Tweet

STAY
Original Score by Asche & Spencer
Varese Records

STAY, from MONSTER’S BALL director Marc Forster, stars Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Bob Hoskins in a tale of a psychiatrist’s desperate attempts to keep a new client from committing suicide, leading him into a nightmarish journey to a place between life and death.
All good cheery stuff then…
To score the film Forster turned once again to his MONSTER’S BALL composing team of Mark Asche & Thad Spencer, composing firm in fact and simply known as Asche & Spencer, who have aggressively, and successfully, pursued the commercial market resulting in commissions for ad music from the likes of Sony, Mercedes Benz, Miller Lite, Levi’s, MTV and Nike.
This is an ambient score consisting of sounds and styles paralleling Pink Floyd and Vangelis, and there’s definitely more than an echo of the intro to Bernie (The Eagles) Leadon’s ‘Journey of the Sorcerer’ (later theme for THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY) in the End Credits track (at least that’s what the track is called on my sampler disc, but according to that, two other tracks have the same title also, and on the official release all the tracks have been renamed (which does throw the reviewer somewhat – distributors please note!)), plus some luscious bass strings and haunting solo piano. Unlike most ambient scores however, this one stands alone from the movie quite successfully, whereas many others become just dreary and repetitive. Here are some inventive and always interesting melodies and riffs, presented in a happy balance of light and dark passages, to the point where I’m happy to leave the CD player on repeat mode.

THE FANTASY FILM MUSIC OF GEORGE PAL
Music from the Original Soundtracks – Various artists
La-La Land Records – Limited to 3000 worldwide

The title speaks for itself. This is a joyous selection from the themes and scores from some of Pal’s most memorable, and fun, films.
Kicking off with a generous sample of the soundtrack from ATLANTIS: THE LOST CONTINENT (14.32), by Russell Garcia (which contained music I found strangely familiar…) and then 4.55 minutes, again by Garcia, from THE TIME MACHINE – of course! That’s where I’d heard it before – Garcia’s battle music from ATLANTIS was a re-use of his Morlock themes for the previous year’s TIME MACHINE! As the Morlocks are absent from the TIME MACHINE selection, it really doesn’t matter – just replay the last track from ATLANTIS.
The TIME MACHINE selection is an interesting mix in that some of the tracks seem to be lifted from the movie itself – the grand opening titles include the MGM lion’s roar, and in ‘The Future Jungle’ you can hear Rod Taylor moving warily through the undergrowth. According to the sleeve notes this is because ‘This is a compilation of original recordings. In some cases master elements no longer exist or have been otherwise compromised’. Happily FSM had no problem finding perfect recordings of these master elements when they put their complete TIME MACHINE soundtrack together (see below).
Then follows a delightful mix of Eastern meets Western with THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO by Leigh Harline (9.24); a lavish 16.29 minute selection from the totally over-the-top and wonderful composition by Miklos Rosza (and one of his best) for the little seen Michael Rennie/George Hamilton sci-fi thriller THE POWER (which uses the cimbalom in a way that blows THIRD MAN Anton Karas and his multi-tracked zither clean away); the main title from TOM THUMB by Ken E. Jones which is quickly followed by the prologue and main title from the film depicting THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF (Tom Thumb’s creators) THE BROTHERS GRIMM, again by Leigh Harline. The album is rounded off with a magnificent and rousing 21.12 minute suite from DOC SAVAGE – MAN OF BRONZE by Frank De Vol, with able assistance from John Philip Sousa.
With a total running time of 1.11.49 this is great nostalgic fun and money well spent for long time fantasy genre fans.

THE TIME MACHINE
Music composed and conducted by Russell Garcia
Film Score Monthly FSMCD Vol. 8, No. 13 – Limited to 3000 worldwide

If the 4.55 minute selection mentioned above isn’t enough the whet your appetite, here’s the full 52.54 minute original soundtrack recording from George Pal’s 1960 classic. An earlier recording – released on CD by GNP/Crescendo – was a 1987 re-recording conducted by the composer in Germany, except for three brief tracks from the film itself (probably those utilised for the La-la Land release above). This CD marks the premiere release of the entire original soundtrack in stereo, with ‘effects’ passages (which Garcia himself supervised and considered part of his score) interpolated in mono. Also included is an ‘Outtakes Suite’ which comprises alternate cues and symphonic only versions of several cues that are combined with music/sound effects in the main program and finished film, including the main title without the ticking clocks and the explosion, and the original versions of the jazz music that accompanies the Time Traveller’s first experiments at moving through time and witnessing the changes to the female mannequin in the shop opposite and scaffolding going up etc., before it was speeded up for the movie. With FSM’s accustomed attention to detail and the lavishly illustrated and informative sleeve notes by Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendall, this is an especially highly recommended release.

THE BOOK OF STARS
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Richard Gibbs
La-La Land Records

The long (and eagerly) awaited release of the score from the 1999 movie and a surprising change of mood for Gibbs (Battlestar Galactica (Mini-Series), Queen of the Damned, I Spy) as he here presents a delightful, melodic and touching composition to accompany director Michael Miner’s acclaimed emotional and complex tale of two sisters, one a disillusioned pill-popping prostitute, the other who is terminally ill with cystic fibrosis yet sees nothing but beauty in the world around her, and the characters that become involved in the two girls’ diverse yet conjoined lives.
Gibbs provides a steady stream of individual and diverse melodies, at times lightly joyous then sombre (but optimistic), and always interesting, capturing perfectly the ambience desired for the movie. This is a refreshing and satisfying stand alone symphonic work, which also displays the talents of Indian violinist Anuradha Sridar. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Continue to page: 1 2 3 4 5