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

[indy4 155]

Yeah, it's definitely one that grows on you. Even now I need to be in the right mood to listen to it all the way through.

[crocodile 8,000]

Yes, I do it quite rarely.

Karol

[Incanus 5,714]

Yeah, it's definitely one that grows on you. Even now I need to be in the right mood to listen to it all the way through.

Pretty much. Although this applies to most music really.

[crocodile 8,000]

There Will Be Blood, Bodysong and The Master - all by one and only Jonny Greenwood.

Predator

Karol

[A24 4,331]

I remember I wanted Greenwood for Prometheus ... Of course, that was before I've seen the film.

Alex

[Quintus 5,399]

Kick-Ass 2. Extremely disappointing after the gem original. There's a couple of decent tracks, but overall this is a threadbare album to say the least. I can only assume it works a lot better in the movie. 2/5

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The film appears to be crap too.

[Ollie 1,059]

Doesn't help when your big name star, who isn't as big as he thinks he is or was, wants nothing to do with the film.

I'm sure that didn't help.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The trailer just doesnt look funny or clever.

[Ollie 1,059]

Neither did the first film.

Some comics are best left as comics.

[crocodile 8,000]

Yeah. The original Kick-Ass comic actually kicks it's films' ass, And I didn't even like it this much.

Karol

[Brónach 1,302]

They wrote the film when the comic wasn't fully published. They actually made some interesting discoveries including some stuff I really really like that isn't on the comic book and a nicely structured script.

On the other hand, doing that they Hollywoodized the thing a lot and ruined the single greatests moments from the comic book.

-Dave's complete failure at getting the girl at the end. I can't believe the opposite is so common that this felt refreshing.

-Big Daddy's backstory being total bullshit followed by his original death.

-Mindy doing cocaine and her inmediate final rampage.

[Jay 37,346]

A few weeks back now, I decided to actually take the shrinkwrap off some score CD purchases and listen to them in the car while driving. Decided to go with four Goldsmiths

Jerry Goldsmith - Gremlins (FSM)

You know, this is a fantastic score! Sometimes when the scores I've pined for since my childhood become available in this wonderful era of film score releases we are having, I end up being let down, not because the main themes I remembered aren't great, but because the full entire score can sometimes be a bit much to take in all at once - a problem other scores of the same era don't have when you had a 40 minute OST to tide you over for 25 years until the complete release came up. But Gremlins works great in complete format. The additional bonus tracks are nice to have as well, but the main presentation of the complete score is a solid listen with great main themes, fun instrumentation, and a good variety of fun, scary, suspenseful, and action music.

Jerry Goldsmith - Explorers (Intrada)

Hmmm. This is considered one of Jerry's great scores? A holy grail list item for many for decades? I don't get it... I didn't hear a strong main theme or any really interesting underscore. Is it just for fans who grew up on the film? (I didn't)

Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek The Motion Picture (La-La Land)

Another fantastic release. The main program (disc 1 and the beginning of disc 2) is expertly assembled, and a fantastic listening experience that does not seem too long (in my younger days I thought all the cloud / vger / flyover tracks sounded the same, what a fool I was).

Then the early alternate program on disc 2 is fascinating, I love hearing Jerry's original idea here! It would have been interested in he scored the entire film in this "nautical" way, and then re-scored the entire film in the more marchy, spacey way. Both interpretations are really fun!

After that, the plethora of extras begin. Honestly, there was just too much here for me! Many takes presented with only minor differences. I think I'll be making a personal playlist that only includes the Early Alternate section and all the various Illia's Themes / Overtures, for when I don't want to listen to the entire main program. I dunno if I'll ever listen to that disco track again

Jerry Goldsmith - Poltergeist (FSM)

Wow, I hadn't listened to this score in YEARS, probably not since the 1990s when I got the Rhino disc. It's still a great score! I think if you're in the right mood, you can get fully absorbed in this score and just get chilled to the bones. I was driving around running errands and such so some of the impact might have been lost. I really enjoyed the selection of alternates, and had never heard the original LP presentation before so that is cool. And the tracks from The Prize were interesting - Every 60s Goldsmith score I hear, I just instantly like! How interesting...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I love the TMP release because it has EVERYTHING!

It's the kitchen sink edition, and i know a lot of peeps put a lot of effort into this one.

I dont listen to some of the bonus tracks much, but for this landmark score, i appreciate that they included them.

