JNHFan2000 2,957 Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 http://filmmusicreporter.com/2021/05/06/soundtrack-albums-for-amazons-the-underground-railroad-to-be-released/ The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,346 Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 Quote Soundtrack Albums for Amazon’s ‘The Underground Railroad’ to Be Released http://filmmusicreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/vca-13.jpg Lakeshore Records will release the official soundtrack albums for the Amazon limited series The Underground Railroad featuring the show’s original music composed by Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Nicholas Britell (Succession, Moonlight, The Big Short, If Beale Street Could Talk, Vice, Battle of the Sexes). The first volume will be released digitally on May 14, 2021. The pre-order link will be added to this article within the next day. The Underground Railroad is directed by Barry Jenkins and stars Thuso Mbedu, Joel Edgerton, Sheila Atim, Chase W. Dillon, Aaron Pierre, William Jackson Harper, Amber Gray, Chukwudi Iwuji, Peter De Jersey, Damon Herriman, Lily Rabe, Mychal-Bella Bowman, Irone Singleton, Marcus “MJ” Gladney, Jr., Will Poulter and Peter Mullan. The 10-part drama based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead chronicles Cora Randall’s desperate bid for freedom in the Antebellum South and her discovery of a railroad beneath the Southern soil. The full series will premiere on May 14 exclusively on Amazon Prime. Here’s the track list of the Volume 1 album: 1. Genesis (2:06) 2. But I Am (1:51) 3. My Brother James (1:35) 4. Arnold Ridgeway (1:41) 5. Caesar’s Theme (3:16) 6. A Soldier (0:53) 7. It’s Time (4:35) 8. The Journey (5:36) 9. North (3:02) 10. A Spirited Nature (3:05) 11. Bessie (2:08) 12. When A Lady Enters (0:58) 13. Queen of Egypt (2:01) 14. Welcome to Your Future (1:13) 15. South Carolina – Social Waltz No. 1 (2:30) 16. Aria (feat. Julia Bullock) (1:03) 17. Glass Boxes (0:58) 18. Penny Candies (3:14) 19. This Is Science (7:57) 20. Compromised (2:30) 21. De-Pillatory (6:41) 22. Resurrection (Outro) (1:22) 23. Searching (Foundation Track) (3:25) 24. Mabel Violins (Foundation Track) (2:04) 25. Caesar’s Theme (Foundation Track) (4:09) The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,432 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Here's the first cue released: JNHFan2000 and The Illustrious Jerry 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules 59 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 I'm so excited for this score. Beale Street is a score I can keep coming back to, its outstanding. This is a completely different sound again, but its great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 4 hours ago, Edmilson said: Here's the first cue released: This is nice. I'm very much looking forward to this series and score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 I like the bright, consonant style of it (but afraid it again will not translate into a memorable thematic idea beyond the basic chords offered here), but let's wait and listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 1 hour ago, publicist said: (but afraid it again will not translate into a memorable thematic idea beyond the basic chords offered here) Yea, this is often the problem I find with some of these new "rising stars" (Britell, Mosseri, etc). But Britell at least seems to have an ear for palette, and given the scope of this project, I'm hoping we get more of Beale Street than Moonlight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Beale Street was good, yes. Hated Moonlight, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Indeed. Moonlight is one of the most overrated scores of recent memory. Hollow piano noodling that got as far as it did with the voters on the film's aesthetics alone. Good movie though. Edmilson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,492 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 If this had been prior to SUCCESSION, I would have had no interest in it. I think all the stuff that people rave about is very overrated. But after the wonderful music for that series, I'm kinda curious about this. JNHFan2000 and Jurassic Shark 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,346 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Woah just noticed the typo in the thread title, yikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokeDocMatt 57 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 This sounds surprisingly saccharine for the historical setting. It’s lovely, but I wonder how it will be used in the context of the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,346 Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 It's not a movie it's a show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,432 Posted May 9, 2021 Share Posted May 9, 2021 The first cue was pretty good, I have high hopes for the score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Barry Jenkins has teased that the music will be released in three volumes: Good news! I'm liking this trend of TV scores getting these longer, spread out releases. Very much looking forward to what I'm sure will be one of my favourite scores of the year! The track posted above certainly shows promise, and I'm here for any new Britell. JNHFan2000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stark 312 