Jump to content

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


Ollie

Recommended Posts

Mine field? :huh:

War of the Worlds by John Williams

:music: Overture from Anna Karenina by Dario Marianelli

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Patrick Doyle

I find his solo entry into the Potter series to be ridiculously underrated. His voldemort theme is awesome, and something I wish Desplat/Hooper had included in the sequels, the trwizarding task cues are triumphant, and epic, without pushing it; and Harry In Winter is still one of the best cues of the series.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DUCHESS - Rachel Portman

Portman doing her usual schmaltz shtick, nice but toally inconsequential.

CD.jpg

OCTOPUSSY _ John Barry

In honor of a recently exploded thread - it's still one of Barry's most boring scores although the romantic ballad that is ALL TIME HIGH glosses over the score portion with a wide-eyed nostalgic yearning only Barry could provide.

In a way, it's Barry's way of remodelling the house: at this point of his career, he wasn't interested in his earlier Bond-sound anymore, so the producers were stuck with what is essentially a classic love song like MOONRAKER (both weren't great successes). After that, Barry was forced to use more hip current pop bands, his melodies of course were still impeccable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a score I enjoy more and more every time I listen to it. There are some really good themes in here, and overall, the bombastic aspect of the score is really fitting for the Triwizard tournament... But, some action cues, such as The Maze or Golden Egg, really feel "disjointed" (for lack of a better word) and when the orchestra keeps alternating between fanfaric mode and silent mode, it can be annoying

I can agree on that, though those cues are still highlights of the album for me.

Da Vinci Code - I had forgotten how good this score is. Chevaliers De Sangreal is fantastic, Ad Arcana & The Citrine Cross are beautiful, epic, and sweeping, but not overbearing. The bonus cues available from Balfe are great, but sadly not enough to hold me over until the sessions come out, or keep up hope that there's an expansion for sale one day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

King Kong by John Barry

To be honest, I couldn't imagine how John Barry being suitable for this kind of a film. I've heard some bits of it before, but they did nothing to convince me. Well, I was wrong. His restrained and yet very romantic voice creates quite an unique mood - both appropriate for the genre, but dodging the cliches as well. Sounds very intimate and personal, in a same kind of way Alex North blessed many of sword & sandal epics back in the day. The orchestrations are very interesting. From the vintage theme for the female lead to the rather fun ceremonial music - it is all very well done and the 70 minutes flow very nicely.

I also find it funny that "The Power of Kong" motif is essentially Horner's danger motif.

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bananas - Marvin Hamlisch

Jaunty, tuneful fun, and I've listened to it way more than I probably should.

Angels In America and Road To Perdition - Thomas Newman

So, uh... you guys. This Tom Newman guy's effin' great! I went 20 years without much Newman exposure (Wall-E excepted, and I liked Pay It Forward's theme well enough), but I'm going to look up a ton of his work now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader by David Arnold

This is a very frustrating score, because it has everything going for it. It is orchestral, has plenty of well thought-out thematic material, varied and colourful. The album is well produced and everything is fine with it. And yet, even with all of that, it leaves me somewhat cold. I enjoy it every now and then, but it never really was at the center of my attention. Why is that?

Also listened to JFK by John Williams (in my opinion one of his very best works ever) and The Shadow by Jerry Goldsmith on the new Intrada album (which is really, really good indeed).

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader by David Arnold

This is a very frustrating score, because it has everything going for it. It is orchestral, has plenty of well thought-out thematic material, varied and colourful. The album is well produced and everything is fine with it. And yet, even with all of that, it leaves me somewhat cold. I enjoy it every now and then, but it never really was at the center of my attention. Why is that?

Also listened to JFK by John Williams (in my opinion one of his very best works ever) and The Shadow by Jerry Goldsmith on the new Intrada album (which is really, really good indeed).

Karol

I agree on all accounts. The third Narnia score despite all the elements doesn't hold my interest at all or captivate very much.

JFK is indeed one of JWs best works (damn I forgot to add it to the top-10 list!) and The Shadow is extremely enjoyable and fun score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zelda The Wind Waker: 75 (actually 94 if you include the "ITunes" style bonus tracks I included to pad out the listening experience and tell the story musically) Minute Album - Koji Kondo etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice. :)

I'm listening to Predator, two Ben-Hur LP's (from the FSM set), and again to John Barry's King Kong, which is really good (and that comes from someone who isn't much of a John Barry enthusiast). Oh and Dario Marianelli's Jane Eyre, a very fine score.

:music: Music from the Edge by John Corigliano

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OCTOPUSSY _ John Barry

In honor of a recently exploded thread - it's still one of Barry's most boring scores although the romantic ballad that is ALL TIME HIGH glosses over the score portion with a wide-eyed nostalgic yearning only Barry could provide.

The action music does get quite plodding at times, and the song makes me cringe, just a little, but I love the theme itself.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Truly...there is no comparison. LalaLand edition, of course. There may not have been that much music missing, but those little moments really help flesh out the score; best example might be the cues between The Enterprise and Leaving Drydock, the extra breathing room makes the listening experience that much better.

The alternate of The Enterprise might be my favorite part of the whole set.

TTBK

:music: The Meld :jerry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

King Kong by John Barry

To be honest, I couldn't imagine how John Barry being suitable for this kind of a film. I've heard some bits of it before, but they did nothing to convince me. Well, I was wrong. His restrained and yet very romantic voice creates quite an unique mood - both appropriate for the genre, but dodging the cliches as well. Sounds very intimate and personal, in a same kind of way Alex North blessed many of sword & sandal epics back in the day. The orchestrations are very interesting. From the vintage theme for the female lead to the rather fun ceremonial music - it is all very well done and the 70 minutes flow very nicely.

