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Mastadge Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Jun '99	Date Posted: 12/17/07 2:56pm Subject: Best of the Year / The Year in Review - Date Edited: 12/17/07 3:34pm (2 edits total) Edited By: Strilo
	It's not quite the end of the year, but I don't see any stunners coming in the next two weeks, so here are my picks for best of the year and that kind of thing. Feel free to disagree -- I welcome some discussion! Best of the Year - Atonement, Dario Marianelli. Really, 2007 was a lackluster year for film scores. I think the two chief contenders for best score of 2007 are this one and Giacchino's Ratatouille, and for me the Marianelli score is his best yet and the most moving of the year. Other contenders for me were Brian Tyler's Partition, another lovely dramatic score, and Patrick Doyle's Pars vite et reviens tard. Best Video Game Score of the Year - Lair, John Debney. Giacchino's new Medal of Honor score didn't do much for me at all. Jeremy Soule had a couple very good efforts, one SF and one Fantasy, Cris Velasco's Clive Barker's Jericho was a pretty intense horror score, and James Hannigan's score for the newest Harry Potter game is supposed to be excellent as well, but I haven't yet had the opportunity to listen to it. But Debney's Lair is, while not terribly original, huge and immensely entertaining. Best Release of an Old Score - Alien, Jerry Goldsmith. Karl Jenkins' The River Queen was finally released this year. Varese's CD Club didn't have a very exciting year this year. I think they released Bernstein's Birdman of Alcatraz early in the year, and there was the Karate Kid set, but, meh. FSM didn't have that exciting a year, either. Johnny Green's Raintree County is wonderful and probably their highlight this year, and complete releases of both Waxman's Silver Chalice and Korngold's Kings Row were certainly very welcome. Intrada's been kicking butt this year, though. An unreleased John Williams, several by Broughton (Harry and the Hendersons was unexpectedly delightful), Barry's The Last Valley, Shire's Hindenberg, North's 2001. But probably their best were two by Goldsmith -- first the complete score to The Wind and the Lion, and then Alien. Knocked out of the park. Wow. Alien wins hands-down in a great year from Intrada. And they promise to knock another one out of the park in January. Can't wait to see what it is. Special Mention: The Complete Return of the King. I need not say more. Best Re-Recording - North by Northwest, Bernard Herrmann, recorded by Joel McNeely A couple fine Rozsa recordings this year. Spellbound from Intrada and </i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i> from Tadlow. Score restoration experts and rerecorders extraordinaire completed a complete score of Korngold's outstanding The Sea Hawk before Naxos/Marco Polo parted company with them after releasing something like 3 dozen of their albums in the last dozen years -- so they started their own label, Tribute Film Classics, and immediately released magnificent complete recordings of Herrmann's Mysterious Island and Fahrenheit 451. I thought Mysterious Island would be the winner, until Varese cocked a snook at the last second and released a recording of North by Northwest. I own the original score from Rhino, and the sound quality is so awful that I found the music completely unexciting, so couldn't muster much enthusiasm for this one -- and I was blown away. Powerful, exciting, note-perfect recording. I was blown away. Varese for financial reasons has moved away from the RSNO -- and also from their controversial recording acoustics, and the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra more than takes up the slack. This is a definitive recording and, for me, a revelation. Definitely snap this one up while supplies last. Special Mention - Silva's Music from the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy. The bits from the second two films is of mixed quality. The orchestra just doesn't have the power or the precision to do justice to those action cues. But the properly orchestrated cues from Curse of the Black Pearl are more than worth the price of the album. Most Played Album of the Year - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Hans Zimmer What can I say? The first two get virtually no playtime from me, but At World's End was a surprise blast from Zimmer, who's been boring me for years. Extremely fun. Listened to it for months. Unreleased Score of the Year - Spider-Man 3, Christopher Young I'm not a huge Chris Young fan (well, of his music. He seems like a great guy, though, which is worth a lot). But some of Ghost Rider was good. His score of SM3 had much of interest, but it was butchered for the movie and, despite being one of the year's big movies, never got a proper score release. Someone needs to rectify this, and soon. Animation Scores - Ratatouille's the clear winner here. Harry Gregson-Williams' Shrek the Third is a step back, less of the same as the previous Shrek score. Rupert Gregson-Williams' Bee Movie is, suprisingly, quite good, and much closer to the style of the early HG-W/John Powell collaborations. Zimmer's The Simpsons Movie is also surprisingly fun, but not one I've been inspired to listen to much. Horror Scores - Just a few words. The horror genre doesn't do much for me, generally, especially of late. Not terribly satisfying listens away from the film. But this year there have been several exquisite and thoughtful horror scores. Yared's 1408, McNeely's I Know Who Killed Me, Glasgow's Hack, all definitely worth listening to. Action Scores - Not much happening here this year. Powell and Tyler turn in fine action thrillers respectively for Bourne Ultimatum and War. A suprise hit from Robert Kral for Superman: Doomsday. John Ottman continues to churn out crap with a new Fantastic Four score which, like X2 before it, has one good track at the beginning