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NP: The Cat Returns - Yuji Nomi

Compared to Whisper Of The Heart, this score is more orchestral and sounds more classical. Emotionally it's not as subtle as Whisper, and a little more comedic, because of the film's nature.

Though I loved the new theme for Baron, brief appearances of Baron's old theme from Whisper made me happy! (especially when it's played by bigger orchestra)

5 bonus "Image Music" tracks (a kind of demo suites, usually released as "Image Album" but not in this case) are very good listening experience.


I really want to hear more of his works, so I was searching about him. There isn't much information, but it seems he has an interesting background. No musical education, after he dropped out science/engineering faculty he started studying paintings... and then ended up becoming music arranger/composer!

The trumpet is live in Funeral, Jordi.

Agreed. You hear things that doesn´t exist Jordi.....

Sorry, then it should be: you hear things and instruments that doesn´t exist Jordi...

I have, well before the films.
As said, I'm quite into vampires, and I do enjoy a lot of fiction out there, but Anne Rice sadly tries/d way too hard to give her style a Victorian gothic slant, and loses herself (and her reader) in page upon page upon page of anguished and emotionally deeply conflicted characters, agonizing about utter minutiae. Rice desperately tries to do a Brönte, but fails to realize that 1) this ISN'T the 19th century any more, and I as a reader -amazingly- am aware of that little temporal quirk (as I'm aware of the Bröntes having written over 150 years ago, and therefore able to transplant myself into that time to overcome the psychological development, language and pacing which are horridly outdated by todays standards) 2) SHE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

Rice writes guilded pulp.
If she were to stick to her own style, rather than to desperatley try and adopt that of a bygone era, it would have been good. VERY good, even, and she might have been a seminal influence in the annals of pulp fiction (ranking with such luminaries as Lovecraft, even, or Tanith Lee).
Now, it's just annoying.

The second book in her "Lestat" trilogy "The Vampire Lestat" is the most accessible and interesting in a Dracula A.D. 1974 kind of vein (what does a four hundred old vampire do in the twentieth century? Start a rock band of course!).
The first one is just interminable in an extremely annoying way.
The third one simply isn't very good (rushed ending, unsatisfying).

She wrote some other fiction (like Servant Of The Bones), proving she can really tell an interesting story in a really interesting manner, though. It's just her vampire works that I think are indigestible to others than the most die-hard goth-emo adolescent Victorian wannabes.

It's another meditative listen but it doesn't really do anything special. It's standard piano/synth driven Horner which we have heard in countless scores. Nothing special here. Save your money. BTW, the danger motif has to DIE!!!

-Erik-

I just finished with Christopher Gordon's Circa which is a wonderful smorgasbord of previous Gordon compositions brought together into one piece. Great to hear variations of his Commonweath Games, Sydney A Story of a City, Centenary of Federation music in this context!

NP: Concerto For Bass Trombone and Orchestra - Christopher Gordon

This is a live recording of the concerto and the only one available. I love the deep rumbles of the bass trombone. And orchestral material surrounding it is pure Gordon magic! He is easily one of my Top 5 living film composers. Stunning work!!!

-Erik-

It's quite calming and soothing based on piano improvisations mainly, which gives it an air of mild incoherence at places but yeah, nothing big. I find that a lot of people will love it, especially as an easy background listen but why the hell all those synths should be there in these smaller Horner scores? Aren't they dated enough for 2008?

They are, and he knows how to use them pretty good. But some parts of it sound rather "Vangelis"
or "Jean Michelle Jarre" of 80s-90s and personally i don't go bananas over. The same piano themes combined with the sound of a small string orchestra would for SO much better result imo. And it's not like he can't get them to do so, it's Horner for God's sake.

It is pretty brainless fun, but a flop after all. At least they had the decency of going to the point and solve it in 90 minutes. As for the score, the only good moments are the opening ("The Poseidon") and the finale ("Escape").

Dynamite main theme... but I can do without the rest.

Now look what you have gone made me do...

NP: Poseidon - Klaus Badelt

Just the main theme and "The Wave" then I'm moving onto something I've wanted to do for a really long time... and listen to the complete score to Ben-Hur for the next 2 hours and 30 minutes. Whew! Let's see if I can make it.

-Erik-

That is the weirdest thing you've ever said. And there have been a few..

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People | David Arnold

I guess it's Arnold trying to be Shapiro...but it comes off well and is very groovy.

YES! One of my favourite scores of all time! The End Credits are particularly beautiful!

Between 1994 and 1998 Horner created a pile of gems. 1995 was an especially fruitful year - with the exception of Jade - Horner could do no wrong and Casper was a fabulous score!

-Erik-