Michael Giacchino's Tomorrowland (2015)

[Jay 37,316]

I'm planning on posting an ideal 40-45 minute playlist towards the end of the day today

[King Mark 3,626]

There's some stuff in the middle of the album that can be trimmed

[Brónach 1,301]

What is taken from Seiter's Star Trek?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,316]

Listen to the percussion in Texting While Driving and All House Assault

~


OK, here's a revised theme list for ya'll! I've found lots more themes while going through the score today, in fact I am pretty sure this Giacchino's most thematically rich score he's ever done!

I count no less than SIX major themes that play throughout the entire score (All but one of which appear in the End Credits), and then I've identified a bunch of ostinatos and some other potential themes as well (IE, something I've found in one track, that could be in another cue that isn't on the OST, or is in other tracks that I haven't identified yet, or is another theme in disguise).

I still have no idea what any of the themes are for, so I still am using goofy placeholder names until I see the movie

MAJOR THEMES:

Opening Theme - Maybe Casey's theme?

01 A Story About The Future 0:00-0:18

09 A Touching Tale 0:00-1:15

15 People Mover and Shaker 2:15-2:32, 4:57-5:26

20 The Battle of Bridgeway 0:52-0:57

22 Electric Dreams 0:50-1:16, 1:50-2:19

23 Pins of a Feather 2:02-2:30, 2:37-2:55, 3:13-3:38

24 End Credits 2:58-3:33, 4:31-5:27

7-Note Theme - Maybe Walker's Theme?

01 A Story About The Future 0:18-0:32

03 You’ve Piqued My Pin-Trist 1:52-1:58

04 Boat Wait, There’s More! 0:11-0:26

05 Edge of Tomorrowland 2:36-2:45, 3:11-3:22, 3:33-3:45, 4:22-4:28, 4:50-5:07

09 A Touching Tale 1:15-1:30

13 Frank Frank 0:29-0:55

14 All House Assault 1:31-1:34 (expanded to 9 notes)

16 What An Eiffel! 0:15-0:24, 1:21-1:37, 2:04-2:56, 3:19-3:42, 4:08-4:16, 5:07-5:25, 5:39-5:50, 6:23-6:56

20 The Battle of Bridgeway 1:35-1:39

23 Pins of a Feather 0:42-0:50, 4:31-5:18

24 End Credits 1:37-1:50, 2:01-2:20, 2:35-2:58

Main Theme - ?

01 A Story About The Future 0:32-0:45

03 You’ve Piqued My Pin-Trist 2:23-2:48

07 Home Wheat Home 0:05-0:25

08 Pin-Ultimate Experience 0:31-0:56

23 Pins of a Feather 1:20-1:29

24 End Credits 0:00-0:25, 0:53-1:05

Prologue Theme - Maybe a theme for the villain(s)?

02 A Prologue 0:17-1:26

06 Casey v Zeitgeist 0:57-1:22

19 As the World Burns 3:41-4:08

Long Theme - I think this is a theme for Tomorrowland itself

03 You’ve Piqued My Pin-Trist 0:08-0:40

05 Edge of Tomorrowland 1:20-1:34, 1:57-2:08

08 Pin-Ultimate Experience 1:58-2:58

15 People Mover and Shaker 3:00-3:12, 3:24-4:02, 4:13-4:35

20 The Battle of Bridgeway 1:57-2:07

22 Electric Dreams 2:27-4:40

23 Pins of a Feather 0:57-1:20

24 End Credits 0:28-0:53

Heroic Theme - Must be related to the 7-note theme because it almost always plays next to it

04 Boat Wait, There’s More! 0:26-0:40

05 Edge of Tomorrowland 3:22-3:33

16 What An Eiffel! 1:37-2:04, 2:56-3:19, 3:37-4:02, 3:42-4:00, 5:25-5:39

23 Pins of a Feather 0:03-0:42

24 End Credits 1:50-2:01

OSTINATOS:

Tomorrowland Ostinato - Almost always plays under the "Long Theme", which is why I think that is a Tomorrowland theme

03 You’ve Piqued My Pin-Trist 1:36-2:23

08 Pin-Ultimate Experience 0:10-4:53

15 People Mover and Shaker 2:38-5:26

20 The Battle of Bridgeway 2:26-2:35, 2:38-2:50

23 Pins of a Feather 0:51-1:23, 2:55-4:31

24 End Credits 0:00-2:15

Robot Ostinatos - These are all different melodies, but similar orchestral colors, and I think represents the robots in the film.

