SCORE CRAVE

Real Steel by Danny Elfman

2011-10-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Danny Elfman's Real Steel score is an attractive, warm and enjoyable film score. It has a bit of magic, as was heard in Elfman's scores for Good Will Hunting and Big Fish, but instead of a celtic or mountain-music feel, he keeps things fresh, yet familiar, with electric guitar, rock beats, full orchestra and even a beautifully understated choir and female soloist. Some of the rock and blues elements nearly give the score a slightly dated sound, as if pulled straight from a mid-90s sports film, but the mix is right.

Elfman's music has a great energy and even a few beautifully chill-inducing moments as featured in the choir-laden "Meet Atom", the brief, yet stirring female vocal in "Parkway Motel" and the exuberant "Final Round".

It is great to hear Elfman getting a chance to once again expand on his gently dramatic sensibilities as heard in "Safe With Me," which gorgeously features an acoustic guitar, piano and light-choir. Real Steel is such a well rounded and beautiful score, the only thing holding this back from being a full four-star effort, in my opinion, is that this sort of music has nearly all been done before. For instance, in "Atom Versus Twin Cities" and "This Is A Brawl" there are moments that sound like they could have been directly lifted from John Powell's Bourne Identity scores. Not to mention the cue "Twin Cities' Intro" sounding remarkably similar to parts of John Powell's Paycheck film score, namely the "21 Items" cue. No matter, Elfman is a class-act and successfully pulls off his own take on the edgy string and electronic beat combo.

Danny Elfman has simply utilized what works. He certainly seems to have come to this project inspired and invigorated and ready to make us feel the same.

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ***1/2

Tracks

1) Charlie Trains Atom ****
2) On The Move ****
3) Into The Zoo **

4) Why We’re Here (feat. vocal by Poe) ***
5) Meet Atom ****
6) It’s Your Choice **
7) Safe With Me ****
8) Atom Versus Twin Cities ****
9) … For A Kiss ***
10. Get In The Truck ***
11) Bonding ****
12) Twin Cities’ Intro ****
13) Parkway Motel (feat. vocal by Poe) ****
14) This Is A Brawl ****
15) You Deserve Better ****
16) Into The Ring ***
17) Taking A Beating ****

18) Final Round *****
19) People’s Champion ****

ScoreCrave Meter:

* : Hated it.

** : It was tolerable.

*** : Liked it.

**** : Really enjoyed it.

***** : Crave it!

Green Lantern by James Newton Howard

2011-06-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have not been this disappointed in a JNH film score in quite some time. You would think a superhero movie that is inhabited by alien beings, a mystical ring and a mad scientist would be great territory to work in for a film composer.

Apparently, it was not.

Either JNH was completely tied to temp track and was advised to stay away from inspiring super hero themes (or themes period), or it was just that JNH knew this film was horrible, disjointed and cartoonish and wanted to accentuate that fact.

This film score is an unoriginal, directionless effort, lacking in any kind of real emotional connection or satisfying build up.

Amidst the headache inducing cues there is a glimmer of beauty that is worth the download if you are a diehard James Newton Howard fan.

Track 10, "We Are Flying Now", is easily the best cue on the album. It is a not-so-distant cousin of the flying music for JNH's Peter Pan score, though it is entirely too short and under-developed. Like a sweet morsel buried within a Zimmer-esque wall of synth sounds, random beats, loops and electric guitar.

I do have to mention that the brass fanfare for the Green Lantern that shows up prominently in the first track and several moments throughout the score is fairly interesting, but never gets a true chance to flourish, not to mention that it sounds tremendously similar to a Jerry Goldsmith fanfare.

I realize that I have spent a lot of time in this review saying how much bad the score is, but I do have to say that it is not entirely unlistenable, it just okay and that is what is so disappointing. Compared to other James Newton Howard scores such as the epic The Last Airbender, the breathtaking Lady in the Water and the wonderous Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it doesn't hold a candle.

However, if you are a fan of modern, electronic scores penned by Ramin Djawadi, BT and a majority of the members of the Hans Zimmer gang, do check it out. You may find something to enjoy.

Score Crave Rating: ** (out of 5 stars)

New Reviews Coming Soon

2011-06-02T19:23:00.001-07:00

I will be doing my best to write some fresh, new reviews as soon as possible! Thank you for your continued support.

Have a great weekend!

P.S.

If there are any film scores in particular that you would like a review for, please let me know in the comments section of this post.

Legend of the Guardians by David Hirschfelder

2010-09-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Legend of the Guardians by David Hirschfelder is a complexly orchestrated straight forward fantasy effort that should tide over the appetite of anyone that is a fan of the genre - at least until Alexandre Desplat's first score for a Harry Potter film next month.

As talked about in other reviews on this score there are some striking similarities to previous film works of the genre and their composers. John Williams, Elliot Goldenthal and Harry Gregson-Williams come to mind.

All this being said, the theme may not be the most original but the orchestrations are impeccable and needless to say, very interesting. I caught myself listening much more closely to this album than other recent scores just to hear what kind of textures and instruments I would "discover" next. There is a lot of fluttering of the woodwinds to represent the fluttering of wings. There is a dulcimer and duduk and an odd piano and string bass mixed into the story-telling at unexpected times, which helps to keep things unusual and moving forward.

I have not heard a lot by David Hirschfelder besides his score for Australia and Elizabeth, but I can firmly say that I hope to hear much more from him in Hollywood films to come. It is always refreshing to hear a modern composer - in the 2000's - that has such a great command of the acoustic, traditional orchestra.

Having listened to this score many times over, I can easily hear the good and the bad.

The good being the engaging textures and intriguing use of choir and instruments with a fairly memorable main theme. The bad being nearly every time the music becomes stunning and triumphant it almost always ends, either abruptly or just from the music being slightly frenetic in nature - following every action or situation on screen - though it isn't exactly "mickey-mousing".

This can be highly frustrating for score fans, based on the fact that most of us expect some kind of suite or complete musical story to be told from track to track, without leaving us hanging or asking the questions - "Where is the rest? Is that it?"

All in all, LOtG could have benefited greatly from a more expansive release of the action material and less of the jazz influenced and fluttering meandering - though I have to admit, it is all very well done. As an overall product, I have to say that Hirschfelder's latest entry into his musical career is regularly top notch, but shy of classic due to some unoriginal themes and the lack of complete battle music cues.

Overall Score Crave score: ****

Tracklist:

1) To The Sky - Owl City: N/A

2) Flight Home (The Guardian Theme): A well done opening title track. It accurately portrays the Guardian theme without the full development to come in latter tracks such as "The Boy Was Right". A good part of the horn section and fantasy music actually reminds one of a mid-90's James Horner fantasy score. ****

3) Taken To St Aggeles: Fluttering woodwinds and slightly ominous horns and strings start the cue. A jazzy piano and bass playing interrupt, playing the role of the evil yet somewhat dull owls taking the young owlets to St. Aggeles. A catchy and suspenseful string and woodwind ostinato pushes forward until the end. ***1/2

4) Welcome To The Pellatorium: The piano and bass are back, keeping things jaunty in the midst of some sinister and exciting music featuring choir and the woodwind and string ostinatos from the previous track. ***1/2

5) A Long Way To The Guardians: One of my favorite tracks of the score. It seemingly incorporates tastes of the styles and orchestrations of John Williams, Danny Elfman and Hirschfelder, himself. It really is wonderfully bombastic and exciting stuff. *****

6) You Know We’re Flying: A playful cue that gives a joyful rendition of the Guardian theme at the last moment. I found it entertaining, but brief. ***

7) A Friend Or Two: This is an extremely multi-faceted cue. It starts out a bit ominous, then bursts into a frenetic version of the main theme, which is thoroughly enjoyable for anyone who loves exciting action music. The strange thing is, the exact part that I mention actually sounds tremendously similar to John Williams' E.T. score. Thereafter, in the middle section of the cue it goes into a smaller ensemble sound, resembling some of Bruno Coulais' latest work. Finally, it ends in a more traditional manner, closing out the cue with horn calls of the main theme. ****

8) The Boy Was Right: One of the best cues on the album and as heard in the film, itself. The chorus is absolutely goosebump inducing when combined with the visuals. The Guardian theme is heard in all it's glory, thoroughly sumptuous and full of wonder.*****

