King Kong

Sounds all right. I've seen one from Southern Cross Records in stores, but I have no idea how good that one holds up. I'll have to get a better look at it.

 

The Southern Cross was conducted by Fred Steiner in 1976. It's about 47 minutes compared to 72 or so from the Naxos/Marco Polo edition. Don't know about the sound quality.

 

Mastadge, you seem to know a lot about the Kong scores, you know where I could find King Kong Lives?

 

Don't know. There's an official release from MCA and a bootleg floating around, both of which contain 47 minutes of the score on 17 tracks. I'd like to find it -- John Scott's a very talented, very underrated composer. There's a copy on eBay now -- current bid: $230:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4809929193

 

I'm loathe to dish out $20 bucks for a CD, there's no way I'm bidding at $200 for a CD I haven't even heard. Wish it wasn't so rare.

 

I once almost spent $400 dollars on a CD. But the most I've ever allowed myself to spend was $80. I've bought two $80 CDs.

 

To my ears, Elfman has never fallen prey to simply restating themes with little variation over and over again. His themes typically go through numerous permutations before all is said and done.

JNH does fall into this trap sometimes, however, but it's indicative of his choices of when to use a theme and when not to. He rarely overuses themes (some may say he underuses them if anything), but when he does it's always very appropriate moments. That's where he differs from, say, Horner, who uses his themes so many times that you can't stand them anymore.

And the Kong/Ann love theme is gorgeous.

 

I may have been just generalising there, since he seemed more prone to it in Planet of the Apes and Spider-Man where there's the 3-note ape motif and the 4-note Spider-Man motif that are sprinkled throughout the scores with almost no continuing variation, it's just what he does around those themes that make their appearances interesting. I personally think his best theme in recent years is Dolarhyde's theme from Red Dragon, there was plenty of variation there.

 

Alright, I'm 3 tracks into it and I like what I'm hearing, but upon first listening it's not memorable. I already forgot the first track, which I would assume houses the main theme somewhere. I liked the bit from the original Kong score in Defeat Is Always Momentary. It's followed with some very 30's-ish music and a good rhthym. It's In The Subtext is classic Howard, but it's not dull.

So, I know I'm only 4 tracks in, but so far I'd say the first two are forgettable and the second two are great music.

 

I saw it last night. I thought the score worked fine in places, but overall it was not too memorable. The love theme was nice, but during them film I kept thinking that I'd heard it somewhere else before.

 

I've listened to it through once now, and I can say that the music is good, and it's a highly enjoyable listen, but it's not memorable. And towards the end, though it is heart-thumping, the finale lacks direction and isn't anything hugely creative. Like I said, when you're listening, it's easy to be like "wow, this is great", but once you turn the CD off, it doesn't stick in your head. I'm surprised Howard didn't manage a really memorable theme. That's usually his forte.

 

I can't stop humming the two themes that are prominent during the last half of "Tooth and Claw" and throughout "The Empire State Building," so apparently it's at least a memorable score for me. I especially love the descending string theme that plays during Kong's victory over the last T-Rex and during the "beautiful" moment on the Empire State Building.

 

I've seen the movie 3 times now and I love the score, especially the main Skull Island theme and the music whilst Kong is climbing Empire State.

 

Get up you big furry beast.

 

Well, I guess you can lock my new thread now.

 

I listened to the CD a couple of times now and wow, it's a lot better than I remembered from just seeing the movie. The sadder stuff like Central Park and Empire State Building is gorgeous.

 

Yup. I donno why people rag on this movie so much; anyone who doesn't get a bit involved in it might need to see a shrink or something.

I love the main theme; it's just great.

 

I rag on it because it tries too hard to get me involved- and feels artificual. I mean, c'mon- after a murderous rampage, the poor, misunderstood ape goes sliding on the ice in the park, complete with slowmotion spinning shots and laughing girl? This says to me 'Trying to pull on your heartstrings way too hard.' When they make it that obvious, you can't get involved.

But the music was decent, if relatively forgetable, theme-wise.

 

Well, the poor innocent people did rather bring this down upon themselves..but that's not the point of this thread.

Anyhow, I think the main theme is absolutely great. the above poster is right in saying that most of the soundtrack doesn't exactly stick in your mind, but I think that applies to most soundtracks, and heck, most music. Ask me what's going on at 2:33 on Track 9 of TESB and you'll get a pleasantly blank stare, more than likely.

 

Actually, I don't agree... (Pick an ESB soundtrack version and I'll tell you, bu the way. ) To me, most soundtracks DO stick in my head- even the ones I don't like, I can still remember the theme. For Kong...? Nothing. Except perhaps for the rather melancholy choral piece as Kong falls to his death.

 

Well, *shrug* it happens to me all the time. Which I guess shows that we're in fact two seperate people.

 

i think the score is memorable. I think "less memorable" would be the correct choice of words.

Ofcourse it has no JW fanfare, but it can hold its own. The Empire Sate Building is a great track.

When reading this thread people kept saying things like "Howard's score..."
I had a little trouble deciding whether they meant Howard Shore or JN Howard!

Did Shore come out with a seperate record??

 

JN Howard.

 

no he didn't although it would've been cool if we could hear an alternate score with the movie

 

I think he did at least record some of the music he composed. I'm actually a little surprised none of it has leaked out yet, even in bootleg form.