John Powell's CALL OF THE WILD (2020)

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Too many notes. And letters.

[Edmilson 7,384]

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Too many notes. And letters.

 

Our moronic president said something similar about school books a few weeks ago. (use Google Translate to put the report in English, please).

 

https://veja.abril.com.br/politica/bolsonaro-critica-livros-didaticos-muita-coisa-escrita/

[Richard Penna 3,669]

We just had the entire half hour of snow that we're likely to get as a farewell to winter (12c tomorrow), and just as I was approaching the top of a hill during this morning's commute, out into a minor blizzard, this moment comes. It couldn't possibly have been better timed.

 

 

The next two tracks made the rest of my commute somewhat dramatic.

 

On 2/24/2020 at 9:50 PM, Fargo said:

I've listened to the score about 7 times through now - I feel comfortable saying I like it just as much as Powell's best scores - Dragon, Solo, etc. It really grew on me.

 

I've listened multiple times and am in the discovery phase, where I realise how deeply thematic it is.

 

I'd almost put it on par with HTTYD - I'm not sure what's stopping me putting it in the same category.

[Edmilson 7,384]

Just listened to the score again last night, and I liked it even more.

 

It has great themes and is simply delightful, with Powell alternating between his epic HTTD-ish antics and more emotional music that reminded of JNH at his best. It's a beautiful score with wonderful highlights, and another proof that we are currently in peak Powell.

 

See, since Solo, or even better, since Dragon 2, I think Powell's writing has become more mature. I listened to some of his older scores these days, and while they're good, they still lack the sophisticated writing and storytelling of the last two Dragons, Solo and now Call of the Wild. And that makes me very excited for what he'll do next.

 

JW made a surprise appearance at the sessions of his new padawan, and he was probably proud.

 

Also, I can't get tired of how great 1:35 to 2:03 on this track actually are:

 

 

Wonderful combination of choir and orchestra and a powerhouse finale at 1:55. It reminded me of Gia's Jupiter Ascending. 

[Pieter Boelen 740]

On 2/26/2020 at 7:36 PM, PrayodiBA said:

and to be continued...

Much appreciated! Looking forward to it.

 

I was lucky to notice this thread last Saturday. Had completely failed to catch that Powell and Ford were joining up for adventure.

Immediately listened to the soundtrack a few times once I found out it was already released.

Watched the movie the very next day and loved every minute of it.

 

Getting into the soundtrack properly now. The themes seemed a bit elusive to me at first, but seeing the film certainly helped.

As does your post there.

 

Music seems pretty darn great! And same goes for the movie.

That's the sort of old-fashioned adventure film they really don't make enough of.

But we got another one in 2020 and I'm very grateful for it.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

On 3/2/2020 at 9:13 PM, Edmilson said:

Also, I can't get tired of how great 1:35 to 2:03 on this track actually are:

 

 

Wonderful combination of choir and orchestra and a powerhouse finale at 1:55. It reminded me of Gia's Jupiter Ascending. 

 

I slightly prefer the version in Sometimes Nature's Cruel... but yeah, that's a fantastic moment.

 

I've been listening to this a lot in the car and the themes have been gradually revealing themselves. Like HTTYD, there's rarely a moment when Powell isn't mutating or playing with one of his themes.

 

On 3/2/2020 at 9:13 PM, Edmilson said:

It has great themes and is simply delightful, with Powell alternating between his epic HTTD-ish antics and more emotional music that reminded of JNH at his best. It's a beautiful score with wonderful highlights, and another proof that we are currently in peak Powell.

 

I think Powell's a bit better at this style of scoring, but JNH has a strength in more serious drama music. Powell's drama music still tends to have a slightly 'warm' feel to it.

 

We're definitely in peak Powell - I await his next score

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

The end credits song is crap, alas. I wonder what I should use instead for an ending song....Send Me on My Way by Rusted Root? 

 

Anyhoo, what's this motif I'm hearing in Sometimes Nature's Cruel and Rewilding (among other places)?

[Pieter Boelen 740]

39 minutes ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

The end credits song is crap, alas.

They did a good job leaving it off the album though.

(Or at least... the Spotify release.)

[Bofur01 245]

1 hour ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

The end credits song is crap, alas. I wonder what I should use instead for an ending song....Send Me on My Way by Rusted Root? 

 

Anyhoo, what's this motif I'm hearing in Sometimes Nature's Cruel and Rewilding (among other places)?

The kinda rising choral idea towards the end of Nature’s Cruel and the middle of Rewilding is the Heroes theme

 

Does anyone know what Thornton’s theme is? I struggle to spot Powell themes for the first time 😬 but find they stick really strongly once recognised

[Anthony 572]

48 minutes ago, Bofur01 said:

Does anyone know what Thornton’s theme is? I struggle to spot Powell themes for the first time 😬 but find they stick really strongly once recognised

 

I assume it's what you hear at :25 into Couldn't Find The Words. 

