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YOUR ALL TIME FAVOURITE FILM SCORE ALBUMS!!!
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- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014 edited
And just so I know where I am...
My list so far from 1 - 48
CONAN THE BARBARIAN - Poledouris
THE LION IN WINTER - Barry
KRULL - Horner
THE BIG COUNTRY - Moross
E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL - Williams
STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE - Goldsmith
ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE - Barry
THE FINAL CONFLICT - Goldsmith
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY - Morricone
LITTLE BUDDHA - Sakamoto
THE LAST VALLEY - Barry
SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC - Vaughan Williams
THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR - Legrand
THE THING - Morricone
WALKING WITH DINOSAURS / WALKING WITH BEASTS - Bartlett
STAR WARS - Williams
CHINATOWN - Goldsmith
HEAVY METAL - Bernstein
BULLIT - Schifrin
BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA - Kilar
STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK - Horner
ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. - Nascimbene
'BOOM!' - Barry
STARSHIP TROOPERS - Poledouris
RED PLANET - Revell
QUEST FOR FIRE - Sarde
FLASH GORDON - Queen / Blake
THE ROBE - A. Newman
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY - Powell
READY WHEN YOU ARE J.B. - Barry
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS - Barry
ROCKY - Conti
TRUE CONFESSIONS - Delerue
LIFEFORCE - Mancini
JANE EYRE - Williams
THE FILM MUSIC OF - C. Gunning
SOMMERSBY - Elfman
THE DARK CRYSTAL - Jones
WATERSHIP DOWN - Morley
THE FURY - Williams
TOTAL RECALL - Goldsmith
KING KONG - Barry
CONAN THE DESTROYER - Poledouris
MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME - Jarre
RED SONJA - Morricone
THE TIME MACHINE - Garcia
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - Barry
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3rd KIND - Williams
OUR MAN FLINT / IN LIKE FLINT - Goldsmith
THE FILM SCORES - Bernard Herrmann
....only 2 to go.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorCobweb
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014 edited
Imagine, if you will, if Hammer Film productions had commissioned Alex North to write several film scores for their genre pictures - what would the results sound like?
My next favorite album comes quite close, I'd say.
#47: SEDDOK L'EREDE DI SATANA (1960) / LYCANTHROPUS (1961) by Armando Trovajoli on Digitmovies CD (2014).
https://www.dustygroove.com/images/prod … r_101b.jpg
When I compiled my Top 50 about 12 months ago, this CD had not yet been released. This Trovajoli double-bill quickly became a favorite when I got it March of this year and it has been my most frequently played album which was released during '14. This disc even butt in front of my initial #47 and pushed my original #50 (GRIZZLY) off my Top 50 list. And this was a blind buy!
Never had I seen SEDDOK (ATOMIC AGE VAMPIRE) nor LYCANTHROPUS (WEREWOLF IN A GIRLS' DORMITORY) and there were no sound samples on this disc @ SAE. Nonetheless, I got it because these are from my favorite era and the type of material & music are right in my alley.
LYCANTHROPUS is a thoroughly instrumental score performed by a chamber ensemble with no source music. There's an emphasis on woodwinds (flute and clarinet) with harp for atmospherics and a reliance upon piano/organ/percussion for climactic dramatic stings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p … VNFTg1USoY
SEDDOK is a rather different musical animal. Somber instrumental timbres alternate with jazzy playing from saxophone. As the plot focuses on the disfigurement of both a stripper and a laboratory scientist, the seemingly incongruent musical diversity works like an aural charm upon the listener. There are nightclub/striptease numbers by a jazz band, a stringy romantic theme, organ chords to depict lab experiments and amazingly rapid piano ostinatos to accompany car accidents and people rushing around in danger. It all works well (for me!) and SEDDOK is one of the few scores which has me listening to all the source music cues without skipping past any track. SEDDOK is like one of those Mexican horror movies from the late 1950s scored as if it's a Tennessee Williams Southern Gothic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p … G1o7TNWbi0
An altogether amazing disc which posthumously uncovers a territory of Trovajoli's output which went largely un-mined whilst Armando was with us during his long lifespan (1917 - 2013).
[my #s 48 & 49 are both Golden Age Hollywood and my #50 is another Italian soundtrack on Digitmovies] -
- CommentAuthorCobweb
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014
Timmer wrote
Amazingly I don't think I ever heard any Waxman outside of viewing a film until I heard Elmer Bernstein's recording on LP of The Silver Chalice ( still my favourite Waxman score )
That's my 2nd favorite Waxman, Timmer! (but not in my Top 50).
My #1 Waxman will be @ #49... -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014
Bernstein recording or FSM release on Chalice?On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorCobweb
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014
Timmer wrote
Bernstein recording or FSM release on Chalice?
