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

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Twice.

Easily one of the greatest scores of all time.

[nightscape94 965]

It's nowhere near as bad as some of the blockbusters you see these days.

Can't wait for the Michael Bay reboot in a few years!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

John Carter 2: Age Of Extinction 1: Dark Of The Mars

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,715]

Angela's Ashes by John Williams: My favourite rainy day music. Goes right to the soul. One of JWs masterpieces.

[Faleel 5,359]

Angela's Ashes by John Williams: One of JWs masterpieces.

[Incanus 5,715]

Cutthroat Island by John Debney

[Jay 37,373]

Howard Shore - Hugo

I had completely forgotten that large parts of these score are very reminiscent of An Unexpected Journey! Specifically one common musical idea that is very similar to Bilbo's Fussy Theme, but also a few other melodies that steer close to some AUJ melodies. It's a completely different score sound-wise, with a wider variety of funky instruments used, and it's of course smaller and not as epic in nature. Overall, a very fun listen!

[lonzoe 18]

I still need to pick up Hugo. Soundtrack budget and some of the limited older score expansions prevent me from ordering it though.

[Jay 37,373]

I listened on Spotify.

[Brónach 1,302]

Godzilla - Alexandre Desplat

Stardust - Ilan Eshkeri

The Tree of Life - Alexandre Desplat

Now on to: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desplat

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Brónach 1,302]

Yes, I too love those points in that cue. And other points of the CD are listenable too. Some are bored by it, but I find the Home track to be quite beautiful.

The Monuments Men - Alexandre Desplat

[crocodile 8,018]

Any thoughts on all those Desplats, Chaac?

Karol

[Brónach 1,302]

The Monuments Men, Godzilla - > FUN. THANK YOU!

The Tree of Life -> depending on my mood it's either zzz or some sort of interesting internal experience. I makes me want to draw things.

[Sir Hilary Bray 235]

the Gerhadt Empire Strikes Back. What can I say, I like it.

[crocodile 8,018]

The Monuments Men, Godzilla - > FUN. THANK YOU!

The Tree of Life -> depending on my mood it's either zzz or some sort of interesting internal experience. I makes me want to draw things.

And Grand Budapest?

(I really like this one)

Karol

[Jonesy 55]

Yeah, The Grand Budapest Hotel is pretty enjoyable. It reminds me of Moonrise Kingdom.

Dolores Claiborne by Danny Elfman

[KK 3,307]

I haven't heard Grand Budapest yet? Does it have more of a score than Moonrise Kingdom, which was essentially just one piece, broken part and repeated to fill up the duration of the film.

[Brónach 1,302]

The Monuments Men, Godzilla - > FUN. THANK YOU!

The Tree of Life -> depending on my mood it's either zzz or some sort of interesting internal experience. I makes me want to draw things.

And Grand Budapest?

(I really like this one)

Karol

Actually, the moment I started that I switched for some reason to The Asassination of Jesse James by the Coward Rober Ford, so I don't know yet, but I will listen now

[Faleel 5,359]

The Phantom Menace

[Incanus 5,715]

I haven't heard Grand Budapest yet? Does it have more of a score than Moonrise Kingdom, which was essentially just one piece, broken part and repeated to fill up the duration of the film.

Desplat has actually written a very quirky (Wes Anderson film after all) but really interesting score for The Grand Budapest Hotel and I find it indeed much more substantial than The Moonrise Kingdom. It might not be up there with his very best but it is certainly entertaining and has a singular atmosphere to it. I need to give it a few more spins actually. It is on Spotify.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Monuments Men, Godzilla - > FUN. THANK YOU!

The Tree of Life -> depending on my mood it's either zzz or some sort of interesting internal experience. I makes me want to draw things.

And Grand Budapest?

(I really like this one)

Karol

Actually, the moment I started that I switched for some reason to The Asassination of Jesse James by the Coward Rober Ford, so I don't know yet, but I will listen now

Finally someone else that appreciates that score!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Alien. All day. Mostly "The Landing" over and over again.

[publicist 4,643]

Desplat has actually written a very quirky (Wes Anderson film after all) but really interesting score for The Grand Budapest Hotel and I find it indeed much more substantial than The Moonrise Kingdom. It might not be up there with his very best but it is certainly entertaining and has a singular atmosphere to it. I need to give it a few more spins actually. It is on Spotify.

And while it is slight - in a wonderful breezy way - i like most about it, that it doesn't sound like any number of filmscores (if we don't count 70's Morricone which over the course of 800 scores sounds like everything ever written).

[Incanus 5,715]

Desplat has actually written a very quirky (Wes Anderson film after all) but really interesting score for The Grand Budapest Hotel and I find it indeed much more substantial than The Moonrise Kingdom. It might not be up there with his very best but it is certainly entertaining and has a singular atmosphere to it. I need to give it a few more spins actually. It is on Spotify.

And while it is slight - in a wonderful breezy way - i like most about it, that it doesn't sound like any number of filmscores (if we don't count 70's Morricone which over the course of 800 scores sounds like everything ever written).

Yes the composer really crafts singular sound specific to this project both in style and instrumentation while still keeping it recognizably Desplat. It is certainly one of his strengths and the strength of this score.

[crocodile 8,018]

Well, the album is on a bit of a repetitive side, to be honest. The pace is steady and never really changes. It's when you get to the climactic 10 minutes that the thing really pays off. But, as you both say, it sounds quite unique - gypsy, Hungarian, Polish, German, Russian folklore, with a bit liturgical singing, spiced up with pinch of old Hollywood and Philip Glass-like minimalism. It's madness.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Works wonders in the film.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,307]

Desplat has been doing Philip Glass-like minimalism with his own touches for ages now.

