X2 score
© 2003 Superb Records

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The X-MEN Are Back

THIS WEEK'S RECOMMENDATIONS

John Ottman did double duty on X2, the sequel to X-MEN that opens this Friday. He served as both editor and composer of the soundtrack (a feat he tackled previously on THE USUAL SUSPECTS, APT PUPIL, and URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT [which he also directed]). Released this week on Superb Records (TRM-74073-2), the orchestral soundtrack is a vibrant action score. The CD opens with a suite that introduces the various components of the score, and it bristles with activity. Despite the lack of a solid, heroic theme that can identify the super heroic team, the score holds together very well as cohesive and energetic action material. And, given that the X-Men are less a solidified team as, say, the Avengers or the Fantastic Four, and are more of a dysfunctional family growing to tolerate one another, avoiding a single theme to represent them heroically may have been intentional, instead supporting their developing activities. There is no relation between Ottman's X2 and Michael Kamen's previous score for X-MEN (which Ottman would, in fact, have scored except he was busy doing URBAN LEGENDS). Ottman created a well integrated, nicely textured orchestral work that surges powerfully with symphonics and choir, occasionally warming down with a poignant moment, but primarily it's all action and energy. The CD contains 16 tracks and one hour of music. http://www.superbrecords.com/

Michael J. Lewis's catchy score from THE MAN WHO HAUNTED HIMSELF opens a self-produced promotional recording, which can be had from http://www.screenarchives.com/. The film, a feature length adaptation of the ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS episode, "The Case of Mr. Pelham," with Roger Moore in the Tom Ewell role as a man who appears to be haunted by a doppelganger. 16 tracks are presented, which run the gamut from pleasant, rhythmic underscore to vibrato string mysterioso, and Lewis's characteristic rich, tonal notation. Thirteen cues from 92 IN THE SHADE (a drama about fishing guides in Florida, of all people, with a very poignant and folksy score including an inventive deconstruction of one cue, "Bonita," that starts out tuneful and toe-tapping until its orchestration dissolves in a moment of cheerful mayhem) round out the CD which, as with anything by this woefully underrated composer, is well worth seeking out. The CD is contained in a plain package with no illustrations or notes. But, as has been said before, the music's the thing.

Philip Glass' evocatively minimalist score for Errol Morris' true crime documentary, THE THIN BLUE LINE, originally came out 1989 on Nonesuch Records, but unfortunately was mucked up by the presence of dialog and sound effects that ran all over the music, and the extreme low mix of the music, which tried to replicate its use in the film rather than really preserve the music for home enjoyment.

The Thin Blue Line soundtrack

© 2003 Orange Mountain Music

Ennio Morricone's score for MUSASHI, a new dramatization of the life of Japanese samurai folk hero Musashi Miyamoto (previously incarnated in the 3-part Hiroshi Inagaki SAMURAI TRILOGY, among others)

Josie and the Pussycats animated soundtrack

© 2003 BuySoundtrax

MALCOLM WILLIAMSON 1931-2003

FSM reported last week that British film composer Malcolm Williamson died on March 2nd in Cambridge, England, after a long illness. The Australian-born composer moved to London in 1950 became, in 1975, England's Master of the Queen's Music, the musical equivalent of poet laureate, the first non-Englishman to be given that post. Along with numerous concert and clerical works, Williamson composed the scores to four Hammer films -- BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960), CRESCENDO (1970), THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (1970) and NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT (1975). Williamson was originally hired to write the score for WATERSHIP DOWN but other commitments caused him to leave the project, whose final score was written by Angela Morley. Williamson's prologue and main title music are featured both in the movie and on the soundtrack. His last score was for the TV movie SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MASK OF DEATH, which featured Peter Cushing's final performance as the great detective.

Little of Williamson's film music is available on CD. The under-appreciated Varese Sarabande compilation Sherlock Holmes: Classic Themes From 221B Baker Street featured a rerecording of a brief piece from his "Mask of Death" score. GDI's series of Hammer score CDs featured a few cues from his scores: The Hammer Film Music Collection vol. 1 featured the main title from BRIDES OF DRACULA; volume 2 featured four and a half minutes from Crescendo; and The Hammer Frankenstein Film Music Collection featured the main title from HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN. (Thanks to www.filmscoremonthly.com)

SOUNDTRACK NEWS

Varese Sarabande has released CD soundtracks to DREAMCATCHER (James Newton Howard), IDENTITY (Alan Silvestri), CHILDREN OF DUNE (Brian Tyler), and TEARS OF THE SUN (Hans Zimmer), as well as a massive 4-CD compilation of the company's first 25-years as the country's major soundtrack label. Check next week's column for reviews. Coming up on June 6^th, Varese will release Elia Cmiral's score for WRONG TURN, and a compilation album of the soundtrack from BRUCE ALMIGHTY, featuring various songs and selections from John Debney's score.

Hollywood Records (B00008RV1J ) has released a soundtrack to GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS, James Cameron's 3D IMAX documentary about revisiting the sunken wreck of the Titanic. Joel McNeely's music is featured throughout. The CD also includes Lisa Torban's hauntingly effective cover of the Youngblood's 1967 classic, "Darkness, Darkness," over the film's finale.