9) Sharpen The Battle Claws: A great dramatic track. This could have be in any epic war film, which is a compliment, considering this is a children's film. The cello adds a lush compliment to the string section. ****

10) Follow The Whale’s Fin: This is a strong tension filled track which seems to be building to the battle action music. Whirling strings and osinato stir things up, but it's nothing you haven't heard before. ***

11) Into Battle: This cue sounds like Hirschfelder's take on a MediaVentures approach to battle music - it was interesting on how my ear actually was able to overlay certain music from recent Harry Gregson-Williams efforts such as Kingdom of Heaven and Chronicles of Narnia. After the first couple of minutes this track goes into fairly generic action music territory. ***1/2

12) Hello Brother - An atmospheric piece with a forbidding tone. The male choir dominates, making it much more interesting then it could have been. ***

13) My Soldiers My Sons - This cue is what I had expected from "Into Battle" - it features some electrifying moments, especially towards the end, with an all too short chanting choir. This will have score fans keeping a look out for a complete score release. ****

14) More Baggy Wrinkles - A nice closing to the score, reprising a fairly emotional take on the main theme, not dissimilar to the track, "The Boy Was Right". ****

Mother and Child by Edward Shearmur

2010-08-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Released May 11, 2010 by Varese Sarabande this album has seemed to pass under the radar, largely unnoticed.

If you are someone, such as myself, who wished Thomas Newman would get back to his "roots" and compose scores as lovely as Fried Green Tomatoes and How to Make an American Quilt, then Mother and Child may be just the album you were looking for. It is lovely in every way, a feel good, yet familiar confection.

If you enjoyed Edward Shearmur's quietly dramatic score for the modern drama, K-Pax, then you will certainly find much to like in this work. It is perfect for reading on a lazy Sunday. The music flows effortlessly between strings, acoustic guitar, oboe, and piano creating a fluid and emotional atmosphere.

However, if you are in any way against composers clearly emulating Thomas Newman's unique style and compositional techniques and orchestrations, I would stay away from this one.

Though with some exceptions (Wall-E, Angels in America and moments from A Series of Unfortunate Events) I really, truly find myself missing Thomas Newman's work throughout the 90s (How to Make an American Quilt, Meet Joe Black, Fried Green Tomatoes, American Beauty). It is almost as if the director felt the same way and specifically asked Mr. Shearmur to create a Thomas Newman score without actually hiring Thomas Newman just to do the job himself. Edward Shearmur handles this score with complete class and adds his own touches of magic here and there with simplistic waltzes and a "catchy" motif like theme that is welcome each time it is played by the guitar and piano.

Tracks of special note are "Elizabeth's Letter" which is allowed to be a cohesive mix of a gentle waltz and the main theme, presenting a small emotional climax before the beautiful stunner entitled "Karen's Letter", which is the last track of the album. It features one of the most exquisite oboe solos and counterpoint in recent memory.

This score is not original enough to be labeled a classic but Mr. Shearmur really showcases his ability to pull emotional strings without being overtly sappy as well as respectfully presenting his own take on one of the most prolific composers of our generation.

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ***1/2

Tracklist:

1. Little One (song by Lucy Schwartz) n/a
2. Karen ****
3. A Dream ***4. Nora Takes A Turn ***
5. Elizabeth ****
6. Elizabeth And Paul ****
7. A Kind Word ***
8. Paco ***
9. A Wedding ***
10. Elizabeth Alone ****
11) Elizabeth’s Letter ****
12) Mother And Child **
13) Ray Keeps The Baby ****
14) The Letter Is Found ****
15) A Waltz For Karen ****
16) Karen’s Letter : One of the most thoroughly lovely pieces of music I have heard this year. *****

Runtime - 40 mins

The Karate Kid by James Horner

2010-06-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying that James Horner has been one of the most controversial yet strongest composers of our time, possessing one of the most easily identifiable sounds in Hollywood.

The Karate Kid is the most recent display of Horner’s knack for story-telling through the art of film score bringing together the dramatic, romantic, spiritual, and thrilling aspects of the character’s journey throughout the film.

I want to take a moment before actually reviewing the high and low points of the score and its overall effectiveness by saying “yes” the famed Japanese shakuhachi is used (though the film takes place in China), but thankfully not to excess – acting as more of a punctuation mark or transitional tool than a lead instrument. There was also talk of the infamous “4 note motif ” possibly making an appearance (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, listen to Willow) which thankfully does not exist at all!

The Karate Kid score as presented on album, is easily split into two halves. The feelings of leaving home for a foreign country and culture, which introduce Dre’s theme in “Leaving Detroit”, as well as moments of “wonder and awe” for China and Kung Fu itself, as demonstrated in “Kung Fu Heaven” & “I Want To Go Home – The Forbidden City”. The second part of the soundtrack runs on a bit of a faster pace, though deals evenly with the character’s spiritual as well as physical journey as a student of Kung Fu.

After some playful underscore in “Looking For Mr. Han”, the main motif/theme is presented as an innocent love theme in “The Lunchroom” as well as being combined with a lovely, piano-led melody heard in “Mei Ying’s Kiss” & the atmospheric, prelude, “Beijing Valentine”.

Moving right along, the cue that turns the tide of the score is ”Jacket On, Jacket Off” taking us from a domestically dramatic tone combined with romantic themes, to a much more mystical, intense, and triumphant one.

“Journey To The Spiritual Mountain” & “From Master To Student To Master”, hold tremendous weight in the spiritual and physical odyssey of the character, making for two substantial pieces of film music.

Though suffering from brevity,”Hard Training” is an intriguing and fun cue, considering that the successful combination of electronic loops, percussion hits, and light flowing strings is something a bit foreign to Horner.

“All Work And No Play” & “Dre’s Gift And Apology” round off the “human drama” side of the album .

The colors of trepidation, tenacity, and celebration are expertly painted with the last two tracks, “Tournament Time” & “Final Contest”. The first being more of a prelude to the action and “Final Contest” being the final culmination of the mystical and victorious elements of the score.

All in all, this soundtrack is a fine addition to any James Horner collection. Though The Karate Kid score is above average, it does not stand with his previous classics such as Braveheart, Legends of the Fall, and even last year’s Avatar, due to the lack of a truly original and memorable main theme.

Overall Score Crave Score: ****

****

****1/2

****

****1/2

****

*****

Babies by Bruno Coulais

2010-05-24T19:49:00.001-07:00

Babies by Bruno Coulais is not your average film score. The music is so fresh, so sweet, so Coulais.

You can definitely tell you are listening to the composer of such fine film scores as 2009's Coraline and this year's DisneyNature distributed film, Oceans.

The marks of a "typical" Coulais score are prevalent with playful, lyrical vocals, bouncy strings and marimba, joined by a small ensemble of very interesting combinations of clicking and clattering wood and stringed instruments "thumbing" about.

This score, though short on track length and overall run time, is chock full of charm, tender melodies and effervescent innocence.

Some of the best tracks on the album include the addictive second track, simply named,"Baby", and the eleventh track called, "Premiers Pas" ("First Steps") which display Coulais' lively, story-telling writing.

This film score comes recommended as a confectionery treat to the ear, though it suffers somewhat as an overall experience from its brevity and lack of true thematic development.

***1/2 (out of 5)

Don't hesitate to comment and let everyone know what you thought of this score!

Dear John by Deborah Lurie

2010-03-28T14:00:00.001-07:00

Dear John by Deborah Lurie was digitally released on Feb. 2, 2010.

Deborah Lurie is quickly becoming a name to know in Hollywood. Her work on the animated film 9 last year was certainly above average - showcasing her ability to weave themes into different emotions and colors which will most certainly make her a household name in the not so distant future.

Probably best known in the film music community for her "additional music" and "arranger of music" role in some of Danny Elfman's most recent scores such as Alice in Wonderland, Hellboy 2, Wanted and "orchestrator" for Charlotte's Web, she is certainly making a name for herself, slowly but surely climbing the ladder to mainstream composer.

The score to Dear John is sweetly pleasant though actually quite sad and ambient at times. A nice listen for any given lazy afternoon while reading a somewhat depressing love story, preferably penned by none other than Nicholas Sparks.

Though Ms. Lurie's work is indeed beautiful at times, nothing new visited these ears during its entire run-time. There are a few occasions where Lurie manipulates the sound of the piano and guitar, for instance in the cue titled "See You Soon Then" to give the effect of being in a small room, like Thomas Newman did in How to Make An American Quilt for the track "Portraits/Pond".

