Recent Purchases: Scores - Part I

Srsly? Vangelis created his own sound. His most influential, his sound is everywhere in all musical genres. He might not be the greatest FILM composer but that's a wholly different thing. I am talking about his solo works and his sound. He's one of the most prominent and influential figures.

I certainly appreciate that he developed his own particular sound - which is why I'll always prefer Jean-Michel Jarre.

But I don't personally hear his influence elsewhere, particularly in film music.

I think that scores such as Tron and Inception are now a bit too far removed from '70s Vangelis to be directly attributable to his sound.

And I have difficulty in appreciating the influences such as these. Would the same influence be also given to someone like JMJ?

I think there's room for another adjective there. (Like 'Greek', for example. )

Oh yes, definitely. JMJ is also among the foremost pioneers of electronic music and hugely influential - both for contemporary electronic music as well as art pop acts. Not to mention the whole stage show aspect.

Vangelis, JMJ, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk...they're all reference points for what we hear today.

Another very mixed (of styles that is, not quality) bag:

Dead Space 2 - Jason Graves
Enigma - John Barry
Jeeves and Wooster - Anne Dudley
Spider Baby - Ronald Stein
The Mechanic - Mark Isham
The She-Creature - Ronald Stein

I quite liked the theme and some of the more "action"scoring. It is all very Barry-ish - which is good.

As for the others, they are all recent releases though Spider Baby was included in a multi-CD release of Stein's from Percepto a few years back.

I remember the headache-inducing original score but this one does have some worthwhile tracks.

It is full of head-thumping percussive rhythms and a proportion of bland soundscape, but tracks like "Canonical Aside" and "Lacrimosa" with it's small string ensemble and the melancholy were something I was immediately attracted to and are definitely a listen for those who like that sort of thing.

I'd certainly recommend giving it a go.

Yes, you should still do that.

Both!

I quite liked the idea of composer-prepared suites of music as well as the C&C tracks. I'll give an opinion once I take a listen but it probably won't be for a day or two.

Apparently there is a third version: both discs plus a whole bunch of "memorabilia".

BTW, I bought the downloads.

Today I ordered...

Final Conflict - Jerry Goldsmith
Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams
Chicken Run - HGW/John Powell
101 Dalmations - Michael Kamen
Tom's Midnight Garden - Debbie Wiseman
Tale of Despereaux - William Ross
Christopher Columbus - Cliff Eidelman
A River Runs Through It - Mark Isham

Now that I own the first two I can officially call myself a film score collector
I'm super excited for all of these. It's so nice when you get a little spending cash, you know. I just hope the labels don't announce any limited must-haves in the next little while, 'cuz I'm all out.

Eternal Echoes (Barry)
John Barry: The Collection

And from SAE:
Terminal Velocity (McNeely)
Bless the Child (Young)
Link (Goldsmith)
Carlito's Way (Doyle)

Arrived this morning:

13 Assassins - Koji Endo
The Big Bus - David Shire

They still managed to write 'Original Soundtrack' on the cover though.

The Film Music of Brian Easdale