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The Official Michael Giacchino Thread


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Well I haven't played any of the MOH games, but could someone reccommend to a Giacchino fan which MOH CD to buy? Or should I just get all of them? I really can't get enough of his music. ..

Get them all... however, I listen to the original MOH and Frontline more than Underground. But that doesn't mean that Underground isn't good.

Anyway, get them all if you can... and you can purchase the 15 minutes of score Giacchino wrote for Allied Assault via iTunes.

Also check out Secret Weapons Over Normandy on La La Land Records.

Enjoy!

-Erik-

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Thanks Erik. Though I call myself a Giacchino fan I've only got the two Alias releases and The Incredibles (though they are probably the most listened albums on my iPod), and of course what I hear on Lost. I can't wait to discover it all.

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  • 2 months later...

Just received MI:3 tonight but didn't have a chance to listen to it (I also received Cleopatra in the same package and no offence to Michael but North will always come first). I also watched LOST tonight and loved which Giacchino did with that funky muted trombone line. It's actually not FUNK as in the 70s genre style but just very cool.

Oh, I also heard The Family Stone and really liked the music. I think Giacchino's got a great career ahead of him.

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That lost score CD release was pretty fantastic. I love parting words track, unfortunately it's missing a pretty vital piece of music, from the walkabout episode where locke finds he can walk. A better version of his theme than whats in Locke'd Out Again.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, Mission Impossible 3 then.

I feel a bit let down by the film. It's funky and stylish and fast paced - I love the long-zooms, high-contrast look of it all. But some of the action (particularly the chases) suffered from overly-zealous shaky cam (akin to Bourne Supremacy). And there was definately a cheeky sense of fun in the impossibility of throwing together each of their little 'operations' in a few hours. It's a shame the romance that the entire plot hinged on was weak and under-developed. Abrahms fondness of 'montage-to-music' that worked so well in parts of Lost was, well, lost on this shallow characterisation.

As for the score...I bought it before I saw it. I was expecting some funky, coherent thematic fun and tension (Medal of Honor meets The Incredibles) but much of it reminds me of the disjointed Call of Duty (less harsh though, obviously). I can say the only track I've warmed to is 'Humpty Dumpty'...the action tracks seem to blend. And, unfortunately the score got little room or chance to shine in the film. It certainly did its job, but it was all little crescendos to edits; the tender parts too sparse (worked in Lost, not here) and the action music forgettable. I'm going to continue to listen to it all now that I've seen the film, but I'm not as pleased as I thought I'd be. Giacchino is still a legend though, and to be fair he was given a fairly vacuous and 'image-centric' film to score.

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What's wrong with Call of Duty? I find it very interesting and exciting to listen to, and when that choral-like theme kicks in in the latter half I always get goosebumps.

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Oh, nothing! I enjoy the album too - I was just saying I expected something more....coherent (more 'Frontline' than 'CoD'). I prefer John Powell's espionage/action scores to the Bourne films than the action music from MI:3.

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Oh, nothing! I enjoy the album too - I was just saying I expected something more....coherent (more 'Frontline' than 'CoD'). I prefer John Powell's espionage/action scores to the Bourne films than the action music from MI:3.

Actually, Giacchino wanted Call of Duty to be the polar opposite to his Medal of Honor score. He wanted his COD score to be more gritty, raw, realistic and very dramatic. He didn't want that heroic sound from MOH anywhere near COD. I think he succeeded with flying colors.

-Erik-

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I've been listening to the MI:3 score a bunch, but nothing from it sticks. It's an unremarkable score, totally pales in comparison to Elfman's inspired first score. Elfman did a friggin' amazing job of using Schifrin's themes, and his own new theme is right up the alley of the Schifrin scores, a fantastic new motif. The way he used The Plot motif, and his kick-ass version of the main theme, IMO by far the best representation of the theme to date. One of Elfman's finer scores.

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Elfman's inspired first score. Elfman did a friggin' amazing job of using Schifrin's themes

Elfman's is mostly underscore.

Schifrin themes? You mean the main theme in the main titles and in the ending explosion, the drums from the plot in the paramout title and a hint of the plot before the ending explosion, right?.

Giacchino played more homage to schifrin IMO.

I find factory rescue a grea example of it.

