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  1. For a while now I've been going through a "greatest hits/favourites" period where I've just been listening to my favourite cues from albums all shuffled on my mp3 player.

    I seem to go through phases that swing between these "best of" playlists and listening to whole scores. Maybe it's because I don't seem to have enough time to actually sit down and listen to a whole CD anymore.
    sad

    Anyone have the same dilemma?
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    It's the Quick-Fix dilemma. I have it very often when I'm at uni as I rarely have the time to listen to a full album. When I'm at home, it's like a breath of fresh air and I can listen to complete albums while I read New Scientist and drink brandy... with a monocle. In a leather chair.

    Music is like food. The quick-fix McDonalds meal (the shuffled favourite cues) tastes great while you're eating it, but its satisfaction is short lived. So you want more, you get addicted and you find more single cues. A gourmet meal may not give you that instant satisfaction you get from fast food, but after you've eaten the whole meal, you feel much more satisfied than if you'd eaten a McFatty burger.

    Of course, I may be overthinking it. Who knows.
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Whole scores has always been my thing 'till now, but i program tracks i can't stand and / or songs out.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    • CommentAuthorAnthony
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    I usually tend to get stuck listening to a lot of music by one composer at a time. A couple of weeks ago was Giacchino and now it's Powell. All weekend I was listening to Bolt, yesterday The Bourne Supremacy and now Paycheck.
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    I do that as well. This week is Thomas Newman, the Cinderella and before time. Can't get enough of it!
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Anthony wrote
    I usually tend to get stuck listening to a lot of music by one composer at a time. A couple of weeks ago was Giacchino and now it's Powell. All weekend I was listening to Bolt, yesterday The Bourne Supremacy and now Paycheck.


    Is there ever time when it's not Giacchino or Powell? biggrin

    But yes, that happens to me too. As with Demetris, I'm in a Newman mood. Love every bit of it, the man's a genius. (If he's not, he's pretty close to being a genius.)
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Steven wrote
    Anthony wrote
    I usually tend to get stuck listening to a lot of music by one composer at a time. A couple of weeks ago was Giacchino and now it's Powell. All weekend I was listening to Bolt, yesterday The Bourne Supremacy and now Paycheck.


    Is there ever time when it's not Giacchino or Powell? biggrin

    But yes, that happens to me too. As with Demetris, I'm in a Newman mood. Love every bit of it, the man's a genius. (If he's not, he's pretty close to being a genius.)


    I'd say there's definitely a touch of genius towards Newman's scoring for film with his one off much imitated sound.

    My score listening is very random, sometimes I'll be in a Barry, Goldsmith, whomever mood and other times I'll flit wildly in my playing going from, say, Bernard Herrmann to John Powell. Just depends on my mood.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    •  
      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Very interesting topic.

    During the day I usually listen to complete albums. Selecting the score is the hardest part. But some times I'm in the mood for a certain styled score so finding one isn't that hard. However, there are days when 3000 albums are staring back at you and you have no idea what to pick. What usually helps in that case is iTunes "Cover Flow." Not sure why looking at the cover art over just the title makes a difference but sometime it does. Maybe it goes back to the "old days" where you physically had to grab the album off the shelf and insert the CD into the player. I don't know...

    After my work day is done and after I pick up the kid and wife from work I head home, prepare dinner where I usually play my iPod through the boom box in the kitchen and either shuffle though all the tracks or pick a compilation album. I listen to a lot of Kunzel and Gerhardt when preparing dinner.

    In the car I love to add tracks to a play list called "The Drive" I can usually time out how long my ride is going to be and create a play list for that specific amount of time. For instance I drove out to Waterloo yesterday afternoon - the ride there and back is usually just under 2 hours. I created a playlist that was exactly 1 hour and 54 minutes. I started the play list the minute I left my driveway ("Gadget Saves Brenda" from Inspector Gadget) and the play list ended the moment I pulled into my driveway a few hours later ("The Boat Scene" from Last Crusade) Usually I pick louder cues for the car. My custom compilation suite albums (Fantasy and Adventure in the 80's, Swashbuckling Adventure, etc - those that have them know what I'm talking about) are GREAT for the car!

