What is the last score you listened to?

[Ollie 1,059]

I believe that it was Kamen who was hired first, and Badelt brought in to techno it up.

From what I understand Michael Kamen was hired against Brian Singer's wishes, because he wanted Ottman who was busy working on Urban Legend 2 but the studio didn't want to wait for Ottman to finish his project first.

Apparently Kamen had a miserable experience working on the film and Badelt was brought on to "spice" up the music with the techno crap, much like what happaned to Brian Tyler on Constantine. Also it's been reported that Singer didn't allow Kamen too much freedom to develope any themes. Of course given Ottman's bland musical approach to Singer's superhero films it doesn't suprise me.

This is according to various sources, can't say it's 100% accurate.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I've also heard it reported that some of the original plans for the X-Men 1.5 DVD release were to extend the film significantly, including possibly newly shot origin stories for the other X-Men and even have Ottman rescore the extended cut.

Whether these were real plans or just a wishlist I'm not sure though.

[Morlock 11]

Does the film have enough fans to warrant it? I mean, the feel I got is that most people kinda liked it, were surprised that it didn't totally suck.

[Jay 37,369]

Superman IV - The Quest For Peace

For some reason I hadn't found time listen to discs 5-8 of the blue box until now. Supes 4 was a great score! Just fun music throughout

I'm SURE this has been pointed out here already, but... did anybody else notice that the early variations of Nuclear Man's Theme (like disc 1 tracks 11-17) sound like a passage from "Kasim Meets Max" (aka "Brother Of the Cruciform Sword") from Last Crusade?

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Does the film have enough fans to warrant it? I mean, the feel I got is that most people kinda liked it, were surprised that it didn't totally suck.

Which is probably why X-Men 1.5 ended up just being a double-dip with more extras.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Giving up on X3. Don't really like it as a whole. Now going on to Kamen's score for the first (OST, I don't have the expanded sadly).

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

X2 has a decent ascending main theme. I like it better than Superman Returns.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

The Polar Express was released in 3D?

Yuppers.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Hm. I did not know that.

- Marc, lives and learns.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Jurassic Park by John Williams

I think it might be in my top ten favorite JW scores. Not sure, but nonetheless it's a damn fine score.

[Desplat13 1]

I think it's top 5 for me. Maybe top three...

[indy4 155]

It used to be in my top 10 scores of all time. It has dropped since then, but it's still a fantastic score. But I still can't decided if it's better or worse than TLW.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It's better, I'm listening to The Lost World right now. The first half is great, but the second half drags.

[Red 75]

It used to be in my top 10 scores of all time. It has dropped since then, but it's still a fantastic score. But I still can't decided if it's better or worse than TLW.

It is a great score, but for some reason it's never clicked with me like it has for some people. I don't really know why.

[John Crichton 4]

Me neither. It just doesn't have that extra level that turns a good score into a great one.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

You just don't have that extra level that turns a good guy into a great one!

[John Crichton 4]

Eh, who wants to be great? All those pressures, expectations, you're no longer your own boss.

[Jay 37,369]

Revenge Of The Sith - GoodMusician's Complete version

wow! I appreciate this score much more now having heard the entire thing. The OST definitely leaves off some important stuff.

The only thing I don't get is, why did GoodMusician leave on the tracks that were just tracked TPM music, and why was everything separated into short tracks? It was like the Concord IJ set, except they were most of the time artificially separated into separate tracks from complete versions (especially obvious in the opening battle and end credits)

[Desplat13 1]

I think that is the way GoodMusician usually does his edits, so that the combining is left up to the listener. He just gives them all the tools, and lets them arrange it the way they want to.

Is the "Duel of the Fates" that appears on that score tracked from TPM, or is it a new recording?

[Henry B 50]

The only thing I don't get is, why did GoodMusician leave on the tracks that were just tracked TPM music, and why was everything separated into short tracks? It was like the Concord IJ set, except they were most of the time artificially separated into separate tracks from complete versions (especially obvious in the opening battle and end credits)

:cool:

That's right. I appreciate GM's work on soundtracks and he's very exact, but his insistence on separating every recorded piece of music creates a very poor listening experience. It's ridiculous to create ugly, fake separations between tracks when their combination is exactly as Williams intended it. Hell, if GM worked for Concord I expect we would have gotten "Anything Goes" as three separate, instrumental cues and Kate Capshaw's vocals as an a capella track.

I think that is the way GoodMusician usually does his edits, so that the combining is left up to the listener. He just gives them all the tools, and lets them arrange it the way they want to.

