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Movie/TV/Game Scores Through The Ages - Alan's Personal Favourites

General Discussions » Movie/TV/Game Scores Through The Ages - Alan's Personal Favourites (Posts 901 to 930 of 1880)

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  1. 1976 - The Omen - Jerry Goldsmith

    I have no hesitation in choosing this as my choice for 1976. It's such a visceral and raw score to hear away from the film, it's one I think you either love or hate. I love it. I was looking through the tracks on the CD and there's excellent track after excellent track. My personal favourites include "Ave Satani" (of course), "Broken Vows", "The Killer Storm", "The Fall", "The Demise of Mrs Baylock"... the list can go on.

    Goldsmith's use of the orchestra and chorus is something that I don't think I've heard before this came along - certainly not done as well as this. Goldsmith's sound really defined what this type of score should sound like.

    Looking at the tracks listed above I was struck how similar his freedom here was to Morricone's "operatic" cues for some of Leone's spaghetti westerns. A lot of the scenes scored by Goldsmith were carried by the music - I'm particularly thinking about the audio-visual link in "The Fall". It would make a pretty boring sequence without such powerful music.

    I think that Goldsmith would go on to greater things with The Omen trilogy (The Final Conflict anyone?) but for 1976 it's scoring at its best.

    Goldsmith did quite well this year: another score high on my list for this year is The Cassandra Crossing. Again a strong score with some powerful action scoring with a great main theme. But what I remember most about what Goldsmith when I think back to when I saw it on TV as a child is the echoing piano crash that always seemed to highlight the bridge the train would ultimately meet along the way.

    David Shire's bare score to All The President's Men also deserves a mention in this year as an enjoyable score.

    Other thematic highlights this year? On film, Fred Karlin's propulsive theme for the Westworld sequel Futureworld, John Carpenter's title theme (and the theme for Jane) from Assault On Precinct 13 and, of course, Bill Conti's Rocky theme. And on TV?: Laurie Johnson's The New Avengers (I couldn't believe that it was that long ago!) and Allyn Ferguson's theme for Charlie's Angels.

    Sorry Tim, definitely no King Kong. That was never going to happen!
    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
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
    Good choice, although I never really "caught on" to that one. Then again, I've never been too hot on horror scores in the first place.

    To be perfectly honest, there aren't really ANY scores that I can think of that year that really says "YES! That's a great one!", at least not in terms of soundtrack experiences.

    There are, however, a few interesting scores as they work in context, like the sound design thing for ERASERHEAD, the horror outbursts in THE TENANT or Herrmann's steamy TAXI DRIVER. I kinda like Williams' MISSOURI BREAKS too, in that down-and-dirty americana style.

    If I REALLY had to choose, it would have to be a toss-up between Morricone's 1900 and Nino Rota's CASANOVA. Something Italian, in other words. smile
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
    PS. I just realized I made a terrible omission for 1975. The best score that year - and one of my alltime favourite scores and themes - was the Norwegian puppet film FLÅKLYPA GRAND PRIX (PINCHCLIFFE GRAND PRIX), by many hailed as our best film of all time. Certainly the most successful.

    This theme never fails to melt me:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9j7ZdSac_o
    I am extremely serious.
  4. Everyone happy with my choice this year?
    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
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
    FalkirkBairn wrote
    Everyone happy with my choice this year?


    Dead man walking, dead man.... oh, THE OMEN you say?


    Live man walking, live man walking.... wink
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010 edited
    I can't complain about your choice of THE OMEN but I'm surprised Barry's Kong didn't get a mention, sure, it's a poor film but the score is outstanding, right up there with the film music scores to undeserving films, still, if you don't like it that's the end of that.

    I'm gobsmacked that you didn't even mention BERNARD HERRMANN's TAXI DRIVER? From you, that IS a serious omission.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    •  
      CommentAuthorFalkirkBairn
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010 edited
    John Barry's King Kong is a score that I do have - I bought the FSM release when it came out. Maybe because of all the positive reviews I'd been hearing at the time of the announcement of it's release. But on hearing it it just did not do anything for me. Funny, but his score to Hanover Street - which is one that's not mentioned as much as King Kong - is one that I listen to more frequently.

    As for Herrmann's Taxi Driver, although it's a Herrmann score it's not one that I would call a typical Herrmann score; one that I would automatically mention as a favourite. Undoubtedly, it's a score that needs one track in any Herrmann compilation. But the rest I could easily leave behind.

