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


Ollie

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Oh, I almost forgot. Listened to Krull yesterday. I'm rarely in a mood for it, might be a bit too exhausting in its enthusiasm. But it's such a fine Horner score. One the same day, I listened to Tadlow's Conan the Barbarian and Intrada's Return to Oz. So it was somewhat of a 1980's fantasy music day.

 

Karol

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31 minutes ago, crocodile said:

Oh, I almost forgot. Listened to Krull yesterday. I'm rarely in a mood for it, might be a bit too exhausting in its enthusiasm. But it's such a fine Horner score. One the same day, I listened to Tadlow's Conan the Barbarian and Intrada's Return to Oz. So it was somewhat of a 1980's fantasy music day.

 

Karol

Krull can be extremely exhausting because of its exuberant breathless bombast but in the right frame of mind it is just fantastic from start to finish.

 

10 Cloverfield Lane by Bear McCreary: I am not sure whether to be impressed or not. Competent, consistent in execution and concept but there was a tad too little to grab me on the first listen. Still the mood of mystery and foreboding was extremely well conceived with little effects that I found intriguing. Will take a few more listens for me to solidify my opinion on this one.

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"Competent" and "consistent" are two key words here. While not promising any masterpiece, they're both in short supply these days.

 

Karol

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20 hours ago, crocodile said:

:music: Vertigo by Bernard Herrmann. Probably one of the definitive masterworks of film music. Pure magic in and outside of this classic film.

 

Karol

 

In case you did not already know this, Karol, the BBC Concert Orchestra will be doing one of those live to picture concerts of Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo next year at the Royal Festival Hall.  Jessica Cottis conducts.

 

Vertigo live in concert

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Though the movie has very few sound effects to begin with, the pronounced psychological effect of the music will probably brought to the forefront even more. I don't really like 'Vertigo' (it was additionally spoiled by my visits to SF, where it became clear that there just was no place in the bay where Madeline's suicide attempt could have taken place) but i watched it repeatedly just for Herrmann.

 

Here are the first clips from Debney's JUNGLE BOOK. It gets positively awesome whenever he's forced to work with the old songs/60's jungle music: https://www.cede.de/de/music/?view=detail&branch_sub=0&id=1317073&branch=1

 

 

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Mogwai's latest full-length is technically a soundtrack, featuring reworked material from their musical contributions to a BBC 4 documentary on the atomic age. So if Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk are not a forbidden zone for you, try it. It's quite enchanting.

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Lair by John Debney

 

First Knight by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Restoration by James Newton Howard

 

The 13th Warrior (Rejected Score) by Graeme Revell

 

 

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On 4/11/2016 at 3:00 PM, Omen II said:

 

In case you did not already know this, Karol, the BBC Concert Orchestra will be doing one of those live to picture concerts of Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo next year at the Royal Festival Hall.  Jessica Cottis conducts.

 

Vertigo live in concert

 

Oh boy I wish I lived in the UK.  My favorite Herrmann score, my favorite Hitchcock movie, I'd be in heaven.

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:music: The Count of Monte Cristo by Edward Shearmur. Now, this score is rather understated and quite dark. But it's a real fine composition uncovers its riches to the listener gradually. Probably requires more than one listen to get the most out of it. I particularly love this lengthy cue (and the action material right in the middle of it):

 

 

And, of course, there is this standout cue:

 

 

What is happening to Ed Shearmur anyway? And why isn't he getting hired for any Star Wars spin-offs? He's a perfect choice.

 

Not to mention his Johnny English James Bond spoof is better than most James Bond scores out there (post-Barry anyway):

 

 

Karol

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A lesson in using rests in music ... ;)

 

Finally saw the movie and somehow I felt the music didn't correspond with the film.

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2 hours ago, crocodile said:

What is happening to Ed Shearmur anyway? And why isn't he getting hired for any Star Wars spin-offs? He's a perfect choice.

