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

[Incanus 5,787]

I would not say the Woodland Realm theme is in any way dominant in the score, certainly not in the second half.

To me it is the set of themes that most stuck to my mind.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,376]

Set of themes? You mean one theme?

[Incanus 5,787]

Set of themes? You mean one theme?

The Woodland Realm has 3 themes I found very memorable:

1)The Woodland Realm (the main theme)

2)Tauriel's A Theme and

3)Tauriel's B Theme (=Tauriel and Kili)

(plus the Legolas action variant of the Woodland Realm Theme).

Beyond the Forest is basically a great suite of these ideas.

[Quintus 5,421]

Goldenthal's is better too, to be honest.

Karol

It's good but it's too bombastic and wrong for the character.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,376]

Set of themes? You mean one theme?

The Woodland Realm has 3 themes I found very memorable:

1)The Woodland Realm (the main theme)

2)Tauriel's A Theme and

3)Tauriel's B Theme (=Tauriel and Kili)

(plus the Legolas action variant of the Woodland Realm Theme).

Beyond the Forest is basically a great suite of these ideas.

Ah I thought you were referring to the theme called The Woodland Realm.

[Incanus 5,787]

Set of themes? You mean one theme?

The Woodland Realm has 3 themes I found very memorable:

1)The Woodland Realm (the main theme)

2)Tauriel's A Theme and

3)Tauriel's B Theme (=Tauriel and Kili)

(plus the Legolas action variant of the Woodland Realm Theme).

Beyond the Forest is basically a great suite of these ideas.

Ah I thought you were referring to the theme called The Woodland Realm.

Oh it is memorable enough on its own. I really liked it the first time I heard it in An Unexpected Journey. One minor gripe about DoS is that there are no fully realized choral renditions of it in the vein of Lothlorien or Rivendell.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,376]

Like AuJ the new score is a bit light on choir and soloists

[crocodile 8,408]

Goldenthal's is better too, to be honest.

Karol

It's good but it's too bombastic and wrong for the character.

Well. it's perfect for Schumacher's Batman.

And, also there are those rare moments of broodiness and there Goldenthal excels with his theme. Memories Repressed is such as cue.

Karol

[Incanus 5,787]

Like AuJ the new score is a bit light on choir and soloists

Yes as I said in the DoS thread these new scores clearly reserve their choral and soloist forces for very particular moments and they do not have such prevalence as they did in LotR scores. Orchestra is clearly more dominant here.

[Quintus 5,421]

Goldenthal's is better too, to be honest.

Karol

It's good but it's too bombastic and wrong for the character.

Well. it's perfect for Schumacher's Batman.

Yes, definitely Clooney's.

[Bespin 8,673]

 

 

[Matt C 461]

Frozen

I take it back. There's some good Disney Renaissance-era songs in the film, as well as Christophe Beck's effective score. The following is the ultimate showstopper:

[TheTennisBallKid 17]

Cleopatra -- North

First listen. Some similarities to Spartacus show up, but this seems more a precursor to the 2001/Shoes of the Fisherman/Dragonslayer trifecta. Obviously a lot to take in with two very, very full discs, which I look forward to becoming familiar with.

[crocodile 8,408]

It is a great score. I simply love the two love themes and Cleopatra's central material. The entrance to Rome track is amazing!

Karol

[Incanus 5,787]

On Willows and Birches (Harp Concerto) by John Williams

Trumpet Concerto by John Williams

Essay for Strings by John Williams

The Book Thief by John Williams

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug by Howard Shore

[Dixon Hill 4,236]

Some fine listening there! How did you enjoy the harp concerto?

[Incanus 5,787]

It is a fine piece of work divided into a beautifully ethereal opening movement with truly fascinating colours and a great dance-like second movement that has such joyous drive and fluidity to it. It is one of my favourites among his recent concertos alongside the gorgeous Oboe Concerto. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches!

[lonzoe 19]

[crocodile 8,408]

Lethal Weapon by Michael Kamen (with Eric Clapton and David Sanborn)

For the most part a very eclectic and suspenseful score, but with plenty to offer. I'm not sure to what extent were the two gentlemen involved - were they really the authors of music in this series or just did they actually get the credit because of the names. It's possible that it's a more fluid approach with Kamen providing general sketches and Clapton and Sanborn adding their own touches and flourishes to it. Not sure and liner notes don't really adress that. In any case, the orchestra/sax/guitar combo sounds really great and he idea of representing two opposing characters with those two instruments is brilliant. And it helps to establish ultimate buddy cop movie sound. On top of that rich and character-based approach and thunderously exciting action music. And a bit of Die Hard-like Christmas sleigh bells (even though Lethal Weapon came first) and some really creepy occasional synths. What more can a fan of thriller film music ask for?

For whatever reason, disc 2 of the set doesn't work for me at all. Thankfully, this is just the original album.

