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

[blondheim 1,157]

I didn't remember that cue from the movie, which I have viewed an embarrassing number of times, but I just checked the cue out on Youtube. The orchestrations in this score are really top-notch. The choral bit was very welcome. I don't know if I would consider it essential, but it makes a strong case for the expansion. I enjoyed it, thanks!

[HunterTech 987]

Yellow Submarine (1968) - The Beatles & George Martin

Was rather curious in this one, considering I am still in my Fab Four kick. It's a bit of a tough one to judge, since the isolated score presentation is a bit rough with them deciding to replace parts with newer remixes/recordings of tracks. But from what I could get, it's a score that has its one or two nice moments that ultimately doesn't make too much of an impression otherwise. Martin has a really good style going for him, but likely thanks to how the film is structured, doesn't get many long form tracks (even on the official album). My favorite track probably is "March of the Meanies," since it has a really nice groove and build up to it. I also liked the little moments that quoted melodies from Beatles tracks. All in all, you're probably better off just sticking to the official albums I feel (especially given you'll likely remember the songs more anyway).

Black Panther (2018) - Ludwig Goransson

Decided to hear this once I heard about Boseman's passing. I really dig its general sound and pace, but I'm not the craziest about the motifs that are here. They work fine enough, but given there are points where things are feeling a bit empty, I would've liked more creatives uses of them in spots. Didn't help that the sessions mix is a bit too dry for my liking (especially compounded with the final track being taken straight from the OST), so I might just stick to the supposedly already long album. Will probably need to give this another go, as it was pretty easy to get distracted thanks to the raw sound, but I did overall like what I heard.

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) - Eurythmics only

My primary interest in this was it being an earlier example of a pop act doing a film score, as well as a notable case of replacement scores in a time when I presume it wasn't too common or well known. It's not the most original or creative thing, but I really do dig that warm, yet dissonant electronic sound that it has going for it. Especially did like the use of Lennox's vocals throughout. It's a really short effort, clocking in at just about 21 minutes. It makes me wonder if these were derived from an initial set of ideas they had for their eventual "For the Love of Big Brother" album, as some tracks end abruptly (per the nature of being an isolated score), it can get really repetitive, and no cue feels like they truly were made for any specific scenes. I guess we'll know for sure if there ever is an anniversary release of the final album. Either way, this is one I definitely see myself returning to. I'll probably listen to the Dominic Muldowney stuff (and the proper Eurythmics album) soon enough.

Batman (1989) - Danny Elfman

I do not understand anyone who says this is corny or campy. There's a particular swagger to this score that makes it much cooler than most things you hear today. I may not still be fully on board with it (I'm sure growing up with the film more would've helped), but it's definitely one that gets better with each listen.

[blondheim 1,157]

35 minutes ago, HunterTech said:

Batman (1989) - Danny Elfman

I do not understand anyone who says this is corny or campy. There's a particular swagger to this score that makes it much cooler than most things you hear today. I may not still be fully on board with it (I'm sure growing up with the film more would've helped), but it's definitely one that gets better with each listen.

 

There is a bit of camp to practically everything Elfman does. I call his early style Urban Tribal.

[HunterTech 987]

I suppose, but clearly some use that term disparagingly because they don't know what fun is only know one mode when it comes to music. I guess to rephrase: it's camp in a way that's earnest, rather than something that comes across as self-parody.

[blondheim 1,157]

I did not mean it disparagingly at all. If anything, it was a compliment.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

16 minutes ago, blondheim said:

 

There is a bit of camp to practically everything Elfman does. I call his early style Urban Tribal.

Maybe a better term is ' tongue- -in- cheek' ?

[blondheim 1,157]

7 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

Maybe a better term is ' tongue- -in- cheek' ?

 

Naw, I think camp still fits best. It's too consciously niche. Tongue-in-cheek implies a wink or a nudge. Camp encompasses ironic, which is more Elfman's thing. The best camp is the kind that takes itself seriously.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

28 minutes ago, blondheim said:

 

Naw, I think camp still fits best. It's too consciously niche. Tongue-in-cheek implies a wink or a nudge. Camp encompasses ironic, which is more Elfman's thing. The best camp is the kind that takes itself seriously.

We need Thor to settle this!

😆

He's the ' expert.

[Incanus 5,713]

The Mummy (Intrada) by Jerry Goldsmith

 

U.S. Marshals (Varese Deluxe Edition) by Jerry Goldsmith

 

Stargate (LLL) by David Arnold

 

The Mummy Returns (Intrada) by Alan Silvestri

[crocodile 7,990]

Two Mules for Sister Sara

 

Karol

 

[Bespin 8,480]

Another excellent RSO re-recording!

 

Jerry Goldsmith - Frontiers

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

Yes. That's a good one. THE MONUMENT is great.

