[Closed, Sink] Now Playing XXXVIII

Thanks Tim, I think I may have seen it once (perhaps Geoff lent me a video of it?) but it's been many years.

expected nothing less from you
at least the rating so far tends to agree on my behalf

Was this the one Bregt was listening to the other day? Ah the intrusion ability of last.fm!

From the clips I heard I was quite enthused.

I would do a big grin if I could remember the "longhand" for the big grin emoticon.

(Still on phone with mobile broadband.)

I didn't explain what I meant earlier from this:

-Agora (Dario Marianelli): I was expecting something more thematic and bombastic than the texture of orchestral brooding/wailing woman combo that I got.
-Children of Men (John Tavener) - I was expecting a film score, I didn't know it was a commission for Taverner to write a concert work. There is one or two wonderful pieces in there with the choir, but on the whole, it's a bit slow.
-Cherry 2000 (Basil Poledouris) - The album does not feel terribly cohesive with so many minutes-or-less cues, with the somewhat promising posture of the themes.
-An Unfinished Life (Christopher Young) - I was not expecting a score as restrained as this, maybe with more emotion to it. You definitely need to concentrate on it when you listen to it.
-The Man Who Knew Too Little (Christopher Young) - Much more of a pure comedy score rather than a spy agent parody. I prefer the more action oriented Johnny English.
-The Ninth Gate (Wojciech Kilar) - It's somewhat of a repetitive and somewhat overbeating cross of heavy religious brooding and awkward comedic material.
-The Count of Monte Cristo (Edward Shearmur) - There was nothing distinctive about it for it to stay in the mind, just generic, midly epic, orchestral writing. Less thematic than the story would suggest with the characters in it.
-The Boy Who Could Fly (Bruce Broughton) - Not one of Bruce's best scores, the main theme is repeated alot more than it probably should (without development). There really isn't a sort of development of the score, no sense of the climax by the end.
-Notes on a Scandal (Philip Glass) - after listening to two of my favourite Glass scores (The Illusionist and Cassandra's Dream), I just found Notes on a Scandal to be a disappointing cross between the two scores.
-I Want to be a Shellfish (Joe Hisaishi) - The main theme is good and the score is typical Hisaishi, but some of the militaristic cues are a bit of a turn off.
-The Ghost and the Darkness (Jerry Goldsmith) - The only cue that I really need is 'Welcome to Tsavo' which combines the opening cue/main theme into a sterling climax. The action bits are not bad, but Jerry's written better.

The Peter Buffet 'Native American' material in the first few cues is also interesting in its own right. More interesting than say, James Horner's similar use in The Missing.

It's some of the most amateurish works i've heard this year

I rate scores along this line as well. I always thought 3 stars meant average score - not too good, but not too bad. My rating system is a little more subjective, ever since I decided I have no business deciding what "great" music is, but it's more like Kevin Smith's than Timmer's or Erik's:

5 - I love it
4 - I like it
3 - Listening to nothing would be about as enjoyable
2 - I don't like it
1 - I hate it
0 - not even music

I have considered rating all of my scores on a bell curve, though, like James mentioned. I don't think that would be a bad way of doing it.

NP: THE WHITE MASAI - NIKI REISER

A lovely African-flavoured score with some wonderfully vibrant and exotic passages.

Not really a favourite of mine but it does have it's moments, in particular the album is worth the purchase just for Flight Into Space alone.

I have a soft spot for the title theme too.

Myst III: Exile - Jack Wall

Exotic video game ambiance, nothing much to really add to that...

OCÉANS | bruno coulais

One of my favourites of 2010. Lovely atmosphere with a bunch of stunning tracks like Aquarium (the end!), the Les Massacres (the choir), La Cavalerie Des Dauphins (the brass) and L'Arrivée Des Araignées. Also the song at the end is really good.

AVATAR - JAMES HORNER

I now think this single CD presentation is what I like most, the promo is just too long and a big part of it is extremely boring. I had to get used to what James Horner had come up with musically, but about a year later I can say I've grown to love the score. Basically because I adore the movie too and the impact the music has in it is very much spot on.

Cyrano De Bergerac/Tiomkin, a new release from SAE.