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PeruvianSkies
09-21-2007, 08:33 PM
Ok, thought I would post this with some simple rules: List 10 soundtracks that you feel a person MUST have in their library somewhere, but you also must have this soundtrack as well in order to recommend it. Note, these are not the BEST, or GREATEST, but just ones that you feel are in some way, shape, or form worthy to own. Here is my list:

1. THE GOOD, THE BAD, and the UGLY - highly memorable opening credits theme song, but also contains some incredibly good tunes along the way too, including the closing song during the dual at the end of the film. A must for any serious Western fan, but also anyone who loves Ennio Morricone.

2. THE HOURS - this is in many ways Philip Glass' masterwork and while I also like KUNDUN, or KOYAANISQATSI, this one really contains some of his best work and it's just layered with emotion, depth, beauty, and aching. Probably a CD that I have spun more than anything else. [see lengthy full-review below]

3. THE VIRGIN SUICIDES - great compilation of tunes that Sophia Coppola obviously spent much time really digesting these songs and working them into her film in compelling ways. Air, 10CC, it's all good.

4. HIGH FIDELITY - it's nearly impossible to make a serious film about a Vinyl store if you don't have a killer soundtrack, right? Well, this one really brings together a great grouping of songs ranging from Stereolab to Sheila Nicholls.

5. MAGNOLIA - wow, just a downright masterful working of Aimee Mann's material as well as some other nice touches too, just superb.

6. EYES WIDE SHUT Great misunderstood film from the late Stanley Kubrick, but if one thing is for sure, this guy knew how to make music work for his films, see also #7 and #8, and #9.

7. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE - most people do not view this film as a futuristic film, but this soundtrack clearly demonstrates some of it's Science Fiction desires and again, highly memorable Kubrick film and the music helps forge that.

8. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - if you wanted to find one location of some of the greatest classical works ever written than you need to look no further than this soundtrack, which was uncommon during it's time, but it has now become so cliched and overused that it's nearly a mockery. I recall hearing Also Sprach Zarathustra when I saw the film in it's restored print a few years ago and I was trembling at the amazing power of both sight and sound at those moments...it was chilling.

9. BARRY LYNDON - if you want some classical tunes that are perhaps not nearly as popular as those found on the 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY film, than BARRY LYNDON is your ticket. Handel's Sarabande and even the Chieftain's Women of Ireland make this soundtrack/score a high recommendation, despite being a harder film and CD to track down.

10. HEAVEN'S GATE - OK, enough Kubrick and over to Michael Cimino and the brilliant original score put together by David Mansfield. This CD can be found on Ryko disc and is absolutely fantastic...I can't recommend this one enough!


Full Review: THE HOURS

The year 2002 was a strong year for soundtracks as well as film. In fact there were so many great films that sadly not all of them could win at all the award ceremonies ranging from Cannes to the Oscars. First there is Thomas Newman’s terrific score that perfectly captures the essence of ROAD TO PERDITION, certainly one of the finest pictures of the year, even though it was slightly cut short by certain critics. Then there is Elmer Bernstein echoing his own composition from the classic 1962 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for which he supplied to the Todd Haynes film FAR FROM HEAVEN. The score sets the tone of this melodrama intentionally designed to replicate the films of Douglas Sirk and even Rainer Werner Fassbinder. There were many other films that contained great soundtracks as well ranging from ONE HOUR PHOTO to WINDTALKERS, but the finest film score (and perhaps best score written in the past 5 years) was Philip Glass’s work on Stephen Daldry’s THE HOURS.

To make such a bold claim requires a bolder explanation and support, which this review shall attempt. First we must cover some of the grounds of the actual film in order to better understand what Glass was attempting with his arrangement. The Hours is set during three time periods, the 20’s, the 50’s, and finally during the present day (2000’s). The typical way to score such a film might be to arrange three separate ‘genre’ pieces that accompany each era, allowing for a different feel for each of these eras. In doing so, the film would be jumpy, but the music would capture what we are seeing. For many films this would be appropriate, but not the case with this particular film. The reason for that is simple. The Hours is not trying to isolate the three time periods from which it takes place, but rather it is trying to blend these three periods. Most importantly it is combining the storylines from three women living within these periods. The first woman is Virginia Woolf (played by Nicole Kidman), who is writing her book Mrs. Dalloway in the 1920’s. The second woman is Laura Brown, a noble housewife trying to be happy in her 1950’s typical family life. The final woman is Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep), an unhappy and confused bisexual woman living in the present.

