Movie score for vlatko (1 Viewer)

[Martin]

Hey Martin, off-topic but do something for me, will ya? Make me a list of your top 10 movie scores, I know that's your thing. Do it, don't be lazy.

I'm currently listening to the Transformers score by Steve Jablonsky and I think it's freaking great. You listened to it?

Aight, but you should know that most people who talk about movie score don't have a clue. They're dazzled by mediocrity like Ennio Morricone and stuff, sad affair. What they don't get is that a movie score is the opportunity for some ass kicking orchestral music with a freedom you never get in the classical world. It's not supposed to be some precocious, delicate melody. This is why the best score tends to be found in fast action movies, not Rain Man. Without the score some of these movies below would completely lose their punch.

Listed in no particular order, except that The Rock is numbah won.

• Hans Zimmer, Nick Glennie-Smith, Harry Gregson-Williams :: The Rock
• Hans Zimmer :: Gladiator
• Klaus Badelt :: Pirates of the Caribbean
• Hans Zimmer :: Crimson Tide
• Mark Mancina, Trevor Rabin :: Con Air
• Mark Mancina :: Bad Boys
• Hans Zimmer :: The Last Samurai
• Harry Gregson-Williams :: Spy Game
• David Arnold :: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day
• John Powell :: The Bourne Supremacy
• Klaus Badelt :: Equilibrium

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Martin]

Didn't notice the music in Transformers so it couldn't have been anything too special.

 

[Dinsdale]

Very interesting. I will definately check them out because I haven't given much attention to movie scores so far. The only film composer I really know is John Williams and I like most of his work.

I don't know where you got the idea from that normal classical composers never write anything 'powerful' sounding though.

 

[Ramin]

..


Gustavo Santaolalla :: The Motorcycle Diaries

 

[Martin]

Very interesting. I will definately check them out because I haven't given much attention to movie scores so far. The only film composer I really know is John Williams and I like most of his work.

Williams is okay, but he never really hits the "high notes" if you will. It's nice enough to listen to, but it doesn't make you feel anything.

I don't know where you got the idea from that normal classical composers never write anything 'powerful' sounding though.

That's not quite it. The point I'm making is that when you compose classical music you are constrained by very tight rules. A symphony must have a very specific structure. Of course, there are "avant garde" composers who refuse to be constrained and just do their own thing. In that sense they are similar to what happens with movie score.

Another thing is that as much as I love classical instruments I also love the arrangement of certain scores. Take Con Air, for instance, won't find a lot of classical instruments there, and it rocks.

 

[Elvin]

Gladiator and Brave Heart's scores are great too.

 

[V]

What they don't get is that a movie score is the opportunity for some ass kicking orchestral music with a freedom you never get in the classical world. It's not supposed to be some precocious, delicate melody. This is why the best score tends to be found in fast action movies, not Rain Man. Without the score some of these movies below would completely lose their punch.

Listed in no particular order, except that The Rock is numbah won.

• Hans Zimmer, Nick Glennie-Smith, Harry Gregson-Williams :: The Rock
• Hans Zimmer :: Gladiator
• Klaus Badelt :: Pirates of the Caribbean
• Hans Zimmer :: Crimson Tide
• Mark Mancina, Trevor Rabin :: Con Air
• Mark Mancina :: Bad Boys
• Hans Zimmer :: The Last Samurai
• Harry Gregson-Williams :: Spy Game
• David Arnold :: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day
• John Powell :: The Bourne Supremacy
• Klaus Badelt :: Equilibrium

Great description about what a movie score is all about, I'm no expert but I do agree with what you said. Nice pun on the Rain Man.

As for the list so far I've obtained only the first 3 with an addition of David Arnold's Shaken and Stirred.

I only listen to flac so it's gonna be a little harder to get the rest but I'm gonna settle for mp3 if there's no other choice. Do you by any chance own any of the albums? And by own I mean own the CD?

Didn't notice the music in Transformers so it couldn't have been anything too special.

Well the movie score wasn't really used in the movie too much, they concentrated more on the Soundtrack music(Linkin Park and the likes). The movie score is actually quite good, again I'm no expert but it's a lot like you described. Lots of powerfull orchestra music and "TO WAR!" melodies, I really like it. Been listening to it for days. For what it's worth; Steve Jablonsky, the author of the score, works in Hans Zimmer's studio Remote Control Productions (formerly known as Media Ventures). How's that for a reference? Worth a download anyway.

BTW, not a very inspiring thread title, is it?

Oh and thanks, I'll be looking into these surely.

 

[Martin]

Great description about what a movie score is all about, I'm no expert but I do agree with what you said. Nice pun on the Rain Man.

Actually I didn't make that up, some people have told me the best movie score they've heard was Rain Man. I mean wtf.

I only listen to flac so it's gonna be a little harder to get the rest but I'm gonna settle for mp3 if there's no other choice. Do you by any chance own any of the albums? And by own I mean own the CD?