 

Not to mention his Johnny English James Bond spoof is better than most James Bond scores out there (post-Barry anyway):

 

 

Karol

 

Every one who worked behind the scenes on Sky Captain appears to have been blacklisted or something in Hollywood. It's a real shame.

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Currently in the mood for happy/light soundtracks.

 

John Williams - Always

John Williams - Fitzwilly (original album)

John Williams - The Reivers

John Williams - Sabrina

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Krull (2010 LaLa Land issue) - James Horner

 

I can't get enough of that early 1980s Horner exuberance. So beautiful, rapturous, and furiously exciting. Some of his later output is really good (The Rocketeer), but it doesn't come close to the utter greatness of Krull. The command of the orchestra is impressive, and it truly elevates the movie from bad 1980s schlock into true Saturday B-movie fun.

 

And the sound quality of the LLL issue, almost like it was recorded yesterday.

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I'm re-acquainting myself with The Amazing Spider-Man after finally seen the movie. It's a score so intelligent and eloquent, it was a gift from the heavens that the film never deserved, but I'm grateful it got it.

 

Although it took me four years before seeing the film, I rank the score as one of my favourites of the decade so far.

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The Great Train Robbery by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Star Trek: Insurrection by Jerry Goldsmith

 

The Book Thief by John Williams

 

Minority Report by John Williams

 

 

 

 

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A bit hit or miss for me that one. Still I am glad I took a listen on the recommendation of someone here.

 

 

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Journey by Austin Wintory: Now this is all hit and no miss. I initially gave this 4½ stars but it has climbed to the 5 star category over the years.

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Hey, I played that game! There's really not enough (to put it really mildly) of this genre in the game market. Sadly, the company who made Journey is in financial trouble. I don't understand why people are only interested in shooters. Music is soft and floaty, right?

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Yes, music is wonderfully ethereal and evocative. Fantastic score.

 

And loved the game myself. And wasn't it quite a hit at the time?

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1 hour ago, Alexcremers said:

Hey, I played that game! There's really not enough (to put it really mildly) of this genre in the game market. Sadly, the company who made Journey is in financial trouble. I don't understand why people are only interested in shooters. Music is soft and floaty, right?

The score has a sort of ruminative ethereal atmospheric quality but contains a strong central theme which travels through the score in many guises. A perfect blend of ambient synths and orchestral writing. Tina Guo's cello solos are also pretty exquisite. Lisbeth Scott's performance of the end credits song I Was Born for This is stellar and haunting and the writing based on the main theme wonderfully orchestrated around her voice.

 

I haven't played the game but have seen the gameplay and art work which seem to be a perfect match to the music, or rather the other way around.

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5 hours ago, KK. said:

Yes, music is wonderfully ethereal and evocative. Fantastic score.

 

And loved the game myself. And wasn't it quite a hit at the time?

The game was hugely successful, it's just that it almost bankrupt thatgamecompany during development. 

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10 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

Hey, I played that game! There's really not enough (to put it really mildly) of this genre in the game market. Sadly, the company who made Journey is in financial trouble. I don't understand why people are only interested in shooters. Music is soft and floaty, right?

I am actually seriously contemplating getting this game a try. Maybe it'll help me appreciate Wintory's score more. So far I'm not much impressed by his work. Not sure what that is.

 

:music: Die Hard 2: Die Harder by Michael Kamen. Probably my favourite action score ever. It has wit, humour and badass energy in spades. The opening is quite slow but once it gets going... oh boy... its one fine 48-minute action goodness. And the best incarnation of Kamen's material in this series:

 

 

The Lion King by Hans Zimmer. 

 

 

Karol

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3 hours ago, crocodile said:

:music: Die Hard 2: Die Harder by Michael Kamen. Probably my favourite action score ever. It has wit, humour and badass energy in spades. The opening is quite slow but once it gets going... oh boy... its one fine 48-minute action goodness. And the best incarnation of Kamen's material in this series:

 

Would be nice if this got a re-release someday. The expansion that is.