[Jay 37,346]

Oh, I 100% agree. La-La Land did everything right with this release, including the correct accurate film takes, the alternates that were the most wildly different from the final compositions, and then throwing in the alternates that showed up on the 2000 release too because, why not, as well as some other random takes, and all the ancillary stuff like the disco version, and even a nice edit of the main and end titles that match the common concert version. The liner notes and artwork are all excellent too. if I could have asked for anything it would be more than just ONE small picture of Jerry in the booklet!

[Faleel 5,346]

I liked the Horn version of Ilia's theme...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I love Ben Burrts remix of the score. It already sounded great. Now it sounds better then ever!

[Jay 37,346]

I love all 4 versions of Illia's Theme / Overture. Great stuff.

[Faleel 5,346]

I just wish they would have had the synth mixed into the film version of t he overture.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why?

[Faleel 5,346]

Because without it, it just sounds like an edit of the longer version?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The longer version doesnt have synth

[Faleel 5,346]

I know.

Thats what makes the short/film version so unique, it has a synth in the background during the enterprise theme.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You mean on the DVD or bootleg?

I'm afraid I dont follow?

[Faleel 5,346]

DVD.

[crocodile 8,000]

Oz the Great and Powerful

I admit, Elfman can be a tough sale these days. And most people seem to be kind of bored of him by now. Most of Oz is an expansion of well-known sound, true. But I can't help but marvel his growing ability to command an orchestra. Back in the day when he was still learning (Edward Scissorhands, both Batmans) his writing might felt more novel and/or inspired, but the truth is Danny is now better than ever at his game - the sound is more full and rich with texture. And this score is a true testament this composers' talents - the thematic development of main theme is simply astonishing. Elfman's best fantasy score in ages - less about the packaging, more about the devil in details.

Karol - who just loves the last minute of the penultimate track and how it segues into end credits - a true fantasy moment

[Jay 37,346]

Now, can somebody tell me what makes Jerry's EXPLORERS so lauded, please?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I've never heard it.

[crocodile 8,000]

I gave it a couple of listens. The only thing that definitely stood out was the construction cue, which is pretty great.

The rest of it, I couldn't get into. It has certain mid 80's vibe, but it's been done better elsewhere around the same time, I thought. Like Gremlins, for example. Or Legend.

Karol

[Jay 37,346]

Alright, I'm glad it's not just me.

[crocodile 8,000]

But you've got to admit the sound quality of Intrada edition is staggering. Even better than other Goldsmiths from that time, and that says a lot.

Karol

[lonzoe 18]

A few weeks back now, I decided to actually take the shrinkwrap off some score CD purchases and listen to them in the car while driving. Decided to go with four Goldsmiths

Jerry Goldsmith - Explorers (Intrada)

Hmmm. This is considered one of Jerry's great scores? A holy grail list item for many for decades? I don't get it... I didn't hear a strong main theme or any really interesting underscore. Is it just for fans who grew up on the film? (I didn't)

Though I've never grew up on the film. I still enjoyed the score very much and understand why it's held in such high regard.

I'm not the best person to explain film scores or music in general. I'm not a film music expert or student eventhough I'm a fan of film scores. I'll do my best to identify some of Jerry's themes in Explorers without using the correct music terminology. This score has plenty of motifs and themes. The electronic piece that opens the main title is one of the themes for the main protagonist. It also represents the dreams and communication the character shares with the aliens. It goes through many instrumentations/variations throughout the score. It's even played on a harmonica in a few tracks. Dick Miller's minor character has a theme that's sort of melancholic you can hear it in the opening of "More Dreams" and in the middle of "Let's Go". The alien Wak has a playful theme (Wak's Boogie) which can be heard in a few tracks ("Unused MainTitle", "Crazed Bubble/Fuse Box", halfway through "She Likes Me", in the middle of "Have A Nice Trip") as well. The score also has a big triumphant theme that represents the protagonists goal to discover alien life or whatever. That's what I feel it represents anyway. It can be heard in "The Construction", which I remember being used in some trailers back in the 90s, and "Have A Nice Trip" as well as plenty of other tracks, but those two tracks make great use of it. In fact you can hear most of the themes/motifs in "Have A Nice Trip" which wraps up the album nicely.

[Jay 37,346]

Awesome, thanks for that reply. I'll have to give it another listen.

[lonzoe 18]

No problem. Glad I could help. Jerry's Explorers score might be a lot to take in on the first listen b/c of.how rich in orchestrations, scope, and scale of the overall score has. Therefore you might not catch everything on the first listen. It took me a few listens to realize the synth-y piece that plays after the first ten seconds of main title (as well as in a few other tracks) was also the main theme. I used to believe those were two seperate themes/motifs. I think it's definitely worth another listen.