Except... he doesn't. You can recombine the tracks, but because they've been artificially torn apart you won't get a proper mix. You have to just go back to the source material like the OST.

Is the "Duel of the Fates" that appears on that score tracked from TPM, or is it a new recording?

Can't speak for GM's edit, but in the film the instrumental layer of Duel of the Fates is tracked, while the choir is newly recorded.

[Jay 37,369]

Right, I would get it if the video game sourced stuff had clean endings and openings so he just gave us them like that, but in many cases he was clearly taking already combined music and then separating them by creating artificial endings and openings.... I was confused

[John Crichton 4]

I tried GoodMusician's RotS edit and it didn't work for me. Not just because of the weird cue splicing, but what he does to the music makes it sound so...overengineered. Fake. I mean, this is the man who threw a hissy fit over the position of the harps in the SE mix of ESB or somesuch.

[Jay 37,369]

If somebody else wants to share their edit of ROTS, I'd love to hear it :cool:

[Trent B 337]

The only thing I don't get is, why did GoodMusician leave on the tracks that were just tracked TPM music, and why was everything separated into short tracks? It was like the Concord IJ set, except they were most of the time artificially separated into separate tracks from complete versions (especially obvious in the opening battle and end credits)

:cool:

That's right. I appreciate GM's work on soundtracks and he's very exact, but his insistence on separating every recorded piece of music creates a very poor listening experience. It's ridiculous to create ugly, fake separations between tracks when their combination is exactly as Williams intended it. Hell, if GM worked for Concord I expect we would have gotten "Anything Goes" as three separate, instrumental cues and Kate Capshaw's vocals as an a capella track.

I think that is the way GoodMusician usually does his edits, so that the combining is left up to the listener. He just gives them all the tools, and lets them arrange it the way they want to.

Except... he doesn't. You can recombine the tracks, but because they've been artificially torn apart you won't get a proper mix. You have to just go back to the source material like the OST.

Is the "Duel of the Fates" that appears on that score tracked from TPM, or is it a new recording?

Can't speak for GM's edit, but in the film the instrumental layer of Duel of the Fates is tracked, while the choir is newly recorded.

Henry is 100% correct on this matter.

[Delorean90 42]

So, Delorean90, have you purchased "Dick Tracy" yet?

Unfortunately no. I've got it on my Christmas list as a possible gap filler, though--i.e., if enough of my Christmas money has been spent that I've got money for a cheaper CD or something, but not one of the bigger items. We'll see what happens. I'll definitely get it before too long, though.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I think it is well worth the price, especially considering what the price is. Some people say it sounds too similar to "Batman", even accusing Danny Elfman of self-plagiarizing, but I disagree. There are similarities, to be sure, but not incriminatingly so. The album's greatest weakness is its brevity, which lasts about 35 minutes. If you want a good laugh, then I recommend reading one of the most hilarious ( and incompetent) reviews ever made ( perhaps not that bad, but you get the idea). "Copy and paste" does not exist on my computer, so I cannot give you a link, but I can give you directions. Find the Wikipedia article on the score, and click the link that will transport you to a review at Allmusic.com. It is one of those reviews that make you wonder whether the reviewer actually listened to the album.

[Delorean90 42]

Oh yeah, I hate the "hey dood this soundz like teh BATMAN!!!!111!!! Elfmans a loozer!"

As (I believe) Drax put it: Dick Tracy sounds like Batman in the same way that Dracula sounds like ESB. Batman had a more gothic sound, whereas what I've heard of Dick Tracy is more of a 40's, comic-book G-men kind of thing. I really like it. And Tess' Theme is just unspeakably wonderful.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Though I cannot say anything about the "Dracula" comparison ( I never listened to the score), I agree with Drax there. However, to be honest, there are a few tracks that bore me. Fortunately, they only take about a thirtieth or so of the album.

[indy4 155]

How To Steal A Million:

A very fun score. It's my first exposure to Johnny Williams, and he shows a lot of promise. I look forward to his future ventures. 3/5 stars

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

He'll never get out of those jazzy scores. He's a hack!

[indy4 155]

I'd of loved to hear Johnny Williams score Byron Haskin's War of the Worlds. Johnny really could have delivered an exciting and interesting score. I mean, combining JW with WotW--what could go wrong?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Robot Monster would have been more appropriate.

[Jay 37,369]

The Princess Bride

Pretty good stuff, for what it is. The album is short, does anybody know if there are any significant unreleased cues in the film?

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Try to listen to this once a year around X-Mas time. It's a such a shame that this was re-released as a 2CD set and there's still plenty of underscore that remains unreleased

[Nick Parker 3,040]

To be honest, I am content with the album as it is. The cues that are missing are minor, and some of the cues that are on the album (such as "Christmas Eve Montage") have little inserts in the film that disrupt the flow of the piece. An excellent score, though.

