Now Playing XLI

NP: Big Miracle - Cliff Eidelman

First of all, it's great to see Eidelman working again. Ok, got that out of the way. However, I kinda which is got a better project that would allow him to stretch his wings. It feels like Eidelman coasted through this one. It's not bad but it's nothing to write home about. It's a score dominated by acoustic guitar, strings, woodwinds and piano. It's middle of the road and back in the hayday of the 30 minute Varese album this would have been a perfect candidate for that kind of treatment. There are some pleasant highlights (nothing ground breaking) but 51 minute presentation is a bit much. A shorter presentation would have put it nicely along other lighter Eidelman fare like One True Thing, A Simple Twist of Fate and Now and Then. This almost feels like Free Willy 3 Part II... but doesn't reach those climactic or thematic highs. The last three tracks almost get there but not quite. I doubt I'll be return to this any time soon. Here's hoping that Eidelman can find something soon that truly inspires him.

-Erik-

Goldsmith would agree with you. And that's what matters.

Same here. I can't listen to this. It's the ugly part of film music that I don't like. This should stay only in the movie.

What is ugly for some, can be wonderful for others. Its the likes and dislikes we all share. Not a favourite track of mine, but it has its function on the album and more importantly, in the film it's use is perfect.

I love this score, it would make it into my top 20 JG scores. You're right about the song, it really doesn't fit the film.

Conan the destroyer (Re-recording)

I still prefer the original in a few places, but this re-recording is just awesome! While I didn't feel that the barbarian re-recording improved much, this one surely does! And that they re-recorded the theatre play is awesome beyond belief.

Peter

NP: The Third Man - Anton Karas

This is the first time that I have had a copy of this score in all the years of listening to film music! And I can't understand why I have not picked this up sooner: I like the theme, but maybe I didn't think that there was much else to the score than the theme. The film itself is one that does not appeal to me I I have never heard the music in the film itself.

The version I have is the Silva re-recording and once I have taken away the dialogue and the Big Ben track there's still 47 minutes of zitherness to listen to.

I'm currently playing a 1300 track "End Credits/End Titles" playlist on shuffle! What a fantastic way to discover and re-discover your music!

-Erik-

The Essential Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith Prague Philharmonic

Speaking of Prague recordings, I've always had a very soft spot for this. It was this album that introduced me to many other Goldsmith scores, so I have very nostalgic feelings towards the album and the actual recordings. So I'm a little biased. I do love it.

To me it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.
...or at least since the original album came out.
Of Conan.
Not sliced bread


<Threepio>Sometimes I just don't understand human behaviour.</Threepio>

I have it! I'm happy!

<Artoo>Agreeable response</Artoo>

The Space and Beyond albums are fine (I hold Alien Invasion very close to my heart) and the Goldsmith album is fine but the Suites and Themes album is perfection in every sense of the word. From flawless performance to arrangement to presentation to recording. It's unbeatable. The Prague recording suffers from a constipated over reverberated recording. The orchestra's performance is actually not that bad compared to most of their disastrous recordings done around the same time but it's still not up to the standards of the Philharmonia. Hell, this album doesn't even come close to the quality of Varese's Frontiers.

The Essential Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith is enjoyable but I'd rather reach for the two far superior albums I listed above.

-Erik-