Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
David Newman
" Party On Dudes "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
With the coming of Bill & Ted, 2 teenage landmarks were created doing wonders for Keanu Reeves' career. Alex Winter aka Bill was sadly left behind. I honestly can say his role will be implanted in the minds of audiences as Bill, the sidekick to Ted and with that it will strangely stay, even though both of them were equally funny in the movies. Their adventures received 2 motion pictures, Excellent Adventure which for me is the most funny and entertaining one and Bogus Journey, which is a more crazy episode where good jokes were mixed with more insane scene writing.
As for the music, both were penned by David Newman at a time when he was doing comedies with a more serious touch (meaning not too wild). Bill & Ted were 2 scores that proved how easy and creative he could compose his music, not like say the rehash he does today. It's sad such a great composer is lost behind all those stupid comedies and I hope somebody picks up his talent again soon.
Now Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (released alongside Throw Momma from the Train) shows parts of that success with a more serious, darker score. Not necessarily better than its predecessor but equally cool and bigger in its sound for sure. Opening with "Main Title / B&T University" you immediately will know what I mean. Meaning a more serious and bigger tone will be heard. And while not stating the theme Bill & Ted received in the previous score, it states the emission to college through trumpets.
Darker frenetic writing awaits you in "Invasion of De Nomolus / Evil Bill" where the baddy is introduced with a not too noticeable theme. The evil Bill moment surprisingly gets cool music in the background. The real serious nature and bigger tone starts for sure with the mysterious "Dead Bill & Ted / Leaving Death" and the big choral sounding "Down to Hell / Welcome to Hell". In here choir takes over hell itself, showing the score's rather immense size.
"Meeting Your Fears" has some cool moments. A string waltz of mysterious proportions, a massive choral moment and a drum laden military action sound that bring all those B&T fears to life. The positive fanfare in "I Will Take you Back" is the sign of something more uplifting, expanded in the heavenly and massive "Heaven" through liturgical choir, strings and fanfares.
The militaristic stamp grows in "Colonel Oats / Busy Heaven" until a more bouncy side of Newman unveils the other side. In "We Get to Kill Them Again / Leavin' signs of Newman's material from the first film returns. And in "The Boys Arrive / Robot Showdown" the score expands to its finale with heroic Newman material in parts, and typical cool fanfares in the other.
The real darker showdown is for the appropriate entitled "Final Showdown" where the darker subtheme for De Nomolus returns, and the score acts to it with a frenetic ending. "Let's Rock (Finale)" is the soft finisher of the score which is a bit strange since it doesn't rock at all.
It is great to see David Newman material appear from the depths of obscurity because in the past year or so, at least 4 to 5 scores became effective soundtrack releases. Sadly it weren't his best, but they do show however tons of potential nonetheless. And now that Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey opened the road to more, we await with ease the first Excellent Adventure containing the more stunning, brassy and above all frenetic Newman material. 'Party On Dudes' Bill & Ted would say. And now we have a reason to do so. Because the David Newman goldmine is far from empty. Let the Diggin' begin.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title / B&T University (2.51)
2. Invasion of De Nomolus / Evil Bill (3.16)
3. Proposal Booth Lands (2.23)
4. Evil Eye / Phone Booth Disappears (2.20)
5. Dead Bill & Ted / Leaving Death (1.01)
6. Down To Hell / Welcome to Hell (6.25)
7. Meeting Your Fears (4.35)
8. I Will Take You Back (1.05)
9. Heaven (6.04) Excellent track
10. Colonel Oats / Busy Heaven (2.59)
11. We Get to Kill Them Again / Leavin (1.46)
12. Big Station (1.26)
13. The Boys Arrive / Robot Showdown (2.55)
14. Final Showdown (3.23)
15. Let's Rock (Finale) (0.40)
Total Length: 43.17
As for the music, both were penned by David Newman at a time when he was doing comedies with a more serious touch (meaning not too wild). Bill & Ted were 2 scores that proved how easy and creative he could compose his music, not like say the rehash he does today. It's sad such a great composer is lost behind all those stupid comedies and I hope somebody picks up his talent again soon.
Now Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (released alongside Throw Momma from the Train) shows parts of that success with a more serious, darker score. Not necessarily better than its predecessor but equally cool and bigger in its sound for sure. Opening with "Main Title / B&T University" you immediately will know what I mean. Meaning a more serious and bigger tone will be heard. And while not stating the theme Bill & Ted received in the previous score, it states the emission to college through trumpets.
Darker frenetic writing awaits you in "Invasion of De Nomolus / Evil Bill" where the baddy is introduced with a not too noticeable theme. The evil Bill moment surprisingly gets cool music in the background. The real serious nature and bigger tone starts for sure with the mysterious "Dead Bill & Ted / Leaving Death" and the big choral sounding "Down to Hell / Welcome to Hell". In here choir takes over hell itself, showing the score's rather immense size.
"Meeting Your Fears" has some cool moments. A string waltz of mysterious proportions, a massive choral moment and a drum laden military action sound that bring all those B&T fears to life. The positive fanfare in "I Will Take you Back" is the sign of something more uplifting, expanded in the heavenly and massive "Heaven" through liturgical choir, strings and fanfares.
The militaristic stamp grows in "Colonel Oats / Busy Heaven" until a more bouncy side of Newman unveils the other side. In "We Get to Kill Them Again / Leavin' signs of Newman's material from the first film returns. And in "The Boys Arrive / Robot Showdown" the score expands to its finale with heroic Newman material in parts, and typical cool fanfares in the other.
The real darker showdown is for the appropriate entitled "Final Showdown" where the darker subtheme for De Nomolus returns, and the score acts to it with a frenetic ending. "Let's Rock (Finale)" is the soft finisher of the score which is a bit strange since it doesn't rock at all.
It is great to see David Newman material appear from the depths of obscurity because in the past year or so, at least 4 to 5 scores became effective soundtrack releases. Sadly it weren't his best, but they do show however tons of potential nonetheless. And now that Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey opened the road to more, we await with ease the first Excellent Adventure containing the more stunning, brassy and above all frenetic Newman material. 'Party On Dudes' Bill & Ted would say. And now we have a reason to do so. Because the David Newman goldmine is far from empty. Let the Diggin' begin.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title / B&T University (2.51)
2. Invasion of De Nomolus / Evil Bill (3.16)
3. Proposal Booth Lands (2.23)
4. Evil Eye / Phone Booth Disappears (2.20)
5. Dead Bill & Ted / Leaving Death (1.01)
6. Down To Hell / Welcome to Hell (6.25)
7. Meeting Your Fears (4.35)
8. I Will Take You Back (1.05)
9. Heaven (6.04) Excellent track
10. Colonel Oats / Busy Heaven (2.59)
11. We Get to Kill Them Again / Leavin (1.46)
12. Big Station (1.26)
13. The Boys Arrive / Robot Showdown (2.55)
14. Final Showdown (3.23)
15. Let's Rock (Finale) (0.40)
Total Length: 43.17