As a matter of fact, for the latter half of the album Deborah Lurie creates some very ghostly, "watery" textures in the cues "Mr. Tyree","Coins", and "Dear John Letter", amongst others, which are extremely reminiscent of Thomas Newman's work, particularly the Horse Whisperer. There is also some notable similarities with John Powell's approach to "chick flicks" - P.S. I Love You and Gigli to name a couple. I guess imitation is the highest form of flattery.

On the positive side the theme for John and Savannah as performed in the first cue aptly named "John and Savannah" gets some very beautiful renditions in tracks such as "The Barn", "Airport Goodbye", "I Kept Writing", (a gorgeous piano solo), and "Goodbye Savannah" (which features solo guitar), tending to bring the music up a notch and create a cohesiveness to the album.

Hopefully Ms. Lurie will get more projects like 9, but in the mean time you can get some mild enjoyment out of this lovely, yet derivative composition.

Tracklisting:

1) John and Savannah ***1/2

2) The Pier ***

3) See You Soon Then ***

4) Walk on the Beach ***

5) First Date ***

6) Letters/the Moon ****

7) Savannah and Mr. Tyree ***

8) Chasing Mules ***

9) The Barn ***1/2

10) Mr. Tyree **

11) September 11th **

12) Airport Goodbye ***

13) Coins ***

14) Dear John Letter ***

15) Wounded ***

16) Returning Home ***

17) Waves ***

18) I Kept Writing ****

19) Goodbye Savannah ***1/2

20) Final Letter ***

21) John and Savannah (live quartet) ***

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ***

Replay Value: ***

Sound Quality: ****

Length: ***

Thematic Content: ***

Originality: *

Composition: ***

Check out this link to listen to Dear John clips on Deborah Lurie's Official Website:

CLICK HERE!

Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman

2010-03-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Alice in Wonderland was released March 2, 2010.

When the creative forces of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman come together there is almost always reason to rejoice and Alice in Wonderland is clearly no exception. In the tradition of the dynamic duo’s most phantasmagorical works such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Batman Returns, and Sleepy Hollow there is a a supremely gothic and mystical essence that perhaps no other composer and director captures quite so deftly.

The music takes us on a journey - which if you have read any of my other reviews - is a surefire way to get me excited about a film score album. If music has no variance, no highs or lows, where is the interest and intrigue? Elfman takes us down the rabbit hole, through the dangers and beauties of Wonderland, and back out again with a smooth, varied, and exciting progression.

There are two major themes that dominate this score:

“Alice’s Theme” and Alice's "coming-of-age" theme. After listening to the score numerous times I have come to think of “Alice’s Theme” as the child Alice who is unsure about crossing from childhood into womanhood, while Alice's "coming-of-age" theme is a thematic idea that represents the reality Alice is hit with at the proposal party and how she handles the situation as a grown up individual. The "coming-of-age" theme is much more restrained and delicately beautiful, performed primarily on flute, while “Alice’s Theme” is urgent, mesmerizing, and gothicly stunning with string ostinato and soprano boy choir and soloists creating the ultimate dream-like atmosphere.

Even when the two themes representing our heroine are not present there is still much to enjoy creating a coherent and thoroughly entertaining listening experience. The eerie and odd textures that Elfman creates for Absolem, the caterpillar, which is somewhat mystically religious and the Chesire Cat, which carries a chilled vibe make for interesting musical interpretations of these characters.

The one thing I feel is missing is the battle music. The actual tracks featured for the end battle total to about 5 minutes and that is basically just the "book-ends". Hopefully the actual battle music will be made available someday on an extended or complete score release.

Otherwise, we are treated, early in 2010, to a brand new Danny Elfman classic that is sure to find its way into any Elfman or fantasy fan's heart.

Tracklisting:

1. Alice's Theme: A wonderfully strong start to a fantastic score! Fully lyrical with whirring strings, pounding drums, flighty flutes and soprano boy choir. *****
2. Little Alice: A brief cue that introduces us to Alice and her family in the beginning of the film. Glockenspiel and woodwinds dominate. ***
3. Proposal / Down the Hole: This cue starts out rather calmly for the proposal scene featuring the "coming-of-age" theme, but quickly segues into a slightly toned down version of "Alice's Theme" before ending with the frenetic

"down the hole" music. ****
4. Doors: "Doors" is basically an atmospheric track with unnerving string slides and light glockenspiel tones. ***
5. Drink Me: Another descriptive track, "Drink Me" is almost identical in flavor and instrumentation to "Doors", but with an addition of the choir softly "ahhing" in the background. I actually find these two cues to be quickly forgettable. ***
6. Into the Garden: Another too brief track, over as soon as it starts. **
7. Alice Reprise #1: Beautiful soprano boy choir track, but extremely short. ***
8. Bandersnatched: One of the better action tracks of the score, it showcases some hints of Elfman's Batman score complete with cathedral organ, choir, and driving percussion. ****
9. Finding Absolem: Esoteric and brooding, this makes for a good ambience track as well as featuring a brief statement of Alice's coming-of-age theme in french horn which is quite nice. ****
10. Alice Reprise #2: The second of five total reprises of "Alice's theme" which is more of a solo this go-round. Lovely, ethereal stuff. ****
11. The Cheshire Cat: The choir work in this particular track reminds me of the way Elfman utilized the voices in the woods sequences of Sleepy Hollow. Another good track for setting the mysterious and sometimes ominous tone of Wonderland. It ends strong with a building of "Alice's theme" complete with the lyrics "oh how will you find your way?" ****
12. Alice And Bayard's Journey: Who doesn't love a good "journey" track? It really gets going around a minute in and actually becomes very epic in nature. Unfortunately it does die back down after another moment giving way to the creepy elements of Wonderland - though it still retains interest. ****
13. Alice Reprise #3: My favorite reprise besides #5 because of the completely mystical, music box effect. ****
14. Alice Escapes: Only a moment long, this track is full force ahead - a wonderously unrestrained version of

"Alice's Theme." ****
15. The White Queen: An extremely brief recap of "Alice's theme". **
16. Only A Dream: One of my favorite presentations of Alice's "coming-of-age" theme which is quite gorgeous. ****
17. The Dungeon: This track is all about the ambience - leaning on the underscore side, though it still maintains the feel of the album. What's amusing is the first 30 second's string ostinato sounds like the track "Salvation" from last year's Terminator Salvation by Elfman is about to begin. ***
18. Alice Decides: A great momentum building cue, very enjoyable and gloriously over-the-top with full

orchestra and choir. ****1/2
19. Alice Reprise #4: A pleasant recapitulation of "Alice's Theme" before the brief battle music breaks. ****
20. Going To Battle: In league with "Bandersnatched", "Alice Escapes", and "Alice Decides" - this cue is thoroughly enjoyable with racing strings, cymbal crashes, and the omnipresent "Alice's Theme". ****
21. The Final Confrontation: There was some clear editing done between "Going To Battle" and this cue which is kind of disheartening, considering it would have easily been a 5 star score if they had retained more of the battle material and not smoothed over the true action music in 4-5 minutes. Oh well, it still offers about 30 seconds of strong material in the beginning of the cue. ****
22. Blood Of The Jabberwocky: I don't know why, but I picture the Hobbits saying goodbye to the elves in Return of the King right before leaving for the Grey Havens. Anyway, this is a lovely little piece to start wrapping up the score. ****
23. Alice Returns: Alice returns to reality and having to grow up very quickly upon her departure from Wonderland. We hear a statement of the "coming-of-age" theme almost seeming to battle it out with the child "Alice's theme", but now "Alice's theme" is much more sturdy with less busy strings but still a sense of wonderment, backed by choir. ****
24. Alice Reprise #5: Just as good as the first presentation of "Alice's theme" which is sure to be stuck in anyone's head by this time for weeks upon end, is less on the lyrics side, but definitely still as lyrical. A wee bit more mystical, the solo boy soprano comes in first, singing "oh how will you find your way" before the music box type effects lead into the full boy's choir taking control until the ending notes. ****1/2

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ****

Replay Value: ****

Sound Quality: ****

Length: ****

Thematic Content: *****

Originality: ****

Composition: *****

The Lightning Thief by Christophe Beck

2010-02-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief by Christophe Beck was released Feb. 16th, 2010.