[Ollie 1,059]

Oh yeah, I hate the "hey dood this soundz like teh BATMAN!!!!111!!! Elfmans a loozer!"

As (I believe) Drax put it: Dick Tracy sounds like Batman in the same way that Dracula sounds like ESB. Batman had a more gothic sound, whereas what I've heard of Dick Tracy is more of a 40's, comic-book G-men kind of thing. I really like it. And Tess' Theme is just unspeakably wonderful.

I can understand those who try and compare Batman & Dick Tracy. Tracy came the following summer and if I'm not mistaken it was Batman's score that impressed Warren Beatty, who wanted something similar.

Dick Tracy is a good score, one of my favorite cues is "Crime Spree".

[indy4 155]

Bachelor Flat:

Another enjoyable score. I love Tuesdays' Theme, and its use in "Poor Mike/Short Trip." JW's sixth film score, and it sounds good. 3/5 stars

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Oh yeah, I hate the "hey dood this soundz like teh BATMAN!!!!111!!! Elfmans a loozer!"

As (I believe) Drax put it: Dick Tracy sounds like Batman in the same way that Dracula sounds like ESB. Batman had a more gothic sound, whereas what I've heard of Dick Tracy is more of a 40's, comic-book G-men kind of thing. I really like it. And Tess' Theme is just unspeakably wonderful.

I can understand those who try and compare Batman & Dick Tracy. Tracy came the following summer and if I'm not mistaken it was Batman's score that impressed Warren Beatty, who wanted something similar.

Dick Tracy is a good score, one of my favorite cues is "Crime Spree".

Yes to everything.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I am currently listening to "The Cowboys" for the first true time. I am loving it! After finally managing to listen to it ( stupid Amazon.com), I can say that this is certainly my favorite "pre-'Jaws'" work from John Williams ( that is not saying much, though). The Main Theme is wonderfully catchy, and I cannot help smiling whenever I listen to it. I am very glad that John Williams did not forget about this piece.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

( stupid Amazon.com)

I am very glad that John Williams did not forget about this piece.

Elaborate on both accounts.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I do not blame the website itself, but seriously, look at its price on Amazon.com! It is not as bad as some wallet-stealers you can find, but I think that is a bit excessive.

He created "The Cowboys Overture", and he still conducts it in concerts, as far as I know. A little ironic, actually....

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I do not blame the website itself, but seriously, look at its price on Amazon.com! It is not as bad as some wallet-stealers you can find, but I think that is a bit excessive.

Ah, I didn't realize it was OOP. I got mine when it was still in print. But yeah, those are the sellers' prices, not Amazons.

[indy4 155]

The Cowboys is a brilliant score. I agree about it being the best pre-Jaws JW score, I'll add that it's the best cowboy score I've ever heard. It is brimming with so much energy and excitement.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

My only problem is that it can be a bit repetitive at times. But when it is the "Cowboys Overture" playing again and again, I really do not care.

[indy4 155]

The version on By Request absolutely fantastic. I think you can get the cue on iTunes, and I highly recommend it. I prefer it to anything on the OST (though the OST is great).

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'll add that it's the best cowboy score I've ever heard.

Far from it, very far. Listen to some Morricone, or perhaps some Ortolani and Bacalov. There are so many better westerns scores than what JW has done.

[indy4 155]

I admit, I haven't heard many westerns. The only other ones are The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, and The Cowboys is better than both.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The only other ones are The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, and The Cowboys is better than both.

Scratch that, reverse it.

[indy4 155]

The only other ones are The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, and The Cowboys is better than both.

Scratch that, reverse it.

The only other one is The Cowboys, and The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly are both worse than it.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The only other ones are The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, and The Cowboys is better than both.

Scratch that, reverse it.

The only other one is The Cowboys, and The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly are both worse than it.

LIES!

Anyway, I'd recommend the other scores in The Man With No Name Trilogy, Sabata, Lo Chiamavano King, and Day Of Anger. I'm sure you'd enjoy those, even if you won't find them better than The Cowboys. The best western score of all is Once Upon A Time In The West though.

Listened to the second disc of The Dark Knight. Nothing new, well technically yes, but it's just more of the same. Those remixes are god awful. For those who couldn't stand the score before, stay away from those.

[indy4 155]

As someone who gave TGTBATU 2.25/5 stars, I think I'll keep my distance from the other Morricone westerns (though there were a couple of awesome cues from TGTBATU).