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

[filmmusic 1,823]

The Godfather (Nino Rota) (LLL edition - everything but the ost)

Well, it's a classic, but the complete score presentation (+ additional music), is a bit repetitive.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Jurassic Park (LLL Remastered) by John Williams

It's been a while since I listenned to it, but damn it sounds so good. MM really did such a perfect job on it

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

Spy - Theodore Shapiro

 

For me, one of the best modern action/spy scores. It's so much fun, has a great main theme (and a really catchy title song) and a great blend of orchestra and more modern drums and electronics.

I really love. And with this, M:I - Rogue Nation, The Man From UNCLE, parts of Spectre 2015 was a great year for spy scores

[crocodile 7,990]

 The Batman. No kidding, this is one of Giacchino's very best works, sharing several similarities with other great scores he did for Matt Reeves. It's absolute perfection in the film and the album is really enjoyable too (even at 2 hours). The entire work all about colour and textures, things this composer is best at. I can't really think of any other recent score that evokes the world with such skill. It's filthy, damp, dangerous. A nightmarish noir, if you will. The main simplistic Batman motif is actually brilliant at encompassing his animalistic rage that becomes gradually dissipated by (melodically related) Bruce Wayne theme towards the end of the film. Throw in a creepy perverted Ave Maria for The Riddler and very pretty femme fatale tune for Selina and you have a whole package. Giacchino might not necessarily be my favourite film composer in terms of pure musicianship but he's sure very skilled as a filmmaker and storyteller.

 

Karol 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

I've started to listen to the LLL 50th anniversary of Lost in Space and it's frankly really nice

 

The Reluctant Stowaway by John Williams

A really nice score with some really nice theme. The main theme is so great. I really enjoyed the Weightless Waltz which reminds a lot of Williams comedies of the area. The monster theme is also really nice with its strong brass. Sadly the recording (unlike some others from the set) is quite damaged, but it's great to still have access to it

 

The Derelict by Richard LaSalle, Hans J. Salter and Herman Stein

Some really lovely stuff here. I really enjoy this 60's atmosphere with some languorous theme.

 

Island in the Sky by John Williams

A really great one, I simply love the strong brass that open some of the cue, there's already nice SW vibes espacially among the strings and few flutes here and there.

 

There Were Giants in the Sky by Herman Stein

This one is funnier than the Williams' entry with some nice mischievous moment

 

The Hungry Sea by John Williams

Probably the best music from the whole show so far even though it's has a lot of similarities with Island in the Sky. This one has a lit something more. I simply love the Land Ho cue

 

Invaders from the Fifth Dimension by Herman Stein & Lionel Newman

That's a really weird cue, not really my cup of tea though

 

Welcome Stranger by Herman Stein & Frank Comstock

Another really nice one with some Western-like cue that sometime reminds me of Tiomkin works

 

My Friend, Mr. Nobody by John Williams

A really different entry for Williams here, it's lighter and funnier than the previous episodes. It's closer to what he was composing at the same time for his 60's comedies

 

War of the Robots by Jeff Alexander

Another single cue for this episode, the bassoon approach is pretty nice touch

 

Library Cue from Season 1 by Fred Steiner

Some nice stuff around here (like The Monster cue)

 

Now onto season 2...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) - Bill Conti

 

The sort of main theme, which only appears in a few cues, is among my favorite movie themes from the 90s, and one of Conti's very best ever.  I LOVE it!

 

 

[filmmusic 1,823]

 

Don't you miss the old scores where the melody and harmonies are moving?

Today, when I hear dramatic scores, they're way too static!

Anyway, great nostalgic score, with an exceptional main theme! Now, on to its sequel.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

 

 

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

Texas Rising - John Debney - Bruce Broughton

 

This is such a fantastic score!!!!

The opening suite alone is one of the best cues of the last 20 years. And the themes are so insanely catchy.

Truly one of my favourites!!!

[crocodile 7,990]

Thriller and Thriller 2. An eclectic but fascinating collection of chamber-sized TV scores from Goldsmith. Not the easiest listen necessarily but always creative and inspired. Some of it sounds like concert music. Another proof that in skilled hands even the smallest of emsembles can deliver all the "thrills" (pun intended). Quite a little gem...or 12 gems even. Shame there is no volume 3 to complete the series.