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First impression: like 'Maleficent' it is much more colorful and better orchestrated than its predecessor but also lacks formal direction and sometimes loses itself in unrewarding, thumping action scoring (JNH plain fare, really). Still, some lovely flute work and a surprisingly pastoral fantasy slant will make me investigate a bit more. If i could now just get a killer theme like that for 'Snow White' coupled with the more evocative underscore of this...but that's what playlists are for.

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17 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Would be nice if this got a re-release someday. The expansion that is.

;)

 

Pity the Deluxe Edition sold out so quickly in 2012. Was it a few weeks or something?

 

Karol

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Mr. Holmes by Carter Burwell: Such pensively melancholy piece, just right up my alley. Burwell's main theme, a delicate but stately waltz, is a beautiful slow burning affair which dominates the score throughout but never outstays its welcome. Scored for a chamber-sized orchestra the score has wonderful intimacy to its subdued but undeniably beautiful woodwind, string and piano colours, a lingering sense of regret but also beauty which is so often inherent in sadness. Shakuhachi appears to give some local Japanese colouration to the sections of the story involving the Orient but it is employed both melodically and atmospherically throughout in well weighed doses and Burwell takes up on the opporturnity to include even glass harmonica into the mix as it is actually an element of the plot. A subtle but highly rewarding score.

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High-Rise by Clint Mansell

 

Finally got to checking it out. Very neat! It's like a finely mixed cocktail of Nyman, Newman and Desplat, while still retaining Mansell's own voice. Would like to hear more of this kind of sound from him, though I'm not as familiar with Mansell's body of work as I could be.

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Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Batman Returns

Masters of the Universe

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Godzilla (1998)

 

All composers deceased, as far as I know. Let's drink to them and these great scores tonight.

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3 hours ago, KK said:

High-Rise by Clint Mansell

 

Finally got to checking it out. Very neat! It's like a finely mixed cocktail of Nyman, Newman and Desplat, while still retaining Mansell's own voice. Would like to hear more of this kind of sound from him, though I'm not as familiar with Mansell's body of work as I could be.

His work for Aronofsky is required listening.

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2 hours ago, Woj said:

Danny Elfman, Bill Conti, and David Arnold. All secret passengers on James Horner's last flight? 

 

They're as good as dead. We haven't heard from them in years. Elfman blew his load in the first decade of his film scoring career and it doesn't even seem to be the same guy ever since. Surely if David Arnold was still with us, he would have been brought back for the ID4 sequel?

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A lot of it breezes by - it's pleasant if undistinguished - but whenever Debney plays around with the old Sherman brothers songs it occasionally comes to life. That of course begs the question why nowadays a cue named 'Elephant Theme' must sound like a succession of bland hymnal chords or whatever remains of King Louie in his uncanniest cgi incarnation doesn't even rate as much as a motif (two of the old score's catchiest tunes) and explains why a cue like 'Kaa - Baloo to the Rescue' suddenly springs to life after 2,5 minutes when over a bed of the obligatory tribal drumming suddenly the distinctive rising three note siren call for the snake appears.

 

Debney's own sweet tune for the boy is nice enough but he seems to write around the movie instead of deftly bringing its fantasy world to life. When things get animated, the dreadful spell of modern action writing takes over - lots of asthmatic rhythms and loud percussion rattling away without much rhyme or reason - but that's what playlists are for.

 

It bears mention that Christopher Walken is a great cuddly Louis Prima substitute and the Scarlett Johansson version of 'Trust in Me' isn't half bad, either. 

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The Jungle Book is was soo... Jazzy at the time!!! I

 

I think I know all the songs as well in french than in english.

 

Aie confian'ssssssssss....

 

U hu hu hu.. I wanna be like you ouuuouuuu

 

Is the new sountrack jazzy too?

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It has those songs re-interpreted more or less successfully (good: 'Trust in Me', 'I wanna be like you' bad: 'The bare necessities'). In the bulk of the score there's sadly only one jazzy reference in the slightly trippy jungle music of the 'Main Title'. 

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