Each woman lives a different type of life, yet certain aspects of their life are frightfully similar. Each woman has devoted her life to someone else, or put up her happiness in order to maintain peace between the ones that they are with. Glass structures the score in a way that certain melodies and phrases repeat throughout the film, which recall certain moods or feelings that happen on screen. Perhaps the greatest strength of this soundtrack though is its management of simplicity and complexity. What occurs is very simple phrases that have a repetitive tone, common in Glass’s work), but then it becomes more involved and elaborate without flinching. It builds, as our characters deteriorate. We see the contrast, and hear the influx of indecision within our stories as they unravel before our eyes.

If you listen to the soundtrack without seeing the film, you can instantly understand some of the common themes that it is creating and working around. There is pain, mystery, confusion, longing, sadness, and melancholy all mixed together, but arranged in such a way that the listener is hypnotized into a state of indecision, like our characters. We want to have feelings, yet the music almost forces us to become comatose, so relaxed we cannot think, or that our only thoughts are of nothingness.

Track Listing

The Poet Acts
Morning Passages
Something She Has to Do
For Your Own Benefit
Vanessa and the Changelings
I’m Going to Make a Cake
An Unwelcome Friend
Dead Things
The Kiss
Why Does Someone Have to Die?
Tearing Herself Away
Escape!
Choosing Life
The Hours

The tracks operate in a cyclical way, both as a whole, and individually, which give the score strength. Each track seems to start somewhere, and then end again at a place almost similar to where it began. Even as the music becomes more elaborate and involved (or even evolved), there is a pattern that is being created. It is a pattern that is somewhat tangible, yet our minds cannot make the distinction.

The film cuts very well to the music, as mentioned before that Glass’s signature trademark is a repetitive tone that becomes mesmerizing and droning. This is experienced in his scores for Godfrey Reggio’s KOYAANISQATSI and QATSI films. Also a similar marking in the brilliant Paul Schrader film MISHIMA. This type of repetitiveness is hard to pull off, but effective when done correctly. Glass is capable of doing so, simply because he is one of the few composers that is literate to the point that he understands complexity through simplicity. He understands that music can be simple and effective, but more than that – having order and balance can strengthen it. His ability to write music for the right instrumentations is also matched by very few. Here he uses the Lyric Quartet, which creates the appropriate amount of dreariness, yet restlessness associated with the film.

THE HOURS, both as a soundtrack and a film, is bold, daring, fascinating, complex, uncompromising, elegant, and most of all beautiful. It is a film that will last, simply because its story serves much relevance. It deservedly won the attention of many critics, and will hopefully find its audience for years to come. It asks questions that few can answer, but just the simple thought towards these questions is effective enough. The film would be nothing without the music Glass has worked out for this film, creating a perfect marriage between sound and celluloid. The images beg for the music here, they are united in ways that very few manage to do. Even by itself, the soundtrack makes you think and ask yourself, ‘Am I living for myself or for something else?” Do we have enough hours in the day to make the distinction? Find out for yourself.

thekid
09-22-2007, 02:26 AM
Just listing some of my favs in no particular order.........

Forrest Gump
Return to Me-(skip the Jackie Gleason bubble music)
Phenomenon (SP?)
The Wedding Singer
La Bamba
The Big Chill
Glory
Braveheart
Amadeus
O Brother Where Out Thou

Troy
09-22-2007, 02:13 PM
I'm no fan of soundtracks that are constructed of popular rock tunes like Gump or Big Chill. You want those songs, just buy them on the original artist's albums!

