTON.

This beat PATTON!

What... the... actual?

 

I know. Good bit in Jeff Bond’s book about this and several of Jerry’s other near misses at the Oscars but man he was robbed. Many times. 

[JTN 2,279]

20 hours ago, Thor said:

I've been on a Lai binge, and while nothing can match his magnum opus BILITIS, this will remain a favourite.

I have a soft spot for UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME. It was one of my Father’s favorite films.

[Bespin 8,516]

Program of the day : vegetables, herbs, and music!

 

Pride and Prejudice, Out of Africa, Cinema Paradiso, etc.

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

I would have thought THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, THE EMERALD FOREST, and RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES 

[JTN 2,279]

49 minutes ago, Bespin said:

Program of the day : vegetables, herbs, and music!

 

Pride and Prejudice, Out of Africa, Cinema Paradiso, etc.

 

How did they like them?

[Bespin 8,516]

1 hour ago, JTN said:

How did they like them?

 

They all thought: It's a grower.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

Sorry, but they were the only horticulture films that I could think of.

[Bespin 8,516]

2 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Sorry, but they were the only horticulture films that I could think of.

 

There is Motel Hell too.

[JTN 2,279]

4 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Sorry, but they were the only horticulture films that I could think of.

 

2 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

There is Motel Hell too.

If you’re into strange socks.

[Thor 7,713]

21 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." What a bunch of bollocks!

 

He, he. Yes, that is a rather farfetched notion.

[JTN 2,279]

Sublime.

[Thor 7,713]

Sure is. Top 5 Delerue for me.

[JTN 2,279]

What’s your number 1?

[Thor 7,713]

1 hour ago, JTN said:

What’s your number 1?

 

Well, it actually has been -- and maybe still is -- AGNES OF GOD. But other candidates are vying for the spot, like BLACK ROBE, OUR MOTHER'S HOUSE and THE ESCAPE ARTIST.

[JTN 2,279]

@Thor How do you like Gato Barbieri’s LAST TANGO IN PARIS?

[Andy 4,290]

Hey Delerue!  I can play too!

 

Rich in Love, his final score. 
 

 

Lovely and light, without much melancholy.  He ended on a high note. 

The Delerue über fans say his best work is for his non American films.  The box set is OOP but can anyone suggest any of the compilations or complete scores from Delerue for earlier career highlights and/or non-Hollywood films?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,773]

@Thor,

What do you think of Delerue's unused score for SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES?

[Thor 7,713]

2 hours ago, JTN said:

@Thor How do you like Gato Barbieri’s LAST TANGO IN PARIS?

 

Fascinating, but somewhat bewildering score for a good film. Here's an ancient thread on it from 2001.

 

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

@Thor,

What do you think of Delerue's unused score for SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES?

 

Delerue was never really good at suspense and/or dissonance, IMO, so I'm not the biggest fan of that score. Same reason I can't really get into WOMEN IN LOVE. But by all means, it has a couple of great moments.

 

2 hours ago, Andy said:

The Delerue über fans say his best work is for his non American films.  The box set is OOP but can anyone suggest any of the compilations or complete scores from Delerue for earlier career highlights and/or non-Hollywood films?

 

Since Delerue is my 10th favourite film composer of all time, I'd like to think I belong among the "über fans". But I suppose I'm the odd one out, since I tend to prefer his English-speaking titles. I know I'm supposed to prefer Truffaut and all that, but while I like that work fine enough (a track like "Brouillard" on JULES ET JIM is beautifully impressionistic, for example), it doesn't quite reach the pastoral level of later efforts.

 

Be that as it may, I'm not sure which box you refer to? The greatest Delerue set is IMO the 6CD set from Universal France, which covers the entire career.

[Andy 4,290]

Yeah the 6 Disc Set.  I’d like to pick it up. 
 

Or I’d like to see Écoutez Le Cinéma! do a new one like their Morricone and Williams set. 

[GerateWohl 4,512]

The only Delerue album I own is The London Sessions Vol. 1. And there was not one track, that really caught my attention. That is why I never digged deeper into his work. 

The disk was a nice add on from a retailer from which I bought another album.