The Review:

The Lightning Thief is Christophe Beck's latest work and just may just be one of his crowning achievements so far in the vast world of film scoring. It is fairly thrilling, purely orchestral, and contains some memorable moments.

There are energetic ostinatos, heroic fanfares, and thorough development and variation upon a number of solid (yet slightly derivative) themes.

Chrisophe Beck may be proving himself to be a worthy contender to Michael Giacchino with his ability to handle a full orchestra and create bold themes with numerous variations.

Tracks such as "the Minotaur", "Hydra", "Fighting Luke, Pt. 1 & 2" are superb action cues that showcase majestic, theme-filled pieces full of intense excitement.

Besides the action-packed tracks, Christophe Beck also addresses the mysterious and ethereal by way of cues like "Medusa", and "Lost Souls," and "End Credits".

Every track has something to offer and with a surplus of themes and secondary motifs for the multiple characters that inhabit the mythical world of Percy Jackson, the ride is quite engaging and beautiful at times.

Despite this being a "children's film score" there is intricate detail in the orchestration, decent emotional depth, and a true edge-of-your seat excitement to some great action cues.

Christophe Beck as a whole has risen to the occasion to create a satisfying 4 star fantasy score.

Tracklisting:

1) Prelude: A lovely opening cue that introduces the main theme, or what I will also refer to as Percy Jackson's theme. ***
2) The Minotaur: Intensely exciting - this is a detailed, exhilirating, and even passionate action cue which showcases some excellent writing for woodwinds, percussion and strings. ****
3) Chiron: An somewhat inspiring track of which features a lovely flute solo of the main theme similar to "Prelude" followed by a great horn lead into a majestic string melody before closing out the cue. ***
4) Victory: Another take on the main theme, this track is stimulating with soaring horns and woodwinds to rightly fit its title. ****
5) The Fury: This cue starts out lightly enough by way of interesting clarinet and flute work with whirring, bouncing strings. It then quickly ascends into a rousing fanfare full of turbulence - though ends a bit short of satisfying. ***1/2
6) Dyslexia: This cue is extremely brief, yet features a melancholy secondary theme for Percy Jackson. ***
7) The Hydra: A magical and electrifying cue, "the Hydra" is a perfect example of how action music should be. Instead of pounding us over-the-head with typical ostinato and electronic samples, it builds and grows along the way, utilizing racing strings, fantastic drum work (a la Dances with Wolves), and soaring brass to tremendous effect. *****
8) Medusa: An otherworldly choir ascends and descends tones, causing a shifting, unnerving feel to this ethereal cue, followed by lightly magical piano, harp, and strings. An ominous feeling in the music then takes over, becoming much more serious in tone - you can easily picture Medusa turning her victims to stone with no second thoughts. ***1/2
9) Son Of Poseidon: The proud and noble theme for Percy Jackson is gloriously displayed, though just too short. ***1/2
10) The Parthenon: This track is tenderly stirring and mystical while also driven by some intense fervor from the strings and woodwinds, but doesn't feel wholly developed as a stand-alone cue. ***1/2
11) Hollywood: David Arnold's exciting orchestrations are brought to mind in this celebratory exploration of the score's main theme, as well as containing the "Dyslexia" secondary theme. ***
12) Lost Souls: Moody and mysterious, this cue belongs in the same camp as "Medusa" - a great little story-telling piece. ***
13) Fighting Luke, Part 1: This is the start to a stunning duo of action cues. It starts out calmly enough, but by 1:30 the orchestra starts into unrelenting and undeniably fun action-packed string ostinatos accompanied by the main theme in a heralding fanfare. ****
14) Fighting Luke, Part 2: Right on the heels of its predecessor, this has one of my favorite moments of the album - starting at 1:03 - this track is exciting (and reminds me of John Powell's Phoenix Rising theme from Xmen: the Last Stand) with enormous choir, brass, and strings. ****1/2
15) Hades: Though this cue starts out darkly looming, it surprisingly gives way to a more child-like wonderment, unfortunately it feels a bit like filler. ***
16) Mount Olympus: Obviously majestic and "awe-inspiring", this track lives up to its name, and actually takes an unexpected turn by ending in a somewhat harsh fashion with whip-like percussion and ominous choir and strings. ****
17) Poseidon: Starting out a bit unnervingly, this cue is actually a thoughtful and regal

track, revealing that the theme originally heard in the track "Dyslexia" is actually a theme for Poseidon. ***1/2
18) Homecoming: A typically triumphant end-of-the-story cue which features

Percy Jackson's theme aka "the main theme" in a grander, slower version before ending on an energetic note. ****
19) End Credits: This cue is a 7 minute suite of the two main themes taken through numerous variations and expansions. A fine ending to a solid score. ****

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ****

The Spy Next Door by David Newman

2010-01-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

David Newman's score for the Spy Next Door has been released.

May we have hope for a surprise treasure?

Judging by the album packaging alone you might say, no - and regrettably you would be all too correct in your assumption.

Ever since Mr. Newman's scores for Anastasia, Ice Age and the Affair of the Necklace, I have purposely watched for upcoming soundtrack releases from this composer, hoping that he would get another chance to pull more beautiful themes and orchestrations out from under his sleeves.

Unfortunately, David Newman is simply a talent that is pigeon-holed in Hollywood as a comedy/family-film composer.

His score for 2008's the Spirit really had my hopes up for his re-emergence into more "serious" work (and it wasn't bad) but either he has a way of picking films that bomb - or they just happen to find him. It truly is lamentable, for I really enjoy the beauty and passion he can express with choir, piano, and strings in the previously mentioned compositions.

Now, we move on to his most recent effort, the Spy Next Door.

We, as film score fans, have heard the spy-genre dozens of times, in all of its various incarnations. It goes without saying, every James Bond/Mission Impossible reference is there - utilized to ad nauseam throughout the run-time of this release.

Upon bringing these spy elements to a child-like level, David Newman incorporates some of his own rhythms and extremely upbeat touches - replete with piano, guitar, woodwinds and strings (some real, some synthetic). Sadly, he takes the well-worn path of conventional genre-specific repetition and cartoon-ish sensibilities, producing a mediocre, unimaginative effort for this critically bludgeoned film.

On the other hand, there are a few transient moments of attractive melodies and orchestrations as featured in "Bob Eavesdrops", "I Love You Bob", "Bob's Childhood", and the finale cue "Colt to the Rescue - Part 2".

Otherwise, unless you are a David Newman completist and don't mind the idea of both the film's star, the beloved martial-arts expert, Jackie Chan and the highly underrated David Newman checking their pride and ingenuity at the door for a steady paycheck - please do yourself a favor (like you really needed my advice) and skip this one or at least save your money and buy it as a digital download or from a local bargain bin.

Track Listing:

1. Bob Wakes Up **

2. Stalking Poldark **
3. Satellite Dish **

4. Bob Eavesdrops ***
5. Breakfast Mess **
6. Too Many Princesses **
7. The Russian Test **
8. Glaze Is The Mole **
9. I Love You Bob ***
10. Bob Comes Clean ***
11. Bob's Childhood ***
12. Goodbye To Bob ***
13. The Russian's To Warehouse - Part 1 **
14. The Russian's To Warehouse - Part 2 **
15. Getting Free **
16. Bike Tricks **
17. Race To Gilliann's - Part 1 **
18. Race To Gilliann's - Part 2 **
19. Race To Gilliann's - Part 3 **
20. Race To Gilliann's - Part 4 **
21. Big Fight At Gilliann's - Part 1 **
22. Big Fight At Gilliann's - Part 2 **
23. Colt To The Rescue - Part 1 ***
24. Colt To The Rescue - Part 2 ***

Replay Value: *
Sound Quality: ***
Length: **
Thematic Content: ***
Originality: **
Composition: **

Overall ScoreCrave Score: **

Click HERE to purchase the Spy Next Door soundtrack from Amazon.com.

ScoreCrave Newsflash: the Twilight Saga: Eclipse

2010-01-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

Howard Shore is confirmed to be the composer for the upcoming Twilight Saga film, Eclipse, due out June 30th.

This is an exclusive from Movie Score Magazine.