But if you're after move SCORES, then yeah, The Morricone themes are great. I loved Air's Virgin Suicides as well. Very proggy, yet too sleepy to just listen to for the sake of listening to it. Of the Kubrick's I like the Moog Treatment on Clockwork Orange a LOT.

A few others:

I have a real soft spot for spy jazz. Yes, Barry's Bond theme and 007 are well known classics, but also Jerry Goldsmith's truly fantastic 5 star In Like Flint/Our Man Flint soundtracks, Montenegro's Man From UNCLE and the impeccable Bacharach/Alpert Casino Royale album.

In fact, you can't go wrong with most of Goldsmith's soundtrack work.

See Also Bernard Herriman's Hitchcock soundtracks. All are excellent.

Lalo Sciffrin's Dirty Harry/Magnum Force scores are fantastic. Moody and electronic. Jazzy and rocking. Also find his Grand Prix soundtrack. What a great theme. Sciffrin was the man back in the early 70s. See also Esquivel.

Speaking of theme's, you can't go wrong with Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia.

I've always liked John Carpenter's synth scores for his own movies. Naive and simple, but very effective.

And then there's Vangelis's Blade Runner score. Melancholy and brooding, totally fitting the tone of the movie.

Rich-n-Texas
09-22-2007, 04:37 PM
Only one that I've really paid any attention to: KILL BILL. (The first one)

musicman1999
09-22-2007, 05:18 PM
Always thought that that was a dumb name for a movie.


bill

Rich-n-Texas
09-22-2007, 06:13 PM
Funny. My boss's name is Bill too, and he used to get this funny look on his face everytime I'd bring up that movie. Great flick, great soundtrack!

thekid
09-22-2007, 07:02 PM
:23: :incazzato:
I'm no fan of soundtracks that are constructed of popular rock tunes like Gump or Big Chill. You want those songs, just buy them on the original artist's albums!

But if you're after move SCORES, then yeah, The Morricone themes are great. I loved Air's Virgin Suicides as well. Very proggy, yet too sleepy to just listen to for the sake of listening to it. Of the Kubrick's I like the Moog Treatment on Clockwork Orange a LOT.

A few others:

I have a real soft spot for spy jazz. Yes, Barry's Bond theme and 007 are well known classics, but also Jerry Goldsmith's truly fantastic 5 star In Like Flint/Our Man Flint soundtracks, Montenegro's Man From UNCLE and the impeccable Bacharach/Alpert Casino Royale album.

In fact, you can't go wrong with most of Goldsmith's soundtrack work.

See Also Bernard Herriman's Hitchcock soundtracks. All are excellent.

Lalo Sciffrin's Dirty Harry/Magnum Force scores are fantastic. Moody and electronic. Jazzy and rocking. Also find his Grand Prix soundtrack. What a great theme. Sciffrin was the man back in the early 70s. See also Esquivel.

Speaking of theme's, you can't go wrong with Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia.

I've always liked John Carpenter's synth scores for his own movies. Naive and simple, but very effective.

And then there's Vangelis's Blade Runner score. Melancholy and brooding, totally fitting the tone of the movie.


Well EXCUSE ME...............

s dog
09-22-2007, 07:36 PM
The Crow - thats the only one i can find.

eisforelectronic
09-22-2007, 08:11 PM
I like Hans Zimmer a great deal.

Gladiator
Pearl Harbor
True Romance
The Last Samurai
King Arthur
The rock
The Da Vinci Code
Pirates of the Caribbean

PeruvianSkies
09-22-2007, 10:53 PM
Only one that I've really paid any attention to: KILL BILL. (The first one)

Actually both have terrific music throughout and I love how Tarantino really allows the music to be just as much of a character within the film as the people are, Scorsese has a tendency to do this as well, although I think he overuses the Rolling Stones just a bit.

PeruvianSkies
09-22-2007, 10:55 PM
I like Hans Zimmer a great deal.