[Jay 37,346]

I'll definitely give it one - once I've un-shrinkwrapped another batch of CDs

[crocodile 8,000]

Superman IV

It's amazing how many John Williams themes Courage is able juggle, often in counterpoint to each other. And all of that with such an ease. The bit starting here at around 8:20 is probably among my favourites:

Not to mention a lovely treatment of Williams' Superman material heard here at 8:00 and then 10:43. Superb stuff.

This score is full of this sort of stuff. And, amazingly enought, it never really even apes Williams' style (except a few short bits when he directly quotes the first score).

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah that cue you mentioned is a highlight. Basically stating several themes at the same time counterpunctionally.

Courage does a great job making his music and the John Williams themes make sense, and flow together into a coherent score. Something John Ottman never managed to be able to do (you can basically hear a clunk whenever he switched from his own music to JW's themes).

[crocodile 8,000]

Ottman actually attempts to do a similar thing in Superman Returns. He states his personal theme, then something that sounds like a hybrid of that tune and Can You Read My Mind and then a short snippet of Smallville as well at the end. You can hear it here at 1:52.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP25F2VexAA

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It is not as fluent.

[crocodile 8,000]

Yeah, I agree.

Anyway, I also love how Courage plays off Lacy's and Lois' themes against each other in Lacy's Place, with Superman material being lost somewhere in the middle. Hilarious stuff.. This score deserves a much better film...

Overall, it sounds like work of someone much older than Williams. It has a certain 50's quality, leaning heavily towards B s-f movies with grand gesture straight from some Broadway musical. The action, on the other hand, seems to have much more in common with Supergirl. At least to my ears.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah, I agree.

Anyway, I also love how Courage plays off Lacy's and Lois' themes against each other in Lacy's Place, with Superman material being lost somewhere in the middle. Hilarious stuff.. This score deserves a much better film...

Courage had the advantage over Ottman by being a contemporary of JW of course, and having worked as an orchestrator for some of JW's scores he would have been very familiar with the styles and techniques Williams' used.

It has a certain 50's quality, leaning heavily towards B s-f movies with grand gesture straight from some Broadway musical

Yeah there is a certain showmanship there. Alexander Courage might not have been as great a composer as JW, but he knows his was around an orchestra. It all feels very solid and well written and with a touch of flamboyance,

The action, on the other hand, seems to have much more in common with Supergirl. At least to my ears.

Karol

Yes!

There is a bit of a Goldsmith vibe there. Someone Courage is of course also very familiar with.

[crocodile 8,000]

I've watched an extended interview with him on Youtube some time ago. He seemed like a very modest man.

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,191]

I gave it a couple of listens. The only thing that definitely stood out was the construction cue, which is pretty great.

The rest of it, I couldn't get into.

That sums up my own experiences with the score so far very well.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,514]

Now, can somebody tell me what makes Jerry's EXPLORERS so lauded, please?

It's a warm, wonderful, unassuming score, from an absolutley charming film, and IMO, easily the best JG/Joe Dante collaboration. It captures perfectly the yearning for a special "something" that the characters dream of, in their own ways. Wistful and playful, it's just classic JG. I wish that there was more love for both the score and the film.

Hope this helps?

[lonzoe 18]

"The Construction" is an exciting and inspiring track but there's a lot more to this score than some give it credit for. It's a very well put together score, imho. The main theme develops with the protagonists and their journey to explore the unknown. The theme for Dick Miller's character becomes apart of the main character's (very young Ethan Hawke) theme as the film/score progresses. Like for example in "Gifts/Home Flight" another excellent track. Goldsmith develops the themes and takes us on a journey with 'em as the film does with the young protagonists, imo.

[crocodile 8,000]

OK then, I shall give it a listen today then.

Karol

[crocodile 8,000]

In the meantime...

Evil Dead by Roque Banos

Next to Elfman's Oz, the best score this year so far, hands down. The key to success is merging the aleatoric stuff to strong melodic material - like they used to back in the old days. The music movies with purpose and is coherent from start to finish. The main theme is really strong indeed and gets countless variations (especially in the lovely lenghty I'll Do What I Gotta Do). Nothing comes close to this, in my opinion.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm sorry Karol but it was a terrible score. However perhaps you are referring to the music in listenable album form, in which case you might consider mentioning in order to validate your thoughts more clearly.

[crocodile 8,000]

I've not seen the film. It's music as music, using musical devices to tell a story musically.

Not sure how it works in context, but on album it's an old-fashioned fun.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

It may well be, but in the movie as score, I personally found it as amateur and excessive as the the movie itself. Therefore I am naturally dismissive of your "one of the best scores of the year" claims.

"One of the best soundtrack albums" would be another matter.