Do you spot the photographic in-joke, in the booklet?

[Bespin 8,480]

7 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Yes. That's a good one. THE MONUMENT is great.

Do you spot the photographic in-joke, in the booklet?

 

I didn't watched it!

[Holko 9,499]

Disc 10

 

1900 is gorgeous but too bad about the recording quality, the strings really suffer. The Allosanfan piece is fun enough and the Il Prato piece nice enough that I appreciate their inclusion. The sampler from Tartari isn't bad, either.

 

[Holko 9,499]

Oh, and relistened to Orca. Loved it even more this time.

[blondheim 1,157]

Someone posted a clip from Orca on another forum the day Morricone died and I can't believe I wasn't aware of it. I loved it. I can't wait to find it on CD.

[publicist 4,643]

Yeah, it's one of his all-time greats, the theme, that is. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

@HunterTech

A couple of questions for you:

1/ What was the source of the music for 1984? As far as I'm aware, there is no iso (but there is the full version of Julia, on the R2 DVD). Have you heard 1984 (For The Love Of Big Brother)? I like it. The Muldowney score is good, too, and I can understand why he was pissed. The film speaks for itself.

2/ Have you heard the recent-ish rerecording of Martin's score for YELLOW SUBMARINE?

It's available on a compilation of his orchestral pieces.

I guess that the best version would be a combination of OST, and iso.

[Holko 9,499]

Hmm, interesting, it seems like this release actually premiered Tema dell'Orca II, III and IV, included in the score body. They are definitely not just barely different rehashes, I like them all: II is for flute, III is loud and big and makes for a great centerpiece because it mirrors the finale (kind of like a Side A ending), IV is for electric guitar and an "ooh"-ing voice.

[Incanus 5,713]

Catch Me If You Can by John Williams

 

The Terminal by John Williams

 

Angela's Ashes by John Williams

 

The Book Thief by John Williams

 

 

[publicist 4,643]

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

14 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

The main motif there ie. 04 reminds me of

 

 

[Holko 9,499]

Disc 11

 

A pleasingly diverse compilation.

[A24 4,327]

 

[HunterTech 987]

@Naïve Old Fart 1). The Twilight Time release has an isolated score. The thing was that because there didn't seem to be a copy of that edition floating around, it only took til now for it to pop up online. I listened to the Eurythmics parts only, as it was my primary interest. I want to listen to the two official albums soon. Not sure if I'll ever really check out the film.

 

2). Ah I hadn't. Is it still just the handful of tracks that were on the original album? The thing with the iso was that they'd already tried to replace parts with the initial re-recording, to mixed results. I heard the HD release had them remix the whole soundtrack, so it'd be interesting to hear that be isolated.

 

@blondheim I hadn't been referring to you with that camp statement. Just those who only say it like it's a bad thing.

[Bespin 8,480]

Que c'est beau.

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

BLACK PANTHER

This needs to be on CD, dammit😡!

[Holko 9,499]

Disc 12

 

 

Another diverse and fun bunch.

[Holko 9,499]

Disc 13

 

The Mission's great! Now I know where the inspiration for Thin Red Line's Melanesian choir came from . Though when I'll put it on my phone for separate listening, I'll most likely move On Earth As It Is In Heaven to the end instead. Or maybe just copypaste it, it's a great opening too. City of Joy definitely seems lesser when put back to back with such a "big one", but it's a fine excuse for Ennio to stretch his ethnic instrument legs again, which I always like in scores. They do fit together kinda nicely in that aspect.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

THE MISSION , most likely inspired LION KING

[bruce marshall 1,315]

DUEL

Goldenberg warms up for " his" JAWS breakthrough😔

[publicist 4,643]

After listening to HGW's Mulan i have to label it a crushing disappointment. The problem is less the expectedly modern aesthetic, but the almost complete lack of a narrative structure. Many cues meander away for minutes before a short 30-second outbreak (or, as in case of the action music, offering up the boring trailer music clichés that just don't generate much excitement anymore). The song tunes from the 1998 make a return, but the melodies never were classics to begin with, and HGW's short, unmemorable own motif isn't something to brag about. The asian colours are strictly operetta style, meaning attractive erhu etc. solos that are pure surface gloss. Not even a comparison to Goldsmith's original is necessary to file this under 'forget it'.

[Holko 9,499]

 

Having not seen any gangster movies as far as I can remember, I'm not quite sure what I expected here - but I gotta hand it to the man, after 13 discs he could still completely surprise me with this kickass display of unashamed unsubtlety in Untouchables. State of Grace is probably closer to that initial expectation, 's good too.