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Succession’s music is absolutely fantastic, I hope this is more of that and less “drama”. The premise seems promising for entertaining music, fortunately... bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thestat 348 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Britell's Succession is fantastic - a massive mixture of melodies played to diverse classical styles and standards. A real showmanship in musicology. This version of the end theme is a massive beauty (each episode has the theme in a different orchestral style): (yes, he won the fucking Emmy): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 7 hours ago, The Illustrious Jerry said: Barry Jenkins has teased that the music will be released in three volumes: Good news! I'm liking this trend of TV scores getting these longer, spread out releases. Very much looking forward to what I'm sure will be one of my favourite scores of the year! The track posted above certainly shows promise, and I'm here for any new Britell. I'm not sure I like that trend. Too many composers already put out too much music on their albums. One of the reasons I've never really felt compelled to get into Ludwig's Mandalorian stuff with too much detail. But I'm definitely curious about this. Hopefully it's the large release is full of substantial music, and not meandering filler stuff. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Almost an hour of Britell's score can be heard underscoring this series of portraits that Jenkins shot on the side: There's a bunch of meandering stuff in there. But the ending music is absolutely gorgeous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Which is about 1 minute long. Otherwise my worst fears confirmed: long-held chords with hardly any musical movement at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNHFan2000 2,957 Posted May 12, 2021 Author Share Posted May 12, 2021 I'll save complete judgement till after hearing the score. But up till now, Britell's score for Je kins have been the least impressive. Successions and Vice are by far a lot better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,492 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Yeah, I forgot for a moment that this was another Jenkins. I haven't really liked any of his films, nor the scores for them. That, plus what someone posted above about the extremely excessive album presentation, makes my expectations for this plummet back to zero. But I'll also wait with a final judgement untill I've sampled the soundtrack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,054 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 On 5/8/2021 at 5:54 AM, Jules said: I'm so excited for this score. Beale Street is a score I can keep coming back to, its outstanding. Surely, you're exaggerating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 7 hours ago, publicist said: Which is about 1 minute long. Otherwise my worst fears confirmed: long-held chords with hardly any musical movement at all. Yeah, sounds like some digging will have to be done to get into any meaty stuff. But I’ll give the album a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 The first volume is out today, and after listening I've found it to be just ok. Caesar's Theme, Bessie, Searching, and This Is Science are clear highlights here. I've curated a shortened playlist clocking in at 45 minutes that cuts out the meandering and muddy bits, so hopefully it might prove useful to those who are mildly interested in this one. I'll be sure to do the same for the next two volumes, even if only for my own purposes. And here's the full album: KK and publicist 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 I'm excited about this series. Great subject for a limited series( if they stick to one season) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules 59 Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 Thanks @The Illustrious Jerry , I was in danger of calling it a day already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 On 5/14/2021 at 8:06 AM, The Illustrious Jerry said: The first volume is out today, and after listening I've found it to be just ok. Caesar's Theme, Bessie, Searching, and This Is Science are clear highlights here. I've curated a shortened playlist clocking in at 45 minutes that cuts out the meandering and muddy bits, so hopefully it might prove useful to those who are mildly interested in this one. I'll be sure to do the same for the next two volumes, even if only for my own purposes. Thanks for the playlist Jerry! It definitely plays much better, though I think it's missing the "Journey" cue and the Outro. The former is probably the highlight of the whole thing. Watched some of the first few episodes, after the first episode, the score is pretty sparse and ambient in context. The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 GOT had one volume per season and they never felt padded.. That's because they were curated, not a collection cues Even the two disc WESTWORLD plays well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,346 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Looks like Volume 2 and 3 drop tomorrow (already up now on iTunes NZ) https://music.apple.com/nz/artist/nicholas-britell/405286240 The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The Illustrious Jerry 3,356 Posted May 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 