What was the last score you listened to?

Yoko Kanno’s score for Macross Plus.

She may steal her music, but man does it sound incredible.

I suppose it depends on how fast it derails. :p

Troof

When putting together suites I am listening to it in it’s entirety. Picking out the best moments while trying to represent all the main themes too.

So "BLAH" to that, Doc. :laugh:

You barbaric antagonist. So "BLEH" to that, cuckoo. :laugh:

yeah me too.

Filmtracks has a "daily listening to thread" I quite like.

Every morning I check it see what other folks are listening to. Sometimes it influences my playlist for the day. Which is nice, because normally I wouldn’t think of putting on something like let’s say John Williams’ "The Terminal" and would be missing out.

You barbaric antagonist. So "BLEH" to that, cuckoo. :laugh:

Titties. Fat. Suck. Mine.

:doc:

Filmtracks has a "daily listening to thread" I quite like.

Every morning I check it see what other folks are listening to. Sometimes it influences my playlist for the day. Which is nice, because normally I wouldn’t think of putting on something like let’s say John Williams’ "The Terminal" and would be missing out.

filmtracks? the site that has the reviews too?

I just finished Dexter, Season One so it goes here. 😀

Yeah. The message boards can be pretty snooty at times but there’s a few interesting folks there too.

good to know! 😀 I’ll take a look.

now listening to:

Michal Lorenc – Rozyczka

so, was "the terminal" more blah or more bleh then? 😉

Reviews:

Lovely, Melodic Minimalist Score from Panu Aaltio

May 29, 2009 David Abraham Dueck

Aaltio’s gorgeously restrained score bucks the trend for most minimalism-influenced film soundtracks and proves both thematically and melodically enchanting.

It is not rare for arthouse films to sport musical scores of classical or minimalist influence; the scores of Philip Glass and Nico Muhly are testament to the fact that such soundtracks can work hypnotic wonders within the context of their films, even if their repetitious natures can betray them on album.

But Panu Aaltio’s churning, sweepingly dramatic score to The Home of Dark Butterflies is a perfect example of minimalism used as a device rather than a form in a film score, with turbulent chord repetitions used as a powerful foundation for some genuinely passionate melody and thematic development.

Simple Orchestral Palette in Butterflies Score

The ensemble at work in Butterflies is a fairly conservative string orchestra with piano; not the most colorful instrumental palette, but it is after all a minimalist-influenced score, and the depth and emotional range covered in the performance is nonetheless outstanding. Occasional colorful accents are added at times, however, in the form of xylophone, bells and other light percussive effects, giving the score a nicely rounded and chillingly effective identity.

Thematic Solidity in Aaltio’s Minimalist-Influenced Soundtrack
The main theme itself (indeed, some might call it the only theme on the album) is a rising-and-falling idea which itself is somewhat repetitive, but with an enchanting elegance and compelling emotional core which is immediately reminiscent of passionate works by Georges Delerue and Rachel Portman (although Aaltio’s musical voice is noticeably much closer to Philip Glass’ than to either of those composers). The track “Boys Decide to Stay” has a particularly Portman-like sound as the high-range solo piano picks out the melody of the main theme while the strings chop away in the middle ranges.

Those portions of the score not carried by its defining chord ostinatos and main theme are typically ambient in nature, although never uninteresting; tracks like “Jealous Christmas” are as compelling as any track on the album due to their complex orchestrations and effective structure, building from brooding textures into a powerful and rhythmic statement of musical drama.

The album is not particularly long at slightly over 40 minutes; but this is not a problem or concern given the score’s reliance on one main thematic idea. Were the album longer, it is very possible it could grow tiring or obnoxious in its emotional urgency and unvarying thematic value. As it is, the score is perfect in its length, never outstaying its welcome and maintaining enough fresh surprises around every corner to engage and enchant any avid film score lover.

Conclusion
Overall, the score is a largely no-frills piece of intelligent, lovely film scoring. The theme is instantly memorable and very attractive in all its renderings on the album. The tone of the score is incredibly consistent throughout the album’s playing time, with nary a spot of cacophony or dissonance marring the smoothly harmonic but potently dramatic beauty of the score.

Collectors of larger-scale blockbuster scores may pass this one over as being “boring” or “anonymous,” but they could not be farther from the truth; fans of similarly minimalist-influenced scores such as Lady in the Water and The Truman Show will want to investigate this score without hesitation. Recommended!

by Mike Brennan
on January 19th, 2010
Panu Aaltio, a native of Finland, is a relative newcomer to the film music industry, but already made an impression with his score to the 2008 drama, Home of Dark Butterflies. This film, about a group of boys in foster care on The Island, is a dark film, both in content and the often cold cinematography, by director Dome Karukoski. Aaltio’s score captures this dark tone through the use of minor keys and suspended chords, while maintaining a building tension through a moving bass line in the low strings. What is particularly impressive about this score is its ability to evoke the emotions of the story – tension, anger, hope – independently of the film.
The "Main Title" opens with the moving bass line below a set of chimes. The main theme is then introduced in "Big Plans" on the piano and strings, the two primary components of the score. This theme is used frequently throughout the score in some variation, which adds to the score’s impact as a soundtrack album. However, the theme is rarely heard in full between it’s first iteration and the finale cues. It can be heard in the strings, as in "The Butterfly Project", or on a solo piano in "Boys Decide to Stay" but the full orchestration of the theme does not appear again until later. Other times, the theme is used only as a series of chords with the moving underscore, as in "Memories in Water", or a set of piano chords, as in "Alone". Other cues, such as "Fever and Nightmares", are more ambient in tone, similar to Aaltio’s other feature score from 2008, Sauna.
The main theme itself functions as an emotional core to the film. It opens and closes in a D-minor key, with a jump to F-major briefly in the middle, before returning to the darker tonality of the minor key. The composer explained that this was done to insert a glimpse of happiness that never settles in, but is more sought after than found. The alternation between these keys creates the feel of the score that corresponds with the cold cinematography of the film. Cues like "The Past Revealed" and "The Farewell" build in a steep crescendo that maintains the tension in the score while also evoking a feeling of beauty that never is completely realized.
The pinnacle of the score is the finale cue, "Forgiveness", which sees a return of the main theme in its full orchestration, first heard in "Big Plans". This cue reminds me of the funeral scene from Michael Suby’s The Butterfly Effect (the similarity in name being purely coincidental), in that it has a sorrowful, dark beauty that hints at happiness. "Forgiveness" begins with the theme on piano and segues into a slowly building string and piano statement. The theme is then played a second time that is the strongest orchestral presence in the score, but maintains the dark, minor key tonality, complete with suspensions between the string chords while also picking up the tempo. The album closes with a quiet piano solo in "Saying Goodbye". Home of Dark Butterflies is a score than many film music fans missed (admittedly, myself included) but is a stunning drama score from a new composer that is worth checking out. The film was not released in America, but the album is on iTunes, so I strongly recommend readers check out "Forgiveness" at the very least.

Review by Louise Keller:
Blood and Wine is a great title. It conjures up images of the good life intertwined with evil. Bob Rafelson uses the themes of greed, lust and betrayal coupled with riveting ingredients to bring an emotionally satisfying, biting thriller. Jack Nicholson uses all his considerable skills to portray Alex, a seriously flawed character with a charming side and a hint of a conscience. Nicholson is a craftsman, and plays this type of evil convincingly. Michael Caine’s role as Victor Spansky is perhaps his strongest in many years. He makes a formidable and intimidating villain, with his large physique and grossly dyed black hair, moustache and chronic cough. His believable portrayal of such a charmless brute of a villain with no quality to redeem him whatsoever is most convincing and he fully encapsulates the sliminess of this evil character. There is a certain piquancy to some of the scenes shared by Caine and Nicholson. ‘There is no honour among thieves,’ Caine says. There is something rather eerie about the pool-side scene when Nicholson and Caine make their final confrontation: we glimpse shades of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest", which could not possibly have been a coincidence. Stephen Dorff is terrific as Nicholson’s step son, and Judy Davis gives yet another superb performance fraught with understated emotion and power. The script is sharp and deliberate; the lighting is moody; Michael Lorenc’s music score is dark and effectively uses repetitive phrases to build up the tension.

Tan Dun

Adiantum Blue – Michiru Oshima (http://forums.ffshrine.org/f92/big-orchestral-action-music-thread-57893/206.html#post1477052)

Sanico, thx for this one: listening now and it is exactly the style I love. 🙂

Not his best but it has some fairly good stuff on it.

Sadly the best cue on it (Drunken Master) did not make it to my "best of 2010". 🙁

True Legend – Shigeru Umebayashi
Not his best but it has some fairly good stuff on it.

Yeah, i’ve heard it but didn’t like it too and give up listening halfway through.
Definitely not his best

Now Playing: The Terminal – John Williams
🙂

Tan Dun

Tan Dun

okokok. I will listen to it.

😉

Tan Dun

Oh that’s wonderful. Love in Distance is one of my most played tracks. I heard that track alone more than any sane person should…

Now Playing: Star Wars ep1

[forgot how good this one is]

Great music I loved that movie the last time I saw it was four-ish years ago.

And I’ll be listening to it again soon!
..as I make a custom rip of it in 5.1/FLAC.

I’ve had this since it came out and I don’t know how it went ignored.

Oceans / Bruno Coulais

I’ve had this since it came out and I don’t know how it went ignored.

hm. sounds like one I should listen to as well, I will…

😯 🙁

just kidding 😀

I love Ghibli as well. http://www.adiumxtras.com/images/thumbs/totoro_final_version_1_10573_3968_thumb.gif

————————————

Ghost In The Shell – Innocence

Kenji Kawai

And since it’s friday im listening now Cowboy Bebop OST 1

Garry Schyaman’s "BioShock 2" score.

I absolutely adore this creepy little score.

I like the score better than the game this time around, while it’s the other way around with the first one. :confused:

Tenmon

Watch out for Doc. He’ll eat you first chance he gets.

😯 You uncouth contumelious fiend. You’re supposed to be my PR man. I’ll have to review your salary, I must be paying you too many peanuts.

Bernard Herrmann

Excellent. Probably one of the best score from last year….it’s just so damned dreary I don’t see myself revisiting the album as a whole all that often for entertainment purposes.

Shiro Sagisu

The Pacific / Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli & Blake Neely

Excellent. Probably one of the best score from last year….it’s just so damned dreary I don’t see myself revisiting the album as a whole all that often for entertainment purposes.

I on the other hand don’t like this score. I find it to be very boring unlike the Thin Red Line which is one of my favorites from Zimmer. Apart of the main title there’s nothing on the Pacific soundtrack that caught my attention.

I love Griet’s Theme and all the little variations on the theme you hear through the album.

4,5 out of 5

Michel LeGrand (et al).

The Elfman

Jamin Winans

One of my favorites from 2010. A wonderful, wonderful score.

Armand Amar’s "AO, le dernier N???andertal"

One of my favorites from 2010. A wonderful, wonderful score.

will put it on my list 🙂

I think this might be Harvey at his finest adventure writing. He’s got some other really good scores but none quite as this fun.

will put it on my list 🙂

If it’s not available on these forums, I can hook you up if you’d like. 🙂

many thanks forthe kind offer, I have it in my archive, but I never gave it a listen (as with so many others)

/edit: I did listen NOW, I am pleasently surprised!

ocean men – cliff eidelman

4 out of 5

4 out of 5

will give this one a new try now 😀

the duchess – edward shearmur

@cuckoo: AO neanderthal is real good!

The Elfman

If it’s not available on these forums, I can hook you up if you’d like. 🙂

many thanks forthe kind offer, I have it in my archive

He’s a hugable little bunny, isn’t he? :laugh:. 😀

The kind of huge and gothic that stands up with "Lesbian Vampire Killers" and "Sleepy Hollow".

@cuckoo: AO neanderthal is real good!

I know, eh?

It was one of the many scores that took me completely off guard last year.

I know, eh?

It was one of the many scores that took me completely off guard last year.

me too. 🙂
I just thought, oh well, if cuckoo sais so, give it a listen. But wow!

He’s a hugable little bunny, isn’t he? :laugh:. 😀

"Cuckoo, the hugable little bunny"

I am not sure if mentioning that would make him kill me 😀

Yeah. Last album I listened to was the new remastered Nightmare Before Christmas expanded (complete?) score. Shiny.

4 out of 5

Hi budarc 😮

Brian Tyler and The Red Elvises’ insanely entertaining rockabilly surf rock score "Six-String Samurai".

Romeo D???az, James Wong, Chow Gam-wing

One of two albums I spin at least once a week. and have done for a long time. Love it.

….but if you spin it at least once a week, that’s enough for me to seek it out.

…

……we say "spin"………….

….we’re old…..:rofldata:

……we say "spin"………….
….we’re old…..

:rofldata: :rofldata: :rofldata: 🙁

😯 😯

No then.

:rolleyes:

It’s all right….I can probably find it myself. If no luck, I’ll get back to you. 🙂

Ignore that last PM then. :laugh: Anyone else wants it let me know because I’ve already started the U/L.

You’d know that……….if your inbox wasn’t full. :p

Last week, listened to: Battlestar Galactica..the new Stu Philips one
48 Hours: James Horner
Star Trek II: James Horner
Rascals and Robbers; James Horner
NCIS Official score
Nightmare Before Christmas expanded
Alice In Wonderland Expanded. Discs 1-4 of the Ron Jones Next Gen set
Wanted: Danny Elfman

Those are the only full scores. I listen to a playlist on the ipod every night.

Last week, listened to: …
NCIS Official score
…

still have to listen to this one 🙂

Zaina- Cyril Morin

Nice enugh, but I deleted it. I am being pretty harsh, now. looking for room and will only keep scores I will listen to over and over, or even just parts of scores…:O

Have you ever tried editing together suites?

It’s a great way to keep the best stuff off of different scores and dismissing the rest.

Radical idea, I know. But I will make notes on the tracks I want to keep, perhaps make my own compilations….

———- Post added at 01:59 AM ———- Previous post was at 01:51 AM ———-

I don’t mind his quieter stuff or anything, it’s just not what drew me to him in the first place….Elfman’s A Simple Plan is on now…

———- Post added at 02:10 AM ———- Previous post was at 01:59 AM ———-

I have about 76gb left, after just downloading an even 50 Elfman albums. :/ Now, to listen to them….

…oh my. is horner in any danger here of being abandoned? 😉

This is a nice score. The main theme is wonderful and reminds me the Papillon theme created by Goldsmith. The track ‘Bloody Dance’ is a good example.
Perhaps it is repeated many times along the album, but that’s not a bad thing when the theme is good.
There are some action tracks, mainly percussion poundings. Didn’t liked them as much as the rest of the score.

