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JWFan James Horner Listening Party


Jay

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If you listen to any James Horner scores today or the rest of the week, post what they are here and any thoughts you have on them if you like. Kind of like the Last Score You Listened To thread, but just for Horner scores

:music: The Rocketeer

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Something I certainly won't be able to listen, at least for quite some time, will be flight demonstration pieces for Horsemen.

For now, I cannot think of a better piece:

Karol

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Something I certainly won't be able to listen, at least for quite some time, will be flight demonstration pieces for Horsemen.

For now, I cannot think of a better piece:

Karol

This is all I've listened to so far. It's somehow perfect, isn't it?

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Yesterday:

"Casper's Lullaby" - Hollywood '95

"End Titles" - Something Wicked This Way Comes

"Goodbye" - Journey of Natty Gann

"Reunion/End Title" - Journey of Natty Gann

"Ride of the Firemares" - Krull

"Colwyn & Lyssa Love Theme" - Krull

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All I have on my iPod at the moment, by dumb luck, is a handful of tracks from The Amazing Spider-man. I'll remedy that when I get to my laptop next, and I'll add a few. Definitely Willow, likely Apollo 13 and Legends of the Fall.

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Hmmm maybe I will go chronological. Wanted to start with The Rocketeer, though. Might have been a bad idea... THE FEELS! I probably don't have a very professional look on my face right now :P

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TWOK last night. What a score. The music for Khan is good, but where this score really shines is in the unbridled enthusiasm of the music for the Enterprise and Kirk, and in the deeply moving theme for Spock. If I hadn't already listened to TSFS so much lately, I'd probably fire that one up today.

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Rocketeer to the Rescue/End Title: One of Horner's most soaring and elegant themes and utterly rousing to boot.

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The Rocketeer

This is just a perfect score for me. From absolutely fantastic action music (The Flying Circus, Jenny's Rescue) to a great love theme (Jenny) to good bad guy music (Neville Sinclair's House) to great tracks to wrap it all up (Rendezvous at Griffith Park, The Zeppelin) all anchored by a fantasticly heroic main theme (Main Title / Takeoff, Rocketeer To The Rescue / End Credits)..... what more can you want? This is bliss.

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:music: ALIENS

I think I'll listen to my favorites today, and start a chronological run-through tomorrow

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Hmmm maybe I will go chronological. Wanted to start with The Rocketeer, though. Might have been a bad idea... THE FEELS! I probably don't have a very professional look on my face right now :P

I figured today was a good excuse to finally go krono.

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When I started my collecting career, this was one of my very favourite pieces of film music. It's also my second James Horner album (after Titanic and some Star Trek compilation) and it's this one that really made me a fan. It's a magnificent setpiece. Now, that's how you open a film!

And this is another great one. I just love how he builds tension:

Karol

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Willow

My first Horner album and just solidified my fandom of the composer with its classical swashbuckling derring-do and beautiful choral piece for Elora Danan juxtaposed with the more challenging and abrasive writing and the Danger Motif. A classic just shy of Krull's level.

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I can't remember the order or exactly when I got them, but I am sure my first Horner CDs were Aliens, Star Trek 2, The Rocketeer, Willow, Star Trek 3, and the SuperTracks Krull.... and then Apollo 13 and Jumanji were the first "new" scores I got (like when the films were in theaters). I know I got Apollo 13, Braveheart, and Titanic from the BMG Music Club. That would be the OST of Apollo 13, I got the "promo" from Screen Archives.

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First in my car, a sort of best of Horner themes compilation, very well edited together.

Then, Apollo 13, the promo.

Just now, a selection of cues from his whole career.

Today will have me listening to nothing but the man that took off in his plane, but never landed (for me he is still soaring above there somewhere, for all eternity).

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Oh no, wait. Apollo 13 preceded all of them. I forgot about it, got it from my mum for Christmas in 1996 (or 1997). After Willow, I bought The Perfect Storm and Bicentennial Man.

Karol

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The very first soundtrack album I ever bought was James Horner's Titanic. Not for the stupid love song, but for the uplifting music played as Titanic set sail and the pounding action score that accompanied the second half of the picture. I played it so many times back then it doesn't receive much playtime anymore these days, but it's still a fantastic score and I sorely hope it will see a complete release some day.

As for listening to Horner this week, I went all out and threw every bit of Horner I have into one massive playlist. It's over 48 hours of music, so it'll likely take a while to get through it all. Here's what I've heard so far:

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

It's my ultimate early Horner score. Love its big moments, love its small moments. Like the movie, its vastly different from its predecessor, but just as good. Great stuff. Hearing the bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace, followed by Horner's lush extension made me a bit melancholy. We'll miss you, James.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I've never seen this film, but the score is quite nice. A wonderfully dark and mischievous adventure sound. It does feature rather thick and heavy orchestration throughout, so by the end you might be ready for a different sound.

Krull

Another big adventure score with similar thick orchestrations. It's huge, it's lush, it's romantic and it's gorgeous music. But after almost 100 minutes of full score, it does get a bit tedious.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Not as brilliant as Wrath of Khan's fresh sound, but still a great score.

I am now listening to Cocoon for the first time, which sounds gorgeous so far. It seems to balance the big with the small in a way the likes of Krull didn't manage. Lovely.

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I am now listening to Cocoon for the first time, which sounds gorgeous so far. It seems to balance the big with the small in a way the likes of Krull didn't manage. Lovely.

Yes, that's exactly why it's great.

Karol

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The Land Before Time, Apollo 13 and Glory were my first Horner scores. Spent last night mourning with those 3.

Right now, reflecting with the wonderfully intimate The Spitfire Grill. I think I'll play The New World after this one.

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Aliens

Not a well-rounded score like The Rocketeer: No, this is all action, thrills, suspense, and horror. And its splendid from start to finish. The Deluxe Edition takes you on the same journey as the film and has you toe-tapping along with the action the whole time. The orchestration here is so superb, the LSO played their asses off on this score.


:music: Krull

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A few days ago a cue from The Pagemaster came on through shuffle. I didn't know what it was, but thought it was very solid writing and there was definite Horner DNA in it. Just one of many scores I now need to explore fully.

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I've never heard any of his animated scores before! Will certainly be rectifying that myself.

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Somehow this score encapsulates many of the things human beings loved about Horner's music, the painterly approach, the long-lined themes, the splashing dramatics. This chamber version still has it all:

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Currently listening and discovering some of his works on musicme.com

Braveheart (Braveheart, For the Love of a Princess), Titanic (Rose, Take Her Out to Sea Mr. Murdoch), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Main Title (by Kunzel on Star Track II), Apollo 13 (End Credits) and the beautiful Iris (w Joshua Bell).

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This score in many ways feels like proto-Avatar. I can't say it's one of my favourites but I appreciate its boldness and ascetic quality. Love those vocals:

And another underrated work. One of my favourites, in fact. Horner orchestrated this one solo:

And another score I've grown to like over years:

Karol

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I listened to Bicentennial Manthis morning. Not one of his scores that people talk about so much, but it happened to be one of the first I noticed. I think it'll form the basis of a Horner piano tribute I'm trying to put together - between the sheer beauty of the music and the film's contemplation of what it is to be mortal, I think it somehow fits.

I predict I'll be buying more Horner scores in the weeks and months to come.

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