I think I have Gladiator back in Norway somewhere. Flac is a good idea for this, because much of this music is high dynamic range and poor encoding quality will show way before it does on your crappy one-guitar Beatles records.

But no, haven't tried to buy these albums. Do you know how incredibly hard it is to find them at all? It's become a bit easier the last few years cause apparently a few more people caught onto the idea of movie score. But >5 years ago, boy it was tough to find anything.

Well the movie score wasn't really used in the movie too much, they concentrated more on the Soundtrack music(Linkin Park and the likes). The movie score is actually quite good, again I'm no expert but it's a lot like you described. Lots of powerfull orchestra music and "TO WAR!" melodies, I really like it. Been listening to it for days. For what it's worth; Steve Jablonsky, the author of the score, works in Hans Zimmer's studio Remote Control Productions (formerly known as Media Ventures). How's that for a reference? Worth a download anyway.

BTW, not a very inspiring thread title, is it?

Oh and thanks, I'll be looking into these surely.

That... doesn't quite make sense what you said. :/ Score is music written especially to the movie, it is what you hear in the background. Movie score that isn't found in the movie would be pointless. So I kinda doubt that's the case here.

Having said that, there is one distinction to be made here. People mangle movie score and "soundtrack" all the time, they are separate things. Movie score is the mostly instrumental orchestral music you hear in the movie. The soundtrack is typically a collection of actual songs by a recording artist (that are also sold on the artist's album) that are throw in for good measure. For instance the closing credits always have the soundtrack playing. There is a big difference here. Movie score is written by composers. Soundtrack tracks are various idiots who are trying to sell their crappy music by putting it next to the title of a famous movie. Not always, of course, but by and large this is how it goes. And therefore when you look for the "soundtrack" you usually end up finding just the garbage. I had the hardest time tracking down the score to Bad Boys, which is a pretty old movie. The score RAWKS and all I could find was the crappy soundtrack.

As for Linkin Park, they wrote one amazing track to the Matrix trilogy that's awesome, called "Session". Why is it awesome? They keep their big emo traps shut throughout and just play their instruments.

 

[Martin]

Oh and btw you might be surprised I hold the James Bond score in such high esteem but the simple fact is that when they don't clobber it with useless sounds like gunshots and explosions it's AWESOME.

 

[V]

I think I have Gladiator back in Norway somewhere. Flac is a good idea for this, because much of this music is high dynamic range and poor encoding quality will show way before it does on your crappy one-guitar Beatles records.

But no, haven't tried to buy these albums. Do you know how incredibly hard it is to find them at all? It's become a bit easier the last few years cause apparently a few more people caught onto the idea of movie score. But >5 years ago, boy it was tough to find anything.

FLAC is a good idea for everything but true, it has a bigger purpose for this type of music than Beatles for example. Though, for the umpteenth time, I'm not a huge Beatles fan, I am a Classic Rock fan. Though don't diss The Beatles when you probably only know "Obla Di-Da" and "Love Me Do" songs from them. In their later years they made some pretty good and complex songs.

I can imagine but I'm pretty sure I can dig up a few of them in proper FLAC. I just made a bunch of requests on my two fav lossless trackers, hoping for good response.

That... doesn't quite make sense what you said. :/ Score is music written especially to the movie, it is what you hear in the background. Movie score that isn't found in the movie would be pointless. So I kinda doubt that's the case here.

Having said that, there is one distinction to be made here. People mangle movie score and "soundtrack" all the time, they are separate things. Movie score is the mostly instrumental orchestral music you hear in the movie. The soundtrack is typically a collection of actual songs by a recording artist (that are also sold on the artist's album) that are throw in for good measure. For instance the closing credits always have the soundtrack playing. There is a big difference here. Movie score is written by composers. Soundtrack tracks are various idiots who are trying to sell their crappy music by putting it next to the title of a famous movie. Not always, of course, but by and large this is how it goes. And therefore when you look for the "soundtrack" you usually end up finding just the garbage. I had the hardest time tracking down the score to Bad Boys, which is a pretty old movie. The score RAWKS and all I could find was the crappy soundtrack.

As for Linkin Park, they wrote one amazing track to the Matrix trilogy that's awesome, called "Session". Why is it awesome? They keep their big emo traps shut throughout and just play their instruments.

Thanks for the lesson but I was perfectly aware of what a Soundtrack is and what a Movie Score is. :faq1:

It makes sense because I didn't say it wasn't found in the movie literally, I said it wasn't used too much. Perhaps I didn't express myself properly.. What I meant the emphasis was put on the Soundtrack music, the movie score you could barely hear in a handful of scenes where there isn't all the fighting and explosions going on. When I left the theater, when I first saw the movie, I knew there was a lot of Rock/Metal music in it, the movie score left no impression on me, like it wasn't even there. It was there of course but completelly overshadowed by the crappy Soundtrack music. When I downloaded the score and listened to it, I felt this was the first time I hear 85% of that music and I watched the movie 3,4 times already.