3,5 out of 5

Michael Andrews

…..and it sounds fantastic. FANTASTIC! 😀

Donnie Darko

Michael Andrews

Digging the Darko lately, eh?

If you like Andrews’ work on that, you might like Brian Tyler’s "The Lazarus Project" or Cliff Martinez’s "Solaris".

…..and it sounds fantastic. FANTASTIC! 😀

You finally got it, eh? 🙂

http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/bunny-rabbit.gifhttp://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/bunny-rabbit.gifhttp://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/bunny-rabbit.gifhttp://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/bunny-rabbit.gifhttp://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/bunny-rabbit.gif

Your right…some of the craftmanship on the actual box is a little shoddy….but the music itself sounds fantastic.

I can’t wait to put on the DVD………..and the book……….I GOT’S ME THE BOOK!!!

Glad you finally received it. Elfman box party!

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lj63aw3OvC1qhiqdio1_400.gif

(I skipped Batman….I’ll go back to it later….La-La Land did it justice)

The book is amazing…the most in-depth stuff on Elfman I’ve seen so far. They kind of skimp over Tim Burton, though.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again…i’ve been waiting for over 20 years for a book like this on Elfman.

I have a few Burton books all ready so I’m too concerned about that side of it.

Elfman box party!

http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs1/1841451_o.gif

I would have killed someone.

———- Post added at 12:13 PM ———- Previous post was at 12:12 PM ———-

Wait, this isn’t STS, is it?

It’s score related. It should be all good.

As long as we stay on topic and don’t get too crude n’ rude, I think it’s all good. 🙂

:rofldata:

On that note, have a listen to the MOMA stuff (disc 14) soon. It’s amazing. 😯

You all know who’s responsible for this masterpiece, it’s all over the forum right now.

——————————-

Has STS spilled into another thread again? :laugh:

Digging the Darko lately, eh?
If you like Andrews’ work on that, you might like Brian Tyler’s "The Lazarus Project" or Cliff Martinez’s "Solaris".
Love me some Darko. Will check em out, thanks. 😀

It always makes me laugh.

:rofldata:

a single man – abel korzeniowsky (and shigeru umebayashi)

Bud pointed this one out to me. Very nice. 🙂

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb1/ConstantMnemonic/imaginapproved.gif

I think the last score I listened to was Constantine’s……when I bought it…….

Was upset that I had to buy that Perfect Circle album for Passive =/

I have two versions. The film version with Klaus Badelt & Brian Tyler.

…and then the unreleased version that was recorded before the studio brought in Klaus Badelt to "remix" Tyler’s score for more commercially viable purposes. :-\

Also…."Passive" …excellent song. 🙂

Plus, no matter what they drape over it, it’s a hippie album. I’ve come to hate that sort of thing more and more as time goes by.

Lowe and Costello get a pass. Cuz Lowe and Costello.

On a change of pace from the last soundtracks i’ve heard lately, today i listened this Williams score since years. I don’t particularly like this Williams style but the father’s theme albeit written in a sad way is beautiful to listen with the saxophone solo. The rest of the score stands its jazzy main theme on which they run some variations.

3 out of 5

They had great themes but apart from the rest of the album fell short.

I suppose a tailor made John Williams compilation or playlist would fix that.

Finally get to listen to all the undiluted tracks… No more choral!

No one will ever think to look for it here. :p

In need of something quiet and gentle, i played this soundtrack by Goldsmith.
Angie’s theme is lovely, and the score is a perfect music combination for a sunny sunday like today.

Budarc pointed me towards this one…and I’m glad he did.

It’s perfect for this dreary Vancouver rainy day….(sprinkled with a mighty fine hangover to boot. :p)

A noir-ish, emotionally heavy score that sounds like it could hold hands with Howard Shore’s "Silence Of The Lambs" and feel all snuggly.

It’s broody, bold and heavy on the dark. 🙂

The Marco Beltrami Universe (http://www.marco-beltrami.com/)

Budarc pointed me towards this one…and I’m glad he did.

It’s perfect for this dreary Vancouver rainy day….(sprinkled with a mighty fine hangover to boot. :p)

A noir-ish, emotionally heavy score that sounds like it could hold hands with Howard Shore’s "Silence Of The Lambs" and feel all snuggly.

It’s broody, bold and heavy on the dark. 🙂

Ok, I’ll try

and in case it is too dark I’ll try "Angie" afterwards! 😀

/edit:
….Corbeil in principal with his style is intresting, too scary for me though, this one, some nice tracks, nut not soothing enough…

trying angie now…

Ack! Ack! Ack!
Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack!
Ack!
Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack!

Nathan Barr

Ack! Ack! Ack!
Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack!
Ack!
Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack!

:rofldata: :rofldata: :rofldata:

I adore the first one. 😀 The second one doesn’t come anywhere close to creating the same atmosphere, imo.

I had the soundtrack albums as well but they were a bit crap. 😛

It was the LLL edition. I just saw that you made a request in the hunt thread and someone shared over there. No need from me to share the album now, right?

I’m not sure if this qualifies as a "score" but … 😀

Love it…

There’s 2 more soundtracks of Aria shared by klnerfan, which I haven’t heard it yet. This is a link for the first one, the other two were also posted in the same thread: http://forums.ffshrine.org/f92/big-orchestral-action-music-thread-57893/303.html#post1667182

In my opinion is one of the bests "unknown" scores of the last years. A blending of western and eastern music styles with an orchestra and chinese instruments. The track ‘Faith’ is simply breathtaking.

Still one of my favorite TV scores. It blends weird, scary, folksy and gothic all into one and works quite effectively on album and in it’s original context.

The album does feel like it runs just a little bit too long but with a little bit of editing, you can get an excellent 40 to 45 minute compilation of the best bits.

Pavilion of Women by Conrad Pope

I’m gonna look this one up.

Your description alone has sold me. 🙂

…a review
My first exposure to Iwashiro was his score to the great Japanese film (based on an important Japanese-Korean true-life, biographical novel), Blood and Bones (血と骨; Chi to Hone), starring one of my true cinema heroes, Kitano Takeshi (北野 武). The soundtrack to Blood and Bones — the story of a Korean immigrant to Japan who became, during the WWII period, one of the most influential members of the Korean community in Osaka (the leader of a fishing village), but who was a loathsome, violent human being that abused and alienated his family — is one of the finest I’ve heard in modern motion pictures. I don’t state this lightly–Iwashiro’s plaintive, even haunting, music for that film could, as I see it, easily be performed on stages throughout the globe as a major classical concert work.

I like it a lot 🙂

cuckoo you need to look very far because it’s a soundtrack from our "favorite" label…, but there’s always a solution for everything 😉

No worries. 😉

I almost never use Shrine for looking for scores anyways.

nouvelle france – patrick doyle

It coincides with the 10 episode mini-marathon I had today, as I lay sick in bed.

If there’s any way to appreciate being sick, it’s with Batman and Shirley Walker.

🙂

cuckoo you need to look very far because it’s a soundtrack from our "favorite" label…, but there’s always a solution for everything 😉

All right. I admit defeat. 😮 My "search skills" turned up nothing.

If I may be so humble, I am ready to try out the "solution". 😀

Rio – John Powell

it’s…FUN!! 😀

Thank you. 🙂

I like how the first track starts off very Eastern, then it gradually morphs into something very Western sounding with great delicacy and smoothness. So much, I hardly even noticed the transition until it was done.

If you like the heavy melodramatic tragedy and lush string arrangements, crossing over with some delicate Eastern instrumental performances and choir, then this is a great one to go to.

A lot of the arrangements and orchestrations remind me of James Horner and John Williams but that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering he is their go to orchestrator.

It’s got a wonderful operatic feel to it that really isn’t heard that often in the modern day cinema anymore. Why Pope isn’t offered more work is beyond me.

I love it and thank Sanico very much for opening my eyes to it. 🙂

it’s…FUN!! 😀

[/COLOR]I am gonna watch RiO soon and I will buy the soundtrack because John Powell is my favorite artist when it comes to soundtracks last year I bought Green Zone and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON I LOVED ALL BUT ONE SONG!

———- Post added at 05:45 PM ———- Previous post was at 05:39 PM ———-

blood and bones – taro iwashiro

Never heard of Blood & Bones sounds bloody and gory and those things scare me but I always watch those kind of movies so wish me good luck not to have nightmares because I’ll watch!

It’s not necessarily scary. The title sounds like it could be a Stephen King movie but it’s far from it.

It’s well worth seeking out though. There is some mildly realistic domestic violence that is a little unsettling and it does run for a little long. Besides that, I’d watch it again.

believe me, i understand that very well, i avoid scores like these. I do not like scary either. blood and bones, like cuckoo said, is not scary at all. it has a classical touch, all in all harmonic, sometimes a bit "heavy" but – for my ears – very beautiful.

It’s well worth seeking out though. There is some mildly realistic domestic violence that is a little unsettling and it does run for a little long. Besides that, I’d watch it again.

Is it bloody and gory? If so I do not want to see it.

I enjoyed this score (and the movie too), a lot more than the first one.

3,5 out of 5 stars

I didn’t watch the movie, but the score is pretty good!

Takanashi Yasuharu

*Not the Joe Hisaishi / Ghibli one.

Shanghai i think is by Badelt. I never heard this score but maybe i will give it a try.
I’ve heard some scores by Badelt and i must say that in general i’m not very fond on his music,but i like his score of The Promise, which is pretty damn good.

Happy Easter 🙂

Badelt is a real hit and miss for me. Like quite a few of the other MV/RC guys, he seems to pump out crap faster than Chicken McNuggets but when he and all the rest of those guys do come up with a good score it’s usually really, really good.

There are some similarities between this score and Kamui, that i’ve heard the other day. Not surprisingly, because they were created by Iwashiro and composed in the same year.
But while Kamui have 2 or 3 action tracks that alter the pace, this one the music is more sorrowful and contemplative.

There are some similarities between this score and Kamui, that i’ve heard the other day. Not surprisingly, because they were created by Iwashiro and composed in the same year.
But while Kamui have 2 or 3 action tracks that alter the pace, this one the music is more sorrowful and contemplative.

great score 🙂

right now: james newton howard: water for elephants (I deleted some tracks though, for listening)

great score 🙂

Yup. 😀

This is brilliant score not only in thematic ideas, but also in orchestration. The fact that Herrmann dismissed the strings section in favor of a big presence of the percurssions and woodwinds, gives the score a unique sound.
There’s the heroic fanfare for the Argonauts, the gentle clarinet theme of Hera, the massive poundings of Talos and Medea’s Ship (I guess if Herrmann compose a Godzilla movie, it would sound like this), the rhythmic jest of ‘Scherzo Macabre’, and much more.
That’s the kind of fantasy/adventure score i like: exciting, big, colouful and with memorable themes.

5 out of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars

A compelling score indeed.

—-

Can’t really say the same for this one though:

Patrick Doyle’s "THOR"

A colossal disappointment for me.

Considering it was a Patrick Doyle score for a movie dealing with a Norse Mythology inspired comic book, I was expecting something huge in the choir composition department and a highly organic orchestral score. After all Doyle was responsible for the near perfect "Non Nobis, Domine" from ‘Henry V’.
"Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire" was precisely the sound I was hoping Doyle would continue, only more ‘God’ like. (How couldn’t you like a soundtrack that has Doyle writing huge orchestral cues and Jarvis Cocker to boot?).

Instead, he gave us a ‘RC/MV’ score. Which not to say I don’t like ‘RC/MV’ scores. Quite a few of them are fun if not highly inventive at times……..they usually turn out to be really, really boring or incredibly entertaining guilty pleasures.
Sadly, "THOR" falls under the ‘boring’ category for me. I’m guessing a lot of this sound is due to studio interference, because I can’t see Kenneth Branagh requesting something this boring and uninspired.

In the end, I feel "THOR" is a missed opportunity to pen something really fantastic.

You’d be better off listening to Brian Tyler’s new "Fast Five" score for good action-writing for this week. That’s a good score for guilty pleasure action.

THOR gets a disappointing 2 out of 5 from me.

(off-topic: Fast Five gets a 3.5 out of 5 from me)

As for ‘THOR’, I get the feeling Doyle’s ‘RC/MV" styled score had nothing to Branagh, rather it was studio interference. I tried listening to it again after my previous post and only got about 20 minutes in until I went back to ‘Eragon’.

It’s….well typical of the recent Marvel films. Feels a lot like Ironman, and the others. I miss big bold superhero themes. But, I don’t hate this either. I am listening to it for the second time around. Dunno, seems as if it is trying really hard to be all serious and epic, instead af ballsy and fun. Much like the films….

Sorei, which Galactica did you listen to? Which season?
?

I know this terrible show tanked but I am praying McCreary’s ‘The Cape’ score gets some sort of release. It was fantastic, good ol’ fashioned thematic superhero composing.

Haven’t had time to play any score all day 🙁

I foolishly looked up a cue on youtube to use as an example for something and just had to listen to the rest, beginning to end.

Wonderfully creepy. 🙂

4 out of 5 for me.

I agree with you cuckoo. The original album is a much better experience. If i remember well the anniversary edition has the music with dialogue from the movie. Not the best way to listen a soundtrack i guess, unless it’s briefly narrated by Morgan Freeman or Laurence Olivier like in War of the Wolds and Clash of the Titans 😉

The Halloween score is a classic on its own genre. Simple, but effective in creating a creepy atmosphere.

Three Amigos – Elmer Bernstein

Half of the fun of the soundtrack is by the main song alone, and i always like when a composer creates instrumental versions of a song on some passages of the score. The Main Title is i think an homage for the western music genre, a style that Bernstein himself contributed to popularize. And there are also a few tracks with a mariachi-flavored music, that is a delight to listen.

3,5 out of 5

[melodic, romantic, a bit sentimental, dreamy, so: I LOVE IT]

Best Score of the F&F Series 🙂

Best Score of the F&F Series 🙂

hm. never listened to one of those, maybe I should…

water horse: legend of the deep – james newton howard

review

About the Soundtrack: "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" is the type of opportunity that the fan base of James Newton Howard thrives on. It’s a fantasy based film that provides the composer an opportunity to write music in the vein that he’s best at. In addition, the soundtrack offers performances by Sinead O’Connor and The Chieftains, so obviously, there is a lot of talent associated with this score. And, if you haven’t guessed by now, the music relies heavily on an Irish influence, as indicative by the artists brought in to contribute. At over 58 minutes of music, the length is above average and the additional music doesn’t harm any of Howard’s score material (it helps that it’s all relatable fare). There isn’t a commentary from the composer, who seems to be an enigma when it comes to speaking to his fans, but there is a note from the director about the music.

As far as availability, the soundtrack seems to be a rare find at commercial retailers but is easily available for order online at web sites like Amazon, Rhapsody, etc. Just thought that tip might help you in case you were going to a friendly neighborhood FYE and were expecting to see this title there.

