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

[Naïve Old Fart 12,533]

I like his work for BABYLON 5.

[Tallguy 6,686]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

Don't mind me breaking up the Goldsmith fest!

 

With the one of the OTHER composers of Legend? Bold move!

[Andy 6,930]

The Cassandra Crossing

Jerry Goldsmith 1976

 

 

I wanted to see why this one doesn’t get mentioned a lot.  Given that it was the same year as the Omen, I was hoping for some similar techniques and tones.  There were few.  The OST on disc 2 of the Prometheus is much better than the whole score, which really leans on the love theme rather than the action setpieces. The Love Theme on which the whole score is supported, unfortunately reminds me of Joe Harnell’s Lonely Man theme from The Incredible Hulk TV series from a year later.  Not the fault of this score, but my own prejudices. 
 

As for the action, it’s okay. Certainly very busy, but there’s much better Goldsmith. Still, average Goldsmith always offers something good to the listener. 
 

I imagine a reissue with improved Sonic’s would help.  2008 was a long time ago.  Speaking of the Pometheus Label, does anyone know why they folded?

[The Score Cleaner 9,299]

15 minutes ago, Andy said:

Speaking of the Prometheus Label, does anyone know why they folded?

They got into Origami?

[Marian Schedenig 11,177]

30 minutes ago, Andy said:

The Cassandra Crossing

Jerry Goldsmith 1976

 

I love it, or at least some of the highlights. Stuff like The Climber and Helicopter Rescue (as far as I remember) are among Goldsmith's most hardcore thriller/action set pieces. I'd love a release with better sound (or proper re-recording). I want to see the film again, too. As I recall it's steeped in over-the-top 70sness, but it's also set on a moving train, so that evens things out.

[Andy 6,930]

Yes, those two pieces you mentioned were the highlights. 

[Thor 9,334]

 

One of the finest western-eastern merge scores in the last 20 years, leave it to the always reliable Gordon to lush things up!

[LiterallyIconic 1,564]

.

[Tallguy 6,686]

Man of Steel (Zim Zim)

 

We watched Snyder's Justice League the other night. There are a lot of things it does well. Really well. But there was a little bit of me in the back of my brain that would occasionally say "We could be watching The Avengers right now."

But Holkenborg's score is merely functional. (I don't remember Elfman's score being any great shakes either.) It's there. It does score stuff. But man, when Zimmer's Superman themes come in all the hair on the back of my neck stands up. (As opposed to when he needle-drops the Wonder Woman theme where it's just recognition.)

 

No he's not Williams. The Beatles aren't Beethoven. (Zimmer isn't the Beatles either, it's a metaphor.) But he wrote arguably the most original Superman material since, what? The Fleischer cartoons? Even Williams was deriving from a decades long tradition of Superman fanfares. This is not to diminish the Williams score at all. It's perfect. You can't top it, you can't replace it. So Zimmer is one of the first composers to have the nerve to go around it.

 

So I'm listening to the sketchbook. Something I haven't done much over the last 11 (!) years. Partly because it took a while to realize that there is a lot more thematic work going on here than I first recognized. (Why listen to a thirty minute track when I can just go to What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?) I think this is because a lot of it is buried under very frantic action music. But also because most of the themes sounds a lot closer to each other than Zimmer's Superman theme which is so different. So it might seem that there is The Theme and then Everything Else. Which just isn't true. I mean, there's even a little snippet of a love theme. (You want to talk about the unclimbable mountain? Write something better for Superman and Lois than Can You Read My Mind!)

 

Over the years (and in part because of Justice League) I've really come to appreciate Zim's Krypton music. It's noble, menacing, and doomed sounding all at the same time. This is kind of ZImmer's last gasp at writing a melody instead of a soundscape and Krypton has a foot more firmly in the soundscape with a couple of low, impressive bass notes. But it's not so far removed that it becomes the next Inception bwaaaaaaaam.

 

And then there is the Superman Theme. It's so... Gentle. (And then it builds, of course.) I still remember the first Man of Steel trailer that introduced the theme and thinking "Oh. Damn. There might be something here!" I think Williams' theme feels like watching Superman. I think Zimmer's theme (especially the opening) feels like BEING Superman. And Clark Kent. And Kal-El.

