Discovering a film music composer in my own way

[Bespin 8,484]

Here's now for Mr. Thomas Newman, the youngest son of Alfred:

• American Beauty (AFI, Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner, Academy Award Nominee)
• The Shawshank Redemption (AFI, Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
• Skyfall (Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner, Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
• WALL-E (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• Saving Mr. Banks (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• Bridge of Spies (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• Finding Nemo (Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
• Passengers (Academy Award Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
• 1917 (Academy Award Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• Unstrung Heroes (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
• Angels in America (Grammy Nominee)
• Meet Joe Black (Saturn Nominee)
• The Green Mile (Saturn Nominee)
• Less Than Zero 

[GerateWohl 4,373]

Usually I discover a composer by watching a film and listening to the score. When the composer managed to grap my attention I listen to more samples on YouTube or Amazon starting with work the composer did for the same director which he worked with in the film that caught my attention. For example M. Night Shymalan and James Newton Howard or Howard Shores scores for David Cronenberg or Patrick Doyles works for Kenneth Branagh or Bernard Herrmann for Hitchcock or Dario Marianelli for Joe Wright.

Next step is usually rather look for work of the composers outside the movies. 

 

[Bespin 8,484]

Yes but it's also interesting to see which scores got the attention of the industry too. It's not the Bible, but it gives an idea of which scores stand out.

 

Howard Shore 🇨🇦

• THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (AFI, Academy Award Winner, Grammy Winner, BAFTA Nominee, Saturn Nominee)
• THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (AFI, Saturn Nominee)
• THE LORD OF THE RINGS: Return of the king (Academy Award Winner, Grammy Winner, Saturn Winner, BAFTA Nominee)
• THE LORD OF THE RINGS: Two Towers (Grammy Winner, Saturn Nominee)
• Ed wood (Saturn Winner, Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• Hugo (Saturn Nominee, Academy Award Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• The Aviator (Grammy Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• The Departed (Grammy Nominee)
• The Fly (Saturn Nominee)
• Dead Ringers (Saturn Nominee)
• Seven (Saturn Nominee)
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Saturn Nominee)
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Saturn Nominee)
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Saturn Nominee)

[Bespin 8,484]

James Newton Howard

• The Fugitive (AFI, Academy Award Nominee)
• The Village (AFI, Academy Award Nominee)
• Wyatt Earp (AFI)
• The Dark Night (shared with Hans Zimmer) (Saturn Winner, Grammy Winner, BAFTA Nominee)
• Defiance (Academy Award Nominees, Golden Globe Nominee)
• The Prince of Tide (Academy Award Nominee)
• My Best Friend's Wedding (Academy Award Nominee)
• Michael Clayton (Academy Award Nominee)
• Blood Diamond (Grammy Nominee)
• King Kong (Golden Globe Nominee)
• Batman Begins (shared with Hans Zimmer) (Saturn Nominee)
• Dinosaur (Saturn Nominee)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (Saturn Nominee)
• Snow Falling on Cedars
• Maleficient

 

I fear it's no a very helpfull list...

[Edmilson 7,473]

Meh, that list doesn't represent much of JNH's work. Where is The Postman, Waterworld, Atlantis, Signs, Unbreakable, Treasure Planet, Peter Pan, Lady in the Water, The Last Airbender, King Kong (Golden Globe nominee), Maleficent, etc?

[Bespin 8,484]

11 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Meh, that list doesn't represent much of JNH's work. Where is The Postman, Waterworld, Atlantis, Signs, Unbreakable, Treasure Planet, Peter Pan, Lady in the Water, The Last Airbender, King Kong (Golden Globe nominee), Maleficent, etc?

 

This composer seems under represented regarding Nominations and Awards received for his music.

[Edmilson 7,473]

27 minutes ago, Bespin said:

 

This composer seems under represented regarding Nominations and Awards received for his music.

 

Indeed. His best scores usually aren't the ones nominated for something, and the scores that do get nominated doesn't usually have the best listening experiences. I mean, Michael Clayton? Come on...

 

I recommend you starting with the scores I mentioned on my previous post, alongside The Village, Dinosaur and Fantastic Beasts from your post. Avoid the Nolan Batman scores, since they're mostly Zimmer (and friends); for instance, the only thing JNH did on TDK was the Harvey Dent theme.

[Bespin 8,484]

This composer have to better chose his movies!

 

I will never buy an Hans Zimmer score, so there is no chance I get those horrible Batman scores!

 

Ordered those to get along with my "Dave" Expansion... it's a beginning!

[Bespin 8,484]

OK, let's do it again. Again, again!

