Now Playing XLI

James Newton Howard - Unbreakable

Beautiful score from JNH. I'm not hearing as much Ralph Vaughan Williams, though I'm still not as proficient in RVW as I wish I were. One of my favorite scores from the composer.

Total Recall Jerry Goldsmith

I can't say this is a score I'm always in the mood for, but when I am it's so fucking good. Forget your Brian Tyler scores, THIS is how action is scored.

I'm always in the mood for Total Recall, because when that baby starts to spin, it's over 70 minutes of awesomeness and the mood is in effect from the opening electronic clashes, always gets my heart pumping that.

NP: THE WIND AND THE LION (Jerry Goldsmith)

One of his best, for sure. "Raisuli Attacks" is an obvious and busy showpiece, but I've grown to appreciate the softer parts over the years.

You're right. That didn't come out right. I've always liked those parts. It's just that with my recent change of taste from the big and bombastic to the soft and serene, I've come appreciate those parts MORE.

Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli and Blake Neely - The Pacific

Sometimes I like this score, sometimes it's plain boring. The album is definitely too long. Solemn, patriotic twist on Hans's The Thin Red Line material. While Neely was credited on the cue sheet alone, Honor is a Zimmer theme arranged by Neely. Hans's sole piece in the film (Iwo Jima on album) is fine and dandy in the film. When the score is at its best it's brilliant though, cues like Neely's Landing Peleliu and Zanelli's Sledge's Humanity (his Peleliu theme is heavily, very heavily derivative of Zimmer's Light from the said TTRL) are beautiful.

Writing my script while listening to it. Good experience.

I need to review (i.e., re-listen) to a lot of the Goldsmith titles I don't really make a connection with to see if there is a common theme about them. I'd rank Goldsmith as one of my Top 5 composers but there are several titles (that everyone else seems to love) that I just don't "get".

Like John Williams, when he channels Vaughan Williams, JNH makes his take very much his own. I have a copy of SOUNDTRACK magazine with an interview with JNH where he's very open about his influences in this score and describes it as his "Vaughan Williams" score. Arguably I'd say his score for THE VILLAGE has even stronger RVW influences, I've not heard any interviews regarding this score but considering his openess on UNBREAKABLE I can't imagine him denying that fact.

This is probably my favorite Newton Howard score. Shame I haven't listened to it in while.

Very nice score indeed, along with SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, although the latter is more temp-tracked influenced. Still a great listen and a nice score.

WAR HORSE - MR. WILLIAMS

First listen was in my car, needless to say I wasn't paying attention half of the time, but it was crucial to get a feel of what kind of music this CD would hold.

Now this is the second time I hear this score, and I must say, the album is simply great. Gorgeous, intimate, playful, grand, all in the right places. John still hasn't lost his touch at all to come up with the most inspired themes.

I will have to listen to it a couple more times, but this could very well top Tintin in terms of enjoyment I get out of it. The emotional core of the music already sticks out and that is a great thing, personally speaking!

And hello Robinson.
Good to see you here now and again.

The Beautician & The Beast Cliff Eidelman

It could easily be one of those rather pleasant but forgettable romantic scores were it not for the main theme.

What a waste of talent that Eidelman is not used for more (and better) films. Here's hoping he does something good for Big Miracle... assuming it's not already done and released?

Little Women - Thomas Newman

Listening to The Iron Lady reminded me of this classic score from the maestro. It's a shame that he doesn't write music like this much now.

NP: King Solomon's Mines - Jerry 'the almighty' Goldsmith

This is my first listen and it's a playful, theme-rich score which reminds me a great deal of The Mummy, Air Force One and some of his Star Trek TNG scores (realizing that those scores echo what I am hearing here).

I listened to Shore's Copland again this morning as well. I have always enjoyed that score. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is up next before I jump back into my run through of my U2 collection (which includes everything they have ever released - and some stuff they, um, didn't).

A day filled with Goldsmith, Giacchino, Shore and U2 is just fine by me!