What You Need to Know: The beauty of this score lies in its simplicity and color. To that end, I’ll note that to really appreciate the music from "The Water Horse," you’ll have to listen to it a couple of times. You see, the score isn’t one that will initially impress you in the manner that other works from Howard’s do. There aren’t any signature themes that will stick with you nor is there any sense of mythic fantasy to delve into. Instead, there is a steady, consistent flow of music that is pleasant to engage in and its with this level of consistency that the score works.

While there isn’t memorable main theme, there sure is a lot of melody here. The Irish ears, in this case, are not only smiling but must be overjoyed. Howard develops an Irish influence for the soundtrack of this film and it’s truly a delight. Not since his brief "Building the Rails" track from "Wyatt Earp" has there been such distinct use of Irish melodies from Howard. Together with his traditional orchestral styling, the soundtrack springs to life with many colorful tracks. It’s because of this that he can get away from not having a memorable signature theme.

The score bounces between Irish tones and a warming underscore as it builds to a big finish. The final set of score tracks on the album are action oriented and deliver a brand of excitement that makes for a big finale. For those who are seeking to hear Howard bounce back from the synth heavy, "Michael Clayton," then tracks 16 onward are for you. Preceding this sequence, however, there is also another noteworthy track on the album entitled, "The Dinner Party" that I think many of you will enjoy for its big band styled expressions. This cue is something different from the composer and its a lot of fun to listen to. The music of the track actually expresses a humorous tone that makes you think some goofy mishaps might be taking place over dinner! Again, the charm of tracks like this is where the score gains it success.
Final Grade: To me, I think James Newton Howard should always seek out projects like "The Water Horse." He pretty much nails it every time out of the gate when composing works for fantasy, adventure, or science fiction. It’s in these genres where he flourishes and deep down I suspect he knows that. With this particular soundtrack, you won’t be overwhelmed by it, but you will find that its simplicity and charm will win you over.
Grade: 8.5 / 10

I like the classical/celtic mix, warm, "quiet" , sort of "love at second sight".

its got a epic main titles

water horse: legend of the deep – james newton howard

review

About the Soundtrack: "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" is the type of opportunity that the fan base of James Newton Howard thrives on. It’s a fantasy based film that provides the composer an opportunity to write music in the vein that he’s best at. In addition, the soundtrack offers performances by Sinead O’Connor and The Chieftains, so obviously, there is a lot of talent associated with this score. And, if you haven’t guessed by now, the music relies heavily on an Irish influence, as indicative by the artists brought in to contribute. At over 58 minutes of music, the length is above average and the additional music doesn’t harm any of Howard’s score material (it helps that it’s all relatable fare). There isn’t a commentary from the composer, who seems to be an enigma when it comes to speaking to his fans, but there is a note from the director about the music.

As far as availability, the soundtrack seems to be a rare find at commercial retailers but is easily available for order online at web sites like Amazon, Rhapsody, etc. Just thought that tip might help you in case you were going to a friendly neighborhood FYE and were expecting to see this title there.

What You Need to Know: The beauty of this score lies in its simplicity and color. To that end, I’ll note that to really appreciate the music from "The Water Horse," you’ll have to listen to it a couple of times. You see, the score isn’t one that will initially impress you in the manner that other works from Howard’s do. There aren’t any signature themes that will stick with you nor is there any sense of mythic fantasy to delve into. Instead, there is a steady, consistent flow of music that is pleasant to engage in and its with this level of consistency that the score works.

While there isn’t memorable main theme, there sure is a lot of melody here. The Irish ears, in this case, are not only smiling but must be overjoyed. Howard develops an Irish influence for the soundtrack of this film and it’s truly a delight. Not since his brief "Building the Rails" track from "Wyatt Earp" has there been such distinct use of Irish melodies from Howard. Together with his traditional orchestral styling, the soundtrack springs to life with many colorful tracks. It’s because of this that he can get away from not having a memorable signature theme.

The score bounces between Irish tones and a warming underscore as it builds to a big finish. The final set of score tracks on the album are action oriented and deliver a brand of excitement that makes for a big finale. For those who are seeking to hear Howard bounce back from the synth heavy, "Michael Clayton," then tracks 16 onward are for you. Preceding this sequence, however, there is also another noteworthy track on the album entitled, "The Dinner Party" that I think many of you will enjoy for its big band styled expressions. This cue is something different from the composer and its a lot of fun to listen to. The music of the track actually expresses a humorous tone that makes you think some goofy mishaps might be taking place over dinner! Again, the charm of tracks like this is where the score gains it success.
Final Grade: To me, I think James Newton Howard should always seek out projects like "The Water Horse." He pretty much nails it every time out of the gate when composing works for fantasy, adventure, or science fiction. It’s in these genres where he flourishes and deep down I suspect he knows that. With this particular soundtrack, you won’t be overwhelmed by it, but you will find that its simplicity and charm will win you over.
Grade: 8.5 / 10

I like the classical/celtic mix, warm, "quiet" , sort of "love at second sight".

Waterhorse is good? I had it, and never listened, so deleted. Care to send a link?

———- Post added at 03:46 PM ———- Previous post was at 03:46 PM ———-

Gremlins expanded…

done, I do like it a lot..

worked my way further, now listening to

Hart’s War – Rachel Portman

I am Portman Fan, but I still have some of her I never listened to, and damn, Hart’s War is good too…

still one of my favorites, both movie and score…. 🙂

one true thing – cliff eidelman

(First Listen)
I’m pleasantly surprised because i didn’t knew Anthony Hopkins could write music. It’s an elegant soundtrack and there are some beautiful dramatic pieces on piano.

The cue "After The Drop" is absolutely gorgeous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UulotInd94

& this one just gets me all giddy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3eRXmboC4

Not that I minded Giacchino writing in complete John Williams style for the first two games but this is the one he really steps into his own.

4.5 out of 5 for me. 🙂

——

Big post is BIG

Three Amigos – Elmer Bernstein

Half of the fun of the soundtrack is by the main song alone, and i always like when a composer creates instrumental versions of a song on some passages of the score. The Main Title is i think an homage for the western music genre, a style that Bernstein himself contributed to popularize. And there are also a few tracks with a mariachi-flavored music, that is a delight to listen.

3,5 out of 5

I never even thought of listening to that score and I am ashamed that it kept slipping my mind.

Bernstein’s ‘western’ scores are some of his best work. He and Morricone are the best western composers i my humble opinion. I wish they made more westerns today because Beltrami’s ‘western’ scores are fantastic too.

Will seek out "three amigos" immediately.

hm. never listened to one of those, maybe I should…

water horse: legend of the deep – james newton howard

review

I like the classical/celtic mix, warm, "quiet" , sort of "love at second sight".

It’s wonderful score.

I agree JNH is at his best when he’s doing something fantastical with a fairytale like nature to it.

James Newton Howard is one of my top 5 composers and I love me some Celtic music, so this one is a no brainer for my tastes.

Nice little review too. 🙂

You hit the nail on the head.

August – Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins directed ‘August’ too.

He also wrote/directed/starred/scored ‘SlipStream’.

A weird movie that is like David Lynch directed "The Singing Detective".

If don’t like how that sounds then run. Run fast.

If you do, then I can tell you it’s not fantastic but certainly entertaining enough for weirdos, crazies and art freaks.

—————

In other news:

My prayers were answered in just a few days:

Bear McCreary recently announced on facebook that he’s "Listening to the final mixes of THE CAPE soundtrack before we go to mastering. Wow! This CD will be epic! Like "Human Target" on steroids."

I am excite.

YouTube – The Cape intro NBC (HD) (http://youtu.be/qHtxQE38YZ4)

YouTube – "NEW" THE CAPE: "COMPOSING THE CAPE" (http://youtu.be/LRMynYozFt4)

4,5 out of 5 stars

I don’t think I will become a big fan of his, up to now I just like 2 scores: oceans and secret of kells…

I really liked Les Choristes….but I’m a sucker for choir, so this was a special little treat.

The only other one I’ve heard him do was Coraline and I really didn’t like it but I really didn’t like the movie either.

——–

Listened to some of Fenton’s Blue Planet today.
Not great music or anything but for the mood I needed to get myself in this was perfect.

(in a good way)

– The incredible Hulk
– The Quiet American
– Elizabeth: The golden Age

copied all of them on my player 😀

@cuckoo: choir can be wonderful, just did not like the choristes-choir…and did not like coraline either.

Inception by Hans Zimmer…for the first time (yes, I am lame)
Good stuff. Not his best but very entertaining. I liked the "Mombasa" track and the loud droning in some of the tracks. Gave me nice flashbacks of the movie.

The Informers by Christopher Young
Great acoustic rock score. Thankfully not 80s style (the film is set in the 80s).

Inception by Hans Zimmer…for the first time (yes, I am lame)
Good stuff. Not his best but very entertaining. I liked the "Mombasa" track and the loud droning in some of the tracks. Gave me nice flashbacks of the movie.
.

I agree, not his best, but I like it too!

Ji Bark – Bi-Mong
(deleted the songs, I like the score)

Godzilla x Megaguirus – Michiru Oshima
Think that Oshima could teach a thing or two to many composers working today, on writing a bold action score, which for a Godzilla movie is an obligation :zillawalk:

The Banquet – Tan Dun
The third score composed by Tan Dun in the wuxia genre of movies. Coincidence or not it’s also the third time he worked in a movie that enter Zhang Ziyi (Maybe he has something with her :love:)
Curious is the role the piano has in this score, in the same way the cello and violin solos had in the two previous works before this.
‘In the Bamboo Forest’ is an intense dissonat piece played on piano and accompanied by a male choir and some Chinese percussion instruments, and it’s awesome.

Listened to some of Fenton’s Blue Planet today.
Not great music or anything but for the mood I needed to get myself in this was perfect.

I listened only one Fenton score. It was Anna and the King, and i liked of what i remember of the music. I think i need to listening more of Fenton, in particular his music composed for the TV documentaries, like the Blue Planet. I have read a lot of praise for those scores 🙂

Hi and welcome boogiepop 😮

——-

Whatever happened to Tan Dun anyways? If I’m not mistaken ‘The Banquet’ was his last project and that came out 5 or 6 years ago, did it not?

—-

Big Fish – Danny Elfman

A small, pleasant subtle score that has a theme I never tire of.

4 out of 5

Yes, the last movie he was in was the live action version of Mulan, but he served only as a "music advisor" of the score (according the CD release note), but he didn’t compose anything for any movie since "The Banquet" a few years ago.
The last thing i’ve heard from him was the youtube symphony.

reminds me of mists of avalon, but even if it is not really "creative" maybe I still like it 🙂

(I have to read the book too)

Thank you 😀

The last 2:

Ink by Jamie Winans
I really liked it. At times somber, at times exciting mix of mostly piano driven pieces with electronic elements. Suffers a bit from low rate synths at times but overall a nice debut score. Gimme more, Jamie 😀

Intelligence by Schaun Tozer
Score to a Canadian TV series. While US American TV scores mostly refuse to be creative the Canadians bring it.
A wild mix of Rock, Hip Hop/Trip Hop, a bit of Funk, some Reggae and what not. At times the sitar is used (even sounds like an E-Sitar) which gives some of the tracks an unexpected Indian flavour. Good stuff!

The last 2:

Ink by Jamie Winans
I really liked it. At times somber, at times exciting mix of mostly piano driven pieces with electronic elements. Suffers a bit from low rate synths at times but overall a nice debut score. Gimme more, Jamie 😀

oops, I replied to you but did not welcome you 😉

(welcome! 😀 )

I like Ink a lot too, reminds me of Navarrete a bit. Doc Faustus pointed me to it, but he was second to do that, a greek friend did first…

listening to some Paolo Vivaldi now (ghost son)

For me:

Lady Vengeance
Choi Seung-hyun

[I tried to get some info on the composer, an italian, all I get is ONE lousy sentence, no profile with some background info anywhere?]

Nice.

INK & Intelligence.

There’s a seat at my table for you anytime.

Tyler put some samples to his highly anticipated "Lego Universe" project up on his site.

I quite like it.

http://briantyler.com/Site/Lego_Universe.html

Tyler put some samples to his highly anticipated "Lego Universe" project up on his site.

I quite like it.

Lego Universe (http://briantyler.com/Site/Lego_Universe.html)

Lego Universe is much different.
I hardly like everything Tyler does, but I loved Transformers 1 (I do not care whether it was good from a technical point of view) and I loved children of dune and Battle: LA

Lego is much more orchestral, I would not have identified it as a Tyler if i had not known.

I will have to listen to that one more than one time to get familiar with it. 🙂

thx, cuckoo
🙂

there is a thread here in the forum as well, with a 50 track link….

———- Post added at 03:07 AM ———- Previous post was at 02:23 AM ———-

I start to like Lego…

interssting mix of what for me is a classic way of orchestral and i do detect tyler now too….

INK & Intelligence.

There’s a seat at my table for you anytime.

Thanks again 😀 I never thought anybody even knows Intelligence (no pun intended XD )

Into the Wild by Michael Brook & Eddie Vedder
I didn’t care much for Vedder’s songs (don’t like his voice) but I always love Michael Brook’s guitar-driven scores.
And he doesn’t disappoint. Nice relaxing music to drive to or to listen to while you sit around a campfire.

Iron Man 2 by John Debney
I’m not a Debney fan and I’m part of the minority that totally liked Djawadi’s score for the first one.
I’m pretty surpised this one turned out so decent. Debney has always been a copyist and here he adapts Djawadi’s
style to a T. His orchestral arrangements might be a bit better though.
Nice suprise.

Perhaps the more accessible of the three qatsi soundtracks, since it features a larger symphonic ensemble with a special emphasis on the cello, played by Yo-Yo Ma.

4 out of 5 stars

This is a score that totally took me by surprise. It’s romantic and emotional but still reserved.
He obviously had a strong vision for the sound and dared to go against expectations.
I can’t say I wholeheartedly love this score but it’s an impressive piece of work.
Definitely a composer to keep an eye (or ear) on.

I live in Vancouver.

I’m very familar with ‘Intelligence’ and Chris Haddock’s other shows. Davinci’s Inquest & City Hall.

It’s always a pleasant surprise to see most of Haddock’s acting crew show up on Smallville, BSG or Supernatural.

I’m very familar with ‘Intelligence’ and Chris Haddock’s other shows. Davinci’s Inquest & City Hall.

It’s always a pleasant surprise to see most of Haddock’s acting crew show up on Smallville, BSG or Supernatural.

i have an album for DaVincie’s inquest. If you want. I love that show, airs on the weekend at like one in the morning here. Never have seen City Hall though….

Such a great show.

Sure, I wouldn’t mind giving the OST a listen. If not for the theme only. I don’t actually recall a lot of the music.