 

I'm really glad we have both. I'm probably going to go listen to the LLL Superman now.

[Thor 9,334]

Zimmer's MAN OF STEEL is bloody brilliant! One of his very best scores in the last 20 years.

[The Score Cleaner 9,299]

2 hours ago, Tallguy said:

Man of Steel (Zim Zim)

 

We watched Snyder's Justice League the other night. There are a lot of things it does well. Really well. But there was a little bit of me in the back of my brain that would occasionally say "We could be watching The Avengers right now."

But Holkenborg's score is merely functional. (I don't remember Elfman's score being any great shakes either.) It's there. It does score stuff. But man, when Zimmer's Superman themes come in all the hair on the back of my neck stands up. (As opposed to when he needle-drops the Wonder Woman theme where it's just recognition.)

 

No he's not Williams. The Beatles aren't Beethoven. (Zimmer isn't the Beatles either, it's a metaphor.) But he wrote arguably the most original Superman material since, what? The Fleischer cartoons? Even Williams was deriving from a decades long tradition of Superman fanfares. This is not to diminish the Williams score at all. It's perfect. You can't top it, you can't replace it. So Zimmer is one of the first composers to have the nerve to go around it.

 

So I'm listening to the sketchbook. Something I haven't done much over the last 11 (!) years. Partly because it took a while to realize that there is a lot more thematic work going on here than I first recognized. (Why listen to a thirty minute track when I can just go to What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?) I think this is because a lot of it is buried under very frantic action music. But also because most of the themes sounds a lot closer to each other than Zimmer's Superman theme which is so different. So it might seem that there is The Theme and then Everything Else. Which just isn't true. I mean, there's even a little snippet of a love theme. (You want to talk about the unclimbable mountain? Write something better for Superman and Lois than Can You Read My Mind!)

 

Over the years (and in part because of Justice League) I've really come to appreciate Zim's Krypton music. It's noble, menacing, and doomed sounding all at the same time. This is kind of ZImmer's last gasp at writing a melody instead of a soundscape and Krypton has a foot more firmly in the soundscape with a couple of low, impressive bass notes. But it's not so far removed that it becomes the next Inception bwaaaaaaaam.

 

And then there is the Superman Theme. It's so... Gentle. (And then it builds, of course.) I still remember the first Man of Steel trailer that introduced the theme and thinking "Oh. Damn. There might be something here!" I think Williams' theme feels like watching Superman. I think Zimmer's theme (especially the opening) feels like BEING Superman. And Clark Kent. And Kal-El.

 

I'm really glad we have both. I'm probably going to go listen to the LLL Superman now.

Febre and Snow's Smallville work is pretty good too

[filmmusic 2,916]

 

Sublime main theme, and great soundtrack overall!

 

 

Besides a couple of themes, mostly filler music I would say..

 

 

6 hours ago, Thor said:

 

One of the finest western-eastern merge scores in the last 20 years, leave it to the always reliable Gordon to lush things up!

Hadn't you listened to this one recently? I remember because I looked for it (though haven't listened to it yet) due to your post. Or maybe it was someone else's?

[Thor 9,334]

I think it was someone else's. It's a fairly popular score, and I try to focus on the less-talked-about (while everyone else posts about the mainstream classics!), but this one seems to ignite the community.

 

On to:

 

 

Insanely long at 70+ minutes, but it highlights different episodes, so it's alright. Super classy, as always with the late Gunning, and the main theme brings me back to my childhood when everyone watched this Friday evenings.

[LSH 1,098]

24 minutes ago, Thor said:

I think it was someone else's. It's a fairly popular score, and I try to focus on the less-talked-about (while everyone else posts about the mainstream classics!), but this one seems to ignite the community.

 

On to:

 

 

Insanely long at 70+ minutes, but it highlights different episodes, so it's alright. Super classy, as always with the late Gunning, and the main theme brings me back to my childhood when everyone watched this Friday evenings.