[Edmilson 7,384]

Is it just me or the orchestra and choir writing on Rewilding and Sometimes Nature is Cruel... is a little similar to Giacchino's Jupiter Ascending?

 

I don't know how to explain it musically, but I found the religioso crescendo here...

 

 

Reminded me of the one here:

 

 

Of course, Powell concludes this crescendo in an uplifting way, while Gia ends with a bang.

 

In any case, maybe this (and the Sometimes Nature is Cruel equivalent) was temped with Jupiter Ascending? Or both were inspired by Lord of the Rings, For Frodo maybe?

[Will 2,215]

Finally have some time to offer detailed thoughts on this...

 

At first I was disappointed. Solo and The Hidden World were near-Williams-level, career-defining masterpieces of epic grandeur. This score, by contrast, was (with a couple brief exceptions) significantly more intimate and less transcendent. 

 

However, after further listens (many, many by this point) I have come to appreciate the score for what it is. And it is an excellent score. 

 

The first track, which annoyed me on first listen, now entrances me with its jaunty fun: 

 

 

Powell rarely "wastes" a cue -- nearly every track in his scores has at least one memorable moment in it. In "Train North," I love the choral, almost church-like mystical writing here:

 

 

In the third track, the texture here is absolutely gorgeous:

 

 

And then, of course, "Joining the Team" is a rollicking display of orchestral complexity, beginning with a jolly figure reminiscent of HTTYD and concluding with full orchestra craziness as only Powell can create:

 

 

And then, a few tracks later, we come to the score's highlight (on first listen, it was the only cue that I liked!):

 

 

The swashbuckling melody at 3:55 (although not anything too original for Powell) is awfully fun -- and the rising lead up to it is even better. And the cue ends a little bit like it were a concert arrangement. 

 

This delicate little passage is beautiful:

 

 

Finally, I'll note that I'd hoped for the score to "soar" a little in "What an Adventure" near the end, and was initially disappointed that it didn't, really. However, this bit comes close, and is quite powerful (particularly the final phrase at 2:00):

 

 

So, in conclusion, although this is not necessarily a career-defining triumph like some of Powell's other recent works, it is still a very well-done score that will likely rate as one of the best of 2020. 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

I’m curious as to if Spitz’s theme is anywhere else beyond “Sometimes Nature’s Cruel”.

[Bofur01 245]

There’s an ominous statement of it right at the end of Ice Rescue, for one

[Edmilson 7,384]

Well deserved.

 

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

They heard... the call to the wild

[Jay 37,281]

https://music.apple.com/us/album/piano-solos-from-the-call-of-the-wild/1536857208

[crumbs 14,300]

I love the piano suites Powell & Sener have been putting out! It's a really accessible way to familiarize yourself with the score and its ideas.

 

Personally I think this score is an underrated gem! Great listen on album too, very nicely assembled.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

I only wish this score got to have an ending suite. But those seem to be getting rarer and rarer nowadays.

[crumbs 14,300]

2 hours ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

I only wish this score got to have an ending suite. But those seem to be getting rarer and rarer nowadays.

 

Yes, that's my only complaint, especially after the superb Hidden World suite. Not sure why Powell opted not to do one for this score (maybe he did and it was omitted).

[Miz 139]

Questions:

Is the Batu Sener piano album available as a download from 5 Cat Studios? It doesn't even specify format. I don't like their site, the product page opens in an 'interior' window in browser with scroll bars that don't work. ???

 

Does Dreamworks hold the rights for John Powell's music, or 5 Cat Studios, or the composer?

[bruce marshall 1,314]

Just watched the film

Big disappointment.

The combo who made HTTYD don't come close to their masterpiece.

 

.

 

[Jay 37,281]

22 hours ago, Miz said:

Questions:

Is the Batu Sener piano album available as a download

 

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/john-powell/61088593

 

 

22 hours ago, Miz said:

 

Does Dreamworks hold the rights for John Powell's music, or 5 Cat Studios, or the composer?

 

Anything a composer writes for a film is owned by the film company

[Edmilson 7,384]

Which in this case would be Twentieth Century Fox/Disney, right?

[Jay 37,281]

Yep

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

How funny, I just watched this.

[Edmilson 7,384]

Is it any good? I was planning on watching it mostly because of Powell's music, but I can't stand live action movies about dogs. Most of them are saccharine crap or boring family comedies.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

38 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Is it any good? I was planning on watching it mostly because of Powell's music, but I can't stand live action movies about dogs. Most of them are saccharine crap or boring family comedies.