Thank you. 🙂

Here it is @ 320:
MEGAUPLOAD – The leading online storage and file delivery service (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2JVIUDF7)

I have always loved the acting and direction on the show. Very naturalistic.

Yeah. Not just because I’m from Vancouver but I feel it’s one of the most realistic crime dramas ever produced.

They rarely pulled out their guns and when a cop did shoot someone it was quite traumatic for him.

david copperfield

boogiepop recommended the guy to me, lots of quiet guitar music.

Absolutely gorgeous score. The first track ‘Invocation’ is sublime, and the main romantic theme in ‘Temple to Meditate’ and ‘Tadeusz and Telimena’ with its lush strings sounds like something that John Barry might have written! In addition to all this there are the action cues on ‘Tomasz, Rifle’ and ‘The Battle’ with a jumpy repetitive rhythm, and a wonderful waltzy like piece in ‘Polonaise’.

4,5 out of 5

Clint Mansell

[I admit I like that one better than Pan Tadeusz]

I never give this guy the recognition he deserves. He’s composed quite a few quality scores that somehow I constantly forget to listen to. Sure he’s got a few stinkers but what composer doesn’t?
Incognito is one of the most interesting scores I’ve heard in instrumentation and texture. A playfully whimsical score that bounces around a vast array of stirring waltz like rhythms and solo instruments. The sound quality is astounding and almost tickles your ears with some of more delicate moments.

A very strong 4 out of 5

The Fountain

Clint Mansell

Today is the perfect day for ‘The Fountain’ here with the dreary weather we’re having.

[I admit I like that one better than Pan Tadeusz]

At his best Kilar can be fantastic and i have read good things about Portrait of a Lady. It will be on my playlist soon ^_^

I had listened to Pan Tadeusz first, did not know either of the two.

I fll instantly in love with "portrait of a lady".

6 out of 5 stars 😀

very classically oriented (Schubert), dramatic moments,violin too, yet harmonic.

I am curious to hear if you will like it too!

review:

(found in the net)

Original Review: How can such a god awful film have such beautiful music? Despite being written for probably the most terminally boring movie in history – this is the only film I have ever walked out of – Polish composer Wojciech Kilar has written a sad, yearning, heartfelt, tragic but surprisingly elegant score for piano, strings and woodwind which at least made the film bearable in parts. Kilar only writes for Hollywood movies rarely, his most famous being the music he composed for Coppola’s 1992 classic Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but when he does it really makes you wish that he did it more often. The main title, ‘My Life Before Me’ reminds me very much of Michael Nyman’s The Piano, with its repetitive flute melody over a rhythmic piano backing, and the main title, ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ again has that thick, rich and potent east-European sound that was prominent in Dracula, making his multi-layered Barry-esque strings conjure up images of darkened rooms filled with feelings of unrequited love. Kilar also obviously has a liking for the music of Franz Schubert, because yet again he has adapted the classic Death and the Maiden to great effect – he undertook this previously in Roman Polanski’s film of the same name. These three themes essentially form the backbone for the entire score, but Kilar supports these with some gorgeous one-off themes, like the slow and tragic cello performance in ”Twilight Cellos’, and the more upbeat and conventionally beautiful ‘A Certain Light’, which reminds me in parts of Chris Young’s Murder in the First. Overall, this is a classically divine piece of film scoring by one of the most overlooked composers working today. It’s just a shame that the movie didn’t match up to the quality of the music.

I may am a bit biased but Thomas Newman really can’t do wrong in my book (well, save for American Buffalo).
All his beloved trademarks are there but he adds a bit of Rock this time, giving the score an edgier, rougher feel.
He also uses surprisingly little ethnic stuff considering the setting.
I like 🙂

secret garden- Zbigniew Preisner

…I definetly like secret garden, and the first 4 tracks (that’s all I have heard so far) of FairyTale….

Another great work by Kilar. It is beautiful, lyrical but simultaneously distressing and full of romanticism, so in that aspect the tone is a bit different than Pan Tadeusz. The strings section of ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ has an hypnotic effect! ‘Phantasms of Love’ reminds me some parts of Kilar’s Dracula, but for me the best theme is that flute solo heard in the Prologue and End Credits. I wished this melody was used more on the score.
But i like the soundtrack because Kilar is showing here a great restraint combined with a strong sense of lyricism and romanticism in a very classic way.

4 stars

This is a tough one to judge. It’s a modern, rock-oriented score but also very atonal at times which makes it quite hard to digest.
There are several songs that are not really melodic but try to evoke certain emotions.
It’s really dark and gloomy and not exactly a pleasant listening experience.
It’s a very interesting piece of work but I can’t say I like it very much.
Not recommended if you tend to be depressed.

not as good as mother & child, but very enjoyable. mother & child gets a 5 out of 5, k-pax a 4 out of 5.

I gotta say it was not the least bit disappointed. It’s a fun and delightfully orchestrated score that just a real pleaser.

Highly recommended.

4 out of 5.

The Tempest by Elliot Goldenthal

I haven’t heard it yet. I really, really liked everything he composed before his accident.

I’ve only heard "Public Enemies" since his accident and gotta say I was really disappointed.

Will seek this one out. I’m all for gloom and doom and Goldenthal’s "discordant" style.

I’m happy to finally have "Scully’s Serenade" on disc. Among various other cues.

"How The Ghosts Stole Christmas" and "The Field Where I Died" episodes being essential ones for me.

I recall seeing "The Field" when it first and being choked up before the main titles even started. Wonderful episode.

Been listening to "Millennium" to hold be over until then. Good ol’ Frank Black.

………

….I used to love getting vinyl from the library. Star Wars and Ghostbusters being the ones I most fondly remember.

I recall seeing "The Field" when it first and being choked up before the main titles even started. Wonderful episode.

THE x-files episode for me. I remember being absolutely stunned when I saw it. still have it on tape someplace and never deleted it.

Doyle in Zimmer-mode. One of the highly anticipated scores of the year by many and a big disappointment for most.
I kinda liked it. It’s not the Doyle we are all used to but a more Remote Control-y. The action cues are generally good
but his use of electronics is kinda clumsy. His inexperience shows.
I would have liked the real deal (meaning the actual Hans Zimmer) instead but it’s an enjoyable score, just not
an outstanding one.

———- Post added at 09:20 PM ———- Previous post was at 09:19 PM ———-

The only disappointment in the X-Files set for me was no music from Soft Light. All we have is the one track on Truth and light, which has dialogue over the beginning and end..ah well, here’s looking forward to vol 2.

A shame. "At World’s End" is one of my favorite scores.

————-

"Soft Light".

Is the one with Monk in it and the mysterious scorch marks?

I don’t recall the music. Will go back and check.

Just finished a run of "Angel" last night. "The X-files" is very tempting to go back to now.

I picked up the whole series for uber-cheap and haven’t really watched any set all the way through yet. JUst picked out certain episodes here and there.

I do love "Possession" and "Amelia" by him but was a bit hesitant to listen to others, listening now, and I do not regret it 🙂

I have to confess I’m not a fan of Powell’s animation film scores. Not my type of music.
BUT I love his action scores. He has always been an action man to me and it’s the genre he excells at. Knight and Day is no exception.
It starts a bit weak but after the first 3 tracks Powell is back on track and delivers a high octane score that hardly ever slows down. There is a strong semi-spanish theme to it heard several times throughout the score that I really liked but my highlight are the 3 more guitar driven tracks 5-7 with "Hostage" being my favourite.
It’s no masterpiece and surely not his best work to date but it’s a highly enjoyable score.
Recommended.

In a few short words, it’s good wacky fun that could probably be a little too much for some people.

3.5 out of 5.

——-

I quite like both Powell’s animated and action scores.

‘Hostage’ was one of my favorite single cues from last year.

Excellent, excellent stuff.

Powell knows action percussive writing so well. Green Zone is an abrasive score which makes it hard to listen to for many but the percussive writing is fantastic. ‘Attack & Chase’ being another single cue favorite from last year.

He’s easily fought his way to one of my favorite composers over the past 2 years.

The next two are fantastic though. If you can, it’s highly recommended you seek out the suites on the ‘treasures collection’. "Marry Me" and "The Pirate Lord of Singapore" are breathtaking.

I find the "What Shall We Die For" and "I Don’t Think Now Is the Best Time " at the end of ‘At World’s End’ played back to back, is one of the best finales ever composed. The way it has all the themes heard throughout the series wrapped into one long, action cue. Brilliant. Gets my heart jumping everytime.

———- Post added at 10:47 AM ———- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ———-

Since they are Disney, does that make it all the more unlikely Intrada or FSM will ever get hold of them?

Damn. I never thought of that. 🙁

The possibility of proper expanded treatments isn’t good.

I’ll gove the pirates a chance soon too …

right now:

crazybeautiful – Haslinger [4/5]

(recommandation for me by boogiepop, quiet, melodic, I like it, but he already said it is no typical haslinger…)

Judging by the negative reactions it’s been getting, I was expecting it to be complete trash.

I should have taken into account that Zimmer fanboys are well known to be a melodramatic bunch and would treat their reactions accordingly.

But onto the POTC4 (ignoring the remixes and bad album presentation all together). I enjoyed it enough. It didn’t come anywhere near as good as 2 or 3 but I found it to be better than the first score. I was under the impression the fourth movie (take note of ‘fourth, Doc) was going to be drastically scaled down so I thought the score would be too. And it was, in such a great way too.

Zimmer and his army of co-composers brought in the acoustic guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela to co-compose and perform on a few tracks. It’s quite effective and great fun. I even noodled along with these tracks myself on my guitar while listening. They impressed me a few years ago with a interesting cover of ‘Oogie Boogie’s Song’ from a Nightmare Before X-mas so I was interested to hear more from them.

It did however lack on any new thematic material worthy of noting and the all ready established themes weren’t any further developed.

The new themes are easily forgettable and just sort of float away on driftwood after they’re done with.

In the end, I found it to be enjoyable enough and the re-imagining of previous themes on dueling classical guitars is a blast but it falls short of anything refreshing.

A very strong 2.5 out of 5

I like the score. (the songs I deleted)
for my ears, lots of strings, some guitar, a quiet and melodic, sometimes sad score.

4/5

Bruc – Xavier Cappelas (again)
some dark, moody, orchestral elements, some ection elements, even a BIT choral…

4/5

Save for 2 or 3 of the guitar tracks, and ‘Angelica’ is quite good in this aspect, the rest is Zimmer in auto-pilot mode, filling out the not so lengthy time of score in album with the same themes without any attempt of thematic development.

1,5 out of 5

First of all, a solid portion of the running time is taken up by opera arias. Since that’s not my thing I totally skipped those. You’re left with 30+ minutes of score then.
It’s basically Badelt on auto-pilot. Orchestra with electronics, driving strings (a la The Dark Knight) included. It’s a solid thriller/action score but it completely vanishes from your mind the second the last track is finished.

right now:

crazybeautiful – Haslinger [4/5]

(recommandation for me by boogiepop, quiet, melodic, I like it, but he already said it is no typical haslinger…)

On Stranger Tides is a nice Score sorei, not so good like the first one but good 🙂

Now listening: Gone in 60 Seconds

One of my favorites from Z.
It’s not an easy listening soundtrack with catchy themes a la Pirates, but it’s a dense score with music that reflects the anguish of war in a mystic and contemplative way, as saying that there are no heroes in a conflict. ‘Journey to the Line’ is of course the highlight of the soundtrack, and is now a classic, because express in one track, through the sweet to the tragic and culminating in a sense of spiritual liberation like an elegy. Outsanding.

Knight and Day by John Powell

I have to confess I’m not a fan of Powell’s animation film scores. Not my type of music.
BUT I love his action scores

I on the contrary enjoy a lot more of Powell’s animation scores rather than his action stuff 🙂

As for me, gave the Deluxe Total Recall a first complete listen yesterday, and quite enjoyed it.

As for me, gave the Deluxe Total Recall a first complete listen yesterday, and quite enjoyed it.

I have a Score and a little normal Tracks from the Top Gun Score…i load it up today 🙂

Now uploaded 🙂 For Info 🙂

Review:

CHARLOTTE GRAY: SOUNDTRACK

Review by Brad Green:
A mixed reputation precedes this WWII drama’s release in Australia. However, while the film as a whole has divided opinion, the Australian contingent of Cate Blanchett as the protagonist parachuting into Vichy France to track down her lover, and Gillian Armstrong as director, have won nothing but glowing reports. I guess we’ll have to wait for Cate and Co. to land in Australia, but with the soundtrack having already dropped onto my desk, I can only assume that for those unimpressed by the cinematic experience, the screenplay must fail on all fronts. Stephen Warbeck’s score is certainly up to his towering standard, and you would have to think that successful star turn, successful directing and successful soundtrack would be a pretty solid foundation.

Anyway, to focus on the music, this is a more conservative offering from Warbeck than his Quills or Captain Corelli’s Mandolin scores of the past couple of years, both of which inspired veritable encomiums from the demanding critic currently typing this review. It has none of the innovation of Quills (hardly to be expected of a war romance) and little of the orchestral density of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, yet is a fine achievement in its own right.

It opens with a staccato pulse – a little like a Michael Nyman figure converted to a ternary time signature – that is soon overlaid with an achingly romantic theme. This is played by violin soloist Dermot Grehan, who infuses the melodic contour with lilting grace notes and vibrato redolent of sweet-reeded bagpipes (Blanchett’s heroine being a Scottish lass). From this seductive beginning a restrained score flows, crossing the ambient, mood-defining territory that, when detached from moving pictures, sometimes restricts a soundtrack’s entertainment value. In this case, however, it remains eminently listenable through sheer craftsmanship in both composition and performance.

Lush strings are the bedding of a modest ensemble, which substitutes the might of symphonic arrangements with the delicacy of intimate tonalities. Guitar arpeggios underline long legato woodwind lines, and occasionally expand into gentle scales of their own, while the clean, bright timbre of Eleanor Alberga’s (often scarcely accompanied) piano is simply rapturous – neither too sharp or woollen, and performed with gentle authority.

The score’s understated romanticism is particularly appealing, leaning more to the reflective and poignant than the suspenseful or sentimental. The atmosphere thickens at every cue, and touches of drama do periodically emerge, such as the combined timpani and snare rolls of the track entitled The Gendarmes.

Although his Captain Corelli’s Mandolin soundtrack provides easier melodic pickings, Warbeck has crafted a superbly refined score here. Nor does it lack for entertainment value; it is simply a subtler joy for a different mood.

