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The Official Jerry Goldsmith Thread


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52 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

I agree the Gerhardt and Salonen albums are great but not really extensive enough to be called definitive even if the performances are terrific.

 

A Wind and the Lion suite by Gerhardt would have been one for the ages. Beats extensive.

51 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Of course, there's also the Goldsmith-conducted Telarc album, with the London Frickin' Symphony Orchestra, The Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith.

 

For some reason this never did anything for me. It sounds *off* and neither the arrangements nor the selection are special. Instead of another watered-down Love Theme (Russia House, Forever Young...count your blessings) he should have recorded the long suites of Apes, Star Trek, Islands in the Stream etc. he conducted live with the LSO around the same time.

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2 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Of course, there's also the Goldsmith-conducted Telarc album, with the London Frickin' Symphony Orchestra, The Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith.

 

 

I’ve never really loved this album. It’s fine without being especially great. Dunno what it is. The G conducts G is much better, especially the Gremlins suite which I love. 

1 hour ago, publicist said:

 

A Wind and the Lion suite by Gerhardt would have been one for the ages. Beats extensive.

 

For some reason this never did anything for me. It sounds *off* and neither the arrangements nor the selection are special. Instead of another watered-down Love Theme (Russia House, Forever Young...count your blessings) he should have recorded the long suites of Apes, Star Trek, Islands in the Stream etc. he conducted live with the LSO around the same time.

Agree on all of the above! Actually I thought the Silva TWATL suite was pretty decent but Gerhardt would have certainly have done a great job. And agreed on the LSO album. The best thing from that and the classical album was to have his handful of concert works on the latter. I should like the hard core stuff but fundamentally I only ever listen to Fireworks! Such a fun piece. And one I usually put on over a random firework display if I’m watching one from home. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Here’s a fun little quiz for diehard Goldsmith fans (to be able to get all of them at least).  Name the Goldsmith score given three track titles from the soundtrack:

 

https://www.sporcle.com/games/proudscoregeek/jerry-goldsmith-scores-by-track-titles

 

There’s also one for Williams which I found much easier ;) 

 

https://www.sporcle.com/games/proudscoregeek/guess-the-john-williams-score-by-track-title

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2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Here’s a fun little quiz for diehard Goldsmith fans (to be able to get all of them at least).  Name the Goldsmith score given three track titles from the soundtrack:

 

https://www.sporcle.com/games/proudscoregeek/jerry-goldsmith-scores-by-track-titles

 

There's two I can't place, but there doesn't seem to be a way to skip an entry or proceed to the next one without giving the correct answer, so I can't finish it…

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2 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

There's two I can't place, but there doesn't seem to be a way to skip an entry or proceed to the next one without giving the correct answer, so I can't finish it…

 

I believe you can type the answers in any order you want?

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Just now, Marian Schedenig said:

 

You mean I can type any random album name and it'll just put it where it matches?

 

Yep!  Just start typing random Goldsmith scores as guesses if you like!

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3 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Here’s a fun little quiz for diehard Goldsmith fans (to be able to get all of them at least).  Name the Goldsmith score given three track titles from the soundtrack:

 

https://www.sporcle.com/games/proudscoregeek/jerry-goldsmith-scores-by-track-titles

 

There’s also one for Williams which I found much easier ;) 

 

https://www.sporcle.com/games/proudscoregeek/guess-the-john-williams-score-by-track-title

They should do an Elfman one where every track title clue is “Final Confrontation”.

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

 

(for some reason @Holko came to mind as someone who would like this cue)

Huh, you're not wrong! I like the separate elements and their juxtaposition, some parts really remind me of something, did he semi-knock himself or someone else off or did one of you already "make me" listen to stuff from this score? I guess it's pretty STTMP-ey.

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26 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

One of Goldsmith's very very best. There's also this sublime piece:

 

 

And of course the best cue called The Hunt.


Yes!  I’ve been listening to the whole soundtrack for the first time this weekend (and watched the snoozefest movie).  He was just on fire in this period.

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I agree with @Marian Schedenig... except that I'd take out the words "one of" :)

 

THE FINAL CONFLICT is not as well regarded as THE OMEN (even DAMIEN: OMEN II has its moments), but it's a film that isn't afraid to take chances. I know of no other set of films that charts the rise and fall of the antichrist, and the second coming of Jesus. You have to give the filmmakers kudos for sticking to their vision. 

Personally, it's my favourite of the series, aided, in no small part, by Jerry's superlative score. I couldn't fault it, if I tried.

There's a YouTube video that has a live version of The Final Conflict. My giddy aunt: the orchestra and choir play and sing their hearts out. I'm reduced to tears, every time I watch it.

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

I agree with @Marian Schedenig... except that I'd take out the words "one of" :)

 

I used to. But he's really written too many top scores to single out one, even this one.

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3 hours ago, Holko said:

Huh, you're not wrong! I like the separate elements and their juxtaposition, some parts really remind me of something, did he semi-knock himself or someone else off or did one of you already "make me" listen to stuff from this score? I guess it's pretty STTMP-ey.