 

Michael Kamen

• ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (AFI, Academy Award Nominee, Golden Globes nominee, Grammy nominee, BMI winner)
• Don Juan DeMarco (Academy Award Nominee, Golden Globes nominee) 
• Band of Brothers 2001 (TV) (BMI winner)
• X-Men (BMI winner)
• Lethal Weapon 4 (BMI winner)
• 101 Dalmatians 1996 (BMI winner)
• Die Hard: with a vangeance (BMI winner)
• Mr. Holland's Opus (BMI winner)
• Lethal Weapon 3 (BMI winner)
• Die Hard 2 (BMI winner)
• Lethal Weapon 2 (BMI winner)
• Die Hard (BMI winner)
• Lethal Weapon (BMI winner)
• The Iron Giant

 

 

 

[Jay 37,374]

License To Kill is essential Kamen

[Bespin 8,484]

Well it seems he didn't exactly received the recognition he deserved, as a film music composer, during his short lifetime. I never dig in the "BMI" awards normally (what's this?). For me, that's the award they give to the ones who lost every others. 

[Thor 7,521]

I particularly recommend BAND OF BROTHERS, CRUSOE, EVENT HORIZON, HIGHLANDER, OPEN RANGE, ROBIN HOOD, THE OLD MOON IN THE NEW MOON'S ARMS and THE THREE MUSKETEERS. But I know you have your own thing with awards going on.

[Bespin 8,484]

Well, the subject of this thread is a little bit about discussing the abyss between our favourite scores vs. the "A-WAR-DS" given by the industry... 

[publicist 4,643]

Another composer I tried and tried again, unsuccessfully. Robin Hood, Dead Zone, What Dreams May Come, Event Horizon and a handful pieces from the above-mentioned. 

[Thor 7,521]

Since Kamen was such a crossover composer/performer, one should also own some of his non-film work. I mentioned "Old Moon" over. Also recommended in that regard is the DVD of his saxophone concerto, the S&M album with Metallica, Pink Floyd's THE WALL. Throw in the DAVID GILMOUR IN CONCERT DVD too, with Kamen on piano on-stage -- one of his last performances; he died a year later.

[GerateWohl 4,373]

I think, Kamen as well arranged the strings for Here Comes the Rain Again and did orchestral arrangements for Kate Bush on The Sensual World. 

 

And JNH made orchestral arrangements for Elton John.

[1977 1,743]

When I really started collecting film music in the mid 80s, I discovered composers that were new to me via magazines such as Starlog and through various mailorder catalogues for soundtracks.

 

Halliwell's Film Guide was also an invaluable resource as it listed the film composer for each film. The Schwann Record, Tape and CD Guide was a great help too. I also discovered Tony Thomas's book Film Score: A View from the Podium with discography at my local library. 

 

I started with Williams, then picked up on Horner, Goldsmith, Bernstein, Barry and Silvestri. Genre films were the ones whose music caught my attention initially, but as my taste matured I started getting into the more mainstream stuff. Over the course of the 90s I discovered more composers such as James Newton Howard, John Debney, David Arnold, Basil Poledouris and Joel McNeely and my collection grew.

[Bespin 8,484]

Trevor Jones

 

- The Last of the Mohicans (Nominated BAFTA and Golden Globe)

- Mississipi Burning (Nominated BAFTA)

- Brassed Off (Nominated BAFTA)

- Dark City

- Cliffhanger

- Arachnophobia (the European album, not the American one!!!)

 

[Jay 37,374]

Cliffhanger is great with a wonderful main theme and fun action music

 

Don't forget Merlin too

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(miniseries)

 

http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/title/9447/Merlin

[bruce marshall 1,315]

I have CRISS CROSS for sale- CHEAP!😁

[Thor 7,521]

Hard to go wrong with Trevor Jones. I was never a big fan of CLIFFHANGER, but these are all worthwhile, IMO:

 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

You left off his BEST score-13 DAYS!

 

Check it out ( great film too)!

[Thor 7,521]

11 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

You left off his BEST score-13 DAYS!

 

Check it out ( great film too)!

 

Oh, I know both that and a whole bunch of other Jones scores that are not in my collection at the present time.

 

Some I've not acquired yet, even if I've heard them, others have left my collection over the years. ARACHNOPHOBIA is a film I am very strongly attached from a nostalgic point-of-view. I am an actual arachnophobic and remember the trepidation when I first watched it in the 90s (in the theatre, I think). Had it on CD, but sold it at some point - can't remember why. Maybe the songs? The CLIFFHANGER CD left my collection too. Other than MOHICANS-like theme, none of the other music did much for me. Never really cared for fan favourite THE DARK CRYSTAL (although the film is a masterpiece). Or LABYRINTH. Neither did MERLIN, really (it's OK). MISSISSIPPI BURNING is a great movie, but again - the score on album never did much for me. Etc. etc.