I’ve only really delved in Gunning’s back-catalogue since his death (though lots of it is super familiar for the same nostalgic reasons).

 

There was a nature doc score he did that was good too but the title escapes me at the moment.

[Naïve Old Fart 12,533]

59 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

 

 

One of the sexiest extended pieces of music that I have ever heard.

[Thor 9,334]

47 minutes ago, LSH said:

There was a nature doc score he did that was good too but the title escapes me at the moment.

WILD AFRICA. Great stuff.

[filmmusic 2,916]

 

Better than expected for this kind of film.

If I was the director/producer I would feel embarrassed to throw the score the great Goldsmith wrote. But that's just me..

The thing I don't understand is this: Don't the director/producers understand from the very first couple of cues if a score doesn't suit their needs? Why let the composer write a complete score? Anyway...

[Bespin Copilot 10,315]

Today's program, three great scores of the 90s by Al Silvestri.

[Andy 6,930]

Lots of Goldsmith lately. This time a Joe Dante duo. 
 

 

Small Soldiers

 

Is it fair to call this a little underrated?  It’s delightful. The perfect blend of Goldsmith action and just enough zany stuff to remind you it’s Joe Dante. 
 

Goldsmith gets credit for his action music, but he was really good at establishing the tone of breezy, happy, everyday life before the shit hits the fan.  And Bruce Botnick is a genius for bringing out the lighthearted strings with the perfect reverb and clarity. 
 

The mythical theme for the Gorgon leader is really wonderful and surprisingly heartfelt. 
 

Every time I consider this score, I try ink it’s going to be “sillier” than it is. 
 

But it can’t hold a candle to

 

 

Innerspace

 

I think this was my first LLL purchase?  How can one score tonally represent every human emotion in the spectrum and then some?   There are LOTS of themes and motifs. I mean, there are two Love Themes!  
 

When we think of Goldsmith action music, the hard edged Capricorn One style comes to mind. But wow he was good at light on the feet Chase Music. Here, I’m referring to the masterful, unintentionally funny titled cue Gas Attack.  The pizzicato figures are brilliant to get it started, but the way it keeps evolving and going and going. It never gets tiresome. 
 

Stop the Car is one of his career setpieces.  
 

Innerspace the OST was the first Compact Disc I ever bought in 1987.  When I heard the fidelity of State of the Art (Let’s Get Small on the OST) I nearly broke down in tears.  I know, it’s a reworking of the temp score from the Natural, but Goldsmith makes it his own and somehow better.  It’s a theme that gets used a lot, but the resolution of which doesn’t show up nearly enough the way it does in State of the Art. 
 

Finally, Out of the Pod and Disengage weaves all the heart and romance so beautifully, it’s impossible not to be moved.  I only regret that Goldsmith didn’t do an End Credits suite to weave all these wonderfully melodic themes together one more beautiful time.  The Rod Stewart song plays well in the film’s climax, but I just wish Jerry could’ve done a jubilant End Suite to put the cherry on top. 
 

Jerry Goldsmith is the only composer who could’ve brought Joe Dante’s films to the audience level. He got it. He understood the balance of whacky and zany but heroic and noble.  An incredible collaboration.  

[Tallguy 6,686]

41 minutes ago, Andy said:

Is it fair to call this a little underrated?

 

Probably. I only know the OST and it never grabbed me. I quite liked the film and the score had a lot to do with that.

 

43 minutes ago, Andy said:

Innerspace

 

Oh, baby!

 

Given that he was only given one side of an LP it's amazing how ESSENTIAL the OST is. The Lydia theme gets forty seconds in a 25 minute program. And it is the best forty seconds of that theme in the entire score.

 

1 hour ago, Andy said:

Stop the Car is one of his career setpieces.  

 

That's a wide range. But it's Innerspace so I'll say "sure!"

 

His music for The Cowboy is so good that it's ALMOST not funny. Which actually makes it even funnier.

[GerateWohl 6,369]

On 24/07/2024 at 6:24 PM, Thor said:

And VERY 90s.

The 90s had too much reverb.

 

 

Danny Elfman - Hellboy - The Golden Army 

 

This was probably the tenth time, that I tried to listen through the OST of this score from beginning to end. I failed. Again. 