"Howard Shore is on board to compose the original score for the third film in the Twilight series, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Temple Hill Entertainment today confirmed to MovieScore Magazine that the Lord of the Rings composer is going to write the music for the film, following in the footsteps of Carter Burwell (who scored the first film in 2008) and Alexandre Desplat (who wrote the music for the second, New Moon). Shore has begun work, spotting the movie, this week."

Click HERE to read the entire article @ Movie Score Magazine.

Legion by John Frizzell

2010-01-23T15:36:00.001-08:00

Legion is an average action/horror score for an apparently below average film. It truly disappoints me to report this.

I have to admit, the trailers looked pretty exciting and John Frizzell is always a composer I enjoy hearing from - not to say this project was a total loss.

There are numerous moments of intense action scoring and interesting sound design to engage the listener. Choir, piano, and strings are the driving factors of this score. The choral elements are used sparingly, so when they do show up, you will take notice.

The piano offers a subtle theme for humanity and the strings serve to keep the momentum going, always racing, gliding, or trilling.

The problem that plagues this album, like so many other recent soundtrack releases is the disjointedness caused by an average 1-2 minute run time for each individual cue.

Frustratingly, the listener is not allowed the chance to become fully immersed into the sonic world of Legion for at least 3/4 of the soundtrack's run-time.

Though some glimmers of enticing chaos, "Clouds Don't Buzz","They're Here"and "Attack of the Possessed" might draw your interest, they are all just entirely too short.

Thankfully this issue starts to resolve itself by track 18, "Open the Door", which sounds like the portal for unleashing supernatural fury has just, indeed, been broken. For the last 20 minutes of Legion, Frizzell's music is finally allowed to "spread its wings" and become a fairly solid action score.

Also, to offset the frenetic elements of tension and warfare, we are provided with some lovely moments in "You Are the True Protector", and its alternate version, bringing to life the brief piano melody - representing humanity - scattered throughout the score in tracks such as "Old And P***ed Off"and in a more despairing variation, "I Didn't Even Want This Baby".

All in all, John Frizzell delivers a score that is for the most part ferocious and rip-roaring, though disjointed and commonplace as far as horror/action film scores go.

If you would like to invest in his latest release, I suggest doing a digital download of the last few tracks - starting at "Open the Door" and skip the CD album.

As a side note: I was reading an interview with John Frizzell featured on fandomania.com, that he worked on an interesting technique he refers to as "frozen sounds" for this particular score.

He created this effect by manipulating seconds long instrumental samples and stretching their lengths to just under a minute, rendering unusual textures you may have never heard before, creating an otherworldly atmosphere for Legion.

Track Listing:

1. When I Was A little Girl ***
2. Michael Descends ***1/2

3. It’s Started ***

4. Old and P***ed Off ***
5. This is Not A Test **
6. Clouds Don’t Buzz ***1/2
7. The Aftermath **

8. Now What? **
9. They’re Here ***1/2
10. The Ice Cream Man ***

11. Attack of The Possessed ***1/2
12. We Got ‘Em Running **

13. God’s Plan ***
14. Percy’s Story **
15. Dark World ***

16. Bob Blames Himself **
17. I Didn't Even Want This Baby ***
18. Open the Door ****
19. Are We Safe Now? ***1/2
20. A Rebellious Son ***1/2
21. The Battle ****1/2
22. Die Like One of Them ***
23. That is Why You Failed Him ***1/2
24. You Are The True Protector ****
25. You Are The True Protector (Alternate Version) ****

Replay Value: **

Sound Quality: ***

Length: **

Thematic Content: **

Originality: **

Composition: ***

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ***

Click HERE to purchase the Legion soundtrack from Amazon.com .

Most Anticipated Score of 2010

2010-01-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

ScoreCrave ran a week long poll to see what film music fans were craving to hear in 2010.

Here are the results from most popular to least:

1)Clash of the Titans by Craig Armstrong

2)The Last Airbender by James Newton Howard

3)Iron Man 2 by John Debney

4)Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman

5)The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Trevor Rabin

6)Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time by Harry Gregson-Williams

7)Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Christophe Beck

8)Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader by David Arnold

9)The Wolf Man by Paul Haslinger

note: Currently, Danny Elfman is back on assignment for the Wolf Man but at the time of this poll being taken Paul Haslinger was still attached to the film - therefore, clearly illustrating that Mr. Haslinger was exactly the wrong choice (to replace Elfman for this film), by the simple fact that he was "bottom of the list" for film score fans.

Direct links to the film's and composer's official websites (some of which are apparently under construction) are available to visit by clicking directly on either the composer's name or the film's title.

Have a great week!

Ninja Assassin by Ilan Eshkeri

2010-01-17T17:35:00.001-08:00

Ilan Eshkeri has been an exciting new-comer to watch these past few years. He has been composing for American films since 2001 but has been essentially under the radar until 2007's Stardust exploded on the scene.

He comes across as classically influenced, or at least enjoys incorporating great classical pieces into his movie scores. Young Victoria, Hannibal Rising, and the aforementioned have helped him lay some strong ground in the film music community.

Much to this reviewer's initial chagrin, Ninja Assassin is a complete 360 from what we have become accustomed to expect from this composer.

It feels strongly as if Ilan Eshkeri just wanted to stay within "the box" and let action scores of the past 10 years dictate and/or inspire the way he would approach this project.

Mr. Eshkeri starts things off with a nod to spaghetti westerns (Ennio Morricone, specifically), complete with electric guitar motif backed by male chorus, then proceeds to borrow the feel and orchestration of multiple Hans Zimmer and John Powell film scores. In the quieter moments featuring cello and string section, I was reminded of the Last Samurai, but at an inferior level. In the bounding, outright action moments a plethora of Remote Control scores, and even Alan Silvestri's action music, as of late, are heralded with little variation. In summary, if you come expecting anything substantially original, you will be fairly disappointed, but if you simply desire a new action score of the "kick-butt entertainment" variety, then this just may be for you.

Ilan Eshkeri's usual love themes, and swash-buckling moments are nearly completely absent. Though full orchestra is integrated and occasionally brought to the forefront, a majority of the highlights feature brief, yet lovely cello solos, intense and complex electric rock guitar writing, dark string textures, multi-faceted percussion, and interestingly placed electronic beats.

Track-listing:

1. Ninja Assassin: This cue begins with an electric guitar and male choir (a la Kill Bill), but sadly this cue doesn't do much with its 6 minute run time after the initial motif is established. ***
2. Training: Fun electric guitar and orchestra hits set up as driving momentum that is taken over by drums and clanking percussion of every sort. It then segues into some thoughtful cello, before ending with a building action feel.***1/2

3. Kiriko Runs: This cue is tragic, passionate and does a lot to highlight the string section with little interruption. ***1/2
4. Mika's Apartment: The first few moments of this track are filled with suspense and action which will attack your senses, replete with huge electric rock guitar and orchestra hits, probably not to everyone's taste. ***
5. First Kill: Electric guitar builds with an intense beat and a string section producing eerie sliding tones. True vigor and suspense is conjured, but with an unsatisfying conclusion. ***

6. Skyscraper Rain: The last minute of this track earns it an extra half a star. Electric guitar, strings, and a driving percussion section make things extremely entertaining for the listener. It has all the attributes of a gothic rock opera, without the vocalists.***1/2

7. Escape From Safehouse: A rock-star, mythical beginning starts this supremely intense cue with electric guitar, intensely racing strings, and effortless electronics keeping it all together. It sounds as though Hans Zimmer and Alan Silvestri got together to formulate this breathless piece; a truly exciting and impressive cue that may be a bit too noisy for some tastes near the end. I only wish the entire album was this engaging! ****1/2

8. Healing: A good track - of which I like to say "tells a story". There's building tension, moments of tranquility, and racing strings with a smooth beat to follow.***1/2
9. Soldiers Attack: An in-your-face track that may startle at the beginning, but from then on, "hang on to your seat", you are in for a cacophonic ride. ***1/2

10. Raizo vs Ozuno/Freedom: It begins as a powerfully urgent action track that is simply over-the-top, if not just a bit too noisy. The music then subsides to a more thoughtful passage, recapping some of the softer moments of the score before concluding with the spaghetti western-like electric guitar motif from the beginning of the score. ***1/2

11. Being Boiled n/a

12. Helden n/a

13. Shazam! n/a

14. The MC Remix n/a

15. Legacy (Explicit) n/a

Overall ScoreCrave Score:

***1/2

Ilan Eshkeri

Scores to Crave in 2010-2011*

2010-01-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

I have taken the liberty to highlight in red, the most likely anticipated projects.