Karol

[Bespin 8,673]

[publicist 4,647]

LLL's edition of THE CHALLENGE (Jerry Goldsmith)

The sound is now even more defined, making this the closest approximation of what a recent great Goldsmith score could sound like if he were still with us. There is a mythical dimension to it that plays not unlike FINAL CONFLICT, chop suey style, and that far surpasses the rather meagre onscreen action.

[crocodile 8,408]

I think the best bits are the more tender cues. They give that score another dimension.

Lethal Weapon 2 has got a truly amazing opening track. Talk about kick-ass start! The rest is not too shabby either.

Karol

[lonzoe 19]

[Incanus 5,787]

The Accidental Tourist by John Williams

Family Plot by John Williams

Jaws 2 by John Williams

The Eiger Sanction by John Williams

[crocodile 8,408]

Lethal Weapon 3

Another terrific action entry in the series. If Kamen really hated action genre, then you could never tell from these. Didn't notice the difference in sound quality between different sources (as stated on the LLL website), so it's a non-issue.

Superman Returns

Maybe it's just me, but the new release sounds less flat and dry. Punchier. While not exactly up there with Courage and Williams, John Ottman shows so much love for the series' music, that it makes the whole thing really admirable. I'm glad to finally get some missing bits and the Krypton prologue mock-up sequence is actually pretty interesting. The complete score is much more enjoyable than I remember. I particularly like that some brief cues are joined - makes for a much smoother listen. A nice companion piece to the Blue Box.

Karol

[Bespin 8,673]

 

 

[Trent B 340]

Lethal Weapon 3

Another terrific action entry in the series. If Kamen really hated action genre, then you could never tell from these. Didn't notice the difference in sound quality between different sources (as stated on the LLL website), so it's a non-issue.

Superman Returns

Maybe it's just me, but the new release sounds less flat and dry. Punchier. While not exactly up there with Courage and Williams, John Ottman shows so much love for the series' music, that it makes the whole thing really admirable. I'm glad to finally get some missing bits and the Krypton prologue mock-up sequence is actually pretty interesting. The complete score is much more enjoyable than I remember. I particularly like that some brief cues are joined - makes for a much smoother listen. A nice companion piece to the Blue Box.

Karol

The only issue I had with the Superman Returns release is four cues that were swapped around in order. I did pick up some distortion during loud parts...not sure if you heard the same thing or not. IE: "Rough Flight".

I would have changed a couple of cross fades and had "Reprise" as a separate cue and have "Parting Words" go into "Fly Away" like in the film. Although I guess they had no choice but to use the album version of "Reprise / Fly Away".

Other than that the release is really good.

[crocodile 8,408]

Lethal Weapon 4. It's always interesting to hear composers coming back to their franchises after some time (in this case it's 11 years after the first film and 6 after the previous one) They always sound at least slightly different. In this case the score seems more gentle, sombre even. But all the usual elements appear. It's funny how certain ideas are introduced in scores and then they all get a reprise of sorts in each subsequent film. By this point, just as the liner notes point out, each character has his/her own theme and. as such, it is very interesting to finally get to the final (so far) chapter - it feels right as the ending. Obviously, part 4 is the most treasured in this new set, as it has never been released before. Each score gets its own slightly ethnic flavour and this one is no exceptions - really really cool Asian percussion passages can be found here. It is also quite a long work - clocking around 100 minutes long. And, again, it was interesting to read how Kamen was completely uninterested in action genre, given how great he was at it. I mean, these works, coupled with Die Hard series, are classics of the genre. And yet, maybe this is exactly the key to success - being able to inject a bit of you into the seemingly uninteresting projects. Thus, giving them character and unexpected twist. Overall, probably the best release of this year for me. I expected to enjoy it, but not quite to this extent.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (before seeing the film this evening)

Karol

[Bespin 8,673]

 

 

[lonzoe 19]

[Bespin 8,673]

There is music in Friday the 13th?

[Sharkissimo 1,974]

[Bespin 8,673]

[Koray Savas 2,254]

12 Years A Slave by Hans Zimmer

The FYC promo. You know how sometimes an artist will become a shade of their former self, and their work reaches a level of mimicry of their past triumphs? And you know how an artist sometimes, somehow, completely recaptures a moment of such delicacy and life and imagination and skill from years before, and makes it sound completely fresh and stimulating? Zimmer does the latter here. This score is a masterpiece of the human condition. In encapsulates a fast river of emotions and colors and moods to create something truly harrowing and poignant. The Oscar is his if Hollywood doesn't hand it over to Newman first.

[KK 3,308]

This score is a masterpiece of the human condition. In encapsulates a fast river of emotions and colors and moods to create something truly harrowing and poignant.

That's some bold praise there Koray...like something Incanus would spew out for a JW score.

Is there really much more than the "Journey to the Line" knock-off commercially available, and the Inception booms I've heard about?