Published May 30, 2002

Great choice! Total Recall is one heck of a score!
Goldsmith managed to orchestrate electronic synthesisers elements juxtaposed with the boldness bravura of the London National Philharmonic Orchestra, on that may well be Jerry’s quintessential action score. ‘Clever Girl’, ‘The Big Jump’ and especially ‘End of a Dream’, are literally insane music pieces on its sheer energy, potent bursts of brass and fast rhythmic strings.
Contrasting to the action music, i like the tracks in which the synths plays a key role. They kind of evoke a surreal awe-inspiring otherworldly sound. ‘The Mutant’ for example never fails to amaze me everytime i listen, as well ‘The Mountain’ and ‘The Space Station’.
And of course the beautiful final track ‘A New Life’, which ends the album in a sweet and expressive orchestral grandeur.

It deservs 5 stars in my book 😀

A powerful, broody, low end brass heavy score laced with some beautiful boy choir work.

I don’t think a score has suffocated me this much with it’s emotional and moody weight this much aside from James Newton Howard’s Defiance score. It’s wonderfully written and perfect for the film it’s written for.

Taking elements of moody Bernard Herrmann and Howard Shore’s thriller scores (Silence Of The Lambs, The Fly, Se7en) then throw in some of Patrick Doyle’s style of gothic choir and you begin to get an idea.

I love it but it’s just a little too morbid and depressing to really want to casually revisit too often.

4 out of 5

4/5

As I mentioned before Thomas Newman can’t do wrong in my book.
A beautiful, quiet and restrained score that sets the right mood for the movie.
He toned down the usual quirkiness and opted for a more serious, haunting sound.
Gorgeous but much too short.

Love Happens by Christopher Young

Another week, another romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston. I’m not a fan of the genre and I’m seriously not a fan of romatic comedy scores.
Young managed to surprise me though.
While the first half mostly sounds like the stuff Theodore Shapiro usually composes for this type of film the second half is quite nice.
It’s emotional without being corny and romatic without going overboard.
His constant use of guitars is not half bad either 😉

Amazing Score to a great Movie 🙂

Epic Songs like Kaneda`s Death Part 2 or Sunshine (Adagio In D Minor) … powerfull tracks!

quiet little score, piano, 4/5

Peter Jackson’s return to drama unfortunately tanked at the box-office (I liked it) which ultimately nixed the plans for a score release. That’s a shame because it is actually very good. Quiet, somber and haunting in tone with piano and guitar dominating and soft electronic soundscapes supporting the feel. I hope that some day a (full) promo score shows up but chances are slim because Eno seems to be very peculiar when it comes to his work. Too bad.

Max Payne by Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders

Another box-office bomb and this time rightfully so. The score is not much better though.
Beltrami’s lackluster score sounds more like a quick paycheck than anything else.
Basically orchestral with occasional electronic touches and some guitar action this score is hardly imaginative or even original.
Not entirely bad but totally forgettable.

In terms of orchestration this is like listening any of Shore’s Lord of the Rings soundtracks, but without any of the familiar themes!
Nevertheless is a nice soundtrack and has a character on its own. There are 2 or 3 tracks that use a therem???n, which gives the music a weird element and distinguishes a little with the rest of the score.

has some ethnic elements, even a jazzy touch in some tracks…

Nyman for me is to be handled with care. I do not like all of his work. Some for me is too experimental.
I like it harmonic.
I mostly like The Piano and The End Of The Affair.

Gattaca I liked as well, now giving a chance to Carrington….

The Towering Inferno, Very tragic, yet adventurous at the same time.

alex heffes – the rite

ok, kind of two contrasting scores 😀

alex heffes – the rite

ok, kind of two contrasting scores 😀

Any thoughts you might wanna share? 😉

The Next Three Days by Danny Elfman

A welcome change from Elfman’s Tim Burton style. Similar to John Powell’s scores but less percussive. Nice emotional moments too.
Solid score.

Monsters by Jon Hopkins

Great ambient score by newcomer Hopkins. Very simple in structure but highly effective. Sometimes less is (so much) more.
Recommended.

Amar’s wonderfully delicate and intimate score to the 2002 SS War drama "AMEN".
It makes wonderful use of some twinkling solo piano and soothing and moody violin performances. Amar uses a charging ostinato string section that has become tired in the Zimmer sound but he refreshes it with a touch of elegance and not so masculine and in your face as Zimmer and his cohorts seem to do a little too much. There are some electronic ambient cues that may not be for everyone but I find they stitch everything together while not straying too far from the dark and moody overtones Amar has created.
While I find the whole score morbidly intriguing, I think many will want to skip over the dark ambient cues and get to the beautiful solo performance tracks.

4 out of 5.

The Next Three Days by Danny Elfman

A welcome change from Elfman’s Tim Burton style. Similar to John Powell’s scores but less percussive. Nice emotional moments too.
Solid score.

I thought it was a great score that’s been buried or ignored for some reason. "The Truth" being the highlight track. Moby’s two tracks are a nice addition and don’t stick out like most songs do on score albums.

A diamond in the rough if you will.

Monsters by Jon Hopkins

Great ambient score by newcomer Hopkins. Very simple in structure but highly effective. Sometimes less is (so much) more.
Recommended.

I liked the movie enough. Don’t recall the score. Will seek out on your recommendation. 🙂

….not sure: For my ears, Cosma has something of a mix of Rombi/Piovani, a "nice" mix sort of.
I have to listen again trofile though.

It was pleasant to hear, so far so good.

The rite…..I am afraid is not mine, really.

A diamond in the rough if you will.

My favourite track was the longest, "Breakout". Yes it’s a good to hear something different from Elfman. He tried his new style with "The Kindgom" and "Terminator Salvation" but I was not fully convinced. The Next Three Days was much more satisfying.
And yes, Monsters was a good film. There was not that much music (the soundtrack is also only about 30 minutes long) and it was mostly in the background.

Last score I heard:
Nine Months by Hans Zimmer

If you wanna hear a different Zimmer check this out. Completely orchestral, no electronic stuff to find. Very romantic and emotional but too schmaltzy for me.
Not my cup of tea but definitely different from his usual stuff.

This man can surely write memorable music. More than a mere film score, this is a symphony that truly evokes a sense of magic, fantasy and adventure, as we seldom hear these days.
A fabulous and timeless work of art.

Modern film scores are terrible, say composers – Times Online (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3564154.ece)

Wow, beautiful Themes from the Series and Songs. My favorite: Countdown to Destiny

Ninja by Stephen Edwards

Has a bit of a retro 80s vibe but that’s intentional given the movie. Like many composers before him, Edwards tries to emulate traditional Asian music and like all of the others he fails. Mostly orchestral with little electronic elements here and there and some e-guitar action.
It’s a solid score. Nothing more, nothing less.

Ninja Assassin by Ilan Eshkeri (included songs are not considered)

The Asian colouring is also there but more subtle. The score is a mix of powerful orchestra and rock/electronic. There’s hardly a moment of quietness, it’s almost non-stop action. Say what you want about those RCP guys but there scores are hardly ever dull.

Out of the two I prefer Eshkeri’s score. It’s just more fun. It’s also more high class because the budget restrictions Ninja had to face (it went direct-to-dvd while Ninja Assassin had a limited theatrical run) shine through here and there.

review:

Reviews
Review of Edmund Meinerts, submitted at 2011-06-02 14:48:55, score: 7/10

Is there any comic book film franchise that has patchier continuity? Well, besides Batman, that is? Anyways, one of summer 2011???s tentpole pictures is X-Men: First Class, DC???s answer to the Marvel double whammy of Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. This is the fifth entry into the eleven-year-old franchise and the second origins film following 2009???s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It is set in the 60s against a Cold War backdrop and features teenage versions of the characters enrolling in their ???first class??? with Professor Xavier. Along for the ride is the series??? fifth composer, Henry Jackman ??? indirectly replacing the series??? other, rather better known H. Jackman.

A quick recap of the series??? musical history: the late great Michael Kamen gave the first film a somewhat troubled blend of orchestra and electronica whose album was rather short on themes and did not necessarily represent the score???s highlights. John Ottman followed on the second film with a more traditional, orchestral superhero effort that some enjoyed, but others felt to be limp and unoriginal. Rising star John Powell then pulled out all the stops for X-Men 3: The Last Stand, writing a phenomenally complex, thematically developed action score that stands as the highlight of the series so far (and is something of an oddity in Powell???s career as it is one of the very few films he???s scored that isn???t either a thriller or an animation). His former colleague Harry Gregson-Williams then contributed a score for X-Men Origins: Wolverine that failed to live up to the potential of its strong opening cue and disappointed many. So it???s no surprise to report that Jackman, too, eschews references to the other scores and heads off in his own direction.

Although to say that is, perhaps, slightly misleading, as X-Men: First Class might come across as a disappointingly pedestrian effort to some. Jackman had shown glimpses of a dynamic orchestral sound hinted at in Monsters vs. Aliens and his contributions to Kick-Ass before going on to so surprise film music fans in 2010???s sleeper hit (score-wise), Gulliver???s Travels. There are even rumors that he had a large hand in writing the popular, jaunty ???Up is Down??? cue from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World???s End. This time around, though, he (or the producers) has chosen to deliver a more standard third-millenium action score that relies on tried-and-tested Remote Control Productions techniques combined with the defiant rock tones of Jackman???s only other score in the superhero genre, Kick-Ass. Listeners who were disappointed with Brian Tyler, Patrick Doyle and Christopher Young???s respective spins on that style in Battle: Los Angeles, Thor and Priest will be even more let down here. However, those three scores were all strong in my opinion, partially because of that influence, and to label it as an automatic negative would be highly unfair.

The opening ???First Class??? cue presents Jackman???s main theme in as convenient a package as you could ask for: the typical building anthemic statement over chopping string ostinati. The only really unique touch is the Kick-Ass -inspired rock instrumentation that joins the activity about halfway through, a sound Jackman remains loyal to throughout the score as an effective representation of the fledgling mutants??? youthful defiance. This cue exposes both a strength and a weakness of X-Men: First Class ??? on the one hand, the orchestration is stronger than in most RCP scores (despite existing in a rather dry mix), the string ostinati far more vibrant and layered here than in something such as Ramin Djawadi???s Clash of the Titans. One can usually tell what’s orchestral and what’s synthetic here, and there’s none of that awful synthetic brass that plagues some of the lesser MV/RC scores. The theme itself, however, is far from being memorable. It is certainly enjoyable and harmoniously pleasing, but it doesn???t stick easily in the mind. One could argue that the X-Men at this early stage have not earned a fully memorable theme yet, but Jackman???s heroic intent is clear, so it is doubtful that this is the case. It???s certainly not a bad theme, but it can???t stand up to Powell???s ???Bathroom Titles??? or even Gregson-Williams??? ???Logan Through Time???, which is why its reduction to a piano solo in ???Would You Date Me???? lacks the impact it could have had.

A second, more ominous motif for Magneto begins to establish itself in the score???s first third, though it is little more than two oscillating chords (the same two, incidentally, that repeat at the beginning of the refrain of ???Gollum???s Song??? from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – a really farfetched idea could be that this is hint at the fact that Magneto would go on to be played by LotR star Ian McKellan, but that’s a huge stretch). This gets its own crescendo of rock-laced defiance in Frankenstein s Monster. Of some interest in places is the electric guitar???s very slight infusion of James Bond-like spy attitude into this motif, perhaps a slight nod to the film???s era. This occurs at 1:14 of ???Not That Sort of Bank???. It would have been nice to hear more of this unique style.

The score???s more-or-less orchestral action finally arrives in the pair of ???Rise Up to Rule??? and ???Cold War???, and is fairly standard material, with the usual reliance on the ever-present ostinati and synthetic pulses to keep things moving along. A lone, all-too-brief zither hidden in the middle of ???Cold War??? is the only Russian touch in these otherwise entirely generic ??? though admittedly enjoyable ??? cues. The defiant synthetic side then counters in ???X-Training???, a somewhat obnoxious montage-like cue which reprises some of the main anthem once the strings enter in the second half.

A highlight of the score is ???Rage and Serenity, which builds a subtheme from a troubled strings-and-piano version of the main theme with a hint of John Barry to a massively dramatic statement along the lines of Hans Zimmer???s ???Journey to the Line??? from The Thin Red Line. These dramatic string layers continue in the first minute of ???To Beast or Not to Beast??? and the second half of ???Coup d??????tat???, but again, this avenue isn???t pursued satisfyingly enough to leave much of an impact.

After ???True Colors??? does little but unexpectedly pull a rhythmic motif from Clash of the Titans, Jackman unleashes his action finale in the next four cues. He manages to stir up a great deal of excitement and noise, but has an unfortunate tendency to introduce a good action idea and then quickly abandon it. For example, the first 26 seconds of ???Let Battle Commence??? are as close as this score ever gets to the swinging rhythms of Gulliver???s Travels, but the rhythm it segues into is as stock as it gets. The main theme is given its best statement in the first half of ???Sub Lift??? ??? complete with echoing choral backing, a true slo-mo moment ??? but is followed by some of the score???s more annoying synthetic effects. Even more problematic is the reappearance of Zimmer???s ???Journey to the Line??? on the temp track, repackaged with some of the progressions from Jackman???s theme and relabeled ???Mutant and Proud???. The connection is unmistakeable and the attempt to tie it in to the rest of the score feels highly forced, an unfortunate misstep.

Appropriately, the score ends on an ominous, rather than heroic, note (obviously the film can’t resolve entirely, otherwise there would be no series for it to be a prequel to). The final ???Magneto??? cue ??? perhaps the most abrasively rock-heavy of them all ??? provides the most consistent performance of the character’s dual-chord motif. Unfortunately, the motif really isn???t strong enough to be a villain theme, and the repetitively alternating pounding will become somewhat obnoxious in the end, leaving the listener with a feeling of overall dissatisfaction.

The biggest issue that X-Men: First Class has is that it tries to do too many things at once, but it doesn???t do any of them more than adequately. It tries to be a Media Ventures power anthem score, but its ???power anthem??? isn???t quite memorable enough to be fully satisfying. It throws in tantalizing hints of John Barry???s James Bond style, and the score would have been really unique if it had followed up on that, but it doesn???t. Probably Jackman???s most successful idea is the addition of rock to represent the not-yet-maturity of the mutants, but even that plays as somewhat pedestrian, and can become obnoxious in cues like ???X-Training???. The occasional temp-track issue (especially with ‘Journey to the Line’) doesn???t help either. It’s a smoother listen than the multi-composer, genre-bending Kick-Ass, but doesn’t have that score’s uniqueness or highlights either.

All in all, X-Men: First Class is not a bad score by any means. It???s a huge step above your typical phoned-in Remote Control score and is further proof that Henry Jackman is among the more talented half of that squad. But one gets the impression that the composer didn???t really know in which direction he wanted to take this score, and ended up having to water all of them down as a compromise (and perhaps the producers are more to blame for this). It???s a solid buy for fans of blockbuster action scores, but doesn???t stand up to the stiff competition in the summer of 2011, and in the end will probably go down as an ever-so-slightly missed opportunity.