 

I can't say that I've ever outright disliked any of these, though. As I said earlier, it's hard to go wrong with Jones, as in find a 'complete dud'.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Thor the Arachnophobe.

😊

I used to have a fear of insects- but not spiders who I think are cool#

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

I've always been a big fan of Dark City, which is on @Thor's list. I remember seeing it at the cinema and missing the first five minutes so missed a lot of the explanatory narration which, on reflection, made it a much more enjoyable experience as there was much more mystery about what was going on. Still a good movie even if you do see the opening!

 

I enjoy Nate and Hayes but that was one where I did find the material got a bit repetitive by the end. A good theme, but it seems to appear every 5 seconds*. Gave Merlin a spin yesterday. The main theme reminded me of something but I can't remember what, probably The Dark Crystal! I do enjoy The Dark Crystal more than Thor,  guess it's a fan favourite for a reason I guess, just a shame the original film tracks version is basically the music stems from the film and so sound often cuts off abruptly. Having said that, the the original album presents all the major material effectively and there's not much of particular note missing. Great LSO performance too.

 

*possibly exaggerated for effect ;-)

[publicist 4,643]

Jones is a great middle-of-the-road talent which existed plenty back in the day but who have now sadly almost vanished from the scene. I quite like 'The Mighty'.

[Thor 7,521]

He may have "vanished from the scene" in terms of doing much film music, but last I heard, he was teaching film music at some institution in South Africa.

[Bespin 8,484]

It's not that I'm ready to go "Disney" all the way (and archival), but I just made some researches... just to find pretty evident titles!

 

Alan Menken

• Poncahontas (Academy Award winner, Golden Globe Winner, Grammy Winner)
• Aladdin (Academy Award winner, Golden Globe Winner, Grammy Winner, Saturn nominee)
• Beauty and the Beast (Academy Award winner, Golden Globe Winner, Grammy Winner, Saturn nominee)
• The Little Mermaid (Academy Award winner, Grammy Winner)
• Enchanted (Saturn winner)
• Little Shop of Horrors (Saturn Winner)

[Thor 7,521]

I would add THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and HERCULES to your list, and then you pretty much have all the must-have Menken essentials.

 

Menken is on my top 5 of living composers I've not yet interviewed, but really would want to.

[Bespin 8,484]

It remains very Disneyish!

[Thor 7,521]

Sure. That's what's he's all about.

 

If you want to "branch out" into non-Disney stuff, I also recommend the TV movie LINCOLN. 

[Edmilson 7,473]

Pocahontas is a masterpiece of a score. It's probably one of the best Disney scores alongside Zimmer's Lion King.

[Bespin 8,484]

Ok, David Newman now.

 

I've learned that he's been hired by Spielberg to get Bernstein's "West Side Story" score listenable for a younger audience. Well, good luck with that!

 

So let's see his Pedigree...

• Hoffa (AFI 250 list)
• Anastesia (Academy Award nominee)
• Galaxy Quest (Saturn Nominee)
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Are We There Yet? (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Daddy Day Care (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• The Cat in the Hat (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Scooby-Doo (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Ice Age (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Dr. Dolittle 2 (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• The Nutty Professor (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• The Flintstones (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• The War of the Roses (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Throw Momma from the Train (BMI Film Music Award Winner)
• Mr. Destiny (because)

 

I think the BMI loves him VERY MUCH. 

 

Bofff...

[Jay 37,374]

I've never found his original scores to be all that remarkable, but he puts on a good show at concerts

[GerateWohl 4,373]

On 1/30/2021 at 4:33 PM, Bespin said:

It's not that I'm ready to go "Disney" all the way (and archival), but I just made some researches... just to find pretty evident titles!

 

Alan Menken

• Poncahontas (Academy Award winner, Golden Globe Winner, Grammy Winner)
• Aladdin (Academy Award winner, Golden Globe Winner, Grammy Winner, Saturn nominee)
• Beauty and the Beast (Academy Award winner, Golden Globe Winner, Grammy Winner, Saturn nominee)
• The Little Mermaid (Academy Award winner, Grammy Winner)
• Enchanted (Saturn winner)
• Little Shop of Horrors (Saturn Winner)

I think, you should definitely include Mirror Mirror. It is the only Menken score without a Menken song, I think. It is my personal favourite of his, because I don't like listening to musicals off-screen.

[Bespin 8,484]

4 minutes ago, Jay said:

I've never found his original scores to be all that remarkable, but he puts on a good show at concerts

 

Hum-hum. Maybe a compilation or live concert format would better fit as an introduction to this composer, I have to make some researches...

