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

[DreamTheater 131]

Knights of Badassdom (McCreary) - Good Lord this is one of the most unashamedly fun scores I've heard in a long time. Bagpipes? Metal-inspired drop-tuned guitars? A great melodic center? Check, check, check. Bravehart-meets-Iron Maiden might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if that sounds like an appealing concept to you, give this a listen. I've finally been won over as a Bear McCreary fan.

Braveheart + Iron Maiden?

Need to check that shit out.

How's the quality of the Halo 2 re-recording? They did kind of a shoddy job with the first one.

If you're talking about the "Anniversary" scores, better than the first one, but that's not really saying much. There's also something weird going on with the mix that I can't quite pinpoint, but Steve Vai's guitar sounded much better on the original releases.

Halo 2 Anniversary is a huge improvement on the first. I've only heard it once but I love it.

The Steve Vai guitar cue on Halo 2 volume 2 actually makes my ears bleed. It's mixed way too loud.

[Jay 37,373]

Wow DT, I just assumed you'd heard Knights of Badassdom before. It's right up your alley!

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Meh. Goldsmith's macho strut in US Marshals is much more appealing.

Never found Goldsmith's 90s macho strut appealing, just boring.

[DreamTheater 131]

Wow DT, I just assumed you'd heard Knights of Badassdom before. It's right up your alley!

Like AVGN or more badass ?

[Jay 37,373]

I've never heard AVGN

[Uni 306]

The Snows of Kilimajaro. Another romantic score by Herrmann, though in a different vein than Ghost and Mrs. Muir. This has a more tragic, regretful feel to it than the latter. Another of the man's five best, IMO.

I need to really explore Jerry's Legend.

You do. It took me years to come around to learning what a great score this was. I don't know if it was the fact that I was somehow reflecting Tangerine Dreams dreck into my interpretations, or if it was just because I hated the film so much, but this score just turned me off for a long, long time. It also might have been because it was an early Goldsmith entry for me (the movie came out right around the time I started collecting), and I hadn't yet learned to recognize the best elements of his stylings at that point. Whatever the case, I did finally come to my senses. There's a lot there to love.

Nice pic of Bernstein, by the way.

[Brónach 1,302]

Legend is absolutely gorgeous and I lost the complete score that I had saved when my big hard-drive crash. Oh well.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Red Pony by Jerry Goldsmith

Bought this along with Sponge Out Of Water from Varese awhile back, to justify the shipping. Nothing particularly memorable, but a pleasant listen.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I need to really explore Jerry's Legend.

You do. It took me years to come around to learning what a great score this was. I don't know if it was the fact that I was somehow reflecting Tangerine Dreams dreck into my interpretations, or if it was just because I hated the film so much, but this score just turned me off for a long, long time. It also might have been because it was an early Goldsmith entry for me (the movie came out right around the time I started collecting), and I hadn't yet learned to recognize the best elements of his stylings at that point. Whatever the case, I did finally come to my senses. There's a lot there to love.

Nice pic of Bernstein, by the way.

Tangerine Dream and dreck don't belong in the same sentence!

[Incanus 5,716]

I need to really explore Jerry's Legend.

You do. It took me years to come around to learning what a great score this was. I don't know if it was the fact that I was somehow reflecting Tangerine Dreams dreck into my interpretations, or if it was just because I hated the film so much, but this score just turned me off for a long, long time. It also might have been because it was an early Goldsmith entry for me (the movie came out right around the time I started collecting), and I hadn't yet learned to recognize the best elements of his stylings at that point. Whatever the case, I did finally come to my senses. There's a lot there to love.

Nice pic of Bernstein, by the way.

Tangerine Dream and dreck don't belong in the same sentence!

Yes dreck is far too good to be in their company.

Conan the Barbarian by Basil Poledouris

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by John Williams

Eiger Sanction by John Williams

[Not Mr. Big 4,640]

Shadows of the Empire

By far the best non-Williams Star Wars score. It still doesn't really compare to any of the Williams Star Wars scores though.

[DreamTheater 131]

C'mon now, it's a much more enjoyable listen than AOTC or ROTS.

