PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
© 2003 Disney

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Pirates Versus Creeps

THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATION

Disney has released a score CD to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (Walt Disney B0000A1RJI), composed by Klaus Badelt with a helping hand from Hans Zimmer (replacing original composer Alan Silvestri, whose name may still appear on some older credit listings). Badelt, whose sophisticated classical effort for last year's K12 really made an impression on soundtrack aficionados and filmmakers alike, has proven quite capable to meet the demands of a heavy, bombastic score such as this. Don't expect any refrains of "A Pirates Life for Me" here both film and score are quite distinct from the charming Disneyland adventure ride that inspired the movie. The score is a sweeping, swashbuckling romance in the classic Korngold/Williams tradition, emanating out of a slightly Celtic melody to encompass a powerful and persuasive composition for large orchestra and choir. The score is rich in melody and carrying to compelling energy that keeps it continuously moving forward. A dark melody for male chorus, brass, and strings recurs often to accompany the film's malevolent entities, and a spirited love theme captivates the higher emotions, but the primary thrust of the score is in its fiercely exciting main theme, which captures all the potent energy and captivating drive of a cannonball or a swiftly parried sword. There are occasional moments reflective of Zimmer's trademark rhythmic style, but the more overt and lasting elements in the score are found in its massive action material, which holds together quite well and maintains an orchestral tonality and melodic base. PIRATES is certainly the most exciting historical action score since John Debney's magnificent CUTTHROAT ISLAND.

John Harrison's brooding  [IMG3R]and scary electronic score for 1982's CREEPSHOW, George Romero's funfilled horrorshow tribute to EC Comics, has finally come to CD in a lavish version from La-La-Land Records. John Harrison, who started out as an actor and assistant director, moved into scoring when Romero decided using library tracks (as he did on NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) wasn't working to capture the immediate ferocity and spookiness of CREEPSHOW, so Harrison created an original synth score. He went on to score DAY OF THE DEAD (released on CD last year by Numenorean) and a number of episodes of Romero's TV series, TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE before moving into writing and directing on the same series. He's gone on to direct plenty of TV movies, including the sci-fi channel miniseries event DUNE. CREEPSHOW (LLLCD 1007) contains not only the contents of that original Varese Sarabande LP (the score was only released on CD in limited quantity in Japan in 1991), but also includes a number of compelling cues never before released or, in some cases, previously not heard outside their recording studio. We have three cues from a trio of episodes from the DARKSIDE show, and then an overture Harrison wrote and recorded for a Romero movie that never got made a compelling sci-fi thriller called MANSIONS OF THE MOON, and finally two rock songs composed for another thwarted Romero prospect called SHOOBIE DOOBIE MOON ('50s teens versus the monsters). 

Let me state up front that I had the opportunity to write the liner notes for this release, but that's not why I'm recommending it forget the notes, the music itself definitely warrants your attention. CREEPSHOW remains one of the most potent and effective piano-and-synth scores of the 1980s, capturing both the tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top ghoulishness of the film (and the comics) as well as its scary ferocity. Without a big compositional background, Harrison proved to be more than capable in creating cinematic chills with his keyboards, and the score has met the test of time. Harrison achieved a remarkable array of sounds and textures from a single Prophet-5 synthesizer, enhanced by the warmth of an acoustic piano. With a different scoring approach for each of the film's five episodes as well as an overarching motif linking it all together, the music avoids the limitations of its spare orchestration and creates an evocative sound design that is as creepy now as it was more than twenty years ago. Give it a listen and you'll find that Harrison's compelling music truly creeps up on you.

The extra tracks are more than welcome. Harrison's music for Romero's TWILIGHT ZONE-ish TV series is also very much of interest (including a suite from "Sorry, Right Number," which was Stephen King's first ever original teleplay). The tracks include a bizarre pianistic jingle ("The Satanic Piano"), a cool bit of 1940s film noir ("Everybody Needs a Little Love"), and a warm, family drama score for the King episode.

MANSIONS OF THE MOON was to have been a science fiction film loosely based on the Offenbach opera, Tales of Hoffman. Harrison's 10-minute overture (scored and recorded as a demo for the film) quotes briefly from that opera before launching into an episodic composition that speaks for each of the lost loves Hoffman relates to his drunken companions in a space station bar. The two SHOOBIE DOOBIE MOON songs are way off in another direction, but make for a fun and enjoyable closing to the CD. The CD weighs in at more than an hour of music, and the booklet includes substantial recollections from both Romero and Harrison.

SOUNDTRACK & FILM MUSIC NEWS

Music from the Movies recently tried

The soundtrack CD for LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN is not available in stores in the US.