I like Michael Brook, will listen to that score (it is in my archive)
and I will listen to the Hooper score too.

I have been listening to lots of different scores, right now:

Jeff Rona: Traffic, The Mini Series

reminds me of "L.A. Crash" /Isham, in a god way ( I like Crash)

I just love that score. I have to admit I had never really heard of Orbital when I watched the movie back in 2003 (I only later learned they worked on Event Horizon with Michael Kamen) but their music hit a nerve. It’s not really melodic (although there is a theme which pops up every now and then) but more ambient like and it will most likely be more appreciated by those who are into electronic music.
If you’re into Orbital’s stuff (or electronic music in general) check it out.

The One by Trevor Rabin

It’s hit-and-miss with Rabin for me. His electronic/rock stuff is usually ok but his orchestral stuff is really not very good imho. Here we have a combination of both and it works. It’s not overly original but it’s fast and it’s loud. Just the way action-music should be.
I definitely like the one (pun intended).

I like to listen this soundtrack mostly for this two songs ‘Suo Gan’ & ‘Exsultate Justi’. The former is sung by a solo voice of a child, maybe symbolizing the innocence of children before the horrors of war that is to come, while ‘Exsultate Justi’ is quite the opposite, as is a joyful anthem for children choir and orchestra, celebrating the return of freedom and peace at the end of the war.
Another track that is worth to mention is ‘Cadillac of the Skies’. Here the music is majestic in the beginning and is joined by a powerful angelic choir, but along the track the music turns more and more darker and the choir is now nuanced on a gloomier tone. In a way this track is like a representation of the score, because the rest of the album is filled with music moments of exaltation and sorrow.
It’s not the best by Williams but nonetheless it’s a very good listen.

4 out of 5

and again

Anatomie 2 by Marius Ruhland. I just love the leitmotif of sort with the score/ soundtrack as well as the choral voices which added more tone to the build up of the suspense…

🙂

Terror Tract is a horror anthology movie. The different stories vary drastically in quality. It’s an ok movie but nothing to write home about.

One Hour Photo by Reinhold Heil & Johnny Klimek

The movie is just great and so is the music. Somber and restrained with occasional hints of threat.
It’s mostly strings-based with electronic underscoring.
Definitely one of their best works to date.

Nurse Jackie Season One by Wendy & Lisa

I just loved their Heroes score. Nurse Jackie is a whole different story though. Kinda pseudo-jazzy and quirky.
Reminded me a lot of the score for the British hospital comedy show "Green Wing".
Not exactly great but doesn’t hurt much while listening. Ok-ish.

I like "One Hour Photo a lot, and I discovered "Sophie Scholl" as a real good one as well ( by the same composers)

I like "Standed" by Javier Navarrete too 🙂

quiet, some people would call it boring [I know boogiepop does]

I love this score, which is strange. I don’t usually like New Age-y synthesized scores from the late 80’s or early 90’s but Poledouris manages to pull it off quite well. The tranquil main theme is so well orchestrated on the synth I completely forgive the outdated sound.

4 out of 5.

I like "Standed" by Javier Navarrete too 🙂

I really like that score. It’s my favorite of Navarrete’s, next to Pan’s.

Of course, I’ve only other ones I’ve heard are The Devil’s Backbone, Inkheart, Mirror and Fireflies In The Garden.

I love this score, which is strange. I don’t usually like New Age-y synthesized scores from the late 80’s or early 90’s but Poledouris manages to pull it off quite well. The tranquil main theme is so well orchestrated on the synth I completely forgive the outdated sound.

4 out of 5.

I really like that score. It’s my favorite of Navarrete’s, next to Pan’s.

Of course, I’ve only other ones I’ve heard are The Devil’s Backbone, Inkheart, Mirror and Fireflies In The Garden.

I will give Wind a chance… (The only Poledouris I ever listened to was "Blue Lagoon")

did You like fireflies in the garden? (Ok, yes, fireflies is my favorite)

I love "Cracks" as well…

I have Conan, Robocop, Cherry 2000 and Starship Troopers……..none of them are anything like Wind, so I find it more surprising I enjoy this score so much.

did You like fireflies in the garden? (Ok, yes, fireflies is my favorite)

I love "Cracks" as well…

I quite like Fireflies.

….and I completely forgot I have Cracks on my HD. I downloaded it and never listened to it. That’s next up. :laugh:

I love this score, which is strange. I don’t usually like New Age-y synthesized scores from the late 80’s or early 90’s but Poledouris manages to pull it off quite well. The tranquil main theme is so well orchestrated on the synth I completely forgive the outdated sound.

Make sure that’s the Japanese edition you listen because does it have an extra track, in fact is a song and is performed by a group called The Amazons (??). It’s that kind of a song that you hear in the afternoons on VH1 channel program dedicated to the 50 most awesomely unknown cheesy pop songs of the nineties, if you know what i mean… *smiles* 😀

But I liked Fireflies in the Garden 😀

Outlander by Geoff Zanelli

It’s nice how Zanelli works with the general theme of the movie: old (Vikings) vs. new (Alien/Spaceship).
We have "old" instrumentation (drums, flutes, several wooden instruments) vs. modern instrumentation (electronic beats, E-guitar).
Ok, that’s as far as innovation goes. The rest is pretty much standard RCP action scoring.
It’s a fun score. Nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes that’s all I need.

"winds" was not what I expected ( it was better than what I expected) I still prefer "blue lagoon"

Well, that was different…and I love it. Another contender in the long line of musicians/groups-turned-composers and finally one that totally did his/their own thing. You’re getting 100 % Chemical Brothers here. If you don’t like their stuff you won’t like this score. It’s as simple as that.

Jonah Hex by Marco Beltrami

Another lackluster score by Beltrami. You can easily tell he didn’t put much heart into this project.
Pseudo-western with e-guitars. No poignant themes, no blood-pumping action tracks, no excitement whatsoever.
This score more or less just IS. Listen and forget.

Masada – Goldsmith & Stevens
Impressive release, but i must say that i enjoy a lot more the broader sound in the orchestration of the re-recording arranged by Goldsmith, over the sparse orchestration of the complete original soundrack recording. I guess it’s a case of quality over quantity thing. Having said that, there’s a good chunk of new music to discover, especially in Morton Stevens Part IV sequence. The best parts of Goldsmith score are already on the re-recording anyway.

Magnolia – Jon Brion
The first thing i noticed is how much the first two tracks, reminds me some parts of Richard Robbins score of The Remains of the Day (a personal favorite of mine), with that almost mathematical repetition cadence of strings and counterpointed with the woodwinds and cellos, giving the music an almost hypnotic effect.
But there’s more. ‘Jimmy’s Breakdown’ is entirely written for strings and is reminiscent of the last part movement of Zimmer’s brilliant ‘Journey to the Line’, and on a total different tone is ‘So Now Then’, which is a charming and full of hope piece, played on acoustic guitars.
I’m sure that i’ll hear this soundtrack many more times…

Live and Let Die – George Martin
Well ok, i’ve never been a fan of the song, but on the other hand i appreciate the score and his distinct funky style. And while it’s not on the same level of a Barry score made for Bond, it has its own merits, like for example the flavoured Caribbean rhythm of ‘San Monique’, or the instrumental rendition of the song in ‘The Lovers’.
It’s a fun listen while it lasts, but easily forgotten after a short while.

Eat Drink Man Woman – Mader
This is a curious soundtrack, because it combines in the same score so distinc music styles like mambo, with Chinese instruments such as a pipa or erhu. If nothing else this soundtrack is worth a listen alone for this combination of styles.
In between there’s place for a more reflective music like in the piano driven cues in ‘The Daughter’s Heart’ part 1 and 2.

I didn’t think anything from this score was released by Beltrami. There was talks of a CD-R release but it never happened.

Is it a DVD rip or Mastodon’s EP which gets mistaken for Beltrami all the time on the interwebs?

————–

Paul Cantelon’s "EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED"

Cantelon’s quirky, traditional score to Liev Schreiber’s directorial debut.

While the score doesn’t really thematically develop but more or less serves as backdrop to the country and characters, this score is always a joy for me to listen to. If you don’t like Gogol Bordello or Leningrad, you probably won’t like this score either. As the Klezmer instrumentatal score shares the same as all the source songs as well.

It’s not often an album mixing up score and songs is a very cohesive listen but this one manages to pull it off with flying colors.

….and a great movie as well. Both film and score are highly recommended.

4 out of 5

Green Lantern by James Newton Howard which i find good actually. I’ll probably listen to it again after seeing the movie..

Is it a DVD rip or Mastodon’s EP which gets mistaken for Beltrami all the time on the interwebs?

It’s the real deal. 33 track promo score.

Green Lantern by James Newton Howard which i find good actually. I’ll probably listen to it again after seeing the movie..

Yes, The Omen is awesome as you said. And if you have the chance, don’t forget to listen The Final Conflict. It’s good if not better than The Omen sexpot

Didn’t listen the Green Lantern. The movie won’t be open here until about a month or so. That’s how things work most of the time when you don’t live in the US, so i can wait…

agreed 🙂

so is paradise lost by Oshima… 😉

I can only imagine it would get better when expanded upon.

What’s the best version to grab?

I’m not looking for the most music but the best album presentation.

I’m not that interested in every single second of music written for scores…..I like presentation much more.

Yes it is! I really like the themes between the tracks "Becoming One…/Climbing Up…/Jake’s First Flight". It’s 15 minutes of music full of wonderful moments.

agreed 🙂

so is paradise lost by Oshima… 😉

Paradise Lost is also very good, but it’s the kind of music that will only work to me if i’m in the right mood for it. It’s beautiful, but brings a sense of a sadness and a solitude felling, which is not easy to listen. Proof that Oshima hardly disappoints.

I’ve only heard the commercial album of Avatar…..and I really, really liked it.

I can only imagine it would get better when expanded upon.

What’s the best version to grab?

Cuckoo the soundtrack album is a very good representation of the score, imo. The time length is generous (80 Min if you count the song), the best tracks are already present, and in general the music flows so well that you not realize the time passing. If you prefer the quality of a better listening experience over excess of quantity, then i’d say the album is enough for you.

Thanks for the lowdown, Sanico. I trust your judement.

I know there were a few bits of music not on the album I liked but can’t be bothered to sit through that movie a third time to figure out what moments they were.

Commerical album it is then. 🙂

liking Ink by Winans and some Navarrete I just had to like Cappellas I guess 🙂

First score I listened to was "Bruc", and now "Obaba"

[hopefully Obama and Osama won’t meet in Obaba, sorry folks, I just HAD to write that]

But the last score i’ve heard was Kingdom of Heaven by Harry Gregson-Williamsm, and surprised me because i was expecting something toward the style of Gladiator (which i didn’t liked btw).
Instead it’s less of an action synth oriented type of music, but more of a symphonic score that alternates between a kind of religious choirs and orchestra suggesting medieval sonorities, with other parts evoking a more middle eastern style of music with moments a meditative atmosphere and a presence of arabic instruments or similar.

My favorite track is ‘Ibelin’. The theme exudes optimism and beauty. and is highlighted with the presence of winds and percussion middle eastern instruments, that gives the music an exotic touch.

That’s why it’s always so disappointing when HGW churns out crap for most Tony Scott films.

He can write…..but he goes on ‘auto-pilot’ writing all too often. 🙁

———————–

Yesterday I listened to Chris Young’s "Priest", Marco Beltrami’s "Soul Surfer" and Brian Tyler’s "Battle: Los Angeles" & "6-STring Samurai". I think I mentioned a few of these scores a few times all ready here…..but whatever…….:D

Chris Young’s work is easily a 4 star effort. Huge, gothic and uber-moody. It’s what he does best, as he proved with Hellraiser. 🙂

Marco Beltrami’s "Soul Surfer" is probably my favorite score of 2011 so far. Intimate, innocent and very colorful. Beltrami was beginning to disappoint a little too often but he pulled himself out of that rut with this 4 1/2 star score.

"Battle: Los Angeles". Like what Daft Punk did with Tron: Legacy, Brian Tyler took that RC/MV sound and showed those guys how it should be done. Well-crafted orchestrations and well-placed electronics and synths, prove you can still use that RC/MV style and actually write something that isn’t so what you hear is what you get. 3 1/2 out of 5.

Brian Tyler & The Red Elvises’ "6-String Samurai". A wonderful little summer album to pull out and just let it play. Surf music with a little quirkiness to boot. Like most Tyler albums it does run for maybe 10-15 minutes too long and could use some editing, especially because surf music does tend to sound like the same thing over and over again after about 20 minutes.
3 out of 5.

…"Battle: Los Angeles". ….

Nice to see we agree on 2 scores again 😉

You like good music.

:smug:

Les Baxter – The Beast Within 5/10, Winifred Philipps – Legend Of The Guardians BGM 7/10, Kevin Manthei – Justice League New Frontier 7/10,
Sean Callery – 24 Redemption 7/10, Andrew Lockington – Skin Walkers 5/10

with 10 being the highest…that is of course the degree on how i felt i enjoyed that particular score

🙂

Same here…at least with Soul Surfer (haven’t checked out Battle: LA yet)
My favourite score of the year so far.

with 10 being the highest…that is of course the degree on how i felt i enjoyed that particular score

🙂

my favorite Ross scores are:
my dog skip
evening star
ladder 49
september dawn

@cuckoo: now, would you STILL say that? 😛

T-rex is actually REALLY good. :laugh:

I liked My Dog Skip and Ladder 49.

I haven’t heard the others.

So yes. yes I would still say that. 🙂

10. The Way Back / Burkhard Dallwitz
9. L.A. Noire / Andrew Hale
8. The Witcher 2 / Adam Skorupa & Krzysztof Wierzynkiewicz
7. Battle LA / Brian Tyler
6. Rio / John Powell
5. Water For Elephants / James Newton Howard
4. Priest / Christopher Young
3. La Herencia Valdemar II / Arnau Bataller
2. Jane Eyre / Dario Marianelli
1. Soul Surfer / Marco Beltrami

I have yet to hear "Ligne droite" and from the buzz of it, I’m anticipating my 1st exploration of it.

Battle LA – Brian Tyler
Game Of Thrones- Ramin Djawadi
Soul Surfer – Marco Beltrami
Tree of Life – Alexandre Desplat
Ligne Droite – Patrick Doyle
Transformers 3 – Brian Tyler
Conspirator – Mark Isham

no particular order, but I am sure forgot some…

I keep mixing up stuff that I first LISTENED to this year with stuff that was released this year…

I liked My Dog Skip and Ladder 49.

I haven’t heard the others.