Gladiator
Pearl Harbor
True Romance
The Last Samurai
King Arthur
The rock
The Da Vinci Code
Pirates of the Caribbean

Yeah, THE LAST SAMURAI is quite good, I would also add CONTEMPT, K-PAX, THE MISSION, SOLARIS, THE FOUNTAIN, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, LAST OF THE MOHICANS, and GETTYSBURG to my list.

jim goulding
10-21-2007, 06:44 AM
Don't think I can come up with ten. But . .

Basic Instinct
Dr. Zhivago
The Third Man
Laura
That flick where James Woods plays a grass smokin defence attorney with a pony tail and featuring Robert Downey, Jr. Oh! I got it. True Believer
Mulholland Falls
Cop Land
The English Patient
The Bourne series- not something I would listen to seperately but great in service of the action
The Insider

Well, there's 10, afterall. Saturday Night Fever. One more to boot!

jim goulding
10-27-2007, 06:49 AM
The lot of us. er, maybe that should read the few of us, missed a couple of monster classics.

How about The Godfather, duh.
And Saturday Night Fever should by more than an afterthought. I own it.
And then there's Silence Of The Lambs.
Anything else?

bobsticks
10-27-2007, 07:50 AM
Swordfish

jrhymeammo
10-27-2007, 12:22 PM
Punch Drunk Love

Worf101
10-29-2007, 04:52 AM
No one here thinking like me...

1. "Red River" - Great score, intregrated into the Cattle drive so closely. The male chorus singing as the cattle finally arrive in town. Superb.

2. "Superfly" - Perhaps the greatest popular movie soundtrack ever. Hard hitting, gritty, superior to the Oscar winning "Shaft" score in everyway. Listen to it today and it doesn't sound dated at all.

3. "The Big Country" - Jerome Morross's Oscar Nominated score in fantastic. He "out Copelands Copeland" with this marvelous sweeping score of amazing grandeur. How it lost to "Old man and the sea", I'll never know.

4. "The Magnificent Seven" - Same story as above except put Elmer Bernstein in for Morross. It lost out to the score from "Exodus". Sigh...

5. "Star Wars" - Do you really need to ask?

6. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - Do you really need to ask?

7. "Hustle and Flow" - Many people thought BT&H winning the Oscar for "Best Original Song" was a joke but it ain't. The soundtrack for this film is rough, rugged and raw as is the subject matter. It is hard out here for a pimp.

8. "Gladiator" - Cheesey but you can't get it out of your head.

9. "Superman" - Johm Williams makes great scores.

10 "Camp" - Rent this little gem about a straight kid going to "summer musical camp" and you'll be amazed. This film is everything "Rent" was supposed to be and more.

Da Worfster

ForeverAutumn
10-29-2007, 05:51 AM
I'm not generally one to buy movie soundtracks. I have a much larger collection of Broadway musical soundtracks than I do movies. However, one of my favourite soundtracks (and movies for that matter) is the soundtrack to I Am Sam. The soundtrack is a collection of very well done Beatles covers.

Another soundtrack that I love everytime I see the movie, but haven't ever bought (see above) is Danny Elfman's score to Edward Scissorhands. I really should go out and buy that one.

jim goulding
10-29-2007, 05:58 AM
Worf- You done good, son. Superfly. Amen. Curtis Mayfield. And I own it. "Tryin to get ooveraa . .".

bobsticks
10-29-2007, 02:01 PM
Lost Highway
Queen of the Damned
The Passion of Christ

RoyY51
10-29-2007, 04:05 PM
The Da Vinci Code. The soundtrack truly resonated with the religious theme of the movie, without being smaltzy or overly romantic. It was an undercurrent that lent itself beautifully to the overall theme, without calling attention to itself. It was only after repeated viewings (I'm a slow learner) that I realized how instrumental (!) this score was in my enjoyment of the movie.