[Edmilson 7,473]

I remember liking his Ice Age score, it was pleasant enough. His scores for the Scooby-Doo live action movies were decent as well.

[publicist 4,643]

His best score(s), like Hoffa or The Affair of the Necklace are not even included on this list, omitted for drivel like Dr. Dolittle 2. 

[Jay 37,374]

I always forget about Hoffa. Heard a lot of good things about that one but haven't checked it out yet. 

 

It recently got a complete edition from La La Land

[Bespin 8,484]

David Newman is probably underrated as a drama movie music composer, I don't really know his work!

[Bespin 8,484]

Here now, a composer I don't know nothing about, except that he composed the original theme of Mission Impossible in the 60's...

 

Lalo Schifrin

• COOL HAND LUKE (AFI, Academy Award Nominee)
• BULLITT (AFI)
• DIRTY HARRY (AFI)
• The Fox (Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Nominee)
• The Amityville Horror (Academy Award Nominee)
• Voyage of the Damned (Academy Award Nominee)
• Rush Hour (BMI Winner, Grammy Nominee)

[Jay 37,374]

I own his OSTs for Enter The Dragon and Rush Hour

[Bespin 8,484]

I must admit I'm interested in The Amityville Horror, as it is one of my favourite Romance movie! But I don't exactly remember the music.

[Oomoog the Ecstatic 314]

In the future, movies will have smell, and they'll hire talented composers to write masterpiece smell tracks, akin to symphonies for the nose.

 

Can't smell well? You'll wish you were blind instead, with the sheer beauty coming out of these scented holes.

[Thor 7,521]

Bespin, get GONE WITH THE WAVE if you can. A gorgeous cocktail lounge soundtrack (for an obscure film) that will be up your alley, I think. Available only on a rare LP for many years, untill FSM released it alongside DIAMOND HEAD. But as a JW collector, you might already own it.

 

Beyond the ones you mentioned, also get MANNIX (the rerecording) and the compilation THERE'S A WHOLE LALO SCHIFRIN GOIN' ON, for a start. COOGAN'S BLUFF is great too.

 

I'm personally not that keen on his horror stuff; Schifrin is mostly about about jazz for me, even though he's done a wide variety of things.

 

[Bespin 8,484]

3 hours ago, Thor said:

Bespin, get GONE WITH THE WAVE if you can. A gorgeous cocktail lounge soundtrack (for an obscure film) that will be up your alley, I think. Available only on a rare LP for many years, untill FSM released it alongside DIAMOND HEAD. But as a JW collector, you might already own it.

 

OMG, yes indeed I own this CD, so I finally own a CD of Lalo!!! I never listened to it LOL.

 

10 hours ago, Oomoog the Ecstatic said:

In the future, movies will have smell, and they'll hire talented composers to write masterpiece smell tracks, akin to symphonies for the nose.

 

Can't smell well? You'll wish you were blind instead, with the sheer beauty coming out of these scented holes.

 

I can't wait to hear a "scratch and smell" score! They already tried for movies and it was a failure, but for movie scores... brilliant!

[Bespin 8,484]

Very surprising... 

 

Nino Rota

• THE GODFATHER (AFI, Academy Award Nominee, Grammy Winner, BAFTA Winner)
• WAR AND PEACE (AFI)
• The Godfather: Part II (Academy Award Winner, BAFTA Nominee)
• La dolce vita (Grammy Nominee)
• Romeo and Juliet (BAFTA Nominee)

[Bespin 8,484]

Ryuichi Sakamoto

• ラストエンペラー
• レヴェナント 蘇えりし者
• 戦場のメリークリスマス
• シェルタリング・スカイ
• 小活佛

[Bespin 8,484]

On 2/21/2021 at 10:34 AM, Bespin said:

Ryuichi Sakamoto

• ラストエンペラー
• レヴェナント 蘇えりし者
• 戦場のメリークリスマス
• シェルタリング・スカイ
• 小活佛

 

Ok, it was a joke, but no one reacted...

 

Ryuichi Sakamoto

• The Last Emperor (Academy Award Winner, Grammy Winner, Golden Globe Winner, BAFTA Nominee)
• The Revenant (Grammy Nominee, Golden Globe Nominee, BAFTA Nominee)
• Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (BAFTA Winner)
• The Sheltering Sky (Golden Globe Nominee)
• Little Buddha (Grammy Nominee)

[Thor 7,521]

1 hour ago, Bespin said:

Ok, it was a joke, but no one reacted...

 

Bespin's humour always has the same effect on me!