and nothing else of interest for the entire album. When are people going to remember that action is not his forte and he's actually quite capable of drama and suspense? Action score of the year goes to Brian Tyler for Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, which despite being too long is the best Alien score since Alien, actually acknowledges and integrates the sounds of the other scores in both franchises, and is well-orchestrated, constructed action music. Can't wait to hear his new Rambo score next year. Fantasy Scores - Water Horse and Stardust are both fine, but also both terribly overshawed by clear temp-trackedness. Of the two I prefer Stardust. Hooper's Harry Potter was a let-down, though I like it more than I used to, it still can't stand up to previous entries. Zigman and Desplat's Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is a beautiful score, probably the winner of the year, but then, Desplat's The Golden Compass hasn't been released yet. Westerns - Not much doing, but Beltrami's 3:10 to Yuma is maybe his best score since Hellboy, so check it out. Prolificity - Busiest composers of the year - Mark Isham and Aaron Zigman. I haven't heard any of Isham's stuff this year, but mean to give it a shot at some point. Zigman really burst onto the scene this year, but his style doesn't do much for me. He seems to be one of the solid but chameleonic composers who probably will be all over the place but only rarely produce exceptional scores. Another John Debney type. But I'm hoping to be mistaken. Debuts - George Kallis and Jane Antonia Cornish both deliver large, loud, exciting fantasy/adventure scores with, respectively, Highlander: The Source and The Island of Lost Souls. The first is more modern and agressive and busier, taking a few listens to really get into it, but the goods are there. Cornish is a more huge, 80s-styler epic fantasy. Short running time so it doesn't outstay its welcome. Definitely both worth checking out. -----signature----- "This will be our reply to violence: To make music more intensely, More beautifully, More devotedly than ever before." - Leonard Bernstein
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Mastadge Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Jun '99	Date Posted: 12/17/07 3:31pm Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review - Date Edited: 12/17/07 3:36pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Mastadge
	Forget it. TFN is being far too much of a pain right now. I've just posted this to LJ. I'll re-post it here once the server's got its act together. Best of the Year, etc EDIT: Thanks, Strilo -----signature----- "This will be our reply to violence: To make music more intensely, More beautifully, More devotedly than ever before." - Leonard Bernstein
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Strilo Title: Manager • Music • Prequel Trilogy Registered: Aug '01	Date Posted: 12/17/07 3:35pm Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	You could have just asked a mod to try editing your first post to include all that. It worked for me. -----signature----- #1 on iTunes Most Played: R.E.M. "Imitation of Life" #1 on iTunes Film Scores: Harry Potter "A Window to the Past" * * * * * * "And therefore blah blah blah your mom..."
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Darth_Vader-Anakin Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 12/17/07 8:24pm Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	Been thinking about this on and off for a few weeks, but I'm still not decided. I do have to disagree with you on the temp-trackedness of Water Horse however. It's quite likely that score like Braveheart and Far and Away were used in the temp, but The Water Horse is a James Newton Howard score through and through. There are never any moments that clearly yell temp track, unlike some moments in Stardust (Kilar's Dracula is almost note for note presented in "Lamia's Inn").
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andy1044 Registered: Aug '06	Date Posted: 12/21/07 11:57am Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	I think the standout score for the year for me was Hans Zimmer's At World's End. I know I'm going to get some flak for this, but this score sort of came out of nowhere for me. I think it's almost better to hear a great, (or at least very good), score from a composer who we've all come to think of as second rate, than hear a great score from a great composer like John Williams who consistently writes top-notch music. At World's End, to me at least, showed a maturity in Zimmer's writing that I did not think existed. Yes it has the requisite doubled parts when 90% of the orchestra is wailing away on the melody, but his sudden use of noticeable counterpoint and differing orchestration really threw me for a loop. Many people have ragged on the Morricone reference, but personally I thought it was rather nice. The standout part of the score, on the album at least, is the second half of "I Don't Think Now is the Best Time." Yes, it is trying to be overly swashbuckly and Korngoldian, but I think he managed to pull it off really well within his own style and managed to not sound too campy and trite. The string flourish at 8:14 in this track is the greatest single moment in the score for me. Just the sheer fun and energy it exudes is a treat, and who knew that Zimmer could even write a, dare I say, Williams string flourish? While there have been technically, thematically, orchestrationally, and just all around better scores written this year, this score was my favorite by far because it showed us a side to Zimmer that we didn't know existed. If only he showed this side more often... -----signature----- Are you looking for original music for your film? Look no further! Samples of my work can be heard at: http://www.soundclick.com/andyskrabutenas PM me or send an email to andy1044@aol.com if you are interested.
