[Closed] Now Playing XXXIX

Yes, I know that theme. It is extraordinary.

Peter

Very beautiful cue for one of the most beloved films of my childhood.

A Better Life - Alexandre Desplat

Hardly had time to listen to any music lately, so bloody busy (and still working now, at home, 14 hours after starting work at work!) but this one is great.

Have been sent a load of stuff to review in the last month and just haven't had time - feeling bad about that and hope I can get back on track. Looking forward to listening to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy next.

So am I! I've had it for who knows how long but have only listened to it once. My first impression was that I didn't like it as much as his first one.

Besides, Desplat used much more Hedwig's theme in the score than Doyle and Hooper in their scores. If there's something I don't like it's that Part 1 was a much more Desplat-esque score. This one had influences from the Inception/Dark Knight temp track they used for the test screening in Chicago. But Desplat managed to keep his emotional style with the Battle of Hogwarts theme and Lily's theme in Statues, Courtyard Apocalypse, The Resurrection Stone and A New Beginning.

I also love the Elfman-esque Broomsticks And Fire which it has the Obliviate and Horcrux themes in action mode. Some of the choral moments are wonderful, but I hate how low mixed they are (specially the male voices in Procession)




I reccomend Le Fille Du Puisatier. It's smaller than A Better Life, but it has two beautiful main themes. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is avaible to listen in the soundtrack website: www.tinkertailorsoldierspy.com

NP: Conan the Barbarian (Poledouris)

Or I was. The Tadlow version.
Firstly, I think this is great. So nice to hear a good recording.
Secondly, I don't mind the scraping noise in 'Wheel of Pain'. Maybe it's about expectations when you first hear it. I was told before hearing it the sound would be different, and it seems a valid musical choice to me. I know where I can hear the old album.
Thirdly, I do wish there was a one disc version with the very best of it. (Probably the old 16 tracks plus a few special extras.) I would play that most of the time, and will end up making one.
Fourthly, and it's the only criticism I will ever voice of this score... my only reservation with it as a score is that there are a few setpieces in the second half which very much feel like a copy-paste-edit of previous tracks. The action scene following the orgy, some of the battle of the mounds, and the end credits all come to mind. This is not unusual for scores, but it stands out here because of the ways the score, in every other sense, finds inventive and inspiring ways through scenes. (e.g. the orgy, the temple of set, the riders of doom are all scored through the action).
Fifthly, what a great score. Who can do this now? May he who can name a name, name it!

Um, well, enjoy is all I can say. There are more flubs in the TARAS BULBA rerecording than this (makes sense, the music is harder to play). In this, I wasn't even sure they were flubs, as there were so many botch-jobs in the original I'm not even sure what is right when it comes to CONAN music.

To be honest, with the wheel, it sounds like a sound effect to me. It sounds brutal. I don't know, this just sounds like another case of soundtrack fan 'first love' to me. (* 'First love' -- never fades, never bettered, (never really mattered).)



I was thinking a little more of Poledouris' Greek background and his taste for that more polyphonic style of composition. It's got identity -- it doesn't sound like someone else would have written it at the time. Who else has that now who even has a shot at big things? So many of the film composers now -- even well established ones, like Howard Shore -- seem to instinctively default to a kind of 'left hand / right hand -- if you can play it on piano / you can play it on an orchestra'. While I agree the filmmakers are asking for a different music, if composers are coming in to film based on growing up in the 90s, they probably aren't as capable compositionally as their forebears. The next big names of film music (I will not name them) haven't even begun to show an interest in this sort of thing.

BUT ANYWAY, THE MAIN THING IS: WE BOTH LIKE THIS SCORE. LONG MAY IT REIGN.

NP : THE DA VINCI CODE - Hans Zimmer



Great score, very enjoyable album. Not so good in the film but then the film wasn't very good anyway.

Ah, the East you say! That I could agree. The best in the west seem to come from the east these days.

(* Where east is a continuous direction up to and including the international date line. To all in that great east who have something to show, send it west, by jove, send it west.)

I suggest Stara Basn and Ogniem e Mesziem to start with.

Odd, that's really far down on the list of scores I suspect would be improved by a "complete"...there were already 78 minutes of mostly repetitive music on the album.

The Lives of Others - Gabriel Yared

Been a while since I've listened to this. Very dour and low-key but captures the tone of the film perfectly.

And I second those recommendations.