04 Boat Wait, There’s More! 0:40-1:06

05 Edge of Tomorrowland 1:04-1:13, 1:34-1:56

06 Casey v Zeitgeist 0:40-1:22

10 World’s Worst Shop Keepers 3:17-3:33

11 Just Get In the Car 1:16-1:27

12 Texting While Driving 0:00-0:47

14 All House Assault 2:23-2:37, 2:43-2:52

OTHER POTENTIAL THEMES:

Unidentified Theme #1

05 Edge of Tomorrowland 0:51-1:04

Unidentified Theme #2

18 Sphere and Loathing 0:34-1:01

Comments and corrections welcome!

UPDATED LIST AVAILABLE HERE: http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24801&p=1130864

~

Also, for those who like shorter presentations, I've come up with this nice 45 minute one that covers all the major themes of the score, and all the most essential cues. Please enjoy and tell me what you think!

01 - 01. A Story About the Future 0:54

02 - 02. A Prologue 1:29

03 - 04. Boat Wait, There’s More! 1:08

04 - 05. Edge of Tomorrowland 5:18

05 - 06. Casey v Zeitgeist 1:23

06 - 08. Pin-Ultimate Experience 4:54

07 - 15. People Mover and Shaker 5:27

08 - 16. What An Eiffel! 6:57

09 - 20. The Battle of Bridgeway 2:52

10 - 22. Electric Dreams 4:41

11 - 23. Pins of a Feather 5:19

12 - 24. End Credits 5:27

TOTAL TIME - 45:39

[Max 141]

Thank you for your theme analyses, Jay! I've been traveling and have only been able to listen to this once, but I really like it so far, and I'm sure my appreciation for it will only grow with time.

Has anyone else purchased the album from the US iTunes? My "Boat Wait, There's More!" cuts off around 27 second mark, which is pretty annoying, and it still does it when I play the track through iTunes itself. I'm going to try to find it somewhere else, I guess, unless iTunes updates the original file in the next few days.

[Jay 37,316]

That's annoying, and another reason why I always prefer physical CDs over digital downloads

[Brónach 1,301]

I haven-t listened to this but I do agree that one of Gia-s difficulties seems to be creating awe. Although when he does get there it does work. I feel similarly about Desplat. Maybe the choice of projects or the parts of their careers that I-ve listened to are what make me feel like that.

[Thor 7,477]

Thanks for making that shorter presentation for "people like me", Jason. I'm not sure it will make me like the score any more, but I'm going to give it a chance.

[leeallen01 2,133]

I've just been told that it'll already be getting its first live performance next week at the Krakow Film Music Festival. Giacchino's Star Trek is being performed to the film and after the concert they will be playing a suite from Tomorrowland to end the night. I was invited last year to cover the festival, and the same this year too, so that's a nice added bonus. I remember attending his Into Darkness concert in London where Giacchino conducted a suite from Dawn of the Apes at the end, so it looks like he enjoys capping off his live to film concerts with a suite from a new Score. I wonder if there's any concerts of Giacchino happening in June, because he might choose to premiere Jurassic World or Inside Out.

[Jay 37,316]

Awesome!

New trailer

[crocodile 7,988]

I've just been told that it'll already be getting its first live performance next week at the Krakow Film Music Festival. Giacchino's Star Trek is being performed to the film and after the concert they will be playing a suite from Tomorrowland to end the night. I was invited last year to cover the festival, and the same this year too, so that's a nice added bonus. I remember attending his Into Darkness concert in London where Giacchino conducted a suite from Dawn of the Apes at the end, so it looks like he enjoys capping off his live to film concerts with a suite from a new Score. I wonder if there's any concerts of Giacchino happening in June, because he might choose to premiere Jurassic World or Inside Out.

Yeah, I'll be there next week.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Weird. Tomorrowland is called Project T in The Netherlands

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

In spain is Tomorrowland and then a subtitle translating that word into spanish, so Tomorrowland: El mundo del Mañana

Which is spot on compared to other translations

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crocodile 7,988]

He's the new chronological John Williams.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So it's titled Tomorrowland: Tomorrowworld? OK...

Mañana Mañana!

[nightscape94 965]

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

You better step off.

[TownerFan 4,983]

The score has surely a 1980s Williams/Horner-esque vibe overall, but it never pushes it too hard. One of the themes actually reminded me slightly of the "Illumination a.k.a. Jones family theme" from The Last Crusade, but maybe it wasn't intentional.

As for the lack of big expansive themes, you should always remember that contemporary Hollywood blockbusters (even the ones made with a nostalgic 1980s attitude such as this) very rarely allow the composer to go fully thematic/melodic, but rather they call for short motivic or pulse-driven approach. What is good about Giacchino's approach is that he still tries to inject some good old-fashioned orchestral underscoring technique all throughout.