Oh - the 2 disc version from FSM is my fave.
The Bernstein re-recording is only an appetizer to me.
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- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014
Cobweb wrote
P.S. You may not know the answer to this, Thor, but do you know if any American soundtracks (like the above) were ever distributed in Norwegian record stores around 1960? Just curious if these sorts of albums were commercially available in Scandinavia.
I have no idea, as I wasn't around back then. I doubt it a little bit, since soundtrack albums have sold poorly here, and the selection has been rather skimpy (at least in my lifetime). Could be, though, at least for the more famous titles.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2014
Cobweb wrote
Timmer wrote
Bernstein recording or FSM release on Chalice?
Oh - the 2 disc version from FSM is my fave.
The Bernstein re-recording is only an appetizer to me.
We are in agreement.
On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorCobweb
- CommentTimeDec 28th 2014
Thor wrote
I have no idea, as I wasn't around back then. I doubt it a little bit, since soundtrack albums have sold poorly here, and the selection has been rather skimpy (at least in my lifetime). Could be, though, at least for the more famous titles.
Yeah - I realize this is before your time. But those Waxman LPs were before my time, too, yet I own 7 out of those 8 (I never got the soundtrack to SAYONARA).
I have an archivist/librarian mentality so I've always liked to be aware of the existence of items before my time.
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- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeDec 28th 2014
I think I have far more soundtracks by Waxman than any other Golden Age composer. But none in LP format.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 5th 2015
I'll try and get #48 up tonight or tomorrow at the latest.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 6th 2015
5 notes...
#48 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3rd KIND - JOHN WILLIAMS
First I had better explain why one of my all time favourite scores comes in at a "lowly" number 48. Quite simply I'm adhering strictly to my own rules and I find the track 'The Conversation' really irritating on disc, its short running length being the only thing that stops me hitting the skip button, still, it says a lot for the awesome enormity of this score that it gets into my top 50 despite the "dud" track which I'm sure some people will see as some kind of sacrilege.
There isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said about this score, it deserves its place as one of the greatest film scores of the 20th century and personally I think this should have won the Oscar over JW's score for STAR WARS, it's certainly more original.
I first bought the LP on its release ( it even included a 45rpm disco version of the theme ) then much later had the Arista CD with the same LP program and later again the expanded digipak. I love them all.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorCaptain Future
- CommentTimeJan 6th 2015
^ Hey, yeah!
No 48:
Avatar (2009) – James Horner
They say Horner worked an entire year on this score. It was time well spent.
What impresses me about this score is not so much its originality. Indeed you will find so much familiar material that this score is a bit of a best-of-Horner album. What impresses me is the sound. I believe that Horner and his team has produced some of the finest sounding score albums out there.
There are some beautiful melodies to be found here. “Becoming One of the People” and “Jake’s First Flight” are among my all-time favourite cues by James Horner.
Also the score really works great in context.
There is a Deluxe Edition out there which I am not familiar with. I only know the original release.
VolkerBach's music is vibrant and inspired. -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 6th 2015
AVATAR is a bloody fine score for sure. I've heard the deluxe edition and though I have no desire for a complete album there are some exceptionally good tracks missing from the official album.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 6th 2015
WAROn Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015 edited
Two awesome scores. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS clocked in at my own 30th place, and AVATAR as high as 17th. But annoyed by the conversation track, Timmer?!? What gives? OK, so it isn't as spectacular as the Debussy-ian music or the sturm-und-drang of the abduction scene etc., but it's still an interesting piece of music -- both as it works in the classic film scene and alone with all those weird harmonic permutations and chord progressions. I love it!I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015 edited
My pick:
48. HEAT (Elliot Goldenthal/various)
In one way, it's ridiculously low. I mean, it's one of the best films of the 90s and one of the best musical portraits of cities EVER, but there you go. This was one of my earliest soundtrack CD purchases. Must be shortly after the film was released. It got a lot of spins back then, even though I found some of the tracks too weird and 'gritty'. I haven't played it enough since, but it's waiting for a massive re-appraisal by me...I can feel it.
The gorgeous Goldenthal music ebbs and flows with wailing guitars and giant interval leaps as the last rays of sunset disappear behind a towering skyline and the stars glitter above the neon of the city. I mean, a track like "Condensers; there has hardly been a better musical portrait of a seething cityscape this side of TAXI DRIVER. Additionally, the non-score cues flow organically inbetween the score cues, like the Rypdal or Kronos Quartet tracks.
Just fantastic, and as I'm writing this I realize it should have been much higher.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorFalkirkBairn
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
Thor wrote
...and as I'm writing this I realize it should have been much higher.
Which means that you need to start again from the beginning!