 

Karol

[filmmusic 1,823]

Innerspace (Jerry Goldsmith)

Quite good! Some bits, especially the action music, reminded me of Total Recall.

I have not seen the movie.

[Thor 7,478]

1 hour ago, filmmusic said:

Innerspace (Jerry Goldsmith)

Quite good! Some bits, especially the action music, reminded me of Total Recall.

I have not seen the movie.

 

Oh, you should see it. One of my favourite JG-scored movies. Obviously it's drenched in nostalgia for me; one of those very early cinemagoing experiences. Short in top form.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

"There is nothing like a good cigar, eh, partner?".

[Andy 4,092]

5 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

"There is nothing like a good cigar, eh, partner?".

"Have you seen Outlaw Josie Wales?  What a flick!"

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

2 hours ago, Andy said:

"Have you seen Outlaw Josie Wales?  What a flick!"

Aaw, man! That's my favourite line in the movie.

 

"Cowboy, what have you done to your hair?"

"You like my hair? I had it done, Clint Eastwood style" 

[Bespin 8,480]

The three first scores John Williams recorded at Abbey Road studios:

• John Williams - Raiders of the Lost Ark (custom playlist from the 1995 CD)
• John Williams - Monsignor (OST, 2019)
• John Williams - Return of the Jedi (1993 Anthology boxset, CD 3 & 4 combined playlist)

[Tallguy 3,381]

13 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Innerspace (Jerry Goldsmith)

Quite good! Some bits, especially the action music, reminded me of Total Recall.

I have not seen the movie.

 

After getting the whole family to watch The Burbs I figure I have two paths: Stick with weird Tom Hanks movie and watch Joe vs. The Volcano or stick with Joe Dante movies that they won't hate me for making them watch and watch Innerspace. And THEN go with weird movies with Tom Hanks AND Meg Ryan and watch Joe vs. The Volcano. If I can hold everyone's attention that long.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

INNERSPACE is great.

JOE Vs. THE VOLCANO is weird, but good.

[Knight of Ren 787]

The Hunger Games Saga - James Newton Howard

I listened to the four scores of the saga, and I must admit that is some of my favorite work by the composer. The first score is probably the weakest because it relies a bit too much on sound design and synths, and some of the most prominent thematic ideas got scrapped for new ones in the sequels. Still, we have what I feel is the main theme that appears in Rue's Farewell, that is one of Howard's best themes, and all of its appearances in the other scores are brilliant (I especially love the action variant in Air Raid Drill).

 

I really like Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1, as they feel like the proper presentation and development of the main themes and ideas for the saga, which culminates in Mockingjay Part 2, with great variations on all the ideas and motifs. Howard's action cues are fantastic, and I absolutely love cues like Sewer Attack and Rebels Attack, but equally effective are the emotional themes for the Hunger Games, the vocal theme for Katniss or the love theme.

 

I feel sometimes the scores are a bit overlooked because of the movies they accompany, but I think they're fantastic in setting the tone and the emotions of the saga, and JNH crafted such a great thematic tapestry (not always as clear as it should be, I must say), that I hope he gets to (at least partially) develop in the prequel coming up this year.

 

A custom compilation of the best moments of the four scores should leave you with some of Howard's finest action set-pieces and emotionally devastating themes.

[thestat 348]

On 08/01/2023 at 1:39 PM, crocodile said:

 The Batman. NThe entire work all about colour and textures, things this composer is best at. I can't really think of any other recent score that evokes the world with such skill. It's filthy, damp, dangerous. A nightmarish noir, if you will.

 

Karol 

Agree so much here - from the opening moments of the film the score sets an amazing tone. Can't remember the last time I literally got goosebumbs from a combination of image and music as the first five minutes of the film (that is, for a new film, plenty of classics do this).

 

I also have my problems with Gia but this one is totally out of the park. Brilliant music for a great scene:

 

14 hours ago, Thor said:

 

Oh, you should see it. One of my favourite JG-scored movies. Obviously it's drenched in nostalgia for me; one of those very early cinemagoing experiences. Short in top form.