    And as an additional comment...a 1976 score that I've just come across today and would certainly feature alongside The Omen and The Cassandra Crossing is a score by the De Angelis brothers (Guido & Maurizio), Il Corsaro Nero (The Black Corsair).

    Il Corsaro Nero is one of those scores that has made an instantly positive impression on me. I really warmed to the really catchy tune, "Hombres del Mar", that appears throughout the score (vocal and instrumental versions). It's the sort of tune that could easily have been sung on any school trip bus! There's a few tracks that are lovely pan pipe/mandolin combos - "Yara" - as well as more orchestral tracks - "Tortuga".

    A great score: take a listen!
    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
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
    Yeah, the DeAngelis Brothers did some fun scores, I like

    THIS ONE

    from a couple of years previous.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
    FalkirkBairn wrote
    A great score: take a listen!


    Ehm.....OK, if you say so.

    wink
    I am extremely serious.
  10. tongue
    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
    • CommentTimeOct 6th 2010
    cheesy cheesy cheesy right on
    listen to more classical music!
  12. FalkirkBairn wrote
    Il Corsaro Nero is one of those scores that has made an instantly positive impression on me. I really warmed to the really catchy tune, "Hombres del Mar", that appears throughout the score (vocal and instrumental versions). It's the sort of tune that could easily have been sung on any school trip bus! There's a few tracks that are lovely pan pipe/mandolin combos - "Yara" - as well as more orchestral tracks - "Tortuga".

    A great score: take a listen!

    And due to popular demand here's the lyrics to "Hombres del Mar" for anyone who wants to sing along!
    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
  13. 1977 - Star Wars - John Williams

    Not many people asking about this year - maybe because, for many, this is an obvious choice! This being my first "proper" score purchase (with all the personal feelings associated with that) should not cloud the fact that this is a landmark recording. A score that provides everything a listener to film music could possibly want. Sweeping themes, adrenaline-fueled action scoring, tender passages. Motives of place (e.g., desert), a touch of mickey-mouse scoring. I just love it - and I battle with myself occasionally wondering whether The Empire Strikes Back tops Star Wars in my franchise top 2.

    A good year for Williams with Black Sunday and Close Encounters of the Third Kind being released this year also. I find the latter score to be a bit too dense for my complete enjoyment and have to be in the right mood to listen to a lot of it.

    Another few scores mentioned in dispatches include Jerry Goldsmith's Damnation Alley (I'd like to hear more than the 20 minutes found on the Varese Goldsmith box), Roy Budd's Sinbad and The Eye of The Tiger (maybe my favourite Sinbad film), Morricone's Orca (wonderful title theme, bad movie), Dana Kaproff's Empire of The Ants (great release from Kritzerland) and the Carmina Burana sound-alike Yeti - Il Gigante Del 20 Secolo (Sante Maria Romitelli).

    A couple of TV themes worth mentioning: Laurie Johnson's The Professionals and Masaru Sato's The Water Margin.
    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
    •  
      CommentAuthorMartijn
    • CommentTimeOct 12th 2010
    smile I approve.
    'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 12th 2010
    So do I. Though if this was my choice I'd have great difficulty picking between Star Wars and Close Encounters which also happens to be one of my all time favourite scores, both are very very different scores.

    I can tell you what my favourite theme from this year is though, and that's Ernest Gold's heartrendingly emotional, moving 'Steiner's Theme' from CROSS OF IRON.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  16. I have the recent release of Cross of Iron. I listened to it when I got it and haven't touched it since. I remember you mentioning "Steiner's Theme" at the time, Tim. But, on hearing it, it didn't do anything for me. Has it some additional significance above it being a theme you liked when you listened to it?
    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
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 12th 2010
    Ah, my birth year at last! smile

    I approve of Alan's pick too. This was really a Williams year.

    Other interesting scores (that still don't come close to SW and CEOT3K) include SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, CAPRICORN ONE, THE DUELLISTS, ERASERHEAD, SORCERER and SUSPIRIA.
    I am extremely serious.
  18. Capricorn One!? I need to take another look at my list...
    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
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 12th 2010
    Islands In The Stream by JG too.

    I thought Capricorn One was 1978?
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 12th 2010
    FalkirkBairn wrote
    I have the recent release of Cross of Iron. I listened to it when I got it and haven't touched it since. I remember you mentioning "Steiner's Theme" at the time, Tim. But, on hearing it, it didn't do anything for me. Has it some additional significance above it being a theme you liked when you listened to it?


    No real significance Alan ( though I do think the film is exceptionally good ), I just love it.