The views expressed in this post are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions of maintitles.net, or for that matter, anyone else. http://www.racksandtags.com/falkirkbairn -
- CommentAuthorPawelStroinski
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
Thor wrote
My pick:
48. HEAT (Elliot Goldenthal/various)
In one way, it's ridiculously low. I mean, it's one of the best films of the 90s and one of the best musical portraits of cities EVER, but there you go. This was one of my earliest soundtrack CD purchases. Must be shortly after the film was released. It got a lot of spins back then, even though I found some of the tracks too weird and 'gritty'. I haven't played it enough since, but it's waiting for a massive re-appraisal by me...I can feel it.
The gorgeous Goldenthal music ebbs and flows with wailing guitars and giant interval leaps as the last rays of sunset disappear behind a towering skyline and the stars glitter above the neon of the city. I mean, a track like "Condensers; there has hardly been a better musical portrait of a seething cityscape this side of TAXI DRIVER. Additionally, the non-score cues flow organically inbetween the score cues, like the Rypdal or Kronos Quartet tracks.
Just fantastic, and as I'm writing this I realize it should have been much higher.
Goldenthal gave me like 4 autographs on this one, including actually pressing the CD so hard with the sharpie that he scratched the bottom part of the CD.
But it still plays!http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website -
- CommentAuthorCaptain Future
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
Heat is a great choice! I need to revisit all my Goldenthal scores!Bach's music is vibrant and inspired. -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
PawelStroinski wrote
Goldenthal gave me like 4 autographs on this one, including actually pressing the CD so hard with the sharpie that he scratched the bottom part of the CD.
But it still plays!
Ha, ha....why four?I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorPawelStroinski
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
He thought it was invisible. So twice on the booklet (in three pens, I think!), once on the CD itself, or twice...
http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
Invisible, eh? He must have been drunk again....I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorSteven
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
Presumably a result of his brain damage? -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015
Did you not take the opportunity to take him out to sample the local wears Thunderer?On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeJan 7th 2015 edited
I assume by local wears you mean 'beer'? He's more of a wine and champagne guy, if memory serves.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorCobweb
- CommentTimeJan 8th 2015 edited
Unlike the other #48s, mine is written by a composer who is deceased (but its conductor is still with us).
#48: ABOVE AND BEYOND (1952) by Hugo Friedhofer, on FSM CD (2002).
Although Friedhofer was mentioned by me within my #20 selection, my No.1 favorite Friedhofer is ABOVE AND BEYOND.
The score for this WWII drama features such consistently engrossing themes and motifs that I cannot bring myself to skip past any cue onto the next track (and sometimes I listen to this album more than once in a single sitting).
The 'love' theme may sound too old-fashioned for a lot of current soundtrack fans, but ABOVE AND BEYOND is otherwise rather forward-looking in its harmonic vocabulary. The main theme is bold but rather world-weary so the heroics do not come off in any way as juvenile or overly patriotic (this is big plus as far as I'm concerned ). Much of the score depicts nuclear testing with variety of suspense cues and musical stings.
The greatest highpoint of the score, for me, is Friedhofer's musical accompaniment for the scenes showing the American forces releasing the bomb over Hiroshima. This piece is rather Herrmannesque on its surface, but within contains Hugo's modal/chordal approach which he did so well and which can be considered as the signature feature of his aural fingerprints.
ABOVE AND BEYOND was conducted by young Andre Previn who (at this early stage in his career) was an ardent fan of Friedhofer's film music. Previn's passion for the material is apparent and, in my opinion, Friedhofer's music had no better champion in Previn. -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 8th 2015
Martijn wrote
I'm slowly catching up!
21 The Greatest Story Ever Told - Alfred Newman
The polar opposite interpretation of Rozsa's take on the New Testament, Newman centers his work on quiet reflection and spiritual inspiration. A deeply moving score on many levels.
There is a three-CD version available, which is great to be sure, but I heartily recommend the original album representation which is one of the most coherent and narrative representations there is, even (or maybe especially?) with Handel's Hallelujah chorus rousingly rounding it off.
22 Thief Of Bagdad - Miklos Rozsa
This may actually be my most personal choice as I have a strong, personal connection to both score and film, which was my late father's favourite. So yeah. A lot of bias in this choice. That said, this is easily Rozsa's finest oriental score with absolutely classic, outstanding tracks like The Harbor Of Bagdad and the incredibly moving Eternal Love (I really prefer the vocal version on Bernsteins FMC rerecording, but sadly it's not on YourTube).
But while the Bernstein rerecording is very worthwhile, at the end of the day I'd recommend Rozsa's own rerecording with the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, which is far more lyrical.