The animals and most of the scenery is cg.

The main problem is the cliched, predictable script and characters.

It's not terrible - there are a few good scenes- but it isn't in the same league as WHITE FANG.

It is ' Disneyfied'.

 

The score never really soars. Average.

[Jay 37,281]

Call of the Wild maybe not have been released until after Disney bought Fox, but the film was made while Fox was not owned by them

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Just now, Jay said:

Call of the Wild maybe not have been released until after Disney bought Fox, but the film was made while Fox was not owned by them

 

Indeed, and White Fang actually was made by Disney.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

47 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Indeed, and White Fang actually was made by Disney.

I know that. Wish they had followed the model of WF.

' ' Disneyfied

I put ' Disneyfied' in quotes to indicate that.

The script included an obligatory " villain" character ( actually two) that practically ruined the film. This is a standard Disney dramatic vice that totally misfired in this case

 

One of tropes that is getting really old is the " young child dies causing the married couple to separate". Seems to me that would bring them together.

Whatever the case, I have seen this in more shows than I can remember.

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

8 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Is it any good? I was planning on watching it mostly because of Powell's music, but I can't stand live action movies about dogs. Most of them are saccharine crap or boring family comedies.

 

I didn't mind it. It's more of an adventure film than what you described from other dog flicks. It's more of a cartoon with live action elements. It's short and holds your attention too, so you could do worse.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

THE JUNGLE BOOK showed that you can make a very good film from a classic novel, using cg and human actors.

I wish this had the same qualities.

 

[Muad'Dib 1,800]

 

[bruce marshall 1,314]

Ironically- contrasting the claims on IMDB- it is fairly faithful to the novella.

IT could have been great.

If only Jon Favreu directed it.

[Anthony 572]

Is the piano solo album available anywhere other than iTunes? I'm struggling to find it.

 

Edit: Managed to get it directly from 5Cat.

 

https://5catstudios.com/product/piano-solos-from-the-call-of-the-wild/

[Smaug The Iron 510]

Quote

Coming soon: The Call of the Wild soundtrack album on CD!

from Intrada & 5 Cat Studios

 

https://www.facebook.com/1689850014571627/posts/2839994909557126/

[Jay 37,281]

I knew it!

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Wonder which label.

[Jay 37,281]

2 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Wonder which label.

 

Read the words John Powell typed more carefuly

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Geez, how could I not have seen that! 

[Holko 9,499]

I wonder if seeing the success of last year's releases they'd take the opportunity to just expand it right off the bat. Include unreleased cues (if there are any), alternates, demos, do proper liner notes, not just a standard OST disc, same as the streaming version with no additional material or notes like those LLL sometimes releases. In the latter case I'd have no real interest in getting this, having paid for the digital download just a couple weeks ago, but it'd be still nice to see Powell opening up more to these labels and stuff still (eventually) getting physical releases.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

3 minutes ago, Holko said:

I wonder if seeing the success of last year's releases they'd take the opportunity to just expand it right off the bat. Include unreleased cues (if there are any), alternates, demos, do proper liner notes, not just a standard OST disc, same as the streaming version with no additional material or notes like those LLL sometimes releases.

 

LLL sometimes include an extra track on the physical release.

[Jay 37,281]

5 minutes ago, Holko said:

I wonder if seeing the success of last year's releases they'd take the opportunity to just expand it right off the bat. Include unreleased cues (if there are any), alternates, demos, do proper liner notes, not just a standard OST disc, same as the streaming version with no additional material or notes like those LLL sometimes releases. In the latter case I'd have no real interest in getting this, having paid for the digital download just a couple weeks ago, but it'd be still nice to see Powell opening up more to these labels and stuff still (eventually) getting physical releases.

 

I'd expect it to primarily be the OST program, but let's hope Intrada is able to add some bonus tracks after that!

And then do the same to Solo: Deluxe!

[crocodile 7,983]

31 minutes ago, Jay said:

And then do the same to Solo: Deluxe!

Yes!

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Or they could use the deluxe edition as a basis for a better OST programme.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

I'll consider it if they do put additional music on it, but if it's just a pressing of the album then at least anyone who hadn't yet bought it gets a CD.

[bruce marshall 1,314]

Any physical release is a

great.thing. A CD is wonderful.

Maybe BLACK PANTHER is next😊

 

 

 

Did the fans who bought the download see the.film.?

[Richard Penna 3,669]

I haven't seen the film - it's not on any streaming services yet.

 

A CD is a nice-to-have, but I can't get behind this fanfare of a physical pressing of something already available as a download.

[Arpy 4,145]

Call of the Wild CD

Solo Deluxe CD

How to Train Your Dragon 2 CD