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There are far more uses than the ones you mentioned. Elfman weaved the themes into the score in a far more seamless and subtle way. He used The Plot theme as a continuation of his own theme. He used the main theme sparingly, so that the three-four times he used it overtly, plus the couple of times he used it more subtely, they really packed a punch. And I think he really put some thought into what makes the theme so great, and that shows in his arrangement of it for the main titles. He gets everything right with it. Giacchinno's is nothing special. Giacchino announces every time he uses a Schifrin theme- The Plot theme, used in the Factroy Rescue is very overt and straightforward. Elfman paid homage to Schifrin not only by featuring his themes, but by building on them. And hi own new theme fits in like it was always part of the M:I world.

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About who made better use of Schifrin's themes and/or which score is better? no, probably not. But Elfman did certainly use Schifrin's themes a lot more than the occaisions you mentioned.

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no, probably not. But Elfman did certainly use Schifrin's themes a lot more than the occaisions you mentioned.

I trust your words there, i meant the other thing ;)

Didnt giacchino build his IMF with the plot too?

EDIT:

I had to heard the M:I (1) score again.

The plot and the other theme Giacchino uses (what is its name? its prominently on 'Zoom b' begining) are there several times and embedded in the score. The plot could have had one or two promintent uses, instead of being always hints (and while Elfman used it as part of his theme he didn't always in all the renditions so you lose 'connection'). I just noticed as well that the score is mostly some odd mix of percusions (that even sometimes sound overdubbed) and strings and some wood/metal wind. And some synth beats. It's lacks the full orchestra sound i like, so i cannon't find the good in it, my fault.

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I actually like the score because it is not full blown. It is mostly quiet, often atmospheric, very edgy. And I find it to be exciting as hell, which is all the more exciting concidering that it is not a big or loud score. I love the fact that so much of the thematic material is barely hinted at.....I've got enoguh overt, full-, unsubtle scores. But when something can absolutely thrill me without resorting to high decibals or showy theatrics, than I feel I must take pause and appreciate it. Were it a score for any other action film, I'd probably be impressed as hell with Giacchino's scores. But, to me, it is something a bit too obvious and regular, concidering the first score.

Disclaimer: this was not trying to convince anyone, just to explain my stance :)

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I liked Giacchino’s MI3 score overall. I thought the Vatican sequence was the best in terms of showcasing what he can bring to a movie. The editing and the music worked very well together. However, I’m begining to think his quieter, more emotional music is clumsy as compared to his action writing. His action music has a vitality and confidence about it but then there’s something in his technique with the quieter music where it seems like he’s trying just as hard to be invisible as he is to make his mark. Its true with some of the music to Lost and Family Stone as well. The sparce piano chords, for example, are something he’s used in Lost, Family Stone, MI3 and it often seems remarkably safe as an approach in the film, not to mention being a bit of a struggle as a listening experience. Beyond that, his more orchestral approach often feels a little unnatural, like he’s sacrificing something in the flow of the music because he’s thinking more in terms of

the coloring and not the forward motion (the way MI3 ends for example). Its partly a subjective reaction no doubt and with Lost there are parts I really like but, still, there does seem to be a big difference.

- Adam

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I'm ignorant when it comes to the videogame scores but even with Lost and Family Stone there's some good moments that contradict what I said. I'm just speaking to a general tendency I'm noticing with his film/TV scores. But the finale to one of the earlier Season 2 Lost episodes has a very well-devleoped melody that I'm anxious to have.

- Adam

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We forgot to mention that yesterday regarldess of the 6-6-6 mumbo jumbo, was also a nice day to play Medal of Honor music, and Saving Private Ryan.

:mrgreen: hymn to the fallen

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I noticed that not too long ago, too! I got a recoring of it. However, I'm not sure what part of the film it's from. (I need to watch it again, I guess.)

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Speaking of the Incredibles DVD, I really enjoy the music featurette they have on it. It's lengthy enough to give us a feel as to what the process was like, and very interesting. Listening to the commentary by the director and it's no wonder why the featurette is so good. Every twenty minutes Brad mentions the score and what Michael did, and every time he made it sound as if he got it right first time, every time.

We need more DVDs like The Incredibles and more directors/writers like Bird.

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I'm getting into some select MI:3 tracks now....the last half of Hunting for Jules is pretty thumping (can't stop humming and tapping it elsewhere I go), and The Chutist is a classy exercise in dissonance and variety. It reminds me of Call of Duty more than any other track, but that's become less of an issue for me and now I'm riding with it; the percussion breakdown that sets up the conclusion to that track is addictive (if too short).