Innerspace is brilliant - JG's score is amazing - a combination of The Light music from Poltergeist and Total Recall. Dante on top mischievous form with an amazing cast including Quaid, Ryan, Short and Wells but also Picard as The Cowboy:

 

[Andy 4,092]

The "State of the Art" theme is amazing.  It gets me in the feels every time.  It's so earnest, heroic, and heartfelt ... completely contrary to the goofy comedic nature of the story.  It elevates the whole affair to something more than just a goof.

[Tallguy 3,381]

11 hours ago, Andy said:

The "State of the Art" theme is amazing.  It gets me in the feels every time.  It's so earnest, heroic, and heartfelt ... completely contrary to the goofy comedic nature of the story.  It elevates the whole affair to something more than just a goof.

 

I won't say it comes out of nowhere, but it's definitely in a different gear than the rest of the score. Even including Let's Get Small.

 

Oh, wait, new titles. State of the Art IS Let's Get Small. I was talking about User Friendly. User Friendly is certainly not out of place but it's so ethereal with those plucky synths. You're listening along and all of a sudden "Hey! What's this?"

 

Yes, State of the Art is one of my favorite Goldsmith tracks ever. He'd get into that same kind of groove a couple of years later for Star Trek V with The Mountain. But State of the Art is better. It's not quite Patton, and it's also very very sincere. You nailed it, @Andy. It's the knife edge that the movie rides between a goofy Martin Short movie and a slick sci-fi thriller adventure.

 

14 hours ago, thestat said:

Innerspace is brilliant - JG's score is amazing - a combination of The Light music from Poltergeist and Total Recall. Dante on top mischievous form with an amazing cast including Quaid, Ryan, Short and Wells but also Picard as The Cowboy:

 

The Cowboy! How do you write music that is such an over the top pastiche and yet still have it be something that in a more serious context would still be just as cool as what it was parodying? (And we can agree that there is no possibility for a character like The Cowboy to exist today or for Robert Picardo to have played him, right?) I'm almost a little disappointed to have just found out he played the same card on The Burbs two years later. (I know, that's a Dante thing.)

 

Finally, what a perfect 25 minutes is the original LP side? I mean, it's not enough. But if that was all we ever had it's still one of Jerry's best. All those years I thought (rightly) that I wanted more of the love theme that plays during The Womb. Then I find out that while it's still great, that statement (in Gut Reaction on the LP) is streets ahead of all the others.

 

Some days I think I'm an Innerspace fan first and a Goldsmith fan second. No matter how many times I listen to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. And Rudy and Hoosiers. And The Secret of NIMH. And Twilight Zone. And First Contact. And Logan's Run...

[Andy 4,092]

That look Martin Short gives Quaid when they finally meet out of the pod, with the love theme transitioning to the State of the Art/Let's Get Small on trumpet.  Ugh, it kills me.  Short is so sincere there, it makes me cry.

[Tallguy 3,381]

Throw down! Tuck meets Jack at the end of Innerspace or John meets Al at the end of Die Hard? Choose!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

As much as I love INNERSPACE, it's got to be McClane/Al.

[Andy 4,092]

Innerspace.  Thanks to Jerry.  I mean, one character was literally inside the other. (in a non sexual way), but that's profoundly intimate.

[Bespin 8,480]

 

It remembers me this funny scene in White Lotus S2, humor between a guy trying to comfort his hangover best friend... 

 

 

 

Watch the series to see the next scene! 

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

I don't get it.

[crocodile 7,990]

Herrmann's holy trinity - Vertigo (McNeely), Psycho (Elfman/Bartek) and North by Northwest (McNeely). Three fabulous re-recordings that really do their scores justice.

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

You need the McNeely re-recording of Psycho, though.

[Jay 37,323]

Yea that Psycho album is pretty good, eh?

 

I wonder if it would ever be remastered / expanded one day? I have no idea if its complete or not

[crocodile 7,990]

Just now, Jurassic Shark said:

You need the McNeely re-recording of Psycho, though.

Got it but it's not as good.