And have you heard Kinect Star Wars or The Old Republic? Because those 2 really do the source material justice, while sounding very Williams too.

[Not Mr. Big 4,640]

C'mon now, it's a much more enjoyable listen than AOTC or ROTS.

I wouldn't say that. SotE feels incomplete. Like a badly truncated Star Wars album, much like AOTC and ROTS except this time there isn't any new material to be added. The different themes and motifs don't feel properly fleshed out.

Racing Stripes

While the hideous disc art is initially off-putting, the score makes for an entertaining listen.

[crocodile 8,020]

The Mummy. I was never fan of this score... but lately it just somehow started to click with me. Goldsmith does some aimless mickey-mousing here and there (The Mummy track) but, on the whole, his score is far more entertaining than I remember from watching the film back in 1999.

The Ghost and the Darkness. This album gets better and better with each listen. Wrote a modest review of it the other day.

Karol

[Faleel 5,359]

The Sand Pebbles.

Gorgeous.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

How can mickey-mousing be aimless?

[crocodile 8,020]

How can mickey-mousing be aimless?

It doesn't really form any coherent whole, just hits action beats.

As a film score, it works. As a piece of music, not so much.

Karol

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I need to really explore Jerry's Legend.

You do. It took me years to come around to learning what a great score this was. I don't know if it was the fact that I was somehow reflecting Tangerine Dreams dreck into my interpretations, or if it was just because I hated the film so much, but this score just turned me off for a long, long time. It also might have been because it was an early Goldsmith entry for me (the movie came out right around the time I started collecting), and I hadn't yet learned to recognize the best elements of his stylings at that point. Whatever the case, I did finally come to my senses. There's a lot there to love.

Nice pic of Bernstein, by the way.

Tangerine Dream and dreck don't belong in the same sentence!

Yes dreck is far too good to be in their company.

To be fair, LEGEND was from Tangerine Dream's 'commercial' period that I'm not too crazy about. Nothing beats the Froese/Baumann/Franke years.

[Uni 306]

Man Without a Face—Exactly what you'd expect from Horner in a situation like this, which is why he was the perfect choice for these kinds of films during this period. Nothing overtly original, but lots of great, moving stuff. There's really no subpar music to be found here.

I need to really explore Jerry's Legend.

You do. It took me years to come around to learning what a great score this was. I don't know if it was the fact that I was somehow reflecting Tangerine Dreams dreck into my interpretations, or if it was just because I hated the film so much, but this score just turned me off for a long, long time. It also might have been because it was an early Goldsmith entry for me (the movie came out right around the time I started collecting), and I hadn't yet learned to recognize the best elements of his stylings at that point. Whatever the case, I did finally come to my senses. There's a lot there to love.

Nice pic of Bernstein, by the way.

Tangerine Dream and dreck don't belong in the same sentence!

Yes dreck is far too good to be in their company.

WOOHOO!!!

[DreamTheater 131]

In one word: Challenging.

But it's also sophisticated, atmospheric, beautiful, haunting and creepy. But it's not easy music. Definitely one to be in the mood for.

I guess I am now because I'm able to get more out of this score than on my previous listens, where it failed to grab my attention.

The final cue remains brilliant. While I don't like everything else as much, Young's unique approach make for a couple of hair-raising moments.

I'm finally starting to like it.

[Incanus 5,716]

I find it does have great singular elements but it doesn't quite come together as a whole. The composer is a master of such spooky writing and he really can wring endless foreboding and creepy effects from the chorus and orchestra, here even the liturgical material takes a funereal basso profundo colouring which really exclaims evil. The finale is the highlight as Young unleashes the chorus for the triumph of good over evil and luckily dispells the gloom that hovers over most of the other pieces on the album.

I think a more prudent sequencing with shorter tracks might actually improve the listening experience as I find it a bit frustrating how these long tracks shift gears so suddenly. I would like to be able to navigate through the score with more ease.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Perfume - Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil

[crocodile 8,020]

I really enjoyed hearing the live to picture performance three years ago.

Karol

[Jay 37,373]

Perfume - Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil

That's a good one!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Certainly one of the most original scores in recent memory.