Craig Armstrong: Neds, Clash of the Titans

David Arnold: Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Christophe Beck: Waiting for Superman, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Date Night

Marco Beltrami: Repo Men, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

John Debney: Valentine’s Day, Iron Man 2, A Thousand Words (2011), Sin City 2 & 3 (in production/development)

Alexandre Desplat: The Ghost Writer, The Tree of Life, Largo Winch (Tome 2)

Randy Edelman: Leap Year

Danny Elfman: Alice in Wonderland, Forbidden Zone 2: The Forbidden Galaxy

John Frizzell: Legion, Shelter, The Roommate

Phillip Glass: Mr. Nice

Paul Haslinger: The Wolfman, The Takers

Mark Isham: The Crazies

Trevor Jones: The Power of the Dark Crystal (2011)

Blake Neely: Life As We Know It

David Newman: Crazy on the Outside, The Spy Next Door

James Newton Howard: The Last Airbender, Salt, Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)

Rachel Portman: Spider Dance

John Powell: Green Zone, How to Train Your Dragon, Jonah Hex

Trevor Rabin: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Howard Shore: Edge of Darkness, The Spider, Silence (2011), Sinatra (2011), The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2011)

Alan Silvestri: The A-Team

Brian Tyler: Columbus Circle, The Expendables, Red Dawn, Skyline,

Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Harry Gregson-Williams: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Shrek Forever After, Unstoppable

Hans Zimmer: Henri IV, Inception, Untitled James L. Brooks Project,

Mars Needs Moms!, Rango (2011)

*This list is subject to change.

Solomon Kane by Klaus Badelt

2010-01-09T07:47:00.001-08:00

Visit the official Solomon Kane Movie Website to explore more about this upcoming feature by clicking HERE!

To listen to the score cues that are currently available (in their entirety, as analyzed), click the Play Button on the widget below.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Tracklisting :

1. You Must Leave Us : A reverent "oohing" and "ahhing" choir open this score with a gorgeous theme that will rule this composition, taking us to a far off distant land of majestic mountains and deep dark forests. The strings and full orchestra gently take over, alongside an electric violin showcasing Klaus Badelt's incredible ability at painting in broad, sweeping strokes without ever becoming boring and/or overly emotional. ****1/2
2. Crucifixion Part II : An instensely melodramatic piece that is full to the brim with passionate tragedy. It makes one wonder - where is Crucifixion Part 1?? Hopefully it will show up on the actual soundtrack release. ****1/2
3. Meredith : John Barry and James Horner have met their match with this exquisite love theme. Lavish strings and light choir shine in this brilliant cue. *****
4. Making Camp : A gentle recorder takes the lead in this lovely, yet brief piece. ***1/2
5. Moving On : Revisiting the main/love theme complete with recorder and strings makes for another brief but sumptuous track. ****1/2
6. Get Her Back : A more sober, ominous approach to the main theme makes its appearance (clearly as underscore up until 3/4 through the track) causing the last 50 seconds or so to be a pleasantly epic surprise - replete with choir and heavy percussion - to an otherwise forgettable cue. ***1/2
7. Castle Approach : Momentum builds in this obviously "before-the-big-fight" track, which provides us with some fun string ostinato and lightly clanking percussion to build excitement. ****
8. Father's Story : Feelings of distress and devotion performed by the string section swell and intensify, providing a prelude of sorts to the following track (and bringing to mind the second cue, "Crucifixion Part 2"). ****
9. Single Blow : I really, really hope we were just cut short on this track due to no actual score release as of yet. This sounds like it should be "the final battle/big fight scene" music, but it really only starts to gain interest at 20 seconds before the conclusion. ***
10. Seeking Refuge : Not to sound spoiled, because there are some truly nice moments throughout the score, but this cue is just plain disappointing as an epilogue/end credits track -it's just way too short and incomplete. It features a nice vocal solo, but no true substance. Comparing to what has been achieved in the score thus far, I have to believe there will be much, much more on the actual soundtrack release. ***

Note: This is a promo score, clocking in at approximately 27 minutes - so rest assured, there will be more to come!

NewsFlash: Daybreakers by Christopher Gordon

2010-01-08T19:24:00.000-08:00

I just went to see Daybreakers and was pleasantly surprised by the "no holds barred" orchestral stylings of Mr. Christopher Gordon. I honestly thought this score was going to be another electronic, boring, wasted opportunity, but I was happily shocked to find that it was exactly the opposite: fully orchestral, mostly original, and frighteningly powerful. The best of 2010 so far - in any genre of film music! Whether the massive percussion section was working-it-out with the exciting action scenes or the horns, strings, and the versatile choir were driving the story forward - I found it to be a much more than satisfactory composition for a horror/action film such as Daybreakers. Even maybe over the top in parts, it always worked to make a scene ten times more powerful than it should have been. Before I was even halfway through the movie I couldn't help but think - when is this score becoming available?

Daybreakers actually became available from Lionsgate Record s, Jan. 5th, 2010.

(Lionsgate Records actually has an MP3 album version for $7.99 available on their website - check out the link for a significant sample of one of the cues, as well! )

Also, the Daybreakers soundtrack can be found at at Amazon.com, or Itunes.

Click HERE to see pictures from the recording session for Daybreakers at ChristopherGordon.net.

I will be writing a review for this score as soon as I am able to obtain a copy!

Avatar by James Horner

2010-01-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

Avatar is a score of which there is much to appreciate and much to overlook if one is to enjoy it as an individual listening experience. The score's much beloved composer James Horner is, needless to say, controversial because of the reuse of his own thematic material, "shameless" mimicry of classical composers and modern composers, alike, etc. - but like many, I am a sucker for his scores and will more than likely always be a faithful fan.I own over 60% of his work, at the very least, and listen to him probably more than any other composer on a regular basis.The reasons for our grievances against Mr. Horner are clear and hard to argue with, but I believe our "likes" far outweigh these general "dislikes".

Horner has a way of connecting to his audience. He is a master at creating what I will call "evolutionary melodies" (themes which may change almost completely or morph only slightly from score to score), beautiful chord progressions, and outstanding interpretations and arrangements of his music (if not others, as well). He is a composer that is truly capable of telling a story with his orchestral and electronic palettes in a tasteful and largely appealing manner. His scores rarely become dull, but instead they are quick to fascinate and entertain with majestic beauty, subtle and/or grand themes and beautifully hypnotic rhythms.

This soundtrack is no exception.

James Horner has created a complete musical world, made up of elements from previous scores (Mighty Joe Young, Glory, Titanic, Apocalypto, the Four Feathers, Troy, etc) He also borrows slightly from Trevor Rabin and Hans Zimmer - strangely enough. The reason I found this so odd is after listening to his interview of which he takes a direct stab to the heart of Remote Control (formerly Media Ventures) he then makes use of elements of their material, namely Remember the Titans by Trevor Rabin (in the beginning snare and string ostinatos of "War"), and a much more significant borrowing of Gladiator by Hans Zimmer in "Gathering all the Na'vi Clans For Battle".

All this being said, Avatar, the score album, is still one of my favorites of the year. It is effective, entertaining, original at times, and stunning and majestic in its massive scope.

I applaud Mr. Horner, not for a truly fresh effort, but for a solid, dependable listening experience that makes a strong emotional connection with its listener and paints the engaging world of Pandora with so many different sounds and textures that come together so effortlessly. This score is a compilation of sorts, a self salute to his past and hopefully Mr. Horner's continuing future for creating classy, gorgeous, epic scores for today's films.

