Ten Tracks Today – 27th August 2011
Posted by Alan Rogers on August 27, 2011
01 – “Cory In Jeopardy” – Earthquake – John Williams
I was surprised by how much I didn’t enjoy the release of this score when I first heard it. I had been used to hearing the more familiar love theme in all the compilations that featured music from Earthquake, but this cue is a good suspense track.
02 – “The Thing Which I Left” – Umizura 3: The Last Message – Naoki Sato
Sato can usually be relied upon to supply music that is both emotionally interesting and action-packed. You may have realised by now that I love music that’s full of percussion and ostinato and this cue delivers in spades. String ostinatos and large drum percussion – the latter beating out a relentless rhythm – permeate the entire track.
03 – “Mysterioso” – Timeline – Brian Tyler
One of Tyler’s best efforts this as I find the thematic material that he has composed (as well as the various, shorter motifs) very appealing. The cue starts of quietly (mysteriously?) before beginning to hear the various devices he uses in this score.
04 – “Now We Are Free” – Gladiator – Hans Zimmer
Forget about the relevance of the music to the place and time – film and TV music is full of examples of where the music used is out of step with where and when a film was meant to be set – this is just such an attractive cue. The vocal lines play like a song rather than a piece of the dramatic score (and maybe it is, I am not that familiar with it’s location in the film.)
05 – “End Titles” – Dirty Harry – Lalo Schifrin
This low-key theme heard on vibraphone is something that I remember well from the film way before I heard the score on CD. It seems so simple but its true genius is that it conveys sadness, as well as a sense of futility (and almost a sense of the rest of the world carrying on oblivious to – or perhaps even not really caring about – the events portrayed in the film.
06 – “The Great Houdini” – Death Defying Acts – Cezary Skubiszewski
There’s something that’s typically European about this track. I don’t know music well enough to know whether it’s the style (but I sense that this plays a major role) or the orchestration. Love the emphasis on the strings and the way the track comes to a glorious conclusion.
07 – “Una Morte Sospetta D” – Due Spari nel Buio – Piernicola Di Muro
A sparse electronic track this one to start off with, just mapping out a steady beat, before it ends with melancholic synth strings.
08 – “Rivalry” – Ocean Men: Extreme Dive – Cliff Eidelman
It has been a long time since I have heard music from this score. A nice theme that’s played out on acoustic guitar in the latter half of the cue. Some nice supporting percussion.
09 – “Blowfish” – Regarding Henry – Hans Zimmer
I definitely remember watching this film and wanting to get this score as soon as I could find it afterwards. I like this style from Zimmer: lovely mix of synths and live instruments (and vocals) that’s clean and not over-produced. I don’t really follow his forays into this type of film today as I think that he can’t really do any better than he did here.
10 – “Steam From The Yard” – Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer – Ryan Shore
A dramatic track from a good score from a film that probably wouldn’t live up to the music.