So yes. yes I would still say that. 🙂

i also like T-Rex it’s just that there isn’t enough much to listen to it as the score is short(at least in what i listened to)
my favorite Ross score’s are The Tale of Desperaux & Ladder 49.

I haven’t listened the september dawn and my dog skip yet so i will probably check it out…

and

Here’s what i have listened to recently..
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow (Complete Score)/ Oscar Araujo – 9/10
Final Fantasy Adevnt Children / Nobuo Uematsu – 9/10

both love this score 🙂

A bit disappointed by this one. While all the ingredients for a big blockbuster score are there it sounds a bit lackluster. Nothing really sticks out, nothing stays with you very long. It’s your typical orchestra with electronics score you expect from 90s blockbuster films. The choir work is kinda nice though.
It’s an ok score but I liked Broken Arrow more.

Point of No Return by Hans Zimmer (I’m in the middle of an old-Zimmer-stuff-marathon)

Since this came out in the early 90s it still sounds a bit 80s-ish. Meaning it’s a mix of orchestra and (dated) synthesizer. What I didn’t like were the male (?) vocals he used in some of the tracks. They mostly sounded off.
I’m not a big fan of 80s music but it was tolerable. I just don’t see myself listening to this very often.
Seems like a rollercoaster ride with older Zimmer scores for me.

Ao no Exorcist Original Soundtrack 1 by Hiroyuki Sawano

Awesome!!! I’ve been a fan of Sawano’s anime scores for a while but he really outdid himself with this one.
Just like someone else stated in the corresponding thread, this is modern score music done right.
Highly creative, always surprising and a bit crazy. It’s right up there with his score for Sengoku Basara.
Love it. Highly recommended!!!

Wow…such an amazing score.

It knocked me off my feet the first time I heard it.

It knocked me off my feet the first time I heard it.

can’t get enough of that score, it’s still on my player right now though i’m still logging on lots of other score to listen to… :

right now…I just finished listening to David Raksin/Raskin conducts his classic film scores and it’s simply stunning… in a word, epic!

Most of the music is driven by this kind of blues-rock guitars, which is very cool to hear. Tracks like ‘Cruel Highway’, ‘Padre’s Wood’, ‘Motel Sex’ or ‘Slayers’, are very energetic and i guess they could even be enjoyed in general by the fans of rock music.
There is also place for tracks that have a larger presence of the synths, creating a layer of oppressive sonorities, very typical of the music that Carpenter makes for his films.

It’s a good listen mostly for the enjoyable guitar tracks, and it’s fun to listen once in a while, soundtracks with a distinct style that i’m used to hear.

I’m not a fan of the franchise but the films are entertaining and they got the eye-candy right (yes, I’m talking about Milla Jovovich in skimpy outfits).
The previous three composers (Marco Beltrami, Jeff Danna, Charlie Clouser) all took the worn orchestra-with-electronics-approach. The results were mediocre at best. Now it’s tomandandy’s turn and guess what? They totally nailed it!
They thankfully got rid of the orchestra stuff entirely. It’s just e-guitars, a drumset and electronics now and this soundscape fits the film like a glove.
It’s not high art but it doesn’t matter…this score friggin’ ROCKS!
For me, the best score of the franchise. I hope they bring tomandandy back for part 5.

it’s a good mixture of upbeat & enjoyable music for the fanboys of Japanese superhero league 🙂

———–

I’m a Resident Evil fan boy admittedly, I also enjoy the RE Afterlife score by Tomandandy as well but it sure wasn’t my favorite among the series…My wish is for Brian Tyler to provide the next RE 5 music and see how it will turn out as Brian is a perfect fit for an action packed movie like Resident Evil in IMO .. 😀

just downloaded, curious, the first 4 tracks are good, quiet, harmonic, I like them…

although being a star trek fan I admit I never listened to this (due to the fact maybwe, that I am no Goldsmith fan)

I listened to Xavier Capellas again: Perder Es Cuesti???n De M???todo

With that and Bruc and Obaba, he reminds me a bit of Navarrete or Andre Guerra maybe, I like his style 🙂

both enjoyed this score 😀

and Biohazard 2 Prototype by Masami Ueda, first time i got it and listened to it, it rocks!..it has the feel of suspense and some hard rift action to it…the only complain i had is it’s just about 10 or 11 tracks and short for a good music..

I do really like several Desplat, not all of him. never had listened to this one though.
I quite like it.

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon by Steve Jablonsky…enjoyed this score

me to 🙂

I do really like several Desplat, not all of him. never had listened to this one though.
I quite like it.

me to 🙂

the king’s speech was a good score also from Giacchino, persnal favorite of mine there was "the rehearsal".. 🙂

It isn’t the last yet it’s still the one i’m currently listening to is the Castlevania Lords Of Shadow Disc 2 again by Oscar Araujo, just as the same it’s epic! imo 😀

you mean Desplat? 🙂
King’s Speech is my favorite desplat.

It isn’t the last yet it’s still the one i’m currently listening to is the Castlevania Lords Of Shadow Disc 2 again by Oscar Araujo, just as the same it’s epic! imo 😀

I do not know that one…maybe I will give it a try if I find it 😉

I do not know that one…maybe I will give it a try if I find it 😉

lol, yes sorry it’s Alexandre Desplat, what was I thinking (oh i remember, it had to do with the new soundtrack from Monte Carlo by Giacchino i have it mix up here) .. 😀

i think you should try that particular score of Oscar… you might like it as well 🙂

Poor James. He started out with promising orchestral works like Snow Falling on Cedars and ended up with fluff like Salt and the two Green movies. But say what you want, he always delivers.
GL is hardly original but his combination of large orchestra and pounding electronics still feels fresh (at least in the world of comic adaptions). The score starts rolling with track 1 and never lets up again till it’s over.
I like it.
P.S.: I don’t have a clue what the purpose of the last track is though.

great, adding to my favorite Tylers.

review

by Mike Brennan
on March 22nd, 2007
Brian Tyler hit the ground running in 2003 with a series of mainstream scores, including the epic mini-series to Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune. Early on, it seemed that Tyler would tackle a different genre with each scoring assignment. That, of course, could not last. With Partition, Tyler returns to the ethnic woodwind tone of the quieter parts of Children of Dune. The score album is structured like a typical Tyler album: a main theme followed by a large number of generally short cues and then an end credits suite. The main theme, introduced in "Partition", is a sweeping, majestic melody in the strings and stated often throughout the score with other instruments added for texturing. The woodwinds and strings dominate the score, however, with the minimal brass presence as sound color, as in "Attack at the Crossing".
"The Crossing" begins with a series of moving chords that follow the general theme progression. While these chords are slow, Tyler throws in brief statements of the theme in languid eighth notes to keep the music from being weighed down and slow. This cue builds slowly into a layered string piece with ethnic woodwinds and French horn. This cue leads into "Attack at the Crossing", which is in a similar style to the action cues of Dune, with percussion and moving string lines. Brass comes in toward the end. The theme is never far away and it returns in full in "Naseem’s Journey", but in a 6/8 time rather than the 4/4 from the opening cue. (At least Tyler went for a beat I could count and not the 19/8 from The Hunted!) These first few opening cues cover most of the album in terms of the main musical ideas, which are rewoven throughout the score. For example, the drawn out "Sirsa" weaves the theme in around some tenser, atmospheric music.
A few other cues stand out. Toward the end of "Transformation of Gian", Tyler uses both drums and plucked strings for a percussive effect, which return in "Crossing the Border" and "Free", the former of which uses echoing vocals in the background. "Coming of Age" is the only cue that uses a vocal soloist, here along with light percussion and strings. Some quieter moments that bring out more of the ethnic tones without the cover of the orchestra include "Bombay" and "Separation". A number of these solo ethnic instruments were performed by Tyler, as was the percussion and piano. ****** Sarabande’s album release is long, about 2 minutes short of filling the disc. While scores such as Children of Dune could have benefited from a longer release, smaller score of this nature begin to get bogged down with long albums. I think Partition would be better enjoyed on album with a release more along the lines of the 45 minutes of Timeline, for example. I like his theme for Partition; it properly evokes the setting of World War II India and has a good mix of orchestration and solo ethnic elements. While not among Tyler’s relative best, this score is a nice listen for fans of sweeping themes with an ethnic flavor.

Love Zack for his fabolous music, great music.

I enjoy it and I’m looking forward for an official release.

Compilations albums, "Hollywood Rhapsody" John Wilson conducts the BBC Hollywood Orchestra – An awesome experience for the fans of classic masterpieces within the likes of greats such as Frans Waxman, Max Steiner, Erich Korngold, Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman, David Raksin…among others….

🙂

I am discovering Tylar has more faces than just he action face one….

I’ll have to listen to it again. "Ethnic" elements, not sure about that one yet.

I listened The Informant by Marvin Hamlisch, and it’s good light music pastiche of the 60’s & 70’s kind. It’s a smooth and laid-back jazzy loungue score. Very entertaining. I like it. 🙂

And now, if you excuse me, i have 8 pages on downloads section to read and respond to PM’s…

I am discovering Tylar has more faces than just he action face one….

he does, in fact i got surprised too when i listened to his works on Partition & The Greatest Game Ever Played 2 or 3 months ago. (both became a personal fave of mine after that) 🙂

—

i just listened to Tintin au cinema by Andre Popp, Ray Parker, Tim Morgan & Tom Szczesniak…brings back memories 🙂

and

Porco Rosso, only recently i discovered how great Joe Hisaishi’s music are! and so i’ll probably be chewing on more of Joe’s music in the coming days & i’m enjoying it 🙂

Try out "Six-String Samurai", "Plan B" and "Last Call" those couldn’t be any different from his usual action scores.

"6-String" is pure surf rock. It runs a little long but is charming while it’s got your interest.

"Last Call" is late night, smoky lounge jazz.

"Plan B" is swing flavored. Put on your dancing shows zoot suit, wiseguys.

—————-

I listened to Jablonsky’s new ‘Transformers’ score.

Ehh….it wasn’t great. It wasn’t bad either. It just sort of sat there and predictably crash, bam and boomed to the tune of a heroic anthem.

2.5 out of 5.

Try out "Six-String Samurai", "Plan B" and "Last Call" those couldn’t be any different from his usual action scores.

"6-String" is pure surf rock. It runs a little long but is charming while it’s got your interest.

"Last Call" is late night, smoky lounge jazz.

"Plan B" is swing flavored. Put on your dancing shows zoot suit, wiseguys.

Thanks. Now I know which Brian Tyler scores I DON’T need to check out 😀

Hisaishi is wonderful. Once i start to listen one of his scores i can’t stop for days to hear any of his other music. It is just that addictive :p I rank him along with Barry Williams, Goldsmith and Horner on my list of personal faves.

Porco Rosso is good as always is when he’s writing the music score in harmony with Miyazaki unique imaginary.
I love Fio’s theme from Porco Rosso, it evokes so much of the naive sweetness of the character, and wnen it’s played with the mandolin and castanets gives an exact flavour of the seaside Italy in the movie. Love it 😀

Porco Rosso is good as always is when he’s writing the music score in harmony with Miyazaki unique imaginary.
I love Fio’s theme from Porco Rosso, it evokes so much of the naive sweetness of the character, and wnen it’s played with the mandolin and castanets gives an exact flavour of the seaside Italy in the movie. Love it 😀

indeed, i just can’t get the tune of Porco E Bella out of my head…love it’s melody…i’m glad to have watch the 25 years Animation Celebration Music The Budokan Hall concert (sorry if i mixed up the title) it’s like a condensed preview of some of his best works & I immediately love his music. 🙂

now I’m a certified new JH fan 😀

Welcome to the ever growing Joe Hisaishi Fan Club 😀

Big surprise. I liked it!

Yes!

I liked the ones boogiepop suggested to me, too:
the greatest game ever played
Lazarus Project
Final Cut
Partition

———- Post added at 01:33 AM ———- Previous post was at 01:32 AM ———-

And I waded through four volumes of music for The Adventures of Superman (tv series)…..

I think, if I’m getting you.

Which is about 50/50, considering…:)

You, son, from this day forth, shall be known as Shia TheBeef.

Ok, I just chose "Elisabeth The Golden Age", and will take Hulk after that…

oops

I just saw I already DID

Elisabteh Golden Age
Hulk
The Quiet American
Orphans
The Clearing

are already on my player

I forgot 😀

Paycheck? That’s what came to my mind after finishing this score. Ok, the film was an average actionthriller no one would have cared about in the first place if it weren’t for Angelina Jolie in the lead role. But did the score have to be THIS bland?
Run-of-the-mill orchestral action scoring you heard a gazillion times. Some electronic enhancements and a little e-guitar action couldn’t save this from total mediocracy. It was actually so bland I already totally forgot about it the minute the last track faded out.
The other problem was it was just too long for it’s own good.
I said earlier that JNH always delivers…obviously I was wrong. Next!

Sand Serpents by Pierpaolo Tiano

Syfy original movies don’t have the best reputation. Bad scripts, bad actors, bad fx…and usually bad scores.
It changed with Sand Serpents. This is a score that easily surpasses it’s source material.
Yes, it’s orchestra and electronics again but this time it’s actually fun. Tiano obviously has experience with electronics. They fit quite nicely with the (most likely synth) orchestral moments. There’s a bit of a middle eastern flavour in there (the movie is set in Iraque).
It also sounds much more like an action score then a horror film score. In it’s best moments it resembles Black Hawk Down a bit.
Tiano’s work here is comparable to scores by bigger names like Badelt, Jablonsky or Djawadi.
Recommended (to fans of modern action scoring).

Naoki Sato & … – "Space Battleship Yamato"
it has 11 out of 22 stand out tracks. 5 personal picks
over all grade (IMO) = 9/10 , love it! 🙂

Love it. Like Ao le dernier neanderthal and le premier crie…

These 60’s & 70’s crime thrillers always have this groovy jazz sound that is so much enjoyable to hear. Sometimes jazz can be painful to listen to when starts to be too dissonant and experimental, but that’s not the case of Bullitt, because every track here is driven by a infectious melody and warm rhythms, that makes it easy to hear by those that are not used in jazz.

The soundtrack have the same characteristics of other Portman works, that is written with elegance and finesse.
The use of traditional Chinese instruments like the pipa and erhu are merely there to add an extra colour and not to carry the music, and fuse well in a harmonious way with the traditional orchestral instruments (piano, cellos), and even with subtle and very minimal electronic elements. The track ‘Bicycle’ combines piano and ehru over a electronic layer, in an ingenious way.
It’s another score that enter in the best of 2011 so far, and ‘We Will be Laotong’ in the best tracks.