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
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      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    I pretty much just listen to the score that I'm currently working on for review. I try to listen to it over and over to get the complete feel of the work. On that particular evening I try to watch the film if at all possible. I know some on this board don't necessarily agree with that statement but I find it is extremely important at least for me. When I see the scene with the music the music has a lot more impact.
    Thomas smile
    listen to more classical music!
    •  
      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    sdtom wrote
    I pretty much just listen to the score that I'm currently working on for review. I try to listen to it over and over to get the complete feel of the work. On that particular evening I try to watch the film if at all possible. I know some on this board don't necessarily agree with that statement but I find it is extremely important at least for me. When I see the scene with the music the music has a lot more impact.
    Thomas smile


    Who exactly doesn't agree with that?

    confused

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    There are some that find it perfectly ok to just have the score without seeing the film.
    listen to more classical music!
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    sdtom wrote
    There are some that find it perfectly ok to just have the score without seeing the film.


    You don't?
    •  
      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    sdtom wrote
    There are some that find it perfectly ok to just have the score without seeing the film.


    And that is valid as well. But I don't think anyone here is going to say "Hey, that Tom guy is weird. He likes to listen to the music with the film as well!"

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
    • CommentAuthorAnthony
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Steven wrote
    Anthony wrote
    I usually tend to get stuck listening to a lot of music by one composer at a time. A couple of weeks ago was Giacchino and now it's Powell. All weekend I was listening to Bolt, yesterday The Bourne Supremacy and now Paycheck.


    Is there ever time when it's not Giacchino or Powell? biggrin


    No, never. Actually last week was Beltrami... cheesy wink
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Erik Woods wrote
    sdtom wrote
    There are some that find it perfectly ok to just have the score without seeing the film.


    And that is valid as well. But I don't think anyone here is going to say "Hey, that Tom guy is weird. He likes to listen to the music with the film as well!"

    -Erik-


    Exactly. Although I agree it can be very important to see the film for certain scores, it's not always imperative. Though, I thought that was pretty obvious...
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    But there are some who have said it isn't important to see the film. While I don't say that you have to I think it enhances your appreciation of the music after seeing the film. "The Reader" was a good example of this.
    listen to more classical music!
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    sdtom wrote
    But there are some who have said it isn't important to see the film. While I don't say that you have to I think it enhances your appreciation of the music after seeing the film. "The Reader" was a good example of this.


    I think Southall was the one who said it isn't important, or at least he doesn't think it makes the music sound "better". I can see where he's coming from, you're listening to the same music, but seeing a good film to a good score always makes you appreciate the music more.... which, in my mind, makes it more enjoyable. Not "better", but certainly more enjoyable.
    •  
      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    sdtom wrote
    But there are some who have said it isn't important to see the film.


    To some it isn't important. All they want to do is just listen to the music and that's just fine as well. Again, Tom, no one is going to attack you for wanted to listen to the music with the film.

    I'm with you, Tom, watching the film is an important element for the true appreciation of the score but to be totally honest I have a high percentage of the film scores where I haven't seen the film. I don't enjoy the music any more or less.

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Erik Woods wrote
    sdtom wrote
    But there are some who have said it isn't important to see the film.


    To some it isn't important. All they want to do is just listen to the music and that's just fine as well. Again, Tom, no one is going to attack you for wanted to listen to the music with the film.

    I'm with you, Tom, watching the film is an important element for the true appreciation of the score but to be totally honest I have a high percentage of the film scores where I haven't seen the film. I don't enjoy the music any more or less.

    -Erik-


    As do I Erik. There isn't enough time to see every film plus listen to the music. I enjoyed the music from "The Reader" more after seeing the film. The musical phrases he used because of the film put a different light on it. Before seeing the film my comment about the music only was tepid sounding.
    listen to more classical music!
    •  
      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    sdtom wrote
    Erik Woods wrote
    sdtom wrote
    But there are some who have said it isn't important to see the film.


