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NP: AMAZING STORIES: 'SANTA '85'' - THOMAS NEWMAN

It's lovely to hear how early Thomas Newman had his trademark style pinned down. This was 85/86 I guess, so it really must have been at the very beginning of his scoring career, however his use of piano, synths, woodwind and light pecussion sound as polished as it is now. Shame this segment of the album is so short, it's really quite beautiful.

NP: Secret Weapons over Normandy - Michael Giacchino

It's sooooo boring, just a lot of blaring horns and brass with no apparent structure or melody...

just kidding

but I agree with your assessment of the score!

Today I'm listening to FSM's Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection. I'm going through the scores that I haven't listened to yet starting with Alex North's lovely DEATH OF A SALESMEN. I'll then be moving onto VIVA ZAPATA... I love this score and I'm interested in hearing Bernstein's interpretation of it. Rozsa's MADAME BOVARY follows. I conclude my journey with Tiomkin's GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL and Bernstein's own KINGS OF THE SUN recorded with The City of Prague Philharmonic.

-Erik-

NP : BRAINSTORM - James Horner



Magnificent score, one of Horner's earliest but still one of his very best.

One of his all time best! Brilliant!

-Erik-

Well, yeah, great for resting my cup of coffee upon.







:coat:

NP: Brainstorm - James Horner

Thanks Timmer for the inspiration. This album is far too short but within these 30 minutes is some of the most impressive and original material Horner has ever created. There's a wonderful clash of emotions right off the top of the album... opening with angelic female chorus to a crash of dissonance and confusion. Great stuff!

This moves onto the epic and tragic "Lillian's Heart Attack." Horner is a master of building his cues up to an incredible climax and "Lillian's Heart Attack" is one of his finest creations.

"Michael's Gift To Karen" is such a welcome contrast to all the chaos in the score. I haven't seen the film so I don't know what the piece represents but it's such a lovely melody and cue overall. However, once it's finished Horner is back with more angry dissonant orchestral bursts with two AWESOME cues that really complement each other; "First Playback" and the epic action cue "Race For Time." "First Playback" is a great suspense builder which moves seamlessly into one of Horner's finest action cues; a cue that Christopher Young loved so much that he incorporated it into one his own scores.

The score ends with a doozy of a cue. It's the polar opposite to the opening cue. It's starts off mean and ugly... atonal, dissonant, chaotic, terrifying... but then the orchestra swells up, comes together harmonically and the atonal nature of the cue blossoms into a reprise of the opening angelic chorus melody. Brilliant. The cue slowly moves along with a reprise of the "Michael's Gift To Karen" theme right at the end of the piece. Before you know it the album is done.

Brainstorm is masterful film music. It's Horner at his all time best and I highly recommend this album to anyone and everyone! Oh yeah, the recording... Eric Tomlinson is on the top of his game as well! The London Symphony sounds brilliant!

-Erik-

Brilliant though it is (as far as I remember, but not one I play frequently to be honest), is it original? I always thought it was one of Horner's most, um, shall we say classically influenced scores?

Admittedly I do need to hear it again.
No, I want to hear it again.

YES! Truth does Erik speak, you and Pawel must play this again...and LOUD!

and 'classically influenced, Oh, come on Steven, this is JAMES HORNER ( I shouldn't need to have to tell you ) , Horner and classical influences is a no brainer.

Definitely, and it's certainly not a criticism! But Erik mentioned it was one of Horner's most original scores, and I was wondering if that really was the case? (Since others more classically inclined might be able to tell.)

I honestly can't remember much about it, but I'll give it a listen some time today. It's Horner, it's not exactly out of my way.

In my eyes, he still remains the same old Harry Gregson Williams that I've never found particularly interesting. This score goes on the bottom of my list of scores from this year unfortunately.

And please give us your thoughts here.

Yeah, it's great.

Is that version from the Silva recording?

I'm not a huge fan of Bernstein's western themes that are obvious variation of his Magnificent Seven theme. And I don't know Bernstein's pre-60's music well enough to say whether or not the Mag Seven is based off some earlier western theme. In any case, the themes from The Sons of Katie Elder, True Grit, The Comancheros... even The Scaphunters... irritate me but I guess that's Bernstein's calling card so I'm sure people came to expect a Mag Seven variation every time he wrote a western.

-Erik-