And all in all, the whole album makes for brilliant cycling music! :|

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There's one site I won't feel bad missing.

Morlock- who doesn't care for Giacchino's versions of the main theme

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M:i:III unreleased music on the main site?

http://www.missionimpossible.com/

It has the rendition of the main theme with anvils from the trailer Sad

And unreleased renditions of the plot theme, i think.

Thanks, it's in poor quality though. But I noticed from the unreleased parts that the truncation on the album is a bit Williamsesque - some fun bits have been left out.

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Suprisingly I've been warming to the rather chaotic action tracks more than his MI themes.

On another note, what do we reckon the chances of a season 2 Lost album? Probably quite slim, since they'd have to have made a lot of money from the first to consider a second release. While not as 'rounded' as the music of the first series, there's still some gems I could enjoy. Touches of the raft theme early on, some Mr. Eko source music, the other 48 days, Libby's death, the Others motif....plenty of short-but-sweet moments to be had.

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My absolute favorite part from the Mission: Impossible III album is the section between "Humpty Dumpy Sat on a Wall" to "See You in the Sewer". Classy spying music down to a T.

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Libby's death

:mrgreen:

;)

:angry::angry:

:angry::angry::angry:

:angry::angry::angry::angry:

censored censored censored

banghead banghead banghead banghead

Have you EVER heard of masking SPOILERS?

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

veryangry.gif

And there I thought I was safe as long as I steer clear of the "LOST" thread...

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My absolute favorite part from the Mission: Impossible III album is the section between "Humpty Dumpy Sat on a Wall" to "See You in the Sewer". Classy spying music down to a T.

Et tu, Brute?

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  • 1 month later...

MMm it Seems tha MOH Airborne is definately Giacchino.

Erik forgot to mention it here unlike in this forum:

http://www.scorereviews.com/forum/topic.as...?id=2793&page=7 8O

:)

And in the same page, they say Rattaouille teaser had Giacchinos music too.

Well, great news :)

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My absolute favorite part from the Mission: Impossible III album is the section between "Humpty Dumpy Sat on a Wall" to "See You in the Sewer". Classy spying music down to a T.

Et tu, Brute?

Fear no longer, my friend. Slowly but steadily, the score has been growing on me. I have to admit that this is one exciting piece of action music. Refreshing, pumping, confident... An excellent exercise on Giacchino's style and on writing good music for a film. But still the section I mentioned truly stands out. That's the music I'd like to listen in my head if I were a spy.

At least, I suppose that's what you mean, Morlock.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Good news for Lost/Giacchino fans: On October 3rd, Varèse Sarabande will release another Lost soundtrack, this time featuring music from season 2! :)

Click! (bottom of the page)

- Marc, who'll be getting this. :)

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I am suprised and utterly thrilled. I expected the first album to sell well but public opinion of it to be a little....hesitant. I mean, it's hardly an album that's easy to listen to despite having some great chilled tracks.

I can't wait to hear what material they'll be including on this release.

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I hope there's some reprises of material from season 1 too that wasn't included on the first release (like Charlie's theme, I believe, and that mystery motif that played when they were dealing with the hatch or the territoire foncée). Both those themes reappeared in the next season, so there's good chance they'll be on there this time.

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Excellent news!

Is that 'mystery motif' you refer to the theme used whenever they explore the island? (Like in the Pilot, when they look for the cockpit?)

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From IGN.com

Michael Giacchino, longtime J.J. Abrams collaborator and composer of the music for Alias and Lost, told IGN that he is only starting to think about how he will approach the forthcoming score for the Abrams-directed Star Trek XI. Speaking at the release party for the Lost Season Two DVD, Giacchino said, "it's kind of on the distant radar. I know they're working on it. [but] it is so far away we haven't even discussed it yet." In addition to his television work, Giacchino previously composed scores for The Incredibles and Sky High.  

When asked if he expects to approach the Star Trek XI score in the same way he did the music for Mission: Impossible III, which referenced the previous films and the TV series, he said that he may cherry-pick some of the cues that he likes and discard others. "I think that ultimately you might pick the theme that you think is the important one and utilize that in a certain way and then go completely somewhere else with it," Giacchino said. "That would be I guess in the same way as Mission: Impossible was fun like that to take that and go somewhere wholly different with the score that the other two dudes didn't do. Not that it's better or worse but just different."

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