Film Music - Original Soundtracks

Steve

Jonathon - Bloody Hell - You don't do things by halfs do you?

You have joggled me ole memory banks good style though and I'd like to thank you for your extensive contribution here.

You also happened to mention a couple of fillums that I happen to adore. Thank you for the reminder.

The soundtracks are now on order.

Thanks guys - I'm looking forward to it.

Best

P

[This message was edited by tony clark on THURSDAY 22 March 2001 at 22:36.]

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Star Wars, Phantom Menace

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

That little lot will keeep me going for a while.

Thanks!

P.

Its an astonishingly succesful marriage (given the bride and groom) between Gustav Holst and Enya.

On occasion, its a surprisingly good way of testing the flexibility and durability of drive units.

Its original at least; even those who cobble stuff together well - Tarantino, Lynch et al - I find unsatisfying in the main.

Alex

Alex

Other soundtrack recomendations

Crouching Tiger:Hidden Dragon,

For those who liked Eric Serra and the Fifth Element try The Big Blue

Bruce

You're right about the Big Blue - excellent. Trouble is I only have it on tape, must rectify.

Going back to Twin Peaks, the truly Ghastly film: 'Fire! Walk out of the Cinema with me' or whatever it was called, does contain the best Tw'eaks music.

Alex

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Going back to Twin Peaks, the truly Ghastly film: 'Fire! Walk out of the Cinema with me' or whatever it was called, does contain the best Tw'eaks music.

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If you're looking for more music in the Twin Peaks vein, search for a couple of records by a singer named Julee Cruise - slow, strange ballads written by Lynch, scored by Badalamenti (sp?) and sung in the dreamiest fashion possible. I have both "Floating Into The Night" and "The Voice Of Love" and they're marvelous - but they ain't everyone's cuppa tea.

If you remember much from Twin Peaks the series, she appeared in several nightclub scenes as a singer - I believe that the music that she sang those few times ended up on the "Floating" album.

Cheers

Keith.

This really brings back some memories and not at all nasty too, mostly.

I suppose the worrying thing is I've yet to hear an OST album this last year that sounds as good as some of the recommendations that were put forward here (to judge within the context of listening on a full Naim system only BTW - don't wanna know about duff speakers, fancy cables and trendy jap amps)

Hmmmmmmm

Wonder what the boys'll delight you with at Bristol this year? Who's taking a camera?

P

Try the theme from the TV series Inspector Morse.

Really good music.

Regards

Mick

Double Life of Veronique … double yes!

Selmasongs, Bjork, from film Dancer In the Dark, not technically a soundtrack because it was re-recorded for the album, but it is the music from the film.

Finding Forrester … the music is better than the film: Bill Frisell, plus Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman

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Have you heard the Hybrid album "Wide Angle"? All the singing (about half the tracks - she also co-writes) is by her. Excellent album.

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I have not. I will look into it!

Cheers

Keith.

I'm just listening to John Barry's soundtrack to The Last Valley,which has finally come out on CD.It's a new,expanded recording,and sounds pretty fine to me,although I haven't listened to my LP for eons.
I'd certainly recommend it for JB fans.It's very recognisably JB,but perhaps more sombre-sounding,due,I guess,to the subject matter of the film,which it matches perfectly.Most tracks have a choir and orchestra,heavy on the drums and bells,apart from 2 or 3 purely vocal tracks.
The film,by the way,is IMO rather underrated.It is a quite unusual story,with an exceptionally good performance from Michael Caine,
playing outside of his usual range of characters.
Film fans see it if you get the chance.

In answer to Mick Parry and his TV series thing - I've never seen the programme so wouldn't know what to expect. I can’t and don’t watch any ITV drama series. What sort of music is involved?

On the topic of TV theme soundtracks though, does anyone else out there watch the BBC TV gardening programme Home Front in the Garden?
You might laugh given the content (Fortunate lazy sods having their backyards very expensively remade and remodelled at the TV licence payers expense) but the soundtrack to that programme really is quite good. Anyone notice Tranquility Bass doing Cantamilla the other night? Groovy stuff (check out Amazon.co.uk BTW they're doing the Momo Arabesque CD for £5.99 – a real bargain)

They have a playlist of the sounds used in each programme Here if you’re interested. Nice that the Beeb can still get somethings right theses days.

Time for bed again. Bloody gales……Yawn.

P

[This message was edited by P on SATURDAY 02 February 2002 at 05:07.]

Barrington Pheloung - Hilary & Jackie. Wonderful music and a bonus complete Du Pre/Elgar Cello concerto. His Morse music is fine too.

