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

[Incanus 5,714]

Who dance-conducts better though, him or John?

Johnny's 1980's pelvis action displayed in Boston Pops concerts beats Zimmer by a mile. Today it would be dangerous for him to sway his hips though.

[crocodile 7,998]

PSYCHO II - Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada Edition)

Me, collecting bottlecaps again. By no means bad, but at some point of collectorship you look in the reflection of your monitor and ask yourself: 'What kind of silly person buys more of something that he never listens to in the first place?' - beats me! Apart from the one pleasing element, a wistful reflective main theme (unfortunately played by one of JG's beloved synthesized muppet flutes) lead by a searching, minimalist piano line, the remainder is a collection of thinny amorphous tinkly-synthie suspense stuff that (thankfully only) occasionally outbursts into some of Goldsmith's least convincing frenzy attacks (Bartok and Stravinsky greetings). Only in the penultimate 'It's not your Mother' does it gain some momentum. All the best tracks are replays of the main theme in some form (and were contained on the old MCA album) with now roughly half an hour more devoted to underscore never meant to be released on record, though half of FSM might disagree there.

Whether you're right or wrong it remains to be heard in my case. Never had the original album and this new one is waiting for me at the post office.

Oh and you bought it because you're a Goldie's fanboy!

Karol

[Incanus 5,714]

Far and Away by John Williams

A.I. Artificial Intelligence by John Williams

13th Warrior by Jerry Goldsmith

[publicist 4,643]

PSYCHO II - Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada Edition)

Me, collecting bottlecaps again. By no means bad, but at some point of collectorship you look in the reflection of your monitor and ask yourself: 'What kind of silly person buys more of something that he never listens to in the first place?' - beats me! Apart from the one pleasing element, a wistful reflective main theme (unfortunately played by one of JG's beloved synthesized muppet flutes) lead by a searching, minimalist piano line, the remainder is a collection of thinny amorphous tinkly-synthie suspense stuff that (thankfully only) occasionally outbursts into some of Goldsmith's least convincing frenzy attacks (Bartok and Stravinsky greetings). Only in the penultimate 'It's not your Mother' does it gain some momentum. All the best tracks are replays of the main theme in some form (and were contained on the old MCA album) with now roughly half an hour more devoted to underscore never meant to be released on record, though half of FSM might disagree there.

Whether you're right or wrong it remains to be heard in my case. Never had the original album and this new one is waiting for me at the post office.

Oh and you bought it because you're a Goldie's fanboy!

Karol

Really more because of the year: 1983 still meant prime Goldsmith and i feel an irresistible impulse to buy everything from this period.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

A.I. Artificial Intelligence - John Williams

I think this will always be my favorite score from John, beating out CE3K due to my preference for things more intimate than grand. Can't say much more than I've previously said about this one. It's his greatest masterpiece.

Inception - Hans Zimmer

Every revisitation of this reveals even more just how criminally unappreciated it is. I had the idea to do an in-depth analysis a few months ago, and I think it's time to start on it.

The Ten Commandments - Elmer Bernstein

A score absolutely steeped in nostalgia for me - I've heard it every year since I was born, when ABC airs it on the night before Easter. My favorite of the Biblical epic scores.

Next up will be Ben-Hur and The Agnoy and the Ecstasy.

[Faleel 5,345]

The Ten Commandments - Elmer Bernstein

A score absolutely steeped in nostalgia for me - I've heard it every year since I was born, when ABC airs it on the night before Easter. My favorite of the Biblical epic scores.

I really love the statement of the nefertiri's theme at 0:39 in Nefertiri.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence - John Williams

beating out CE3K due to my preference for things more intimate than grand.

CE3K only gets grand in the finale....

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

But as a whole it's still less intimate than A.I.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've always found Close Encounters to be cold and distant.

[crocodile 7,998]

Just received my Young Sherlock Holmes and Psycho II.