[publicist 4,643]

 

The second release this Friday I acquainted myself with, Dario Marianelli's Secret Garden, sadly also doesn't cut it. There's a distinctly unassuming air about it, like one of those countless Tom Newman soundalikes from the mid- and late 90's. It's all perfectly pleasant, but neither in idiom nor content standing out in any way. I will use the opportunity to plug another Marianelli from last Christmas, the infinitely better Pinocchio:

 

 

Here Marianelli chose a more song-like fairy tale approach with recorder, guitars, accordions, mandolins and such plus a mellow, memorable main theme (there's a slightly melancholic, searching touch, though European would be a better term to describe it). The tone is light and airy, with occasional impressionist touches for the more misterioso moments, but remains very transparently orchestrated, almost chamber-sized. It's a very charming wrk that was overlooked last winter, mainly because it wasn't released outside Italy. Now it's been and it demands a listen.

[Bespin 8,480]

Soaring dreams

 

[Holko 9,499]

Cinema Paradiso's fantastic of course. The rest have lovely stuff too.

[Holko 9,499]

Ancora Qui's alright. So, after having included expanded releases, OSTs, edited down OST selections, even premiered tracks for Orca instead of the song as bonus... here they just reprint the OST with the bloody dialogue included. Maybe because without those tracks, it'd be even more immediately apparent that there just isn't that much to this score after getting past the great, excellently building and layering first track and the Overture to fill a disc satisfyingly? Oh well.

[bollemanneke 3,338]

Spectre. And I thought Trent Raynor and Atticus Ross were the most boring compoers ever. What a drag!

[KK 3,307]

Mulan by Harry Gregson-Williams

Meh. It's telling, when the only things you really remember at the end of the album are the new action settings of the 90s song tunes.

 

The Secret Garden by Dario Marianelli

Elegant. Occasionally nice and colourful. But safe and ultimately unmemorable.

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by Harry Gregson-Williams

Is it weird that I still very much enjoy this, kitschy new age elements and all? Nostalgia is very much a thing.

[Holko 9,499]

I could completely sympathise if some hardcore fan was outraged Tarantino gets 2 discs while Tornatore only gets 1... but for the purposes of this set, I also think this is a perfectly valid and convenient excuse to represent lots of other scores that couldn't fit elsewhere in more complete form, and placed here as the penultimate disc (and the last one with score cues), it kind of feels like a curated set of pointers to start a beginner off on their way to explore more than what's included from Morricone's astonishing output. And I know where I'm heading, most of these are great!

[Jules 59]

12 hours ago, KK said:

 

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by Harry Gregson-Williams

Is it weird that I still very much enjoy this, kitschy new age elements and all? Nostalgia is very much a thing.

I say this all the time, but it's a genuinely fantastic score. So many great melodies and the Imogen Heap and synthetic action all adds rather than detracts imo

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

12 hours ago, KK said:

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by Harry Gregson-Williams

Is it weird that I still very much enjoy this, kitschy new age elements and all? Nostalgia is very much a thing.

It's a good score.  A bit too eclectic stylistically (likely in an attempt to differentiate itself from HP and LoTR in particular).  And the main theme is fairly ho-hum (give me the Prince Caspian theme any day)

I like the song at the beginning that goes "one way, one woo"

 

[publicist 4,643]

Both have maybe three or four salvageable cues at best.

[KK 3,307]

7 hours ago, Not Mr. Big said:

I like the song at the beginning that goes "one way, one woo"

 

Me too! Say what you will, but those anachronistic accents made an actual impression in the film, which is more than can be said about most pictures these days.

 

Also, yes, the main theme is a fairly standard Zimmer power anthem in disguise, but I always thought the lilting Lucy/children tunes hit that great fantasy soft-spot for me.

 

I can't remember the Caspian theme at all, but remember a lot more ostinati in the second score.

[Bespin 8,480]

Jerry Goldsmith - The Explorers (playlist of the OST, to get used to this score)

Jerry Goldsmith - Medicine Man (Wow!)

John Barry - The Beyondness of things (ABSOLUTE WOW!)

[publicist 4,643]

5 hours ago, KK said:

I can't remember the Caspian theme at all, but remember a lot more ostinati in the second score.

 

There was a nice theme for the mice.

[Bespin 8,480]

Classics among the classics.

 

James Horner - Apollo 13 (composer's album assembly)

James Horner - The Rocketeer (remastered OST)

James Horner - Field of dreams

[Jules 59]

Which theme are we actually talking about when we say main theme? The one at the start of 'Aslan's Camp'? There's a lot of memorable music in these scores guys!! Far more than three or four salvageable cues :))

 

Caspian definitely does rely more on the ostinati, but I think it does it quite well. I really enjoy the buildup of the first track, and in movie it works fantastic. 

[publicist 4,643]

 

Short Delerue injection to wash away the sorrows of listening to recent soundtrack releases.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

BABYLON BERLIN (songs R good too-)