 

Just now, Jay said:

Yea that Psycho album is pretty good, eh?

 

I wonder if it would ever be remastered / expanded one day? I have no idea if its complete or not

No, it definitely isn't. It's very high on my wishlist actually.

 

Karol

[Disco Stu 15,495]

It's weird, I can hear why others might not like the McNeely Psycho album, the sound is quite sloshy (technical term).  And yet, I instinctively prefer the McNeely and I don't really know why.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

It's got more of a concert hall acoustics, and it's the closest re-recording we have to the original recording.

[Faleel 5,342]

Sounds fine to me.

[thestat 348]

Shore's here is AMAZING

 

The orchestration by Shore is astonishing. What he gets out of an orchestra......

 

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

Pan - John Powell

 

I love this score. I feel it's kind of lost in the bigger scores from Powell's career like HTTYD, Bourne & X-Men.

But the thematic writing in this is also quite spectacular I feel. I think there are at least 3 themes which all get a good workout.

The choral writing here is especially cool. Especially in tracks like A Warrior's Fate & Flying Ship Fight.

All the action music in incredibly with great orchestrations and detail to different sections of the orchestra.

The Galleon Dog Fight is one of my favourite action cues by Powell!

And the emotional payoff in the final 2 cues is also wonderful.

[crocodile 7,990]

 War Horse. Dead good innit?

 

Karol

[Jay 37,323]

One of my favorites from the maestro!

[Tallguy 3,381]

Raiders of the Lost Ark. Some mishmash of DCC and Concord.

 

That silly little march is quite good. And while The Map Room: Dawn is still the powerhouse that it always has been, my appreciation for The Miracle of the Ark has only grown. Mostly because I actually like the Ark B theme better. (That's the one with the phone sanitizers and the marketing executives.)

[Jay 37,323]

2 minutes ago, Tallguy said:

That's the one with the phone sanitizers and the marketing executives

 

What?

[Tallguy 3,381]

The Ark B. (Hitchhiker's Guide reference.)

[Jay 37,323]

Ah

[Thor 7,478]

 

 

Needed a mental break from all the 2022 score listening sessions, so a brief revisit to these two compilations that I haven't listened to in years. Both from each of the two Krakow film music festivals I've attended so far, in 2012 and 2014 (another visit is due soon, but as always depends on money and time). The CDs were both in the "goodie bag" I received upon arrival each time.

[filmmusic 1,823]

Listened to 2,5 hours of sessions of Black Hawk Down (Hans Zimmer & etc.?)

A couple of good themes here and there, but the rest is drones and loops.

I wonder if the OST plays better. 

 

Does anyone know, are those African vocals things that the composer writes or are they improvisations by the singers?

[filmmusic 1,823]

 

 

Contemplative, artistic soundtrack with a  couple of jazzy "source-sounding" cues.

It's evident that the composer has artistry and knows his craft, but I cannot help thinking in every soundtrack I hear, what John Williams would do.

He would have some more recognizable themes presumably. And in that field, this soundtrack lacks...

[filmmusic 1,823]

The Prince of Egypt [sessions] (Hans Zimmer)

One of the best Zimmer scores for me.

Great melodies. I love the sad cello theme, and the Eastern sounding theme (eg. when they cross the red sea). What can I say about the burning bush. Sublime too..

It seems when it comes to animation (this and The Lion King), it brings out the best out of the composer. (though I haven't listened to The Road to El Dorado yet)

[Edmilson 7,398]

El Dorado is a great score, but I think most of it is from John Powell (which is not a bad thing, since early Powell is great ).

 

Actually, I think Prince of Egypt (or maybe Spirit) was the last animated score from Zimmer where he had a more hands-on approach, the rest of them seem to be like mostly team efforts. 

[Thor 7,478]

 

One of my top 10 favorite Zimmer scores, and films too.

[filmmusic 1,823]

The Tempest (Elliot Goldenthal) [FYC]

I love Goldenthal, but here, I didn't find something that interested me personally. 

 

The Shawshank Redemption (Thomas Newman)

Thomas Newman is not really my cup of tea, and here apart from the main theme, I stand by the same opinion.