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

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

Naqoyqatsi (Philip Glass) - Completing my Qatsi odyssey, I actually enjoyed this one more than I remembered. Yo-Yo Ma's contributions are, typically, exquisite and, while I still maintain it doesn't have some of the outlandishness of the earlier too, it's still one of Glass' finest efforts... although...

 

Anima Mundi - probably remains one of my favourite Glass scores. The album is brief, but it's exhilarating from beginning to end, with Perpetual Motion as a highlight.

 

The A Team (Alan Silvestri) - One of those "much better than I remember it" efforts from Silvestri, which I rather lumped with the rather too numerous slightly anonymous action scores he's done throughout his career (GI Joe, Red, Lara Croft 2) which don't do a massive amount for me. Shame it doesn't make a lot more use of the classic Post theme, but otherwise it's pretty enjoyable stuff. I still rather feel that Silvestri has barely evolved his style through his career and kinda peaked around The Mummy Returns, but his stuff is broadly worth a listen.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

2 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Naqoyqatsi (Philip Glass) - Completing my Qatsi odyssey, I actually enjoyed this one more than I remembered. Yo-Yo Ma's contributions are, typically, exquisite and, while I still maintain it doesn't have some of the outlandishness of the earlier too, it's still one of Glass' finest efforts... although...

 

I'd say it's a more evenly good listening experience than the other two.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

6 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

I'd say it's a more evenly good listening experience than the other two.

Yes, I can agree with that... a trade off for quirk and strangeness I guess.

 

Am I the only one for who hears Serra Pelada, the opening track from Powaqqatsi, in Augie's Municipal Band from Phantom Menace?! I concede it's in a fairly broad way, but the mixture of street march percussion, whistles, repeated note brass fanfares and children's chorus is very strikingly similar (but a lot less cringe inducing than Augie's Municipal Band I have to say).

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

10 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Am I the only one for who hears Serra Pelada, the opening track from Powaqqatsi, in Augie's Municipal Band from Phantom Menace?! I concede it's in a fairly broad way, but the mixture of street march percussion, whistles, repeated note brass fanfares and children's chorus is very strikingly similar (but a lot less cringe inducing than Augie's Municipal Band I have to say).

 

I've always maintained that it's Williams' Glass setting of the Emperor theme.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

8 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

I've always maintained that it's Williams' Glass setting of the Emperor theme.

Exactly that! Not the type of musical connection you make every day…

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

Which version of Koyaanisqatsi do you prefer? Original or rerecording?

[Thor 7,504]

I was never that into the "-quatsis" myself. I think THE VISITORS is his best score.

[Romão 2,274]

Kundun remains my favorite score of his, but I'll join Tom in praising Anima Mundi. 

 

This is another stand out, also used in Truman Show:

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

I was never that into the "-quatsis" myself. I think THE VISITORS is his best score.

Oh, Thor...😞

2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Which version of Koyaanisqatsi do you prefer? Original or rerecording?

It's a combo.

The film recording has all the music including the great tracks " Resource and " Slow People"

But...

The ost has better, I.e. shorter,  versions " Grid" and " Prophecies"

[Faleel 5,348]

Bram Stoker's Dracula - Wojciech Kilar

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

9 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

The ost has better, I.e. shorter,  versions " Grid" and " Prophecies"

 

A shorter version of Grid is indeed a good thing, but Prophecies is the best track of the score.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

4 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

A shorter version of Grid is indeed a good thing, but Prophecies is the best track of the score.

Agreed. But the film version just loops the vocal part to extend the scene. The ost is the same, just without the tacked on part

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

Btw, my favorite is Koyhatsitatsi:

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

That version is called " Prelude to EINSTEIN ON THE FRITZ?

 

The ost on Antilles is the film tracks with some edits.

The next release was an expanded version -  rerecording.

The latest release is  the actual film tracks, edited slightly to fit on a CD,  including sound effects.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

Yeah, I just did the research and found out. I wonder which version Thor prefers... btw, the expansion of the original recording seems to be taken from film stems (hence sound effects) and the sound is considerably less punchy than on the OST.