© 2003 Varese Sarabande

to clear up some of the confusion about distribution channels for

FSM announced their new archival releases for August: The first is a compilation of three rare yet terrific Jerry Goldsmith 1970s television scores:  HAWKINS ON MURDER featured an energetic theme emphasizing a twangy Minimoog synthesizer, emphasizing Hawkins' country roots and the authority of the law, and sensitive scoring for Hawkins' client (Bonnie Bedelia). WINTER KILL (1974) was a two-hour intended pilot movie starring Andy Griffith as a small-town sheriff confronted with a vicious string of murders. Goldsmith wrote an exciting theme for ARP synthesizer, strumming guitars and orchestra, foreshadowing his popular score to BREAKHEART PASS (1976), along with moody, ambient suspense and action cues. BABE (1975) was a TV movie about Babe Didrikson Zaharias, the greatest woman athlete of the 20th century. The score is a sensitive gem of melody and Americana, with a heartfelt main theme often played by acoustic guitar, and lively accompaniment for Babe's achievements. Goldsmith won a well-deserved Emmy for one of his best scores for television. The extraordinary gentleman and TV-music expert Jon Burlingame provides extensive notes for the release.

Released along with it will be the score for a 1963 George Roy Hill drama called TOYS IN THE ATTIC, with music by the highly underrated George Duning.

Hollywood Records will release Michael Kamen's score to the new Kevin Costner-directed Western, OPEN RANGE, on August 12th. The film stars Costner, Robert Duvall and Annette Bening, and is the first film Costner has directed since THE POSTMAN in 1997.

Hans Zimmer has been hired to compose the music for Jerry Bruckheimer's big budget production of KING ARTHUR, from TEARS OF THE SUN director Antoine Fuqua. The film is currently in production and is slated for premiere in December 2004. Zimmer is also slated to score Ridley Scott's MATCHSTICK MEN, opening on September 12, and Edward Zwick's THE LAST SAMURAI, starring Tom Cruise, opening in the US on December 5.

In recognition of La-La Land's premiere CD release of the FROM BEYOND soundtrack, composer Richard Band, director Stuart Gordon, and composer-director John Harrison will be signing copies of the Land CDs at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California (4213 W. Burbank Blvd., 91505) on August 9th at 2:00 p.m. The CDs must be purchased at Dark Delicacies to receive autographs. However, those interested buyers who can't make it to the event can purchase CDs over the phone to be signed and shipped to them. Their number is (818) 566-6660, and the website is at www.darkdel.com.

Milan has  [IMG4R]released the soundtrack to SPY KIDS 3D this time with a score composed entirely by writer/director Robert Rodriguez (he collaborated with John Debney on SPY KIDS 2 after Debney scored the first film solo). The CD contains 14 score cues, two songs, and two remix versions of the themes from SPY KIDS 2 and 3D.

Randy Newman returns to his THE NATURAL roots with his compelling, warm Americana score for the racehorse drama, SEABISCUIT, released on CD last week from Decca.

Maurice Jarre (DREAMSCAPE, ENEMY MINE, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) will be the guest of honor at the World Soundtrack Awards ceremony at this year's Flanders Film Festival in Ghent, winning a Lifetime Achievement Award, and previous World Soundtrack Awards winner Patrick Doyle (MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN, DEAD AGAIN) will perform live, as will composers Nicola Piovani and Klaus Badelt.

Columbia University Press  [IMG5L]has issued a noteworthy new book on film music or, more specifically, exploring the art of sound with the moving image. Soundscape: The School of Sound Lectures 1998-2001, edited by Larry Sider, compiles 21 lectures that were part of the University's annual School of Sound events, wherein industry practitioners, academics and artists from around the world provided provocative examinations of modern film soundtrack and the ways sound combines with image in both art and entertainment. The contributors include directors David Lynch and Mike Figgis; Oscar-winning sound designer Walter Murch (APOCALYPSE NOW); composer Carter Burwell (FARGO, BLAIR WITCH II, GODS AND MONSTERS); theorists Laura Mulvey and Michel Chion; critic Peter Wollen; filmmakers Mani Kaul and Peter Kubelka; music producer Manfred Eicher; and poet Tom Paulin. Each brings a unique perspective and fascinating discussion to the table, with topics ranging from the practical to the aesthetic and even the metaphysical. For our particular interest here, the chapters from the filmmakers and Carter Burwell are of special note. Figgis, who also composed his films, discusses the peculiarities of silences versus sound moments in films (his lecture is followed by an extended Q&A period), Lynch describes in an interview his experiences with music from a director's point of view in BLUE VELVET and other films, while Burwell speaks in great depth and perception on composing for the Coen Brothers. See www.columbia.edu/cu/cup.

Soundtrax is our weekly Movie Soundtrack column.