Will get to that second one tomorrow, when I get more time. About half an hour into Broughton's album (disc one, that is). Never heard it before, nor watched the film. It's definitely really really good. The kind of film music they don't write any more. Lives up to its reputation, definitely.

Karol

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I've always found Close Encounters to be cold and distant.

That's part of its beauty.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've always found Close Encounters to be cold and distant.

That's part of its beauty.

I suppose, but I never made an emotional connection with it in any capacity. I prefer my cold and distant ala Young's Haunted Summer.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I've always found Close Encounters to be cold and distant.

That's part of its beauty.

I suppose, but I never made an emotional connection with it in any capacity. I prefer my cold and distant ala Young's Haunted Summer.

For me the passage from 2:35 to 3:00 in The Visitors is one of the most moving things Williams has ever written, and has a similar quality to very beginning of The Reunion from A.I. So much yearning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94K3QjzxD84

[Sir Hilary Bray 235]

John Barry's Beyondness of Things.

In a way quite beautiful sounding music and classic Barry. Each track seems in its own way to hint at parts of Barry's back catalogue but in a decent way. Meadow of Delight and Sadness sounds of Dances With Wolves, The Fictionist Ipcress File/other spy era music. The final few moments of A Childhood Memory just chimed, clicked in some profound way and similarly, Dance WIth Reality it starts well but kicks up a gear as all sorts are thrown together. Picturing a smoky bar in New York someplace back in the 60s.

[Incanus 5,714]

I've always found Close Encounters to be cold and distant.

That's part of its beauty.

I suppose, but I never made an emotional connection with it in any capacity. I prefer my cold and distant ala Young's Haunted Summer.

For a longest time I found it hard to get into the CEO3K outside the finale but somehow it all clicked one day. Perhaps I was in a right mood or perhaps the stars were right but now the score sits up there with the best of Williams. And I do find an emotional connection with the music but it builds slowly through the score from the mystery and initial horror to the glorious finale.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Maybe it'll click one day.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

The sun will come up one night and sing to you.

[crocodile 7,998]

Come on, Koray! You can do it!

Karol

[Incanus 5,714]

You mussht believe boy!

[crocodile 7,998]

Psycho II. It's all solid and well-crafted, but, ultimately, a bit pointless. Just like the film. For fans of Goldsmith's suspenseful works it's worth checking out, but wouldn't expect to be blown away. Still, an enjoyable disc. The 80's electronics are good, they merge very well with the orchestra.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

For a longest time I found it hard to get into the CEO3K outside the finale but somehow it all clicked one day. Perhaps I was in a right mood or perhaps the stars were right but now the score sits up there with the best of Williams. And I do find an emotional connection with the music but it builds slowly through the score from the mystery and initial horror to the glorious finale.

I grew up with the 20min Gerhardt suite, so perhaps that's why I've been a fan of the whole thing as soon as I came to realize that Star Wars wasn't the only cool thing on the album.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

My Disneyland pass expired so I'm sitting here drinking whiskey listening to First Blood.

[Incanus 5,714]

Capricorn One by Jerry Goldsmith: Listened to the original soundtrack album on my way to work this morning. The main title is a surefire way to shake those last bits of sleep from your brain. Energizing.

[Red 75]

A.I. Artificial Intelligence - John Williams

I think this will always be my favorite score from John, beating out CE3K due to my preference for things more intimate than grand. Can't say much more than I've previously said about this one. It's his greatest masterpiece.

It's one of my favorites; top three even. I think the last movement or so starting with "Search for the Blue Fairy" is just perfect. There's so many tones working together there, from sentimentality in "The Reunion" to innocence in "David and the Supermecha" but with an all-the-while darkness underneath. It feels to me very much like fairy tale music by the end, whereas the music took on different tones prior.

Inception - Hans Zimmer

Every revisitation of this reveals even more just how criminally unappreciated it is. I had the idea to do an in-depth analysis a few months ago, and I think it's time to start on it.