After a certain point I hear just noise and can't go on. An issue, that I have with some Elfman scores. 

Elfman scores where I can enjoy the OST from beginning to end are rare. 

His Terminator score is a joy. Red Dragon, wonderful. Planet of the Apes.

But already Sleepy Hollow becomes a little stressful towards the end.

 

We should have a recommendation thread for enjoyable soundtrack albums over the whole length, OSTs and expansions. 

[filmmusic 2,916]

 

If you ask me, this was robbed of its Oscar from Aladdin.

Masterpiece! Best soundtrack ever for an erotic thriller.

[Andy 6,930]

2 hours ago, Tallguy said:

His music for The Cowboy is so good that it's ALMOST not funny. Which actually makes it even funnier.

I’ve been making my way through the Dollars Trilogy this week. The way Morricone tweaks the theme from film to film, Goldsmith’s whistled tune could easily be mistaken for Morricone. But the guitar chords are pure Goldsmith Western.  And of course the synth boings are all Jerry.  But yeah, an amazing homage. 

2 hours ago, Tallguy said:

 

 

That's a wide range. But it's Innerspace so I'll say "sure!"

 

I really like the way Stop The Car brings back the heroic motif from the Main Title sequence with the macroscopic ice cubes.  

[Andy 6,930]

2 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

Danny Elfman - Hellboy - The Golden Army 

 

After a certain point I hear just noise and can't go on. An issue, that I have with some Elfman scores. 

Elfman scores where I can enjoy the OST from beginning to end are rare. 

His Terminator score is a joy. Red Dragon, wonderful. Planet of the Apes.

But already Sleepy Hollow becomes a little stressful towards the end.

Stessful. Good description. I know what you mean. I adore the film Sleepy Hollow, despite its sloppy narrative towards the end. But there is something keeping me from buying that, what is it, 4 disc set.  It’s fatiguing to listen to. 
 

Do you like older Elfman like Batman or Darkman?

 

2 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

We should have a recommendation thread for enjoyable soundtrack albums over the whole length, OSTs and expansions. 

Good idea. We should. 

[LSH 1,098]

5 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

Danny Elfman - Hellboy - The Golden Army 

The only moment I remember from this score is the bit that was blatantly temp-tracked from JNH’s Lady In The Water. 

[Naïve Old Fart 12,533]

11 hours ago, filmmusic said:

 

 

Also, one of the sexiest pieces of extended music that I have ever heard.

[GerateWohl 6,369]

12 hours ago, LSH said:

The only moment I remember from this score is the bit that was blatantly temp-tracked from JNH’s Lady In The Water. 

In return JNH stole from Edward Scissorhands for Fantastic Beasts. 

[ddddeeee 537]

I love Hellboy II but I listened to the expanded release once and returned to the OST afterwards. I'm happy to have it, but it is inessential. 

[Bespin Copilot 10,315]

3 Elfman from the 90s. 

 

[GerateWohl 6,369]

23 hours ago, Andy said:

Do you like older Elfman like Batman or Darkman?

I am not familiar with Darkman. And Batman... never was a fan of the main theme. But I used to listen to Batman Returns a lot. 

 

With Elfman for me it's less the question of older scores or newer scores. It just depends on if I am in the mood "Elfman is brillant and original" or in the mood "Elfman just steals his scores together from others and goes terribly on my nerves". Both appear from time to time.

[crocodile 9,488]

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

The Core

Star Wars: The Acolyte

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

 

🎧  Obi-Wan Kenobi (Williams/Ross only)

 

Karol

[filmmusic 2,916]

 

Rather liked this monothematic score! And indeed is feels like an organic whole rather than repetitious.

Listened to the first track from the used Isham score to compare. Well, it was good too, but not like the Goldsmith theme.

 

edit: Wow, I am just listening to the next score in the Goldsmith filmography, The Vanishing, and I see he has reused material from The Public Eye.

Strange that, from a quick browse, it isn't mentioned in either score's liner notes!