 

[Martin]

FLAC is a good idea for everything but true, it has a bigger purpose for this type of music than Beatles for example. Though, for the umpteenth time, I'm not a huge Beatles fan, I am a Classic Rock fan. Though don't diss The Beatles when you probably only know "Obla Di-Da" and "Love Me Do" songs from them. In their later years they made some pretty good and complex songs.

Don't worry, I know enough Beatles to last me a few lifetimes :faq1:

I actually wasn't picking on you with the Beatles it's just the most obvious example cause their music is so banal.

Thanks for the lesson but I was perfectly aware of what a Soundtrack is and what a Movie Score is. :faq1:

I thought you might, but I felt like ranting anyway.

It makes sense because I didn't say it wasn't found in the movie literally, I said it wasn't used too much. Perhaps I didn't express myself properly.. What I meant the emphasis was put on the Soundtrack music, the movie score you could barely hear in a handful of scenes where there isn't all the fighting and explosions going on. When I left the theater, when I first saw the movie, I knew there was a lot of Rock/Metal music in it, the movie score left no impression on me, like it wasn't even there. It was there of course but completelly overshadowed by the crappy Soundtrack music. When I downloaded the score and listened to it, I felt this was the first time I hear 85% of that music and I watched the movie 3,4 times already.

Yeah, that's usually how it goes. I get a different impression of the music when I'm watching the movie than when I do with just the score. I'm trying to find all the sweet spots later on the in the score and while I'm doing that I discover a lot of things I didn't notice.

 

[V]

Yeah, that's usually how it goes. I get a different impression of the music when I'm watching the movie than when I do with just the score. I'm trying to find all the sweet spots later on the in the score and while I'm doing that I discover a lot of things I didn't notice.

One of the rare cases where I really picked up on a movie score was in Black Hawk Down. The score there was everywhere in the film and really made the film a lot better than it is. I think I told you that already. I simply love the eastern influences combined with rock melodies in that score, sounds great.

Do me a favour and give the Transformers score a listen. I'll even transcode it to mp3 for you, what bitrate do you want?

I think I'm gonna watch Transformers again.

 

[Martin]

One of the rare cases where I really picked up on a movie score was in Black Hawk Down. The score there was everywhere in the film and really made the film a lot better than it is. I think I told you that already. I simply love the eastern influences combined with rock melodies in that score, sounds great.

I found it a bit too artsy myself. Too calm, not enough dynamic. And in that sense it corresponded with the movie, where they took these fast paced scenes and put them into slow motion.

Do me a favour and give the Transformers score a listen. I'll even transcode it to mp3 for you, what bitrate do you want?

Relax, I'm on my way. Disciple of Zimmer deserves a shot in any case

 

[Eddy]

Hans Zimmer : Overrated, you wana listen to the same tracks over and over ? Go for it, all he does is change the 7th note on each score. Fraud in my opinion but his music isn't too bad.

Klaus Bedelt : Young and inexperienced, still has a lot go, could become huge.

Harry Gregson Williams : Propably the best one on your list. Creative fellow, I like him. Not too mention, you added his best album as well next to Kingdom of Heaven.

Mark Mancina : Hmm...

John Powell : No big break yet. He should be involved more often. Maybe a new agent.

David Arnold : Needs to be involved more often again.

 

[V]

Relax, I'm on my way. Disciple of Zimmer deserves a shot in any case

Wow, just listening to "Hummel Gets The Rockets" and damn...why's my Dad home? I wanna blow my speakers away with this. Sounds bloody fantastic.

Perhaps you shouldn't listen to Transformers, it can't compair.

 

[Eddy]

Wow, just listening to "Hummel Gets The Rockets" and damn...why's my Dad home? I wanna blow my speakers away with this. Sounds bloody fantastic.

Perhaps you shouldn't listen to Transformers, it can't compair.

Michael Bay movies always have shit scores, nuff said.

 

[V]

Michael Bay movies always have shit scores, nuff said.

Michael Bay always has shit movies but I thought Transformers was good. Doesn't take itself seriously and is simply fun. There are no rules.

 

[Martin]

Hans Zimmer : Overrated, you wana listen to the same tracks over and over ? Go for it, all he does is change the 7th note on each score. Fraud in my opinion but his music isn't too bad.

Do you want to watch the same Zidane moves again and again? Actually, when it's Zidane, I do.

I'm all for creativity, but when you find that sweet spot you want to keep polishing it sometimes.

Mark Mancina : Hmm...

What did you think of Bad Boys? I was blown away. He hasn't done much other visible work.

David Arnold : Needs to be involved more often again.

His first three 007 albums are fantastic. The fourth is a travesty beyond belief. How on earth does this happen?

 

[Martin]

Michael Bay movies always have shit scores, nuff said.

Screw you, I love Bay

EDIT: The both of you

 

[Eddy]

Michael Bay always has shit movies but I thought Transformers was good. Doesn't take itself seriously and is simply fun. There are no rules.

True True, but I'm one of those persons who can't take it seriously sometimes but I guess it's alright with these types of movies.