    To some it isn't important. All they want to do is just listen to the music and that's just fine as well. Again, Tom, no one is going to attack you for wanted to listen to the music with the film.

    I'm with you, Tom, watching the film is an important element for the true appreciation of the score but to be totally honest I have a high percentage of the film scores where I haven't seen the film. I don't enjoy the music any more or less.

    -Erik-


    As do I Erik. There isn't enough time to see every film plus listen to the music. I enjoyed the music from "The Reader" more after seeing the film. The musical phrases he used because of the film put a different light on it. Before seeing the film my comment about the music only was tepid sounding.


    And to be honest... I didn't think the music in The Reader did much in or away from the film. IMHO, I found most of it to be wallpaperish in the film. It actual distracted both my wife and I a few times.

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    It depends on the music. Some of them are really enhanced when watching the film, like gaining more meaning but as i said, that's the minority i think; in general, good music is always good music no matter what and i personally enjoy LOADS of film scores through the years whose films i have never seen.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    • CommentAuthormarkrayen
    • CommentTimeMar 10th 2009
    Christodoulides wrote
    It depends on the music. Some of them are really enhanced when watching the film, like gaining more meaning but as i said, that's the minority i think; in general, good music is always good music no matter what and i personally enjoy LOADS of film scores through the years whose films i have never seen.


    Agreed.

    I tihnk that if I would, as a critic, refuse to consider the context of which a given work was concieved for, I'd be doing the art form itself a terrible injustice. And that is the big issue with film music critique, especially since reviewers only recieve promotional copies of the soundtracks and not the films themselves. I think Tom's passion and integrity as a critic becomes all the more commendable with that in mind.

    But then again, the majority of the customer market consists of people who aren't specifically interested in whether the product "works" or not, they only want to know if it's worth buying in its own right. After all, from an idealistic perspective, if a soundtrack is commercially released in the first place then surely the record producers do infact intend it to be enjoyed as an isolated experience? Hence the reviewer should perhaps be excused for the possible lack of interest in a visual-narrative context?

    Instead, I think the problems related to film music critique should be aimed at the shallow considerations of most film reviewers, who often seem to be indifferent to or unaware of the influence music has on perception. Film critique would certainly be the most natural medium to express a passion and concern for film music as an art form, but sadly it never happens.
  2. lol at your signature, Mark!
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
  3. Erik Woods wrote
    Selecting the score is the hardest part...

    That's very true! Sometimes when I have an hour to listen to an album I can waste a significant amount of time deciding which one to play! On occasion I end up not playing anything! Bizarre.

    Erik Woods wrote
    Not sure why looking at the cover art over just the title makes a difference but sometime it does...

    This echoes something that used to happen to me too - but when my collection of LPs was much more modest than my CD collection. And now that everything has been digitised I very rarely play a CD.

    The way I have my player set up I can listen to one of two "genres" - either "soundtracks" (~5600 tracks) or "pop songs" (~700 songs). Or I can lump them all together.

    I haven't made any playlists yet - the possibilities would be endless!
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
  4. Erik Woods wrote
    sdtom wrote
    But there are some who have said it isn't important to see the film.


    To some it isn't important. All they want to do is just listen to the music and that's just fine as well. Again, Tom, no one is going to attack you for wanted to listen to the music with the film.

    I'm with you, Tom, watching the film is an important element for the true appreciation of the score but to be totally honest I have a high percentage of the film scores where I haven't seen the film. I don't enjoy the music any more or less.

    -Erik-

    One of the things I like about film music is that it can work both ways: it can be enjoyed (equally) in the film or apart from the film. There's no right or wrong way.

    I've had many occasions where I've seen a movie that's prompted me to buy the music and music that's prompted me to see the film. In most cases, these experiences add to the listening experience. Though sometimes it can detract (though, at the moment, I can't think of an example of the latter experience.)
    The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeMar 11th 2009 edited
    However, I didn't find it to be a distraction. I'm talking about The Reader. Having said that I did find Slumdog to be distracting.
    listen to more classical music!