Very well done!

noddin0ff
10-29-2007, 06:19 PM
Heh, Heh

Hedgdwick and the Angry Inch - Good guitar rock. Bowie meets Queen? Ok movie. But hey, how good can a movie about a transvestite trying to escape an eastern block country with a botched sex change operation really get?
Jesus Christ Superstar - When I need a 70's hippie flashback. I Don't know how to love him...What's the Buzz...
The Passion of Christ - a la Peter Gabriel, Worked in the film, works by itself.
High Fidelity - good tunes!!! Highlights being Smog with Cold Blooded Old Times, Beta Band w/ Dry the Rain (Rob Gordon: I will now sell four copies of "The Three EPs" by The Beta Band. ") and so many more. Sold me a copy of The Three EP's...
Until the End of the World - Haven't seen the movie but have the sound track. Amazing list of songs not on albums from major bands/artists. Lou Reed, REM, U2, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith...
Donnie Darko- I wish I had the sound track...
Magnolia - poignant
O' Brother Where Art Thou? - Bring on da Folk!
Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs/Kill Bill - The award for best use of a formerly harmless pop song to set up a totally insane and disturbing scene is Stuck in the Middle with You
Run Lola Run - Techno that made the film work and a fun groove for a sound track. Probaby good for jogging too, but I wouldn't know.
Rushmore - Innocence and nostalgia. I love Mark Mothersbaugh's happy bits but need Nothing in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' Bout the Girl by The Kinks. I think Wes Anderson sound tracks are on par with Quentin's but different for sure.

PeruvianSkies
10-29-2007, 06:45 PM
Heh, Heh

Hedgdwick and the Angry Inch - Good guitar rock. Bowie meets Queen? Ok movie. But hey, how good can a movie about a transvestite trying to escape an eastern block country with a botched sex change operation really get?
Jesus Christ Superstar - When I need a 70's hippie flashback. I Don't know how to love him...What's the Buzz...
The Passion of Christ - a la Peter Gabriel, Worked in the film, works by itself.
High Fidelity - good tunes!!! Highlights being Smog with Cold Blooded Old Times, Beta Band w/ Dry the Rain (Rob Gordon: I will now sell four copies of "The Three EPs" by The Beta Band. ") and so many more. Sold me a copy of The Three EP's...
Until the End of the World - Haven't seen the movie but have the sound track. Amazing list of songs not on albums from major bands/artists. Lou Reed, REM, U2, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith...
Donnie Darko- I wish I had the sound track...
Magnolia - poignant
O' Brother Where Art Thou? - Bring on da Folk!
Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs/Kill Bill - The award for best use of a formerly harmless pop song to set up a totally insane and disturbing scene is Stuck in the Middle with You
Run Lola Run - Techno that made the film work and a fun groove for a sound track. Probaby good for jogging too, but I wouldn't know.
Rushmore - Innocence and nostalgia. I love Mark Mothersbaugh's happy bits but need Nothing in the World Can Stop Me Worryin' Bout the Girl by The Kinks. I think Wes Anderson sound tracks are on par with Quentin's but different for sure.

What is interesting about "Dry the Rain" on the film HIGH FIDELITY is that when he plays the song it starts with the later portion of the song, not the beginning despite him just putting the song on.

jim goulding
10-29-2007, 06:57 PM
How about The Commitments? That Alan Parker movie about the hardest workin band in Dublin! I got that on DVD. Sound gooder ana sum***** on my TV rig.

Worf101
10-30-2007, 08:26 AM
Worf- You done good, son. Superfly. Amen. Curtis Mayfield. And I own it. "Tryin to get ooveraa . .".
Good to see someone else loves and misses one of the great song writers of our times. You could put the "Superfly" soundtrack to "The Wire" and not skip a beat... timeless.

Da Worfster

Groundbeef
10-30-2007, 08:40 AM
I don't buy a lot of soundtracks.

My parents got me "Star Wars" on cassette about a million years ago.

I purchased "Good Morning Vietnam" and "Born On The 4th Of July".

I really dig those old hits, and some of the commentary on GMV is priceless:

Crownower: Whos this on the line?

Caller: BOB

Crownower: What do you do Bob?

Caller: I'M IN ARTILLERY

Crownower: What do you want to hear Bob?

Caller: ANYTHING. JUST PLAY IT LOUD, OK?