[Thor 7,504]

I've only ever heard the Antilles.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

All three are available on Spotify!

[bruce marshall 1,315]

24 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Yeah, I just did the research and found out. I wonder which version Thor prefers... btw, the expansion of the original recording seems to be taken from film stems (hence sound effects) and the sound is considerably less punchy than on the OST.

I said that!

[Thor 7,504]

 

Always been a big fan of Theo Angelopoulos' movies and - by extension - Eleni Karaindrou's music for them. However, I've never seen this one (THE BEEKEEPER from 1986). Some waltz figures and folksy elements, but the real heart and soul is the beautiful, moody solos by Norwegian sax legend Jan Garbarek.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

2 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

I said that!

 

I improved it.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

War Horse (Recording Sessions) by John Williams

It's been a while I haven't listen to that one and it's a terrific score, really one of my favourites.

Damn it would be great to have a proper MM released this year for it's tenth anniversary although I know it's impossible

[Jay 37,364]

Holy cow, I can't believe that score is a decade old now, yikes

[Bespin 8,482]

1985

 

Cocoon, Back to the Future, Pee-Wee's Sordid Adventure, Legend 

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

33 minutes ago, Jay said:

Holy cow, I can't believe that score is a decade old now, yikes

Yeah times pass fast... To me it felt like I've watched it two years ago in theater!

[thestat 348]

Dudes, Folk's Toy Soldiers especially End of Cali is astonishing - can't wait for this score to get more attention when/if it's rereleased - if you like late 80s, early 90s Goldsmith, this is essential

 

On the theme of composer's being inspired by Goldsmith's era-defining work on Total Recall, Joel Goldsmith rips off dad but does so in a very amianable way. Moon 44 is a legend of a score - and the Graunke performance shows why Total Recall had to be moved elsewhere:

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Curse of the Pink Panther - Henry Mancini

 

Mancini with 80s synths is pretty fun, though that's not really in the majority of the score per se.  The main new theme for this one, the Clifton Sleigh Theme, is a great head-nodder in the spirit of the series.

 

 

[Edmilson 7,454]

The Shadow by Jerry Goldsmith

 

I haven't watched this movie, but I bet the producers told Goldsmith to just do an Elfman-like score, because this sounds very similar to Batman, Batman Returns and Darkman. Oh well, it's fun to see what Jerry could do if he was asked to actually score a Batman movie.

 

Captain America: Civil War by Henry Jackman

 

The best non-Silvestri Avengers score, tied with Elfman's material for Ultron.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

7 hours ago, May the Force be with You said:

War Horse (Recording Sessions) by John Williams

It's been a while I haven't listen to that one and it's a terrific score, really one of my favourites.

Damn it would be great to have a proper MM released this year for it's tenth anniversary although I know it's impossible

What's wrong with the ost?

[Jay 37,364]

The desire for an expansion is not a statement that you feel there is anything "wrong" with the OST. Sometimes people would like to have both. 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Maybe I should have said " how can it be improved?"

[LSH 968]

Simply put... one of the best film scores ever created.

 

Often imitated... never bettered.

 

In fact, with all this retrospection, you all now know it should have won the Oscar.

 

 

[Thor 7,504]

 

Wonderful 2015 score - aching, chilly and explorative textures. Kinda Preisner-like. Went under the radar for most people.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

C'mon, you just like the cover. 

[Thor 7,504]

That's great too. Perfectly mirrors the music. Never seen the film, though.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

When Women Had Tails (Ennio) - Man he scored some weird movies... pretty sure this must rank at the stranger end, but the music is great fun, with a super catchy main theme. He really needed to arrange a 30 minutes suite for orchestra to play at all his concerts. It's what everyone was always waiting for... I mean, who needs to hear The Mission or TGTB&TU again? 

 

Edit: Surprisingly good sound quality on this one too (it's from 1970). If only some of his more famed scores of a similar vintage sounded so good!

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

Highlights, please!