29, 2021 The second and third volumes are out today, and after listening I've found that they don't add a great deal to the first release besides a few variations, a lot more muddiness and meandering (especially on the second album), but nonetheless a handful of highlight tracks worth noting. I'm all over the place with my playlists, but there are a number of options for those who are interested in checking out some sort of abridged presentation of this score. I've put together shortened programs for each volume, with each offering a different presentation of similar material. I've also made a playlist that serves as a relatively comprehensive combination of all three albums. Here are the Spotify links: Volume One (51 minutes) As previously shared, with the track The Journey added. Spoiler Volume Two (29 minutes) There was far less of interest on this one. Some nice development of the Aria theme in House of Baal & It Must Be Searched. Spoiler Volume Three (40 minutes) A number of familiar iterations of earlier material, with Pursuit of Happiness, Valentine Trio No. 2, Descending Piece, and Three Banjos being nice new additions. There is a reprise of The Journey that doesn't have the first two minutes of rumbling, which was the reason I initially kept it off the first playlist, so that's good to have. Spoiler The Underground Railroad (1 hour, 6 minutes) There's a good score hidden in these three volumes, and this is my best attempt at whittling it all down to a manageable length. This will probably be the playlist I return to the most in the future. I may tweak it a little in the coming days but I think it works. Spoiler Feel free to make use of any of these playlists! Jules, KK, Edmilson and 2 others 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 I suspected as much from hearing the underscore in the show. There definitely is not enough material to warrant three whole albums. Most of it sounded like minimal variations of album one material anyway. I’m sure your playlist will do a lot more for Britell’s scores than these entire albums do. Will check it out. Thanks Jerry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 7 hours ago, The Illustrious Jerry said: Feel free to make use of any of these playlists! Thanks, i did. I tried to catch some of the show an Amazon, but it's the hard-suffering 'Beloved' kind of material that i could bring myself to endure in the cinema (once you got there and paid your ticket, there's a hell more motivation), but here i turned it off after 30 minutes. The music by Britell is a bit opaque in its dirge-y parts, it lacks statements to warrant all those slow parts, but there is something to it. It's certainly not the kind of chord-mongering we're used to these days, it offers some welcome elegant touches especially in orchestration and recording...and good woodwind solos. Here's what i compiled from the three volumes (it's the same length as yours but a different selection): The Illustrious Jerry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 The show becomes much more interesting near the end. It’s first half felt too much like conventional episodic tv for my tastes and shies away from the magical realism of the premise that makes it more compelling as you go forward. And I like the score. I just wish he was able to extrapolate its core ideas in more interesting ways than just verbatim renditions with an alternative solo (ex. piano over voice). Or that there was more thought to the way ideas and phrases are musically quoted throughout the work. And I’d argue that there definitely is some chord mongering in there. The albums certainly don’t help. He’s got all the right colours, and pretty rich visual content he’s writing for, there just could have been more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 24 minutes ago, KK said: And I’d argue that there definitely is some chord mongering in there. The albums certainly don’t help. It probably helps that i didn't even consult the albums, but just edited the playlists above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules 59 Posted May 30, 2021 Share Posted May 30, 2021 On 5/29/2021 at 10:45 AM, The Illustrious Jerry said: Feel free to make use of any of these playlists! Such a legend Jerry, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 On 5/29/2021 at 5:47 AM, KK said: The show becomes much more interesting near the end. It’s first half felt too much like conventional episodic tv for my tastes and shies away from the magical realism of the premise that makes it more compelling as you go forward. And I like the score. I just wish he was able to extrapolate its core ideas in more interesting ways than just verbatim renditions with an alternative solo (ex. piano over voice). Or that there was more thought to the way ideas and phrases are musically quoted throughout the work. And I’d argue that there definitely is some chord mongering in there. The albums certainly don’t help. He’s got all the right colours, and pretty rich visual content he’s writing for, there just could have been more. I thought the show was about the ' real' effort to transport slaves to freedom. Do viewers even get that the railroad was just a metaphor, not a real thing? Anyway, I have to adjust my expectations if I have any chance of enjoying this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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