On May 20^th, Disney will release two versions of Thomas Newman's first score for an animated film, Pixar's FINDING NEMO - slated for premiere on May 30. The first one is a read-along version for the kids, the second being a regular soundtrack album featuring Newman's score plus Robbie Williams performing the song "Beyond the Sea." Release date: May 20.

La-La-Land Records is set to release Richard Band's richly motific, ambient score for Stuart Gordon's Lovecraftian terror tale, FROM BEYOND, with extra tracks that weren't on the original soundtrack LP. A new interview with Band will appear in the CD booklet. The release will be available through http://www.buysoundtrax.com/

Anton Karas' score for the Orson Welles THE THIRD MAN is being released on CD by Silva Screen Records in late June. This world premiere digital recording features performances by Bavarian zither player Gertrud Zuber as well as extra orchestral versions of the famous 'Harry Lime Theme' and the 'Café Mozart Waltz'. This classic film-noir/mystery featured an unusual score by Anton Karas using nothing but a solo zither (depending who you talk to, it either worked terrifically or hopelessly supported none of the drama with its twanging repetitions) but it has gone on to become a classic work despite what I think...). Spain's Disconforme SL label issued a bootleg version of the soundtrack in 1999, ripped right off of the film tracks with dialog and sound fx. Silva's legit album features the first ever digital recording of the acclaimed "Harry Lime Theme." This is an enhanced CD with bonus video of Gertrud Huber performing the theme. Also included will be extra orchestral versions of "The Harry Lime Theme" and "The Café Mozart Waltz" performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. http://www.silvascreen.co.uk/

Available this week is a limited edition 2 CD original soundtrack release of Trevor Jones' music from Jim Henson's fantasy film classic THE DARK CRYSTAL. Disc One features the original soundtrack LP, digitally remastered, while Disc Two is the complete original score as heard in the film. This release comes with a 12-page full color booklet with information about the film's production and an interview with the composer. Run over to http://www.buysoundtrax.com/ and pick it up now. It's one of Jones's best works.

BuySoundtrax also offers a limited edition soundtrack to the original animated TV series, JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS released by England's Harknet Records (HRKCD 8050). This Saturday morning cartoon series followed the adventures of an all-girl cartoon pop trio that toured the world thrilling millions when it wasn't saving humanity as a super hero team.

Musashi soundtrack

© 2003 Intrada

Higher Octave Music has issued two notable film scores Bruno Coulais' richly orchestral documentary score for WINGED MIGRATION (including songs by Nick Cave and Robert Wyatt, and containing some wonderful Scandinavian vocalisms in the music) and Niki Reiser's music for the poignant WW2 drama, NOWHERE IN AFRICA.

The next Prometheus Club release will be John Barry's score for THE WHITE BUFFALO, J. Lee Thompson's 1977 four-hoofed variant of JAWS that starred Charles Bronson. The premiere CD release is due out on June 1^st. http://www.soundtrackmag.com/

Intrada has released Bruce Broughton's ROUGHING IT, a 2002 Hallmark Hall of Fame TV-movie in which Mark Twain's tall tales come alive. The rousing, flavorful score is performed by the Sinfonia of London. Speaking of Broughton, he conducted a concert his film music on April 26^th with the Mission Chamber Orchestra in Santa Clara (CA). The moderate-sized ensemble did a nice job performing cues from YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES, HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, LOST IN SPACE, and TINY TOON ADVENTURES to a very receptive audience. http://www.missionchamber.org/

Italy's Hexacord Records has issued a CD soundtrack from SEXY, a 1960ish Italian skin flick, with compelling lounge lizard music by Armando Sciascia (HCD 17). http://www.hexacord.com/

This month's Golden Age/Silver Age releases from FSM include a pair of Miklos Rozsa exotic action/adventures films combined on one CD GREEN FIRE (1954) and BHOWANI JUNCTION (1956) FSM Vol6 No5) and two Alex North dramas, ALL FALL DOWN and THE OUTRAGE (FSM Vol6 No6). Rozsa's stirring symphonic score for GREEN FIRE features a title song (a rarity for him) created out of the main theme. FSM's premiere release features the complete underscore in stereo - long sought by Rozsaphiles - with bonus tracks of source cues and instrumental alternates of the main and end titles. BHOWANI JUNCTION holds the distinction of being scored almost entirely with source music, written by Rozsa in a faux-Indian style. The cues are presented largely in stereo, with a bonus track culled from monaural masters. The North projects harken back to his roots in the American stage, where his innovations of chamber ensembles and dramatic introspection inspired Elia Kazan to bring him to Hollywood. The poignant, sweetly jazzy score for ALL FALL DOWN is full of hushed, haunting textures, with lovely themes drawing the pained connections between the characters, delicately balanced between love and pain -- AMERICAN BEAUTY, circa 1962. THE OUTRAGE (1964) was an American remake of the Akira Kurosawa classic RASHOMON, transposed from feudal Japan to the American West. North's complete score runs a mere 14:29 (presented on the CD as a one-track suite), favoring a gentle, lovely theme for the woman and victim whose beauty sets the tale in motion. FSM's CD features the premiere release for each score, presented in stereo from the original master elements, including alternate and deleted cues. http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/

Soundtrax is our weekly Movie Soundtrack column.