[publicist 4,647]

Listen to it:

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/fyc/film/12-years-a-slave/soundtrack/

Some of the dissonant stuff is interesting (Boat Trip to New Orleans), the melodic stuff not so much...it's the pop anthem from INCEPTION warmed up all over. But it's the best Zimmer this year, that's for sure.

[Koray Savas 2,254]

See that's the thing, I would consider "Time" a "Journey To The Line" knock-off, not Solomon's Theme here. He somehow is able to work in that same vein that he did for Malick while making it seem different. It's even gentler, more precise, and calmer than The Thin Red Line. The same could be said for Steve McQueen and the film. This film feels more like Terrence Malick than To The Wonder did. The Inception booms, as you put it, are not the "brrrraaamss" you've heard in countless trailers. They're industrial clashing percussion rhythms that are incredibly unsettling. The percussion here is cacophonous and loud, and gets under your skin.

[publicist 4,647]

I have to see the movie. It will work wonders there, i'm sure. What Newman could compete with it, movie-wise? SAVING MR. BANKS? The film is a piece of shit or so i read, no Oscar material.

[Koray Savas 2,254]

The Academy eats that shit up, like they did with The Artist and Argo. Movies about how great they are so they throw Oscars at them.

[publicist 4,647]

Both of these got better notices, though.

[KK 3,308]

See that's the thing, I would consider "Time" a "Journey To The Line" knock-off, not Solomon's Theme here. He somehow is able to work in that same vein that he did for Malick while making it seem different. It's even gentler, more precise, and calmer than The Thin Red Line. The same could be said for Steve McQueen and the film. This film feels more like Terrence Malick than To The Wonder did. The Inception booms, as you put it, are not the "brrrraaamss" you've heard in countless trailers. They're industrial clashing percussion rhythms that are incredibly unsettling. The percussion here is cacophonous and loud, and gets under your skin.

Interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks for the link pub.

There are still some places playing this film. I really need to check it out, but I just need the time...

[KK 3,308]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Howard Shore)

It's a lovely reintroduction to Middle-Earth after LotR. As Karol often likes to point out, Shore infuses a sense of innocence that adds to the "fairy-tale" quality of the score. This in turn prevents the music from having the level of gravity that the LotR scores had, but that's all in accordance to content. Although I still think DoS is clearly the superior score, it never really does have the grand choral statements that burst out in the last few cues of the score. And in some ways, the journey feels more whole on this album. For more casual listeners, I think AUJ would make a very appealing, consumer-friendly 60-90 minute album. They really should have made the regular edition a 1 CD album.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,297]

The Accidental Tourist by John Williams

Family Plot by John Williams

Jaws 2 by John Williams

The Eiger Sanction by John Williams

Ooh, er, Canc, that's a very interesting combination.. I like...a lot.

Over the w/e, I listened to "Gorky Park". Anyone else got any love for this?

It's a score with such a lot of winter atmosphere. So who cares if it drifts close to "Krull" territory, towards the end?

A great (little) score, from a great (little) cold war thriller, and an essential JH purchase.

[JB Fan 0]

Cromwell by Frank Cordell (Disc 1, film score).

Really happy with this set - thanks Intrada!!!

[crocodile 8,408]

The Book Thief

Lethal Weapon

The Desolation of Smaug

Home Alone 2

Karol

[Incanus 5,787]

This score is a masterpiece of the human condition. In encapsulates a fast river of emotions and colors and moods to create something truly harrowing and poignant.

That's some bold praise there Koray...like something Incanus would spew out for a JW score.

Is there really much more than the "Journey to the Line" knock-off commercially available, and the Inception booms I've heard about?

Well thank you KK.

I might actually venture and try to listen this latest Zimmer score.

[crocodile 8,408]

Yeah, I heard some bits of that too. And it sounds like it might be right up my alley, Zimmer-wise.

Karol

[KK 3,308]

This score is a masterpiece of the human condition. In encapsulates a fast river of emotions and colors and moods to create something truly harrowing and poignant.

That's some bold praise there Koray...like something Incanus would spew out for a JW score.

Is there really much more than the "Journey to the Line" knock-off commercially available, and the Inception booms I've heard about?

Well thank you KK.

Anytime pal

The Tree of Life by Alexandre Desplat

The Ghost Writer by Alexandre Desplat

Black Beauty by Danny Elfman

The Book Thief by John Williams

[Bespin 8,673]

 

 

[Matt C 461]

The Rocket Post - Nigel Clarke and Michael Csanyi-Willis

Such a beautiful pastoral score... one I never get tired of, and a sorely underrated score. Francesca Hanley's celtic flute solos, combined with Csanyi-Willis's piano solos with the orchestra, are exquisite. And even though it's mainly a romantic drama, there is some variety thrown in like the more somber "Heinz's Threat" and "Zucker's Death", the exciting "Whale Rescue" and the soaring melodic version of the theme in "First Love."

I don't know if anyone else heard it, but it's one of the best scores of the 2000s. I just can't get enough of it.