Don’t miss it.

agreed, absolutely 😀

listening to "Dangerous Beauty" by Fenton now, I am not familiar with Fenton, started with Deep Blue and Blue Planet, which I liked. I have only been listening to the first 3 tracks so far, but I guess I miht give Fenton some more time… 😉

review from the net:

Dangerous Beauty: (George Fenton) Powerful prostitutes make up some of the most interesting characters in the history of film, and Dangerous Beauty adapts the partially true tale of "The Honest Courtesan" written by Margaret Rosenthal and gives it the usual preachy conclusion about societal structure that Hollywood adores. In the story, Venice’s most famed prostitute has an impressive client list of kings and bishops, as well as a knack for using her intelligence to commit faux pas such as reading, writing, scrapping, and opening her mouth. Her poetry and dominance in her profession made her a silent heroine for the women of 1580’s Venice, though she would have given away all of that to be able to marry the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, as he was a statesman, such a marriage was impossible despite his reciprocation, and the prostitute would eventually end up on trail for witchcraft. When the film was still titled The Honest Courtesan, it was meant to be an assignment for composer Rachel Portman, whose work on romantic dramas and comedies had earned her widespread praise and an Academy Award win in the previous few years. Her pregnancy, however, caused the scoring duties to be offered to George Fenton, whose career was defined at the time by lighter romantic comedies and the pseudo-period score for Ever After: A Cinderella Story. His capability in the genre of lush, grandiose romances with a hint of historical significance, though, has proven itself time and time again, and Dangerous Beauty is perhaps the greatest of these triumphs. In retrospect, Dangerous Beauty may have seemed like a logical progression from the tones of both Ever After and Shadowlands, among several others, but this work is better connected to the symphonic majesty that came later with Fenton’s massively successful nature documentary music of the 2000’s. In meeting the wishes of the director for Dangerous Beauty, Fenton managed to perfectly balance the elements of power, playfulness, and passion, providing one of 1998’s most accomplished scores and enjoyable companion albums. While Rachel Portman may have offered an acceptable score for this film, it’s hard to imagine that she could have surpassed the magnificence of Fenton’s inspiration for the picture.

The London ensemble for Dangerous Beauty is of significant size and features an acoustic guitar as its heart. One of the most impressive aspects of the score is its ability to convey convincing classicism without becoming pretentious. The guitar is key to this success, underlining the warmth that the film exudes in its leading duo and their impossible dreams. Fenton writes two major themes for Dangerous Beauty, one for the culture of Venice and one for Veronica, the prostitute. The first theme bubbles along immediately in "Venice Proud and Pretty" but is largely replaced by the Veronica theme introduced in "The First Kiss" and used liberally throughout the score. Fenton alternates between touching solo guitar performances and flowing string fanfares with bold brass counterpoint, never losing touch with the spirit of lush resonance that accompanies every ensemble performance. The score’s only truly menacing, minor-key expressions come in "The Plague/Veronica’s Arrest" and the two "Imprisonment" cues that follow, the first of which presents a rumbling crescendo that reminds of the opening of We’re No Angels. The pivotal moment of testimony in "I Stand Alone for Venice and This Woman" diminishes itself to solitary and tempered timpani strikes. Fenton also infuses Dangerous Beauty with a comedy rhythm under the Venice theme for the two "Duel" cues and the mid-section of the end titles, imitating the style with which Portman likely would have approached the scenes. But otherwise, Dangerous Beauty is a series of one beautiful thematic cue after another. On album, the score is very much the equal of Anna and the King from the following year, but even more consistent in its movement through each track. The cue "The Verdict/End Titles" is the dramatic equal to "The Execution" from Anna and the King, both lengthy tracks that demand inclusion in any film music collection. The piano’s performances in the latter score are perhaps a bit colder than the guitar in Dangerous Beauty. Overall, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any significant criticism of the Dangerous Beauty score, with a gorgeous and heartfelt attitude that will overwhelmingly please any fan of the composer. If not for James Horner’s wildly attractive The Mask of Zorro, Dangerous Beauty might have been the best score of 1998. *****

I like Fenton Anna and the King. Lush melodies with subtle colouring hints of exotic locale setting. Perfect. Also think the movie is underrated. I haven’t listened Dangerous Beauty, but seems to be in the same style of Anna. Any links? 🙂

The Good:
It’s definitely a different sound and not the Zimmer you know (and most likely are tired of). There’s no big orchestra. It’s not as bombastic as his other big blockbuster scores. There are actually very few instruments playing at once. The main theme, which is used many times, is rather catchy.

The not-so-good:
It’s not exactly a nice listening experience (at least to me) as it is a very edgy score. The melodies shift and turn at unexpected places. It’ so edgy it at times got on my nerves. Especially the fiddle which mostly plays the main theme was occasionally kinda hard to endure.
It’s an interesting score but no love at first note.
I’m in the middle with this one.

Skyline by Matthew Margeson

Matthew who? Never heard of this guy before and he only got the job because Brian Tyler, who was attached to that project from the beginning, had to turn it down.
It’s exactly the score I feared it would be. Uninspired, derivative, underwhelming. You heard it all before and you will not remember a single tune after the CD stopped. It’s of course big orchestra with electronic underscoring which sounds at times like Tyler’s work (Margeson arranged a couple of Tyler’s scores) and at times like a second row RCP guy.
Dissappointing. Next!

i’m quite partial with this one but i’ve tried my best to not to be (when i listened & tried to grade rate it in my own preference & standard). i’ll just make it short & simple. i love the absence of electronic stuffs(Zimmer & co. dudes) here, & over all. I love this score!

The Main and End Titles are awesome, the middle tracks, not so much, I hope a complete release is made, with the unreleased alternate main title that Rosy wrote.

La Fille De D’Artagnan by Philippe Sarde. Actually i only play the 10min track ‘La Passion Selon Elo???se’, which is simply magnificent.

Kind Lady by David Raksin – another classic

Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow by Edward Shearmur – love this score (though i haven’t watch yet the film, or probably wont ever be) the music is now a personal fave. btw Sky Captain & Captain A seems to sound alike and so is their score. 🙂

Of all the Batman scores i’ve heard this is my favorite. That’s why i’m listening to it right now 🙂

You guys know Zimmer is the synthesist on this score?

Weird, huh?

You guys know Zimmer is the synthesist on this score?

Weird, huh?

Wow I had no idea.

Right now listening to David Arnold’s Godzilla score, the movie might have been shit on by everyone but I love the music.

That and ID4 together are an excellent example of fantastic ’90’s blockbuster scoring.

Right now listening to David Arnold’s Godzilla score, the movie might have been shit on by everyone but I love the music.

as do i, love that David Arnold score on Godzilla!

listened to Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea by Joe Hisaishi – well i love it 🙂

Im surprised in a good way…

thx boogiepop for recommending!

Veronica Guerrin
Passionada
Gone Baby one
Kingdom of heaven
The Magic Of Marciano

Johann Soderqvist

Brothers
Effi Briest
In a better world
Let the right on in
Things we lost in the fire [Movie was great too, for my taste]

all of these found their way to my ipod…

Well anyway i’m start to prepare another batch of asian scores to post on the shrine. Mostly obscure stuff (Geisha vs. Ninjas, Green Snake, etc), cult classics (Iron Monkey, the Tai Chi Master for the Li and Yeoh fans) and maybe 2 or 3 oddities.
Haven’t upload any score yet, but will do next when i’ll be less busy busy at work. So get ready 🙂

NP: The Count of Monte Cristo – Edward Shearmur

I’ll look forward to those. 😀

I’m glad you like it. 🙂

—-

Doyle’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes hasn’t left my CD player since I picked it up the other day.

I think it is a very good score and fits very well with the cliffs and mountains of Afghan. Its made more emotional for me because many of my friends are in Afghanistan.

One day by Rachel Portman (and there is no such thing like a bad Portman score for me, love this one too)

Terminator Salvation by Danny Elfman
I like Danny Elfman. Not so much his Burton stuff but his new scoring style is good.
I however don’t really like this score. First of all it sounds like leftovers from former RCP scores. The orchestral work is uninspired and at times a bit boring.
The electronics are sparse and hardly noticable. The Terminator theme (the loud banging) is used very seldom.
I can’t really put my finger on it but the whole score sounds too soft for the franchise. Where’s the industrial sound? Where are the hard-hitting action cues?
Not here, that’s for sure.
Maybe he was just not the right composer for the film.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles by Bear McCreary
Now THAT is a Terminator score. McCreary totally hit the spot with this score. The industrial sound is back. There’s a little orchestral work but it’s mostly electronics and rock. The Terminator theme can be heard in the Main Title and several times (slightly varied) throughout the score.
I don’t care much for the Samson and Delilah song everyone wanted to be on the soundtrack. Never been a Garbage fan and I don’t really like Manson’s singing voice. The song is also lacking a catchy melody. The other song, happy-go-lucky singer-songwriter pop, feels totally out of place, especially since it is placed between aggressive action tracks.
Highly recommended.
Too bad the second season saw no soundtrack release. I was craving for more.

P.S.:
Captain America: The First Avenger by Alan Silvestri
Wow, what a dissapointment. Giacchino leaving the project gave me a little glimmer of hope but it’s all destroyed now.
I don’t think Giacchino’s score would have been much different. Ok, I get what Silvestri was aiming for (a retro sound) but I never thought that would be as far as his ideas went. To top it all off the orchestral work is HEAVY and LOUD. That obviously equals original.
I know, the critics say it’s more complex than RCP scores but it’s just not entertaining (to me).
Dismissed!

Superman Doomsday by Robert J. Kral
Good action score from Kral. I love his works on this animated feature film.

I have been listening to this score a lot, & thus it has grown on me and is now a personal favorite:

PS 🙂
Captain America: The First Avenger by Alan Silvestri
Though I like the works of Giacchino. upon learning that Silvestri got the gig for this film, it had given me a great sigh of relief, with that in mind
after watching & listening to the score – I just love it! I was very happy to hear none of the Zimmer guys styles get played in the music and in turn Alan Silvestri made use of the brass, drums and patriotic march reminiscent of other classic patriotic march to represent the Character of Captain America in its heroic glory. The score just perfectly represented the massive invasion scenes and naturally a loud action score made it even more exciting for me. Over all this is one of my most favorite score of the year.

one of my most favorite score of all time. love this freakin’ score!!

Danna:
O
Baby
Closing The Ring

loved them 🙂

Fenton:
shadowlands
ever after (listening now)

will listen to some more of both….

and I listened to Christopher Young as well, had never payed ttention to him before, but he has some stuff I do like 🙂

It’s heavy, dramatic and pretty much nothing in it but several string solo and some well placed choral work.

There’s two goofy "newsreel" cues (Movietone News & Suitcase Sally) that break that fine listening experience but they’re easy to skip or leave till the end.

Easily a 4 star effort to my ears.

If you haven’t heard it yet, Young’s "Creation" is a beautiful 4-star effort as well.

Personnaly its my second favorite Pirates score (the first being, well the first one :P).

creation has already found its way on to my ipod 🙂
I agree with you.

just like an unfinished life, shipping news and the hurricane….

I haven’t heard An Unfinished Life or The Hurricane yet.

if you do listen to those at some point, tell me what you think, please 🙂

I hope to get to some long over due Score benders in the next week or so.

It’s heavy, dramatic and pretty much nothing in it but several string solo and some well placed choral work.

Cuckoo i couldn’t have said any better about "Murder In The First".

By chance did you ever heard Chris Young Flowers in the Attic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC0pfb_aT4o) soundtrack?
It is an hauntingly beautiful score, with a atmosphere that is both mysterious and ethereal. The main theme is one of the most achingly sad yet beautiful pieces of film music coming from a composer who carved out a career of doing those horror scores.

Epic Win

quiet, clear structure, relaxing, even an almost a bit ethnic sounding choir, I DO like this one!

love it …

– Carter Burwell

I admit i have my difficulties with that guy. I like the above named though….

the claim – michael nyman
the notebook – aaron zigman

I enjoyed both 😀

Epic Win

6 out of 5 😀

I watched The Banquet a few days ago. And that put me in the mood for the score. Love some Tan Dun.

Yesterday I got through these. (Most of these I have to thank you for. :love: )

The Banquet : Tan Dun

Tai-Chi Master : Stephen Edwards & Wai Lap Wu

Taegukgi : Dong-Jun Lee

Crying Freeman : Patrick O’Hearn

And here is my revival at Halloween time after months of not being on.

🙂

And with this i start the Halloween season. I’ll listen only horror scores during these days :p

🙂

could you describe the style? I am not much into Burwell either. I liked Kinsey, Hamlet and Rob Roy. But I haven’t been listening to this one.

I listened to Perfect Sense – Max Richter and i was surprised in a good way, reminded me a bit of 21 grams by Santaolalla…

i named the ones i liked in the above post. 🙂 haven’t seen the movies either (haven’t read the books) 😉
i just thought if mybe it is a bi similar to the one snamed, I should give it a listen ….

might as well check Rob Roy then… 🙂

Just finished listening the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 by Hideyuki Fukasawa, a blast for a VGM score and Captain America Super Soldier VGM by Bill Brown – now a part of my fave VGM score. 😀

might as well check Rob Roy then… 🙂

all is well, no worries 🙂

checking out Lucio Godoy…..

el aura – godoy 5/5

even a bit jazzy, melancholic and of course I like it 🙂

No chatty….just sleeepy. Hello Admiral..

No chatty….just sleeepy. Hello Admiral..

…go straight ahead deleting the guy, as long as you stay off my favorite males (actors, in real life my favorite male of course is my husband)

big hug, sleepy goddess.

Landscape in the mist – Eleni Karaindrou

Everything those two make is pure gold.

i am surprised that i like it. somehow it is not my uual style 😉

melodic, quiet, some choir, a bit melancholic. for my ears 🙂

Everything those two make is pure gold.

Still trying to narrow it down to my 10 faves.

A VERY difficult task indeed.

Still trying to narrow it down to my 10 faves.

A VERY difficult task indeed.

will you be doing a best of 2011 comp this year?

Very good score, I especially love the statement of Steiner’s Star Trek motif in "Clash of Titans", and Apollo’s Theme reminds me of a moment in Howard Shore’s LOTR scores at 4:56 of Balin’s Tomb (CR).

I hope so.

I was pretty pleased with how 2010’s turned out.

I won’t be doing a bonus best of film songs though.

Simply too much work.

I want to knock out another Box and Clock post before anything though.

I wouldn’t expect anything until late Feb.

Favorite track: The Triceratops.

i love it 🙂

Favorite Track: Humanity pt 2

John Barry – The Ipcress File (theme) – YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Jw6_Xgszk)

Tune!

Love the David Newman scores that are comic in nature. This one is a lot of fun too!

Been listening to some scores and the last one was Until September. A romantic score by none other than John Barry, a master of the genre!
Such a gorgeous score. ‘He Catches Her’ is amongst my all time favourite Barry tracks, truly lovely and aching with poignancy.