Tracklisting:

1. ''You Don't Dream In Cryo. ....'' : A perfect opener, but nothing hugely special about this piece, clearly some Media Ventures (Remote Control) borrowings. ****
2. Jake Enters His Avatar World: Effective story-telling that may remind you slightly of a mix between Troy and Apocalypto, but this track really doesn't take off until the very end, when the Avatar main theme kicks in. ****

3. Pure Spirits Of The Forest : In parts, this track is highly reminiscent of New World, with slowly moving layers of strings and synth effects, while later in the track a lovely electronic arpeggiation gives way to overbearing guttural groans and doom-filled horns. Good, but once again, nothing extremely unique. ****
4. The Bioluminescence Of The Night: A gorgeous encapsulation of the main love theme for Avatar which may bring the love theme to Titanic to mind. The one surprise for me was the lovely violin solo accompanied by piano near the end of the track. *****

5. Becoming One Of ''The People'' Becoming One With Neytiri: This is frankly one my favorite cues on the album - it starts with a wonderful boy soloist which segues into a lovely ethnic choir - which will become prominent from this point on in the soundtrack - this particular track is also similar to Titanic in construct (the flowing piano and ethnic flute combo). Also of note is obvious tribute to Braveheart near the end of this cue, which is lovely, of course . *****

6. Climbing Up Iknimaya - "The Path To Heaven'': A moment in

Glory! ...literally - James Horner reinvents one of his prominent themes from the classic 1989 score, complete with ethnic choir, full orchestra, ethnic woodwinds and percussion plus a stunning fanfare to finish it everything off. ****1/2

7. Jake's First Flight: What a great piece! This cue fit so perfectly in the film, it almost brought tears to my eyes when Jake was flying parallel to the cliff and then lifted up to soar into the sky along with Horner's stunningly celebratory fanfares. *****

8. Scorched Earth: A very dark cue. The french horns, ethnic woodwinds and

choir get a work out in this one. Fairly entertaining, but not very memorable. ****

9. Quaritch: Another darker action track, pretty much the same as above, yet still effective and entertaining, with some thematic string variations that remind one of the sinking Titanic. ****
10. The Destruction Of Hometree: A more classic James Horner approach to destruction, mayhem, and

despair - but still with elements of the above mentioned tracks. Fanfares and huge choir along with the infamous "danger motif" make enormous appearances in the last 2 minutes. ****
11. Shutting Down Grace's Lab: Troy comes to mind when listening to this passionate cue. The wailing women of Troy meet the "danger motif" in an intense fashion. ****
12. Gathering All The Na'vi Clans For Battle: This track takes a few moments to get going, but once it does, its "all stops out" - ethnic choir meets classical choir and huge orchestral and percussion swoops and hits take over until the finish. *****

13. War : This track is definitely one of the best of the year as far as I'm concerned. James Horner's most surprising, exciting, and passionate action cue since "A Desperate Run Through the Tunnels" from Spiderwick Chronicles and "The Train" from Legend of Zorro. With the combination of the stunning choir, great theme, and amazing percussion, this is possibly one of Horner's best cues of the last 10 years or so. *****
14. I See You (Theme From Avatar), featuring Leona Lewis: An okay song with serviceable lyrics that make sense after viewing the film but does not really connect to the average listener. ***1/2

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ****1/2

For more pics (thanks to zimbio.com) of James Horner and Leona Lewis at the Avatar premiere click HERE.

James Horner bios and discography:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Other notable Avatar soundtrack reviews:

SoundtrackGeek

Tracksounds

Filmtracks

Buy the Avatar soundtrack:

Amazon (as low as $11.98)

Itunes ($9.99)

Best Cues of 2009

2010-01-01T17:03:00.001-08:00

What cues do you think should have made it on to the list?

Please feel free to comment, agree or disagree.

Have a Happy New Year!

Red Cliff by Taro Iwashiro:

Beyond the River - Trumpets, full orchestra, and ethnic woodwinds soar to the heights of heaven in this epilogue track from this astounding and epic score. Trevor Jones - eat your heart out! An old-school instant classic.

Hachiko: A Dog's Story by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek:

Parker and Hachi - A stirring, poignant piano solo of the major theme from the score, that will draw you in until the last note.

Ponyo by Joe Hisaishi:

Mother of the Sea - The best vocal (soprano) track of the year in my opinion - simply, operatically stunning - and of course just simply a great theme.
Ponyo of the Fish of the Wave - A memorable, Wagner-inspired action piece that proves to be better than most adventure themes for live-action scores this year.

My Bloody Valentine 3D by Michael Wandmacher:

First Responder - If moody guitar and electric piano followed by kick-butt rock music is your thing, it won't get much better than this hard-edged, determined cue. (note: this is the slightly more satisfying reprise of track 3,"Prodigal Son", from the same album.)

Pope Joan by Marcel Barsotti:

Pope Joan Suite - A compilation-ready classically lush suite that instantly draws the listener in and encapsulates the overall mood and themes of this truly outstanding score.
Pilgrimage to Rome - Expansive and epic, this track has the feeling of soaring over massive cities and crowds with a tragic, yet regal and steady hand.
Easter Ceremony - An above average, driving and exciting piece with heavy middle-eastern influences.

Avatar by James Horner:

Becoming One of "The People"/Becoming One with Neytiri - At times intimate, joyous, and wondrous, this track elevates the scene in the film to glorious heights.
Climbing Up "Iknimaya" - The Path to Heaven - Highly reminiscent of Glory - this track will sweep you away with its "ethnic choir" and stunning climax.
War - An awesome tour-de-force of an action cue that stands alongside the best of Horner's previous action works.

Amelia by Gabriel Yared:

Introducing Amelia - This is an old school sumptuous main theme in full "concert ready" form on this first cue that starts off an overall lovely album.

The Home of Dark Butterflies by Panu Aaltio:

Forgiveness - The gorgeous main theme - which sounds somewhere between a Rachel Portman and Adrian Johnston melody - is showcased brilliantly in this cue by piano and a lush string section.

9 Music by Deborah Lurie/Themes by Danny Elfman:

The Purpose - Talk about making you want to jump out of your chair and go for a sprint around the block or drive 10-15 miles over the speed limit in your car! This one has a great summer blockbuster feel with an accelerating orchestra that proves Ms. Lurie is up to task!

Release - An emotional, stirring piece that finishes this album off with excellent flute solos, choir, and brass.

Knowing by Marco Beltrami:

Caleb Leaves - This cue is soaring, majestic, Beltrami! A great build to bold statements of wonder and awe.

Star Trek by Michael Giacchino:

Labor of Love - A gorgeous string piece, juxtaposing the tragic action on screen and the birth of James T. Kirk together marvelously.

Enterprising Young Men - This one gave me goosebumps in the theater and on album. The stirring main theme by Giacchino for the re-vamped Star Trek series receives an excellent rendition.

End Credits - A suite that will knock you off your seat! This offers the original Alexander Courage theme from the Star Trek TV series along with all of the musical ideas introduced for the new Star Trek film. A must have for any music fan this year!

Angels and Demons by Hans Zimmer:

160 BPM - An adrenaline pumping choral composition that is eerily similar to music from Dario Argento films by the group, Goblin. (Think Deep Red and Suspiria on an epic scale.)

503 - A pipe organ and Joshua Bell's fantastic violin playing battle it out with the Zimmer synths - still inspiringly beautiful all the same.

Terminator Salvation by Danny Elfman:

Broadcast - A "get you pumped" triumphant piece. Wish there was more of this on the album. (It does feel cut short before it truly gets a chance to spread its wings.)

X-Men Origins: Wolverine by Harry Gregson-Williams:

I'll Find My Own Way - Classic Harry, somewhat epic, and always attractive in a Narnia/Kingdom of Heaven kind of way. (The rest of the score is forgettable.)

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs by John Powell:

End Credits - Borrows from the beginning of "Jupiter the Bringer of Jollity" by Gustav Holst, but otherwise great Powell fun and an entertaining suite to represent the entire soundtrack.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen by Steve Jablonsky:

Infinite White - Gorgeous - Think of it as a tribute to Lisa Gerrard.

Matrix of Leadership - A good emotional build up to an exciting finish of the track.
I Rise, You Fall - A recap of "Infinite White" and the theme from the original film. Great momentum and heroic feel to this one.

Phoebe In Wonderland by Christophe Beck:

Main Titles - Sweet, complex, and intricate, featuring a small string ensemble made up of piano, flute, and percussion. (The rest of the album doesn't live up to it.)

District 9 by Clinton Shorter:

District 9 - Emotional and well constructed, featuring a solo voice with synths, percussion and strings - basically a suite for this album, as well.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by Nicholas Hooper:

Opening - This is a wonderful starting cue, introducing Hooper's lovely ideas in an exciting way.

In Noctem - Mournful, yet stunning choral beauty, a la the group, Libera.

Ron's Victory - Exciting and inspiring horns and strings fill this track.

