Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Again, I don't know enough of his scores to make a Top 5. For some reason I've never really liked Elfman... Not necessarily his music (or just his music), but the guy. He strikes me as a rather arrogant guy with a mediocre talent, but full of himself. But then, I'm probably wrong on this. It's just some interview with him that I saw once that made me think this way. Anyways, I am happy to be proven wrong! So far I have only 5 Elfman scores. Batman, Batman Returns, Edward the Scissorhands, Charlie and Chocolate Factory, and Mission Impossible! What else are Danny Elfman must-haves!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1 Batman 2 Mission: Impossible 3 Batman Returns 4 Edward Scissorhands 5 Mars Attacks! 6 The Nightmare Before Christmas Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 2 minutes ago, Jay said: 1 Batman 2 Mission: Impossible 3 Batman Returns 4 Edward Scissorhands 5 Mars Attacks! 6 The Nightmare Before Christmas Wow, I have only 6 Elfman scores, but I already own your Top 4! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Well those are all certainly his most popular too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 How many Danny Elfman albums do you own, @Jay? Are you collecting his scores? Anybody knows some of his more obscure works like Dolores Claibourne and Good Will Hunting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1. Edward Scissorhands 2. Pee-wee's Big Adventure 3. Big Fish 4. Batman Returns 5. Sleepy Hollow 6. Sommersby 7. Mission: Impossible 8. Spider-Man 9. Mars Attacks 10. Black Beauty EDIT: On reflection I edited mine to move Big Fish up to 3. Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1 minute ago, Josh500 said: How many Danny Elfman albums do you own, @Jay? I have no idea, I don't keep records of my collection or anything. Probably 30 or more? Quote Are you collecting his scores? Not all of them, most of his output after the 90s is forgettable Quote Anybody has some of his more obscure works like Dolores Claibourne and Good Will Hunting? Both are nice scores Good Will Hunting was officially released finally a few years back https://www.musicbox-records.com/en/cd-soundtracks/60-good-will-hunting.html Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1. Batman Returns 2. Batman 3. Mars Attacks! 4. Dick Tracy 5. Nightbreed Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I edited mine to move Big Fish up to 3. I love that score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 Danny Elfman's most beloved, celebrated, and well-known piece is arguably this, though. And I gotta admit, it's pure genius! The melody, the orchestration, the pace, the impact. You never get tired listening to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corellian2019 383 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Midnight Run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,647 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 My top 5 would mirror the above pretty much (with some minor placement alterations), so I decided to list some of my favorites after 1996 (maybe the end of Elfman's most popular period). The Family Man Big Fish Spider-man Standard Operating Procedure Silver Linings Playbook The Unknown Known The Circle Lately, his smaller or more playful stuff has been better than his Big Stuff. Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1 minute ago, mstrox said: The Circle I like this OST and have listened to it a couple of times, but definitely mostly for its novelty. It's so weird! If you go by most listened on Spotify/Google of course you'd think that 50 Shades of Grey is his masterwork Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,647 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I've only listened to The Circle twice now, so I don't know how it will stand up among his entire canon in the long run. Right now, though, I really enjoy it and think it's worth being at the bottom of my tops. I'm an Elfman completist, minus only two official releases - the Black Beauty OST, which was too expensive pre-expansion, and the Nacho Libre soundtrack which only has one track. I'll probably pick up both eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 5 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: If you go by most listened on Spotify/Google of course you'd think that 50 Shades of Grey is his masterwork 50 Shades of Grey is a decent score, Girl on the Train too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 3 minutes ago, mstrox said: I'm an Elfman completist, So how many Elfman albums do you own approximately? 1 minute ago, Jay said: 50 Shades of Grey is a decent score, Girl on the Train too What about the movie Grey? Did you like to movie too, Jay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I've never seen it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 Funny that nobody mentions Planet of the Apes, Alice, or Terminator.... Do these scores suck!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 They don't suck. They just don't resonate as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1. RED DRAGON 2. HULK 3. MARS ATTACKS! 4. BATMAN RETURNS 5. BIG FISH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 I've never seen the remake of Apes. It'd be interesting to compare the Elfman and Goldsmith scores... Listening to this now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Alice in Wonderland is a very good score, but Alice Through The Looking Glass is better His Terminator score is forgettable His POTA score is fun, but don't bother comparing it to Goldsmith's ; completely different scores for completely different movies. And the film isn't a remake of the original film, its a completely different story that just uses the same concept of talking and civilized apes. Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 2, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted October 2, 2017 They're two different animals. Goldsmith's is an avant garde and [mostly] atonal masterpiece, while Elfman's is above average Hollywood film scoring with loads of menacing brass and cool frantic percussion. Kasey Kockroach, Josh500 and MikeH 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,465 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 48 minutes ago, Josh500 said: Again, I don't know enough of his scores to make a Top 5. For some reason I've never really liked Elfman... Not necessarily his music (or just his music), but the guy. He strikes me as a rather arrogant guy with a mediocre talent, but full of himself. But then, I'm probably wrong on this. It's just some interview with him that I saw once that made me think this way. Quite the contrary, he's probably the most self-critical composer out there! Perhaps even too much on occasion. He's sometimes awkward in social situations or among fans (he doesn't like attention drawn towards himself), but he was in a great mood last week. My Top 5 at the moment: 1. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2. Edward Scissorhands 3. Sommersby/Black Beauty 4. Standard Operating Procedure/The Unknown Known 5. Wisdom 3 minutes ago, Jay said: Alice in Wonderland is a very good score, but Alice Through The Looking Glass is better I thought LOOKING GLASS was a dreadful score (except when it quoted WONDERLAND). ALICE IN WONDERLAND, however, is a wonderful score -- one of his best in the last 10 years. PLANET OF THE APES is brilliant; a must-have even, but it's pretty dense, percussion-wise. TERMINATOR is OK, but not one I play very often. Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,647 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 11 minutes ago, Josh500 said: So how many Elfman albums do you own approximately? Just did a quick count, which may be a little off: 73 OST/original score albums 11 label expansions 2 "Music for a Darkened Theater" compilations 1 Silva Elfman rerecording complilation, 1 Silva Tim Burton rerecording compilation, plus various rerecorded tracks scattered on other releases 4 score albums with only minor contribution by Elfman (Spy Kids, 9, Army of Darkness, Before I Wake) 10 song albums with one or two score tracks 1 giant box full of 17 Elfman/Burton expansion CDs, a DVD, a book, and dumb toys So all-in-all, approx. 119 CDs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I was once a maniacal Elfman collector (many of us probably were at some point), but sometime in the late 2000s, I lost faith in him and suddenly found his name was no longer synonymous with high quality works of breathtaking beauty and imagination, and instead they were bland and generic works that followed a template. Nowadays, I barely blink when I see his name associated with a film. Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,589 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I'm with Thor here -- I always found Danny Elfman to come off as a very nice, humble guy in interviews (most recently I saw and enjoyed his interview in the documentary The Score). I wonder what interview it was that you saw and were turned off by, Josh. My top 5: 1. The Nightmare Before Christmas -- his magnum opus, indisputably 2. Black Beauty -- for me this is practically tied with Nightmare; in fact I probably listen to it more because it is just. that. gorgeous. I'm amazed nobody else rates it as highly. The OST was OOP and rare for many years but luckily LLL expanded it. 3. Sommersby -- also gorgeous 4. Batman Returns -- for me, an overall superior and more developed work to the first score (which I do like as well), but this was only revealed by the complete release. 5. Alice in Wonderland -- for me it is absolutely his best of the past 10 years, and sadly can only really be appreciated on that level in complete form. Honorable mentions: Beetlejuice (just delightful and perfect for the film), Dolores Claiborne (more dark melancholy beauty), Big Fish (maybe my second favorite post-90s Elfman). I do also really like his two Spider-man scores. Good Will Hunting is better in the film than on album, IMO. Oh, and I actually really like his Planet of the Apes score! It's very unique sounding and for modern Hollywood, still pretty surprising (something like Goldsmith's would never get approved nowadays). Yavar Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 21 minutes ago, mstrox said: Just did a quick count, which may be a little off: 73 OST/original score albums 11 label expansions 2 "Music for a Darkened Theater" compilations 1 Silva Elfman rerecording complilation, 1 Silva Tim Burton rerecording compilation, plus various rerecorded tracks scattered on other releases 4 score albums with only minor contribution by Elfman (Spy Kids, 9, Army of Darkness, Before I Wake) 10 song albums with one or two score tracks 1 giant box full of 17 Elfman/Burton expansion CDs, a DVD, a book, and dumb toys So all-in-all, approx. 119 CDs Wow, that's some collection! So you own pretty much every single Danny Elfman OST album? Quite impressive. 17 minutes ago, Baby Jane Hudson said: synonymous with high quality works of breathtaking beauty and imagination For me, the overall works of only two film composers (so far) fit this description. One is John Williams, the other is Jerry Goldsmith. I'm trying to find a third. And no, it's not James Horner (although he comes close).... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,465 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I also have every single thing he's ever done that is available in some format or another (and also some which are not). Film scores, concert works, Boingo, you name it. Except for a few of the most recent scores that I only have digitally, not on CD yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,647 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 23 minutes ago, Josh500 said: Wow, that's some collection! So you own pretty much every single Danny Elfman OST album? Quite impressive. For me, the overall works of only two film composers (so far) fit this description. One is John Williams, the other is Jerry Goldsmith. I'm trying to find a third. And no, it's not James Horner (although he comes close).... Every OST except for Black Beauty (I own the expansion, but I'll probably go back and get it if it's cheap enough) Every minor release except for Nacho Libre (one track) and the song album for Taking Woodstock (which has four tracks, all of which are on LLL's OST album). I plan on getting both eventually. Apparently there's also a digital-only release of one track from "When We Rise," which I didn't own until I found out about it today, and then I bought it. Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 58 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said: I'm with Thor here -- I always found Danny Elfman to come off as a very nice, humble guy in interviews (most recently I saw and enjoyed his interview in the documentary The Score). I wonder what interview it was that you saw and were turned off by, Josh. My top 5: 1. The Nightmare Before Christmas -- his magnum opus, indisputably 2. Black Beauty -- for me this is practically tied with Nightmare; in fact I probably listen to it more because it is just. that. gorgeous. I'm amazed nobody else rates it as highly. The OST was OOP and rare for many years but luckily LLL expanded it. 3. Sommersby -- also gorgeous 4. Batman Returns -- for me, an overall superior and more developed work to the first score (which I do like as well), but this was only revealed by the complete release. 5. Alice in Wonderland -- for me it is absolutely his best of the past 10 years, and sadly can only really be appreciated on that level in complete form. Honorable mentions: Beetlejuice (just delightful and perfect for the film), Dolores Claiborne (more dark melancholy beauty), Big Fish (maybe my second favorite post-90s Elfman). I do also really like his two Spider-man scores. Good Will Hunting is better in the film than on album, IMO. Oh, and I actually really like his Planet of the Apes score! It's very unique sounding and for modern Hollywood, still pretty surprising (something like Goldsmith's would never get approved nowadays). Yavar I like this list a lot. Sommersby and Black Beauty don’t get enough attention. They are easily among his best works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James 119 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1. Batman (89 & 92) 2. Nightmare Before The Christmas 3. Nightbreed 4. Beetlejuice 5. Black Beauty Honorable mentions: Spider Man (1 & 2), Hellboy, Edward S., Darkman and Sommersby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fancyarcher 350 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Batman Returns / Batman Edward Scissorhands Sommersby Spider-Man Big Fish Standard Operating Procedure The Hulk A lot more I could choose from, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1-5 Pee-Wee's Big Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I was rather disappointed I was the only one who had it in my top 5. I listen to that score all the time. I love it and can't get enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Is the Peewee's Big Adventure disc in the Burton/Elfman boxset complete? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I'm not sure, but it's the version of the soundtrack I listen to. It's THE BEST soundtrack to listen to while mowing the lawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I listened to nintendo podcasts while mowing the lawn yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,647 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I rarely listen to film scores when I'm mowing the lawn, unless I have something new I'm dying to listen to. Mainly listen to one of the two podcasts I listen to, or pop music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Yes, I generally listen to podcasts as well while mowing.... UNLESS I'M LISTENING TO PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,615 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 It's rather disappointing that nobody mentioned one of Elfman's best scores: Men in Black! I love this opening scene... The flight of the winged bug is scored to perfection! By the way, I wonder whether 2:02 was a not so subtle nod at Spielberg's ET.... crocodile 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fancyarcher 350 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Men in Black has some great themes, but some of the underscore isn't among my favorite of his. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,984 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1. Batman Returns 2. Sommersby 3. Mission: Impossible 4. Standard Operating Procedure 5. Milk It is important to add that some of my favourite works of his are not film scores so can't be featured here. Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 MIB is a good score but come on, it's not top 5 worthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 1 minute ago, crocodile said: It is important to add that some of my favourite works of his are not film scores so can't be featured here. Karol Indeed. "Rabbit & Rogue" has definitely taken a place among my favorites of his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yavar Moradi 2,589 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I do like Men in Black (all three) and Pee Wee (both) but not quite top 5 level, IMHO. Another one like that is Edward Scissorhands, which used to be an absolute favorite (and is still an iconic Elfman score) but I found it didn't quite have the staying power with me over the years as other gorgeous works of his (Black Beauty and Sommersby) did. Easier to get burnt out on that score, for me. Haven't tried the expanded Intrada yet, though. His Fifty Shades scores are also unexpectedly good work. I pretend they are music for movies that don't exist... Yavar Josh500 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Disregard. Too many replies comin' in hot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I think I've grown to love Edward Scissorhands more and more with time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstrox 6,647 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 That's one that is, in my opinion, not improved by either expansion. The OST is a near-perfect album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,287 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Oh I much prefer the Intrada sequence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now