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Darth_Vader-Anakin Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 12/21/07 9:22pm Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	I have a very bizarre love/hate relationship with Zimmer. I honestly don't know where I stand with his music most of the time (although I know exactly where I stand with RC and his many worker bees). However, I agree with everything you said about At World's End. I love it and have no reservations about admitting that. It's definitely his sound, but he's developed it and innovated it. It's a new side that I'd love to hear more of in the future. I didn't see too many movies this year, but out of all of them, I still think the wedding from AWE is the best scored scene this year. What fun! I don't agree with what Bruckheimer said of him though -- "Hans is another one of those artists that always comes up with something fresh, unique, and different. He's a brilliant composer." Really?
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Well_Of_Souls Registered: Aug '01	Date Posted: 12/21/07 10:21pm Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	Darth_Vader-Anakin posted: I didn't see too many movies this year, but out of all of them, I still think the wedding from AWE is the best scored scene this year. What fun! Agreed, that was the one really fun scene in the entire movie, and surprisingly, it didn't feature Johnny Depp. The music really elevates it, too. -----signature----- "Okey dokey, Doctor Jones, hold on to your potatoes!"
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TheBoogieMan Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 12/23/07 6:48am Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	Disagree about Atonement. I loved the film, and I really really like Marianelli, but I thought the score was lackluster at best. It had, what, one theme that it just repeated over and over? His use of diegetic material within the score has reached an annoying zenith as well.
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erus_multus2 Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 12/27/07 1:41am Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review - Date Edited: 12/27/07 1:41am (1 edits total) Edited By: erus_multus2
	Darth_Vader-Anakin posted: It's a new side that I'd love to hear more of in the future. And, knowing Remote Control, you probably will. -----signature----- "Who's the more foolish; the fool or the fool who tries running from a robot?" Go to my website: http://sttimmypro.com No seriously. Do it now. I dare you.
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Darth_Vader-Anakin Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 12/29/07 10:54pm Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	Finally got some time to decide what my favorites of the year are. Although many, myself included, have remarked on what I bad year it was for film music, we still got some truly standout music even though the overall output was poor. Something I find interesting in my list is that of my ten favorite scores, four are from video games. That statement certainly isn't meant to diminish the art of game scoring. There are usually a few great video game scores each year, but over the past few years, the numbers have been increasing quite rapidly while film scores have been doing just the opposite. One might say that we are entering a golden age of video game scoring. Top Ten Scores (alphabetically) -- I've included a 30 second sound clip for each of my choices as well to give you an idea of a small section of music if you haven't heard the music yet. Atonement music by Dario Marianelli -- Beautiful score that was mixed well and used to great effect in the film. The typewriter may seem annoying at first, but it quickly blends into the fabric of the music. Easily his best work to date with a couple of wonderful themes and magnificent piece for cello and piano ("Love Letters"). I agree with Mastadge, this is my favorite score of the year. The track “Elegy For Dunkirk” is also my pick for best piece of music this year. Clip: “Briony” Bioshock music by Garry Schyman -- Very interesting score for primarily string and percussion. The hauntingly beautiful violin solos complement the game's visuals almost uncannily. It's an extremely atmospheric score at times and might take a while to warm up to, but I suggest giving it a try (although I find it quite frightening so you may want to wait until the light of day). If you plan on seeking this one out, it is available for free on the game's website, but the complete score is much better representation of the music. There is no commercial album available currently. Clip: "Bioshock" Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix music by James Hannigan -- Although I still enjoy Hooper’s score to the film, I have to admit that the game score by Hannigan is superior in several ways. There are a few wonderful melodies, especially that for Harry and Cho. That action music is also quite good with tracks like “Wand Combat”, “The Department of Mysteries”, and “Dumbledore and Voldemort”. My one complaint is the album just ends. There really is no wrap-up type track at the end. As far as I know, there is no CD release of this soundtrack, but it is available through Amazon's mp3 service and iTunes Plus. I bought mine from iTunes, and the encoding is very high quality. It's not the best recording, but that has nothing to do with the iTunes quality. Clip: Welcome to Hogwarts Mass Effect music by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick -- Not only is Mass Effect my hands down favorite game of the year, but it also has one of the most interesting and fun scores as well. Because the game was trying to emulate sci-fi films from the 80s, it needed a score to match. The mixing of funky electronics and orchestra immediately reminded my of scores like Basil Poledouris’ Cherry 2000 or Vangelis' Blade Runner, but