The Weasley Stomp - An exquisite, intricate jig.

Drag Me To Hell by Christopher Young:

Drag Me To Hell - Awesome violin solo and full orchestra/choir. Scary, beautiful stuff!

Earth Days by Michael Giacchino:

End Credits - A piano and string led orchestra gives us a somewhat somber and reverent piece with restrained emotion. Quietly splendid.

Please visit "Film Scores on Imeem" which now features a playlist of the Best Cues of 2009! You will be able to listen to most of the aforementioned above!

Enjoy!

Amelia by Gabriel Yared

2009-12-31T18:12:00.000-08:00

This is a lovely, albeit long score that will win fans of John Barry, Basil Poledouris, and James Horner alike.
Gabriel Yared's smooth, delicate, and thoughtful themes and orchestrations carry you effortlessly through the music, though at times causing things to get a little too slow for some tastes, it is enjoyable to hear a throwback to scores of "yester-year" with class, a strong singular theme, and great sound quality.
Though I was never completely brought to tears or awestruck by this score, I was lulled into a peaceful and inspirationally driven state of mind. The perfect music to read a book or lounge around the house on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
I'm sort of surprised that this score wasn't nominated for a Golden Globe - hopefully it won't be missed by the Academy, as well.
What do you think?
Enjoy!

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ****

Tracklisting:
1. Introducing Amelia (4:59) *****
2. Flight to Wales (4:25) ****
3. Amelia and George (4:12) ****
4. No Longer a Passenger (6:54) ****
5. Flying with Eleanor Roosevelt (2:36) ****
6. Amelia and Gene (3:03) ***
7. The Ecstasy of Flying (2:02) ***
8. Vagabond of the Air (3:37) ****
9. Hawaii Crash (2:22) ****
10. The Call of the Wild (3:08) ****
11. Radio Love Call (2:15) ***
12. Final Flight (11:03) ***1/2
13. Amelia (2:16) ****

Total Run Time: 52 mins

Brothers by Thomas Newman

2009-12-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

Thomas Newman, of which we have not heard anything from since Revolutionary Road and WallE, does not reward us for the nearly year long wait.
You will have to be amongst the fans of Jarhead/the Salton Sea/White Oleander variety to find this to be any sort of classic, or at least an album to spend your hard earned cash on.
After the first uninterrupted listen, I was left with no desire to hit repeat in my Itunes, other than to write this brief review.
Thomas Newman has turned in a somewhat freshly modern, but unfortunately tried and tested arrangement of his typical themes and chord progressions at a very "stripped down", basic level.
There are no emotive strings or memorable melodies to be found in this score. Every cue, except for the finale, is under 3 minutes and is only allowed to momentarily peak the interest of its listener before it ends.
My personal favorites are the short but liltingly happy "pop" tracks called Iceskating and Snowman. Everything else is so run-of-the-mill Thomas Newman, it makes it hard to recommend this album for more than mildly entertaining background music.
Better luck next time...
This one is for the hardcore fans.

Overall ScoreCrave Score: **1/2

1. Homecoming
2. Bad News
3. Uncle Tommy
4. Afghanistan
5. In The Hole
6. Sold
7. Ice Skating
8. Not Another Word
9. Brothers (Main Title)
10. No Value
11. The Pipe
12. Snowman
13. Night Graves
14. War Hero
15. What Happened?

Golden Globe Nominations for Best Score

2009-12-16T17:31:00.001-08:00

What do you think of these selections? and who would you have chosen?

Click HERE to visit the Golden Globes Website!

The Fourth Kind by Atli Orvarsson

2009-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

A fairly new addition to Hans Zimmer's Remote Control compositional family - Atli Orvarsson - is nothing special...yet.

He seems to have an affinity for vocals which is almost always a plus to make a movie score have a sense of humanity or at the very least, provide it with an above average quality. In fact, the use of choir and soloists is the only factor bringing any sort of true life to this otherwise typically droaning and groaning score, of which is so usual in horror/sci-fi thrillers of the last decade. Sad to say, we have come to expect this pattern without question and are jaw droppingly surprised when someone breaks this ungodly mold of drudgery that has been set for the last ten years or more.

Unfortunately, Mr. Orvarsson does not take this opportunity to shed any new light on the genre. However, his mildly impressive incorporation of a female choir to bookend the score and an highly under-utilized female soloist making an a occasional appearance makes for a completely average film score in the end, with only slight flickers of illumination to spare.

It really has become discouraging to listen to soundtrack after soundtrack of complacent, mundane sound design and synthesized "orchestrations", electronically produced percussion hits and rhythms, and layers of endless "Zimmer-esque" string loops.

Electronically rendered music and effects all have their place, but it becomes ridiculous to have to expect it from nearly every action/horror/thriller score coming out of Hollywood today.

(Thank God we still have the amazing Christopher Young working in Tinsel Town and the up and coming Douglas Pipes "wowing" us earlier this year with Trick R' Treat).

Here's a challenge I will set forth.

Anyone from Remote Control - if you are reading this - please, please do yourselves and all of us a favor and stop the repetitious madness!!

I know it earns you a paycheck, and we as fans, a sort of entertaining listening experience, but do what is best for the music community and for yourselves and let your love for films and their music blossom your creativity and inspirations and do not lay down your ideas and ingenuity for a paycheck, because when you go "out of the box"and allow yourself to flourish, others will notice and will give you the recognition, opportunities, and paycheck you deserve, as well as loyal fans to support and purchase your music.

That is simply what I believe and have observed over the past few years - take John Powell for example.

I will climb down off my soapbox now and attract your attention to the only tracks worthy of your consideration from this new release, if you choose to give it a try.

"Torn Apart" (which is actually a fairly stunning rendition of a descending motif that permeates the score, by a female soloist - though this track is also sadly overwhelmed by smothering layers of synths) and "Conclusion" (which features the choir and soloist in their final and complete statement of the descending motif with loops upon loops of strings, but it is altogether still mildly enjoyable, despite itself).

All this being said, we may want to look forward to Atli Orvarsson's next musical offering for the 2010 film, Season of the Witch, with some trepidation and healthy skepticism.

Tracklisting:

1) Flight to Nome ****

2) Owolowa **1/2

3) Hypnosis **

4) The Owl **

5) Ashley **1/2

6) Completely Surreal ***

7) They're Not from Here **1/2

8) The Fourth Kind **1/2

9) Torn Apart ****

10) Abduction **

11) Northern Lights ***

12) Conclusion ***1/2

Overall ScoreCrave Score: **1/2

Law Abiding Citizen by Brian Tyler

2009-12-01T14:18:00.001-08:00

Brian Tyler is one of the busiest film composers out there and I'm afraid it may be starting to show.

I did not see this movie, but a crime/revenge drama such as this may be to blame for the sometimes intriguing textures, but largely forgettable experience that this album will provide to its listeners.

A far from original score, Law Abiding Citizen may be nice accompanying music while reading a John Grisham novel, but in no way is this music necessary to return to for any other particular reason.

This composition is essentially underscore, only occasionally rising to a slight action peak, keeping things mildly interesting.

The chopping string ostinatos, the light electronic sound effects, and the "necessary" piano solo here and there to add some humanity to the mix - we've heard it all before.

The score could have been written by Hans Zimmer, John Powell, Trevor Rabin - you get the idea.

Sorry to say, my moderately set expectations were met. Law Abiding Citizen, while I imagine is highly serviceable to its source is not much of a crowd pleaser, despite a few moments of beauty and intrigue. Rather than become a Brian Tyler classic to listen to again and again, this soundtrack is very likely to leave your mind as soon as the music comes to a close.

Tracklisting:

01)	Designs ***
02)	Predestined ***1/2
03)	Mechanical Mind ***
04)	Origins ***1/2
05)	Methodology ***1/2
06)	Rationalization ***
07)	Shadow of a Doubt ***
08)	The Catalyst ***1/2
09)	Breaking and Entering ***
10)	A Fresh Start ***
11)	Solitary **1/2
12)	The Execution ***
13)	They Can't Feel Anything **1/2
14)	Ultimatum ***
15)	Stalked ***
16)	Unconfession ***
17)	Guardian Angel ***1/2
18)	Law Abiding Citizen * Overall ScoreCrave Score: * (reservedly) *this review was originally requested by Chrissy - thank you for your interest and please leave your thoughts and comments!