Giacchino is able to write good themes... maybe not instant iconic ones, but very good ones, yes (Ratatouille and Up speak for themselves, imho). Actually very few films so far (especially the big blockbusters) offered him the opportunity to be fully leitmotiv-driven à la Star Wars, so to speak.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,307]

Giacchino is able to write good themes... maybe not instant iconic ones, but very good ones, yes (Ratatouille and Up speak for themselves, imho). Actually very few films so far (especially the big blockbusters) offered him the opportunity to be fully leitmotiv-driven à la Star Wars, so to speak.

I don't know. Of all the major active composers working today, Giacchino arguably gets the most opportunities to write big thematic scores.

And yet other composers mostly outdo him in that department.

But yes, he has written good tunes, the best which being the Ratatouille theme. But lately they've often been more lackluster than not.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,307]

But I'm only halfway through Mad Max! Junkie XL gets first priority dude!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Holkenborg for the win!

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

Giacchino is able to write good themes... maybe not instant iconic ones, but very good ones, yes (Ratatouille and Up speak for themselves, imho). Actually very few films so far (especially the big blockbusters) offered him the opportunity to be fully leitmotiv-driven à la Star Wars, so to speak.

He could have had a hit with John Carter and Jupiter ascending...but since those bombed, goodbye to film series and goodbye to developing sequel scores

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

John Williams knows how to pick the right franchise!

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

He has been the only composer to achieve that most of the times, really.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

And Goldsmith.

Barry too.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

Goldsmith did have pretty good luck with the franchises he got and obviously Barry's run with Bond is unparalleled, but yeah, the sheer variety and consistently mammoth levels of success that Williams's blockbusters had is still amazing to me. Tintin is really the only prospective franchise film that he scored that didn't completely annihilate the box office or pop culture...I mean FFS, he even got a bonus sequel with Home Alone.

Makes one wonder how much of the success of Williams' films is luck and how much can legitimately be attributed to the music.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Tarot cards!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Instead of wasting your time trashing the guy, just listen to LOST, dude!

If you want well developed Giacchino themes, then there is nothing that tops LOST.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Seduced by the Dutch side!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

NSFW

http://img-1.souvenirsfromamsterdam.com/667-thickbox/magnets-red-light-district-weed-blond.jpg

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[mrbellamy 6,272]

NSFJWF!

[karelm 2,903]

I haven-t listened to this but I do agree that one of Gia-s difficulties seems to be creating awe. Although when he does get there it does work. I feel similarly about Desplat. Maybe the choice of projects or the parts of their careers that I-ve listened to are what make me feel like that.

What would you say are the qualities that characterize "awe" and who (besides JW) conjures it?

[Brónach 1,301]

I can't describe the musical methods. And if I think about it's probably a buch of different musical emotions in the music, instead of just a specific one.

JNH is good at it. John Powell too, depending on the score. Zimmer sometimes. Horner. Elfman.

Gia feels dryer, but sometimes he does this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXE4y0BnT60

[crocodile 7,988]

My short review.

Karol

[Jay 37,316]

"The Haild Athena Pass" should be "The Hail Athena Pass"

Interesting that your themes identified and their associations are all the same as mine

[crocodile 7,988]

"The Haild Athena Pass" should be "The Hail Athena Pass"

Vigilant as always!

It's really hard to tell what these themes can represent. Would need to watch the film (even if the 54% RT score doesn't encourage). The only thing is I think what you identify as Casey's theme is essentially a variations on "main theme". At least, to my ears. But then, you could probably go with either interpretations. They are definitely connected.

I like this score very much, actually. It's what Super 8 should have been but wasn't. Nothing groundbreaking but really nice listen.

Karol

[Jay 37,316]

I think the thematic connections will be easy to determine after one viewing of the film. I hope to see it Friday (if no one is going to hte Boston concert) or Sunday/Monday (if I go to that still).

Another interesting thing is that both you and the other KK have indicated that Sphere and Loathing is one of your favorite tracks. That wasn't a track that grabbed my attention on any of my listens to the album, so I'll have to listen again and pay more attention to it.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Faleel 5,340]

Geez that main theme is stuck in my head.

[crocodile 7,988]

It's because GIacchino moves beyond his simple chord and harmonic progressions (that form the major building blocks of his score) and creates something more interesting to ear. More complex. It certainly shows that he's a skilled musician. Frustrating thing is he does those things occasionally, like that middle bit of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes end credits. or this cue from Mission: Impossible 3 (first half of it). It's where he's actually getting closer to the greatness of old composers but, for whatever reason, these passages only appear in snippets, sprinkled all across his output. Almost as if he was afraid to build an entire score around such writing. Shame, really.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

The opening harmonies are lovely and polyphonic wind writing is a refreshing change of colour in the score. This score would have benefitted from more of that eccentricity.

[crocodile 7,988]

Oh, Jason. The 'prologue' theme (as you call it) appears also in Welcome Back Walker and at the very start of Sphere and Loathing.

Karol