[Thor 9,334]

 

I wish Young was afforded more opportunites to do non-horror stuff, because he's as good as the best of them when it comes to delicate, romantic stuff as well, which this score attests to (although the film was a maudlin flop, it seems).

[GerateWohl 6,369]

Everytime I listen to Doctor Zhivago I think, nice score but there is far too much singing. Never recognized while watching the movie that there is so much singing. This is like Doctor Zhivago the musical.

 

3 hours ago, Thor said:

 

I wish Young was afforded more opportunites to do non-horror stuff, because he's as good as the best of them when it comes to delicate, romantic stuff as well, which this score attests to (although the film was a maudlin flop, it seems).

 

Recently "The Man Who Knoew Too Little" made me realize that Chris Young not good at comedy music. At least I didn't like the music at all.

[mrbellamy 7,834]

Filling in some James Horner gaps and listening to All the King's Men for the first time. Braveheart at the end of "Give Me the Hammer and I'll Nail Em Up" is a bold move even by his standards. God rest his beautiful soul. 

[crocodile 9,488]

3 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

Filling in some James Horner gaps and listening to All the King's Men for the first time. Braveheart at the end of "Give Me the Hammer and I'll Nail Em Up" is a bold move even by his standards. God rest his beautiful soul. 

Good score, this one.

 

Medal of Honor: European Assault

Ready Player One 

Star Wars: Battlefront (1 & 2)

 

Karol

[filmmusic 2,916]

Top Goldsmith here!

Especially the track Arthur's Farewell.

[Andy 6,930]

I listened to that one too.  Maybe my favorite 90s Goldsmith?

[filmmusic 2,916]

 

Goldsmith on autopilot! Don't you think?

[Naïve Old Fart 12,533]

Personally, I like this score. The film was preposterous, but it's a bit of a guilty pleasure.

 

 

3 hours ago, filmmusic said:

Goldsmith on autopilot! Don't you think?

 

Possibly, but even on auto., Jerry is better than some composers' best.

[filmmusic 2,916]

3 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Possibly, but even on auto., Jerry is better than some composer's best.

I will  - of course -  agree on that!

[Thor 9,334]

 

Great, heartfelt score from Eidelman there in his golden period in the late 80s and early 90s, although I suspect it comes off as somewhat overwrought in the film itself.

[filmmusic 2,916]

 

Interesting soundtrack that was just released from a composer I didn't know.

One drawback though I could find is that one theme resembles in its first 4 notes Elfman's Batman theme.

I know it's only 4 notes, but they are very characteristic.

[filmmusic 2,916]

On 31/07/2024 at 7:13 PM, Thor said:

 

Great, heartfelt score from Eidelman there in his golden period in the late 80s and early 90s, although I suspect it comes off as somewhat overwrought in the film itself.

Wow! This was marvelous! Oscar-nominated material if you ask me!

[filmmusic 2,916]

Highly sophisticated music as always with Alex North, but in the end, nothing stayed on my mind, except of a thematic figure I think I had listened in his 2001 score too. I'm not sure.

[Marian Schedenig 11,177]

I find much of North's music notoriously hard to get into, but that wonderful folk-like theme that appears in massively symphonic religioso variations in the Entr'Acte and the finale is absolutely gorgeous. I thought I'd remembered reading that North used an existing melody, but if I read the FSM notes right, it's in fact an original North theme.

 

 

 

[filmmusic 2,916]

42 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

I find much of North's music notoriously hard to get into

What about Cleopatra? Do you like that?

[Marian Schedenig 11,177]

16 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

What about Cleopatra? Do you like that?

 

It's like Spartacus: I have massive respect for it, I like it when I listen to it, but I rarely get up the energy to put it on. Spartacus is the easier one of the two in that regard.

[crocodile 9,488]

1 hour ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

It's like Spartacus: I have massive respect for it, I like it when I listen to it, but I rarely get up the energy to put it on. Spartacus is the easier one of the two in that regard.

The Agony and the Ecstasy, then?

 

Karol

[Thor 9,334]

16 minutes ago, crocodile said:

The Agony and the Ecstasy, then?

 

Karol

 

That's one of the best scores ever written.