23 Kelly's Heroes - Lalo Schifrin
It certainly helps that this film is in my top three war movies, but even aside from that Schifrin's deeply ironic (and yet exciting and thematic) score is a fantastic listen, from the the whistle-driven march to the faux-Morricone standoff (with a Tiger tank) to the Burning Bridges end theme, this is a seriously fun listen all the way through.
24 Voyage En Ballon - Jean Prodromidés
This score is just charm incorporated. Based on a lovely, playful theme that exudes a sense of innocence and wonderful, open-eyed adventure of wonder and beauty that greatly speaks to me. This is how travel should sound: it's the soundtrack to an Awfully Big Adventure.
The Grand Voliers track may well be another entry of mine into the Singular Great Tracks thread, it really is that jaw-droppingly awesome (in the original meaning of the word).
(I cannot find a link on YouTube!
)
25 Jaws - John Williams
The greatest marriage of avant-garde post-Romanticism and neo-Romantic lyricism in score history. With arguably the most recognisable theme in the world. This score simply cannot fail to be in anyone's list. Even for a theme-fiend like me the atonal bits are so clever, so exciting and so well integrated into the album's 'narrative' that it's almost impossible to just lift out any cue. It really is one of the very best albums ever produced in film music history.
26 Cleopatra - Trevor Jones
A text book example of a solid album. Starting off with one of the finest themes Jones has ever composed which anchors the score, the whole album just goes from strength to strength. And interestingly even though there are tracks and cues and even entire scores from Jones I prefer (Runaway Train, for example, or The Dark Crystal), this is his most solid ]album that I always listen to all the way through.
27 Stara Basn - Krzesimir Debski
Some serious Sturm und Drank in this Polish epic. No idea what it's about, but clearly there are epic battles and grand historic events to relate and Debski, as a Polish Poledouris, with a deeply Romantic and thematic score supports this perfectly without any shame or reticence, pulling out all the stops to deliver a top-notch album.
28 Casino Royale - Burt Bacharach
Yeah, it's pretty monothematic...but WHAT a theme.
I can't help it, I just really love this firmly tongue-in-cheek score (that incidentally introduces one of Bacharach's finest hits for Dusty Springfield).
29 Dead Man Walking - David Robbins e.a.
A rather left field entry, this oddball album which mixes a moody Americana bluegrass-ish style with even moodier Sufi music, with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan being present on most tracks. It really is a very dark, emotional score that will not appeal to everyone. But I find Ali Khan's wailing, that seems to come from the deepest recesses of his heart and soul, to be incredibly touching and effective. Not an easy listen.
But then the film by no means was easy viewing.
Very highly recommended.
30 The Adventures Of Pluto Nash - John Powell
Nothing very deep here: this is simply to me the most funky fun score Powell composed (and that's saying something!). I can't listen to the theme without it inviting me irrepresibly to listen to the rest of the album. Just one big smile all the way through.
Incidentally I've heard the movie is absolutely terrible.
Was this your last catch up Martijn?On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorMartijn
- CommentTimeJan 8th 2015
Aye.
Sorry.
'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 8th 2015
By the way, Pluto Nash IS terrible. Avoid.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeJan 14th 2015
Cobweb wrote
Unlike the other #48s, mine is written by a composer who is deceased (but its conductor is still with us).
#48: ABOVE AND BEYOND (1952) by Hugo Friedhofer, on FSM CD (2002).
Although Friedhofer was mentioned by me within my #20 selection, my No.1 favorite Friedhofer is ABOVE AND BEYOND.
The score for this WWII drama features such consistently engrossing themes and motifs that I cannot bring myself to skip past any cue onto the next track (and sometimes I listen to this album more than once in a single sitting).
The 'love' theme may sound too old-fashioned for a lot of current soundtrack fans, but ABOVE AND BEYOND is otherwise rather forward-looking in its harmonic vocabulary. The main theme is bold but rather world-weary so the heroics do not come off in any way as juvenile or overly patriotic (this is big plus as far as I'm concerned ). Much of the score depicts nuclear testing with variety of suspense cues and musical stings.
The greatest highpoint of the score, for me, is Friedhofer's musical accompaniment for the scenes showing the American forces releasing the bomb over Hiroshima. This piece is rather Herrmannesque on its surface, but within contains Hugo's modal/chordal approach which he did so well and which can be considered as the signature feature of his aural fingerprints.
ABOVE AND BEYOND was conducted by young Andre Previn who (at this early stage in his career) was an ardent fan of Friedhofer's film music. Previn's passion for the material is apparent and, in my opinion, Friedhofer's music had no better champion in Previn.
It's really good to see one of my favourite golden age composers chosen even if it is a score I'm not crazy for and even if he doesn't feature in my own top 50.
I just felt I had to mention something as I am right now playing his gorgeous score for BOY ON A DOLPHIN.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