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

The Big Picture (Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops) - I can't recall who kindly directed me to the website who seemed to have this in stock (for a very reasonable price too) to replace my apparently mislaid copy, but thank you to that person! Pleasingly as enjoyable an album as I remember, the only misstep (which I also remember) is a slightly clunky version of Zimmer's Crimson Tide - the choir is just too much. Indeed, most (all?) of the other tracks which would otherwise feature choir feature a synth chorus which, I have to admit, often sounds pretty good. OK, it doesn't sound real, but when all that's being added are broad "ahh" textures to otherwise dense orchestral writing, the synth version fills that purpose very effectively. For some, such as Independence Day, I perhaps even marginally prefer it, possibly because the orchestration is so thick already that the aural density of a real choir pushes it into overkill whereas the synth choir is more a textural addition that acts as a counterpoint to all that heavy brass.

 

The performance of the Mission: Impossible theme claims to be the Silvestri arrangement but sounds conspicuously different to that featured on Hollywood '96 which makes the same claim as to the arrangement. Odd that nobody's ever re-recorded Elfman's arrangement (which, for my money, is the best version of the theme anywhere, including the original versions from the TV show) yet Silvestri's rejected version has two (probably).

 

A nice mixture of fine music from a few composers who don't make their way onto compilations that often (Randy Edelman, Mark Mancina and John Debney in particular), well played and recorded. But definitely given the sound FX a miss (which are on discreet tracks so easy to skip).

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

8 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

The Big Picture (Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops) - I can't recall who kindly directed me to the website who seemed to have this in stock (for a very reasonable price too)

 

Well actually I did it completely for free. But you're welcome. 

[Thor 7,504]

 

Alex North this ain't, but very listenable score with unashamed 90s consonance, and some period instrumentation sprinkled on top. The opening theme bears a strong resemblance to Jones' CLFFHANGER/MOHICANS benchmark melody line.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

Geez, that guy only knows how to write one good theme, doesn't he?

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Well actually I did it completely for free. But you're welcome. 

Well thank you!

The Howling (Pino Donaggio) - Not sure what to make of this one; plenty of effective, edgy string writing and fairly melodic for a horror score. It feels a bit disjointed at times somehow. Given it's a Joe Dante film, I can't help wonder what Jerry Goldsmith would have made of it.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

22 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Well thank you!

The Howling (Pino Donaggio) - Not sure what to make of this one; plenty of effective, edgy string writing and fairly melodic for a horror score. It feels a bit disjointed at times somehow. Given it's a Joe Dante film, I can't help wonder what Jerry Goldsmith would have made of it.

 

Weren't you aware of Europadisc?

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Weren't you aware of Europadisc?

I wasn't! I buy most of my music digitally (from 7Digital or Presto Music) or directly from LLL/Intrada etc... but good to know of another non-Amazon site.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

Just now, Tom Guernsey said:

I wasn't! I buy most of my music digitally (from 7Digital or Presto Music) or directly from LLL/Intrada etc... but good to know of another non-Amazon site.

 

Isn't it even British? I try to "support" non-Amazon sites when feasible.

[GerateWohl 4,369]

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - Patrick Doyle

 

At the time it came out I already thought I am paying too much attention to Patrick Doyle's scores. But now revisiting it after a long time I am very pleased with the music. Beautiful score for a forgettable movie.

Now probably in my top 4 of Patric Doyle's scores.

 

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

What are the others?

[Thor 7,504]

 

Toydrum blasted into my awareness with their acidic score for FUTURE WORLD (2018), but this 2019 effort is equally interesting. Artsy, ambient shoegaze soundscapes that combine electronics and acoustic elements (like solo guitar) and lofty vocals. But 77 minutes is a bit on the long side.

[Jurassic Shark 12,076]

I prefer Händel's Water Music. 

[GerateWohl 4,369]

44 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

What are the others?

Much Ado about Nothing

Henry V

Love's Labour's Lost

 

But I must admit, the last one mainly lives from the nice song arrangements.

 

My relation to some composer's is really defined through their director collaborations. For Doyle it is Kenneth Brnagh for me. M. Night Shymalan for James Newton Howard, Joe Wright for Dario Marianelli.

[Thor 7,504]

 

Such a great score. I only wish the sound was better and not so muffled. Here's one that deserves proper restoration.