with a somewhat modern take on the sound as well. I wouldn’t say surpasses any of those 80s scores, but it does bring do an admirable job. The only setback is the RC-like main theme, but it’s used sparingly, so I’ll overlook that. Clip: The Presidium Medal of Honor Airbore music by Michael Giacchino -- Giacchino continues to impress me. This soundtrack features some great action scoring in tracks like “Taking out the Sighting Tower” and “Paestum Landing”. It also incorporates themes from past Medal Honor titles as well such as the wonderful main theme from Frontline. For the most part, this is an action score without any soft emotional tracks like “After the Drop” also from Frontline. Clip: "Taking Out the Sighting Tower" Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium music by Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman -- How could you go wrong with two of the most talented up-and-coming composers working in tandem? The answer is quite simple: you can’t. This energetic and playful score is a true delight and has a wonderful theme to boot. Color and fun ooze from this album. It’s fairly obvious which tracks are by Zigman and which are by Desplat, but there is still an overriding sound to the music, so their different styles never detract from the listening experience. Clip: "The Flight of the Magorium" Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End music by Hans Zimmer a -- Although a RC score front to back, this has a matured sound with some really nice thematic development and got a lot of play from me this summer. It also contains a fair amount of swashbuckling which is, unfortunately, absent from the other two films. The music for the wedding scene in the middle of the maelstrom is also my pick for the best scored scene this year. And the oboe even gets a bit of solo love going on (no not that kind of solo love). Clip: "Up is Down" Ratatouille music by Michael Giacchino -- This is really fun music! It’s impossible for me to listen to this score without doing a fair bit of grinning. With a wonderful blend of action, fun, and emotion, there’s nothing not to like about this album. It’s not a masterpiece, but at the same time, I can’t fault it for anything either. Clip: "100 Rat Dash" The Story of the First King's Four Gods music by Joe Hisaishi -- Themes! Themes! My god, this score is brimming with magnificent themes. There are five big themes in this epic work from Hisaishi with all of them being of equal quality. From a war melody for the main character, Damdeok, played by full orchestra to a mournful melody for Kiha (first heard on solo cello), this is a score not to be missed. The one setback is this shameless ripping of his theme from Princess Mononoke in one track. Clip: "Sujini's Theme" Water Horse: Legend of the Deep music by James Newton Howard -- A big orchestral fantasy score from James Newton Howard cannot disappoint. After a stream of lackluster work, Howard comes back with a vengeance here. Although it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it’s great music. Ranging from soft charming underscore, celtic fancies, and big orchestra flourishes, this is another one that shouldn’t be missed. Clip: "The Jump" Top Ten Cues Colette Shows Him le Ropes from Ratatouille -- music by Michael Giacchino Damdeok’s Theme from The Story of the King’s Four Godds -- music by Joe Hisaishi Elegy for Dunkirk from Atonement -- music by Dario Marianelli I Don’t Think is Now is the Best Time from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End -- music by Hans Zimmer Love Letters from Atonement -- music by Dario Marianelli Swimming from Water Horse: Legend of the Deep -- music by James Newton Howard Tangiers from The Bourne Ultimatum -- music by John Powell Tatiana from Eastern Promises -- music by Howard Shore To Catch an Owl from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix -- music by James Hannigan Wong Chia Chi’s Theme from Lust, Caution -- music by Alexandre Desplat Top Songs (Not very many, but I do really enjoy these three) Still Alive from Portal -- artist unknown. Amazingly funny song, but most likely will only be enjoyed by those who have beat the game. Happy Working Song from Enchanted -- music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, perfomed Amy Adams. Le Festin from Ratatouille -- music by Camille and Michael Giacchino. Well, there's my list & Happy New Years everyone!
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Quigonjecca Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 1/4/08 8:15am Subject: RE: Best of the Year / The Year in Review
	Wow... I don't think I could ever decide. This was my first year actually really getting into movie soundtracks, so I bought a bunch of old ones... as far as great scores... Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End by Hans Zimmer- This was simply sublime. Better than either of the other 'Pirates' movies. Something about the end of a trilogy, you know? Catchy melodies, epic, sweeping scores, even my little sisters (6 and 10) loved this one. Awesome, and definately the most-played one on my ipod. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium by Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman: This was totally unexpected. I happened upon it when surfing iTunes, and was blown away. I haven't seen the movie (and frankly, probably won't, because I heard what made the movie so good was the score!), but the score was sublime. It reminded me of a combination between John William's 'Hook' soundtrack, and the catchy (sometimes annoying) melodies from that video game, 'Viva Pinata'. I really like it, it's so melodic. I also really liked the Ratatoille score, and the Elizabeth: The Golden Age score. Both of those were really good. -----signature----- Voted Best New Author in the 2008 Saga Awards! "Dark Child" http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27658856/p1/?14
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