    Horses for corses and all that.
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  21. I've got Capricorn One down as a 1978 title. And according to imdb.com it was released in the UK in 1979 (and released in the US in 1978).

    Apparently it was released in Japan in 1977.

    I'll keep it in the 1978 group.
    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
    •  
      CommentAuthorplindboe
    • CommentTimeOct 13th 2010
    FalkirkBairn wrote1976 - The Omen - Jerry Goldsmith


    I'm sure that's a good choice, though admittedly I have the album, but never really played anything other than Ave Satani. shame

    My choice for '76 might have been The Pink Panther strikes again. An atypical choice, but I just find the album very silly and enjoyable. Perhaps it's also because it's one of my alltime favourite comedies.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IuF5UbUfN0

    A perfect marriage between music and Peter Sellers' hilarious antics and facial expressions.

    Peter biggrin
    •  
      CommentAuthorsdtom
    • CommentTimeOct 14th 2010
    E.W. Korngold was smiling above when he heard what J.W. did. We know John studied Korngold and the result was a fantastic score.
    Thomas
    listen to more classical music!
  24. 1978 - Superman - John Williams

    Not much thinking about this choice - one of the greatest (if not the greatest) comic book-inspired scores. It really has everything you'd want from a score. A great title theme that's very memorable, a wonderful love theme (though some of the vocal tracks for this are quickly skipped over), a very appropriate villain theme. I do prefer the initial tracks compared to the latter ones, probably because I've never really enjoyed the timey-wimey storyline towards the end.

    A great score - and one that I remember being played (and making a point of listening to also) the charts (singles chart even! Tim, correct me if I'm wrong).

    Goldsmith's Damien: Omen II is a great continuation of the Omen trilogy scores and is a great example of one of those original score/re-recording combination that's interesting to listen to. Williams' The Fury is another score worthy of mention (and received the same OST/re-recording treatment.)

    John Carpenter's Halloween is another score from this year that's instantly recognisable by a significant proportion of the general public, I'm sure. Seems very simple (from a non-expert point of view) but so effective.

    And some noteworthy TV themes: Stu Phillips' Battlestar Galactica (not sure I'd want to listen to a whole score though), Dudley Simpson's Blake's 7 (same as Battlestar Galactica - I wouldn't want to hear any more than the theme), Jerrold Immel's Dallas theme, Godiego's theme (main theme and end titles songs) for Monkey, Bob James' Taxi theme, Johnny Dankworth's theme for Tomorrow's World and Joe Harnell's "Lonely Man" theme from The Incredible Hulk.

    Goodness, with Star Wars out last year and there being theme after spectacular theme on TV regularly no wonder I'm where I am now!!
    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
  25. Looking back at my choices I'd say that with Star Wars I'm now hearing the scores as they are released: all the scores before these are ones that I have discovered subsequently to their release date.
    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
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 21st 2010
    *gasp!*.....no....no MIGNIGHT EXPRESS? shocked *


    For me, a large ommision is Ennio Morricone's DAYS OF HEAVEN.

    SUPERMAN? Pah! rolleyes
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  27. Days of Heaven doesn't even get a mention in my book I'm afraid.

    NP: Tora! Tora! Tora! - Jerry Goldsmith
    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
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeOct 21st 2010
    Joking aside there's no doubt in my mind that Williams owns 1978, SUPERMAN is without doubt the best score with THE FURY pushing it a reasonably close second.

    As for Midnight Express, I do actually like that score and I find it a great listen on CD, plus the Academy awarded it the Oscar and as you know, the Academy is NEVER wrong. wink
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeOct 21st 2010 edited
    I'm gonna say something shocking now: I prefer MIDNIGHT EXPRESS over SUPERMAN these days! Yes, true.

    SUPERMAN is a fine score, but it's a little too bombastic, whimsical and heroic for my taste these days; I liked it better before. I also prefer FURY over SUPERMAN, especially the more romantic, dark passages. I guess I'm also a bit tired of all the SUPERMAN hooplah and praise every way I turn (esp. on the FSM board). Fine film and score, no doubt about it, but I just don't get what the big deal is.

    HALLOWEEN was pretty ground-breaking too (in its electronic, minimalistic structures), although it's not a score I listen to on its own, and "Cavatina" from THE DEER HUNTER is still one of the most famous film themes of all time.

    All in all, though, I would have picked MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, hands down.
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorplindboe
    • CommentTimeOct 21st 2010
    FalkirkBairn wrote
    Days of Heaven doesn't even get a mention in my book I'm afraid.


    sad

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