I also find it funny that "The Power of Kong" motif is essentially Horner's danger motif.

Karol

The audio is out of sync with the picture.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Goldeneye - Okay, I've never hated this score, but I did appreciate it more this go-round.. It's not as class as Arnold's, or Barry...but it's not as awful as I recall it being. 3/5.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobb by Elliot Goldenthal

Michael Collins by Elliot Goldenthal

The Temest by Elliot Goldenthal

Batman Returns by Danny Elfman

Nightmare Before Christmas by Danny Elfman

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, he ripped off Zimmer! Never forget.

Karol

Who said this nonsense?

/

I believe someone compared the main theme of this to a zimmer cue/theme and they sounded similar?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

htye?

If that is a shortcut for a movie, please let me say that I don't know the shortcuts to every movie ever made.

.....I fixed it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Five Sacred Trees by John Williams: One of his most beautiful, introspective and mystical concertos. The sound of bassoon does capture in a lyrical way the essence of wood, forest and trees, the earthy slightly nasal sound rising in Judith LeClair's multinuanced performance from subtle and thoughtful soliloquies to rapid dances and agitated punctuations of the orchestral fabric in the wilder sections of this meditation on Celtic tree lore. Yet the most magical moments appear in the third and fifth movements where Williams captures something beautifully melancholic, mystical and ancient in the bassoon solos that hint at the Celtic roots of the myths on trees but in Williams' inimitable style catch the spirituality of the subject matter and conjure up vivid images of sylvan magic.

This concerto shows that Williams is at his best also with smaller forces and most of the time the bassoon is accompanied by very reduced forces, making the music intimate, delicate and powerful at the same time. I noted how I was almost holding my breath at the end of the last movement, so spell binding the misty, gentle, murmuring atmosphere was. Same happens with the third movement where the duet of harp and bassoon is like an image of a bard and his harp, the bassoon telling a story of the ancient times, the winding lyrical melody opening slowly and the harp accompanies it with sparse notes. Williams should write music like this more often.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For Greater Glory: The True Story Of Cristiada by James Horner

It is actually much better than I anticipated. All the usual suspects are here, but the work is still strong enough to catapult itself into the very best of 2012 category (same as with his other two works released earlier this year). Yes, I hear half dozens of previous scores in here, but Horner seems to have upped his game in terms of execution. His recent scores seem to be developed with greater care and detail (or maybe it is just me). Thus, I don't care too much about his borrowings anymore. The only real downside of this album is its length (how surprising!). Having said that, it doesn't drag nearly as much as some of his older works. Oh and I really like the vocals.

With film scores being as boring as they are (I was hardly interested in anything this year), I welcome every danger motif, shakuhachi blast, the trembling high-pitched ethnic woodwinds, clanging metal percussion, the Genesis theme. Literally, every Hornery chord! All of that, every single dramatic phrase, punctuated by tolling bell, no less.

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Towering Inferno: I like it better than most contemporary Williams. Is it because the harmonies and melodies are still very much rooted in the idiom of Jazz?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man to Man - Patrick Doyle

So beautiful... the main theme is used liberally, but Doyle varies it enough to wonderful effect throughout. There's a strong Barry influence in the score, more in the rhythm and string layering than anything else. But it's a short and sweet score.

Reconstructed & Recorded Tribute Film Classics Score Highlights - Korngold/Steiner/Herrmann

Ultimately, it's the Herrmann selections and Steiner's Don Juan tracks that make it so worthwhile. Wonderful attention to detail in the recording, and the performances are A-grade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rosewood by John Williams

Amistad by John Williams

Saving Private Ryan by John Williams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Romeo and Juliet by Nino Rota: Just gorgeous music that really melts my heart from the first note.

Meet Joe Black by Thomas Newman aka Snoozeman aka Coolman: One of the best modern romantic scores with really a wonderful spirit of all its own. This is perhaps as close to main stream Newman has ventured along with some of his early 90's scores but I really wish he would explore this more conventional orchestral expression a bit more often because he excels in it. His quirkiness is intact, his ethereal and intimate sensibilities really shine, he still creates unique atmospheres and his ability to convey and capture the most heart aching emotions in his yearning lyricism crowns this short yet absolutely winning score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes! I love how Rota creates a love theme, but it also hints at the separate themes for doomed lovers (established early in the score), as if it was to entrap and, ultimately, devour them. Fitting, really.

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes! I love how Rota creates a love theme, but it also hints at the separate themes for doomed lovers (established early in the score), as if it was to entrap and, ultimately, devour them. Fitting, really.

Karol

Yes. Rota really captured the essence of the story in his music, the tragic love and the bittersweet fate it would finally have. The way he builds the score through the courtly dances and pomp to the first meeting and all that follows is brilliant and he inventively translates his themes to fit the action, like the gorgeous choral and soloist passages for the church and wedding scenes and of course the breath taking finale where we first hear the aching full rendition of the love theme, then the "O Happy Dagger", where you almost hold breath with those sustained tremoloing strings and end in the near story book feel of the finale, the final rendition of the love theme swelling with such finality. I remember how I was completely floored by this music the first time I heard it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

looper.jpg?w=250

LOOPER - Nathan Johnson

Ahhh, interesting film music actually is alive and kicking. It's a bit like Goldenthal in S. W. A. T. style crossed with Danny Elfman on a especially kinky day, which is mighty OK in my book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.