Air- Virgin Suicides. Their best work IMHO.

Hal Hartley - all his soundtracks are beautiful, minimalist stuff.

Carter Burwell - Fargo. Burwells best score so far. haunting.

Bjork - Selma songs. As stated above, not a true score but a Bjork masterpiece. Peter Stormare sang Thom Yorkes' part better - and he's a terrible singer.

Brian Eno - Apollo. Soundtrack for the TV series.

Regards

Stephen

Steve

My faves are:

Morricone: The Mission- fantastic, though starts to get heavy mid-way through. Start and end are amazing though...

Knopfler: Local Hero- A masterpiece

Zimmer: Hannibal- Maybe full of gimmikry, but I love it, especially the last aria...

Zimmer: Gladiator- nothing more needs to be said...

Various: The Bodyguard- It might be twee, but nevertheless good...

Various: Top Gun- Maybe a sign of my age; a camp classic but also the first CD I went out and bought...I was about 8yrs old!

Jones/Edelman: The Last of the Mohicans

Various: Notting Hill

Various: Eyes Wide Shut

I love the various interpretations of Sakamoto's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrencethat I've heard, but I haven't listerned to the full soundtrack. However, I am increasingly familiar with his other work, thanks to my girlfriend, but also her mother, furnishing me with some of his Japanese cd's. Current favourite is BTTB. I dont have all his cd's to hand, but maybe one day I'll post more details of these...

For now, cheerio

Dave

Too bad the same can't be said for Woody Allen and David Niven's performance.

Erik

• Trevor Jones - Dark City - not all of the pieces are from Jones, but his soundtrack, along with Hughes Hall's "Sleep Now" (from the trailer) are very dynamic. Screechy tone though.
  
• Trevor Jones - Runaway Train. Great rocking fun of a main theme with a perfectly melodramatic excerpt from Vivaldi's "Gloria". Good luck on finding a copy though.
  
• Michael Convertino - The Hidden. A small gem from a great B-movie.

Cheers

Keith.

While on the subject,I'd like to mention two people who have produced some of the best soundtracks I have heard (along with some fairly ordinary ones).

Bernard Herrman

The big three IMO are Vertigo,North by Northwest and Psycho.I have a 1975 recording of the latter,conducted by the composer,which contains almost an hour of sublime music,the recurring motifs creating a wonderfully atmospheric whole that compares to any piece of classical music you may care to mention.The later Joel McNeely version is probably comparable according to reviews.

Of the other two,Vertigo is good but quite short (37m.odd),N by NW is longer but somewhat bitty.

Danny Elfman

His Mission Impossible score compares very favourably with Psycho,in that it hangs together very well as an album - it also contains elements from the original TV theme,which can't be bad - IMO his best work.

Also excellent are his two Batman soundtracks,although you probably need only one as they are quite similar - atmospherically dark and gloomy.

Of his more lively soundtracks (i.e.like The Simpsons),Beetlejuice is superb - fun,fun,fun all the way.

P.S. Honourable mention to Carter Burwell's Raising Arizona - completely wacky,fits the film like a soft suede glove.

I think that the paradox here is the music of Danny Elfman. The man is in my opinion probably the greatest writer of soundtracks EVER. The problem is that [and sorry Shazbut, in advance] for me his work is so astonishingly well crafted to its purpose, - i.e. mirroring onscreen action, that it is deeply disappointing when heard in isolation. The motifs flit all over the place and are rarely developed into anything that makes for comfortable domestic listening. As an annecdotal aside [and a bit of [sort-of] name dropping!] a close friend who is a noteworthy instrumentalist and jobbing conductor [made first choice once in 'Building A Library'!] has worked with Elfman as his orchestrator on a couple of films, particularly 'Sleepy Hollow', where the music budget was absolutely astronomical, a testimony to the high regard in which he is held, told me that although Elfman cannot read or write a single note of music, he was able to whip out each and every instrumental part for a full orchestra on his synth for my friend to notate without needing any master score to refer to - keeping the whole kaboodle entirely in his head ... all perfectly synchronised etc..... My friend [and he studied under Mackerras, has orchestrated the performing versions of various Dvorak operas etc - just telling you this so you know the calibre of what we're dealing with] virtually fell to his knees overcome with awe & wonder at such a natural talent, and offered for free as a public service to give Elfman lessons in conventional methods - he was met with the response 'Oh, gee - thanks , but I can manage.' And I suppose he probably can. Just wish the end results were more listenable though !