It's one of his best, definitely. And the best he's done with Chris Nolan, which I think overall has produced stuff that is a cut above the standard, ubiquitous, recycled sound scape. The Batman scores are undeniably derivative, for instance, but within those parameters I feel like they excel and even more so with Inception. The manipulation of the Edith Piaf song is frankly a little genius, though it was originally written in the script and not first thought of by Zimmer himself.

[publicist 4,643]

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 - Hans Zimmer & Army (Spotify/Deluxe Edition)

Cats and dogs living together, online dating apps really working and Bayern Munich losing a match: all this and more will happen now that Hans Zimmer actually produced an entertaining and idea-flavoured score for a superhero movie that doesn't sound like ungodly Cubase noise plugins over a cello dirge. While it is unmistakeably Zimmer at work, it's often lighthearted, poppy when it needs to be with several interesting instrumental combinations (who ever suspected Zimmer of being interested in flurry woodwinds?). Whoever electro is, he lead Zimmer back to his NDW roots - electronically distorted speech patterns over a wicked oboe line with all sorts of plucked rhythms, sounding like Zimmer tried raping Orff in the mid-80's and that's a big compliment (it's fun) - Spiderman himself being blessed with the already-known Copland tune that receives some amusing variations in full Fanfare for the Common Man/SUPERMAN!-style (around 03:50 in 'You're that Spider Guy'). There's 2 CD's so there is some amount of water-treading naturally, but for such a movie it seems like a breath of fresh air. The suspicions that it would be a downgrade from Horner's melodic effort are unfounded - the scores are not comparable in any way and if anything, Zimmer lays on theideas and the comic fun much more thick than Horner's more conventional effort (Though Horner's hero theme still is better). Here's to Mr. Zimmer and the Magnificent 6...may they score more daft comic reboots in this spirit!

[crocodile 7,998]

Listening to it now. It is actually really entertaining. Hopefully, that bodes well for Interstellar.

As you say, no point of comparing it to Horner, completely different thing. And while I still prefer my orchestras, at least this score confirms you can do something really cool with modern music tools and not come off bland and stupid. Quite the contrary, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is colourful and imaginative. The physical release will definitely end up in my collection.

Two excellent Desplats (with another one coming out soon), re-energised Elfman of The Unknown Known, The Grand Piano (album, not film)... and now this. 2014 is actually quite an exciting year already.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

It's out? Canadians don't get Spotify... Time to go to iTunes!

Looking forward to it!

[Incanus 5,714]

Well I am surprised. I might actually give this Zimmer a listen.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

When will the Spotify tracks be available in the UK?

[crocodile 7,998]

As long as you accept the fact this was never meant to be an orchesteal score, you'll be really surprised by how good it is. There are orchestral elements in it (most notably the Spider-Man fanfare), but most of it is very much grounded in the electronic/pop/rock/rap stylistics... which, if you think about it, is absolutely appropriate for youthful hero of big metropolis.

Karol

[Incanus 5,714]

As long as you accept the fact this was never meant to be an orchesteal score, you'll be really surprised by how good it is. There are orchestral elements in it (most notably the Spider-Man fanfare), but most of it is very much grounded in the electronic/pop/rock/rap stylistics... which, if you think about it, is absolutely appropriate for youthful hero of big metropolis.

Karol

I'll promise to try to listen to it with unwrinkled brow if possible.

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

Capricorn One by Jerry Goldsmith: Listened to the original soundtrack album on my way to work this morning. The main title is a surefire way to shake those last bits of sleep from your brain. Energizing.

I much prefer the original album (re)recording to the original film tracks.

[publicist 4,643]

As long as you accept the fact this was never meant to be an orchesteal score, you'll be really surprised by how good it is. There are orchestral elements in it (most notably the Spider-Man fanfare), but most of it is very much grounded in the electronic/pop/rock/rap stylistics... which, if you think about it, is absolutely appropriate for youthful hero of big metropolis.