[crocodile 8,018]

Yeah, I know. But not in a combination like this.

minimalism. It's madness.

MADNESS? THIS IS DESPLAT!

You could possibly lip sync that, too.

Karol

[nightscape94 965]

I have to give Desplat a lot of credit for being able to adapt style so well while still giving a quality musical product. I've listened to a few of his scores over the last week (I was largely unfamiliar with him until Godzilla came out); Monuments Men, Rise of the Guardians, Moonrise Kingdom, the aforementioned Godzilla. Really talented guy. I would have absolutely no issue with him succeeding Williams.

[crocodile 8,018]

I was always astonished that one guy could go from something as simple and gentle as this:

elegant like this:

or quirky like this:

to something as massive as this:

Or terrifying as this:

http://youtu.be/3T66Sdo_U2A

Karol - who cannot wait for the December concert

[KK 3,307]

He's alright.

[Brónach 1,302]

The Monuments Men, Godzilla - > FUN. THANK YOU!

The Tree of Life -> depending on my mood it's either zzz or some sort of interesting internal experience. I makes me want to draw things.

And Grand Budapest?

(I really like this one)

Karol

Actually, the moment I started that I switched for some reason to The Asassination of Jesse James by the Coward Rober Ford, so I don't know yet, but I will listen now

Finally someone else that appreciates that score!

I love it myself.

[Romão 2,274]

That Zero Dark Thirty track is very interesting, I hadn't heard anything from that score before

[crocodile 8,018]

It's probably the best thing on that album, though. The rest doesn't live up to it.

Karol

[Incanus 5,715]

Secret Weapons Over Normandy by Michael Giacchino: Some of Giacchino's flat out entertaining and melodic work is for games and this score once again reminded me of that. I wish he could compose something half as joyful and soaring for films. I know there are certain of stylistic nods in the music to the film music classics of the past but it remains a varied and colorful work in its own right and a darn wonderful album.

John Carter - A Thern for the Worse

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Zubin Mehta Star Wars suite (AKA CInema Gala: Star Wars/Close Encounters). I think the performance is pretty awesome and the recording is astonishing. Sounds just like you're hearing it in person.

UPDATE: Jesus Christ, this version of The Little People is better than sex. Confirmed, the entire suite is in fact better than sex.

[crocodile 8,018]

Psycho II

Solid Goldsmith, mediocre Psycho.

The Stepford Wives - This is probably some of the most catchy material Arnold has ever penned. Certainly above most of his "big" action scores.

Young Sherlock Holmes

Karol

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Psycho II was not a great score, but it was very effective.

[Quintus 5,399]

Zubin Mehta Star Wars suite (AKA CInema Gala: Star Wars/Close Encounters). I think the performance is pretty awesome and the recording is astonishing. Sounds just like you're hearing it in person.

UPDATE: Jesus Christ, this version of The Little People is better than sex. Confirmed, the entire suite is in fact better than sex.

Link?

[nightscape94 965]

Confirmed, the entire suite is in fact better than sex.

You're doing it wrong.

[Incanus 5,715]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by John Williams: While Chamber of Secrets was largely a steady retreading of what had come before due to Williams' part time commitment Prisoner of Azkaban feels like Maestro really enjoying the new challenge director Alfonso Cuaron set before him, moulding a unified whole from such eclectic mix of styles and impulses. Modernistic techniques clash with mad-cap big band tunes, Romantic Rossini-esque orchestral writing meets a dash of faux-Medieval colourings and instrumentations but Williams finds a unifying thread in a collection strong themes that permeate this score. The new family theme, A Window to the Past, is a highlight, written in the English pastoral spirit with shades of composer's own Jane Eyre hovering good naturedly in the background, a sweeping, heartbreaking leitmotif full of the very essence of yearning and Double Trouble growing out of a school pageant song into a sort of an heir of Hedwig's theme that charts much of the story of the main characters in the film and score. Half a dozen other musical identifications adorn this soundtrack that sports some of Maestro's most appealing writing in the noughties both in terms of dynamics, invention, melody and orchestrations, the playfully Medieval stylings giving this score a very unique cast. Only the rather curious album assembly of the score leaves something to be desired, namely some of the highlights of the soundtrack, but otherwise this is a more than praise worthy successor score to the original Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, even improving things a bit as the music along with the story takes a darker and more mature turn.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Confirmed, the entire suite is in fact better than sex.

You're doing it wrong.

Link?

[Incanus 5,715]

Confirmed, the entire suite is in fact better than sex.

You're doing it wrong.

Link?

Rated NC-17.

Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (from an album called American Spectrum) by John Williams: A very enjoyable 3 movement suite from Catch Me If You Can with Closing In (Main title), Reflections (Father's Theme) and Joy Ride (called The Float on the OST) all revised with added saxophone passages. This particular recording features the North Carolina Symphony with Grant Llewellyn conducting and Branford Marsalis on alto saxophone. Marsalis' performance is nuanced, agile and emotional, the Reflections in particular, and the orchestra has great playful energy throughout.

[crocodile 8,018]

The only recording that I've got is the recent Amy Dickson album. It's quite good, actually.

The Core by Christopher Young - the score is revealing new details and might end up being my favourite work form the composer

Karol

[Incanus 5,715]

The only recording that I've got is the recent Amy Dickson album. It's quite good, actually.

The Core by Christopher Young - the score is revealing new details

Karol

I would rate the Amy Dickson version a tad below the Marsalis one mainly due to the lack of fluidity and energy in certain parts but it is more the orchestra's fault than the soloist's.

[crocodile 8,018]

I need to check out that recording as well.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Jurassic Park - John Williams

One of my favorite isolated JW moments.