[crocodile 8,020]

It's not the most sophisticated of scores. But really pretty one. And it actually does wonders to its film.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

For the heck of it:

[crocodile 8,020]

That's a featurette from the concert I attended.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It's not the most sophisticated of scores.

Hmm. Why not?

[crocodile 8,020]

Musically? Compositionally? I never thought it was terribly well written. I mean, they used Berliner Philharmoniker but it's tad below their skill level...

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Stange. I think it's very subtly and eloquently written.

[crocodile 8,020]

Obviously, you're musically educated person. So I might be talking out of my ass (which I do anyway). But, for me, it's a bit too static harmonically, for a lack of better expression.

But that's beside the point. The score and album are very enjoyable. I remember getting it from my sister for my birthday.

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

Badass western tunes, here i come...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KEI5JZjwSs

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Obviously, you're musically educated person. So I might be talking out of my ass (which I do anyway). But, for me, it's a bit too static harmonically, for a lack of better expression.

But that's beside the point. The score and album are very enjoyable. I remember getting it from my sister for my birthday.

Karol

It's not all that harmonically varied I suppose. There are shades of Shore and Herrmann (who also stick/stuck to their harmonic guns in recognizable ways) but otherwise it's very singular.

[crocodile 8,020]

Obviously, you're musically educated person. So I might be talking out of my ass (which I do anyway). But, for me, it's a bit too static harmonically, for a lack of better expression.

But that's beside the point. The score and album are very enjoyable. I remember getting it from my sister for my birthday.

Karol

It's not all that harmonically varied I suppose. There are shades of Shore and Herrmann (who also stick/stuck to their harmonic guns in recognizable ways) but otherwise it's very singular.

I'm not saying that this particular needs to be harmonically complex. But it would be nice to hear more variety. Moorish Scents is one of my favourite cues because it manages to inject a bit more depth into this, otherwise quite lovely, theme.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Really like this one.

The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard

Been years since I've listened to this album. Naturally it deserves nowhere near the amount of crap that it got.

Creation - Christopher Young

The first of his scores that is starting to do something for me. Wonder if some others will follow.

[Not Mr. Big 4,640]

Apollo 13

Great score, terrible album.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

That album hasn't been an issue for years!

#1 Horner!

[crocodile 8,020]

I don't mind it actually. It still contains the absolutely essential material.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

It was glaringly missing stuff like Carbon Dioxide and Four More Amps. Unforgivable album treatment, especially for the man's finest work!

[Romão 2,274]

Obviously, you're musically educated person. So I might be talking out of my ass (which I do anyway). But, for me, it's a bit too static harmonically, for a lack of better expression.

But that's beside the point. The score and album are very enjoyable. I remember getting it from my sister for my birthday.

Karol

I agree with every point (and that includes me also talking out of my ass)

Creation - Christopher Young

The first of his scores that is starting to do something for me. Wonder if some others will follow.

I'd recommend The Shipping News and The Fly 2. Those two scores made me a Young fan

Apollo 13

Great score, terrible album.

It's my all time favorite Horner score. The album, while badly assembled, does contain most of the essential stuff, but I wouldn't mind a complete release

[Not Mr. Big 4,640]

Revenge of the Sith (mostly complete)

So many great moments left off the album, which is a shame because it's the most consistently entertaining of the Star Wars prequel scores.

[Faleel 5,359]

The Phantom Menace (mostly complete)

Quite a few great moments left off the album, which is a shame because it's the pretty much the most energetic of the Star Wars prequel scores.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Creation - Christopher Young

The first of his scores that is starting to do something for me. Wonder if some others will follow.

Did you ever check out Haunted Summer? I told you to listen to that years ago! The Shipping News too, like Romao said.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I have not. I'll look into it.

Lincoln - John Williams

The Prestige - David Julyan

[Not Mr. Big 4,640]

Minority Report (complete)

[publicist 4,643]

I'm also partial to FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC

[publicist 4,643]

Really like this one.

I just gave it a fleeting listen on Spotify. It's as scraggy as i remembered it. Herrmann my ass...

[crocodile 8,020]

Listening to King Solomon's Mines right now.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]