Karol

I'll promise to try to listen to it with unwrinkled brow if possible.

You always have this magnificent 124th listen of THE BOOK THIEF to flush away the acrid taste...

[Incanus 5,714]

As long as you accept the fact this was never meant to be an orchesteal score, you'll be really surprised by how good it is. There are orchestral elements in it (most notably the Spider-Man fanfare), but most of it is very much grounded in the electronic/pop/rock/rap stylistics... which, if you think about it, is absolutely appropriate for youthful hero of big metropolis.

Karol

I'll promise to try to listen to it with unwrinkled brow if possible.

You always have this magnificent 124th listen of THE BOOK THIEF to flush away the acrid taste...

Hey I have you know I have been very adventurous today! I didn't even load Lincoln on my mp3 player but chose The River and The Long Goodbye instead!

But yes I'll probably go back to The Book Thief for comfort listen if the evil Hanzy proves to be too hip and modern for me.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Oh I'm so proud of you all! Especially the Publicist. A single tear.

[publicist 4,643]

Doesn't make MAN OF STEEL and the BATMANS any better.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

You'll learn, it's ok. This is a good first step.

[gkgyver 1,645]

I've always found Close Encounters to be cold and distant.

That's part of its beauty.

Was about to say the same thing. I'd describe it as awe.

[publicist 4,643]

You'll learn, it's ok. This is a good first step.

I hope not.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

TASM2 is wonderful. Listening to 'You're That Spider Guy' and I'm practically in tears.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Damn, I'd better stop cleaning and throw it on.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Capricorn One by Jerry Goldsmith: Listened to the original soundtrack album on my way to work this morning. The main title is a surefire way to shake those last bits of sleep from your brain. Energizing.

I much prefer the original album (re)recording to the original film tracks.

Me too.

[KK 3,307]

The Amazing Spider-man 2 by Hans Zimmer

An interesting endeavour by Zimmer and company. Contrary to what you might think, it's a colourful work with a wide range that goes dubstep to heartfelt oboe solos. Like Karol and publicist said, it's entertaining stuff. I really dug the Electro material, which is an interesting combination of different sub-motives, with some fragmented chanting from Williams and some refreshing woodwind work (big surprise!) that comes together as a creative identity for the character (I look forward to seeing how it works in context). Spider-man receives a heroic Copland-esque fanfare, which comes up a lot in both bold and intimate fashions. I wish this theme took up more of a firm stance as the score's primary identity. The love theme is subtle and simple but effective, especially when it soars in "We're Best Friends". The Goblin stuff is more along the drab side, falling under Zimmer's more uninspired generic "bad guy" sounds. I really liked the cool electronic textures being played with here, and its even more refreshing hearing him use woodwind accents for cues like "We're Best Friends" and "You're That Spider Guy". The score does get too loud and obnoxious in parts with its over-the-top male choirs and dubstep (oh boy, there's quite a bit of it....and I'm usually not very tolerant of that crap). But looking back, I can't help but appreciate Zimmer's punk band approach to this flick. So overall, yes, I was pleased with the album.

[gkgyver 1,645]

"I'm Spider-Man" sounds like something cooked up by an amateur composer on his home PC, trying to sound heroic by nodding to Williams' olympic fanfare.

[publicist 4,643]

10 years of youtube should tell you that this is not necessarily a bad thing.

[gkgyver 1,645]

It is if you're being paid handsomely.

[publicist 4,643]

It's a comic book movie, for god's sake!!

[gkgyver 1,645]

Which is why it should have a crappy hero theme?

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

10 years of youtube should tell you that this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Are you implying there's something good to be found on Youtube in the "original composition" department? I've yet to hear it....

[crocodile 7,998]

Which is why it should have a crappy hero theme?

You're calling Aaron Copland crap?

Karol

[KK 3,307]

Which is why it should have a crappy hero theme?

Would you prefer the two-note Batman theme instead?