The Meld?

 

 

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5 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

One of Goldsmith's very very best. There's also this sublime piece:

 

 

It's really a unique piece and the accompanying chords in the lower register don't sound like Goldsmith at all, but like something that would be played in a church.

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The Final Conflict is one of Jerry's career-best. We are almost at Under Fire and Gremlins, the masterpieces.

 

I like Final Conflict better than The Omen. Shoot me. It was the first Jerry I ever bought. (Only because I couldn't find an original pressing of Under Fire for the right price. Nemesis was next for the same reason. I'm not mad though. Deserving scores and albums both, both HIGHLY under-rated.)

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36 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

It's really a unique piece and the accompanying chords in the lower register don't sound like Goldsmith at all, but like something that would be played in a church.

 

It's one of the pieces where I really think Goldsmith was (consciously or unconsciously) channelling Bruckner. The sombre tempo, the religious tone, the cello arpeggios, and the horn melody are straight out of his playbook.

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11 hours ago, blondheim said:

I like Final Conflict better than The Omen. Shoot me.

There'll be no shooting, here :).

While THE OMEN is the most effective score of the trilogy, all three have merit. DAMIEN: OMEN II is the most playful of the three, and THE FINAL CONFLICT is the most operatic, in keeping with its subject matter.

I like all three, but THE FINAL CONFLICT is not only my favourite of the trilogy, it's my favourite Jerry score, period.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Quick question... is the original Masada album a re-recording or just excerpts from the full score? I have the splendid Intrada complete set and wondering if the original album is therefore redundant Thanks!

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2 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Quick question... is the original Masada album a re-recording or just excerpts from the full score? I have the splendid Intrada complete set and wondering if the original album is therefore redundant Thanks!

 

It's a re-recording of selected pieces done in London at the time, and it's head and shoulders above the tinny tv recording, recording wise, but also in the more measured performance. 

 

 

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31 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

It's a re-recording of selected pieces done in London at the time, and it's head and shoulders above the tinny tv recording, recording wise, but also in the more measured performance. 

 

 

Thanks for confirming. I didn't think the original music tracks sounded too bad but certainly the re-recorded tracks do sound better (guess that was the clue it wasn't the same lol).

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I think the original film recording of Masada was very well performed by the LA musicians, and it includes a TON of great music not included on the 37 minute London album recording... that said it does sound much more "TV quality" as released on the Intrada 2 CD set from over a decade ago. Maybe that sound quality could be drastically improved if new sources are found, and modern mastering tech brought to bear.

 

The album recording has only ever been released on CD by Varese Sarabande, and alas, they drastically screwed up the mastering (processing one side of the LP differently from the other side of the LP, for one thing!) I don't remember all the details, but it too is much in need of a revisit on CD.

 

The question is: what would push the film recording of Masada to THREE discs? :o (Obviously the UMG-owned album recording would be put on its own disc, as happened with the UMG-owned Patton album recording.)

 

Yavar

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6 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Hour of the Gun didn't do much for me, but that Red Pony suite is a must have.


Hour of the Gun is a score of more subtle pleasures. Revisit it every now and then and I think it’ll really grow on you.

 

Yavar

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2 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:


Hour of the Gun is a score of more subtle pleasures. Revisit it every now and then and I think it’ll really grow on you.

 

Yavar

Is the additional score of high quality or just recapitulation?

Another reason for buying rerecorded scores is they are usually arranged in suite style. No short cues😁

On 09/11/2021 at 9:07 AM, Tom Guernsey said:

Thanks for confirming. I didn't think the original music tracks sounded too bad but certainly the re-recorded tracks do sound better (guess that was the clue it wasn't the same lol).

I had the complete score for MASADA before the official release.

It didn't knock me out.

I did like Stevens contributions but this baby went to a.home that better appreciated it.

It's worth watching. O' Toole is in top form😊

t

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13 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

Is the additional score of high quality or just recapitulation?

Another reason for buying rerecorded scores is they are usually arranged in suite style. No short cues😁

 

 

The entire score is very very good… again it’s quite a dark score (this is the same basic story as Tombstone after all!) and I don’t think it’s as immediately engaging and enjoyable as many other Goldsmith westerns… but it’s one of those that the more you listen to it, the more you notice and appreciate about it. It gets under your skin; today it’s one of my favorite Goldsmith western scores, period. I think it’s a masterpiece.

 

One other thing to point out is the Tadlow uses the full original film orchestrations. The film recordings themselves are lost (there’s a music and effects track put out to by Twilight Time but there are a lot of effects) and the existing half hour album recording uses reduced orchestrations because it was recorded with a smaller orchestra than the film (same situation as with Waxman’s Taras Bulba). So since both albums are essentially re-recordings… the Tadlow is actually more faithful to the original film score. But the half hour album recording is conducted by Goldsmith himself so IMO they are both must owns.

 

I consider The Red Pony a masterpiece too but it’s a far more immediately enjoyable one.

 

Yavar

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  • 2 months later...

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