CD Reviews: In Session and Flyers
In Session: A Film Music Celebration ****
VARIOUS
Varèse Sarabande - 302 066 225 2
Disc One: 19 tracks - 71:10 Disc Two: 17 tracks - 71:16
This glorious 2-CD retrospective celebrates producer Robert Townson's
first 500 albums for Varèse Sarabande; it covers a plethora of music
from the "Varèse Film Classics" series of re-recordings over the
last 10 years. Therefore, both CDs are filled to the brim. The liner notes
were written by Townson, who reveals himself to be a film music fan with
the best job ever. He also comes off as a name-dropping composer-phile,
whose reminiscing about the trials and tribulations of recording these
scores reads like a gossip column by Louella Parson. If it's anything like
the 30 or so CDs from which most of these are culled from, working on 500
albums must have been a labor of love.
I am a devout "Original Soundtrack-only" snob, and only recently did
I come around to re-recordings. The CD series that most of this music is
culled from has its high points (2001, Born Free) and its
head-scratchers (Out of Africa). But each recording is glorious
to hear, and beautifully played (mostly by the Royal Scottish National
Orchestra). Since I'm not a fanatic, comparing the re-recording to the
original soundtracks for note-to-note precision, I enjoyed these recordings
for what they are: vital interpretations. Although not a true representation
of the first century of film music, (this collection is Hollywood studio-centric),
there are many highlights.
I treated these two CDs as selections from a listening station. Since
I was unfamiliar with a lot of them, I decided this could help me choose
which albums I should buy. There's a lot of Alex North, Bernard Herrmann
and John Barry, with helpings of John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Franz
Waxman along the way. The conductors of these scores range from Joel McNeely
to John Debney to Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith's contributions are particularly
noteworthy since he is usually conducting his own music or the music of
his mentor, Alex North. There's even a preview of an upcoming release for
Franz Waxman's beautiful Rebecca. Townson's choices from these scores
are not always inspired, but it does show off each score's strength. For
example, his cue choices for North's unused score for 2001 and Georges
Delerue's mostly unused score for Platoon almost beg the listener
to hear how these composers created work comparable to the classical pieces
by Richard Strauss and Samuel Barber, respectively, that were ultimately
used.
My favorite choices include Alfred Newman's rousing Captain from
Castile; North's jazzy and haunting A Streetcar Named Desire;
Williams' patriotic Midway; Herrmann's 7th Voyage of Sinbad;
and Goldsmith's Tora, Tora, Tora -- all well played, and some of
which would not have been available anywhere else if it wasn't for Townson's
efforts. While the rest of the choices are admirable enough (with McNeely's
Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire being the most inconsistent and
self-indulgent choice), I hoped there would have been more representation
from the latter part of the century, including the recent superb re-recording
of Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman's The Last of the Mohicans or
Lynda Cochrane's heartfelt reinterpretations of Michael Nyman's The
Piano. Despite this, the CDs are enjoyable and a welcome addition to
any collection.
Townson has also included a whopping 28-page booklet full of liner notes
which are great to read, especially since most of us do not know what goes
into making a CD idea into a reality. Although sanctimonious at times,
this is a valuable diary of the grand yet ordinary job of Robert Townson:
jet-setting to foreign countries; meeting composers in their homes; and
sharing some of the secret conversations between producers and conductors.
His musings on the Citizen Kane recording add extra dimensions to
the music, while his thoughts on the Henry Mancini sessions neglected to
even mention the "Moon River "choice.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Townson and the passion he has for his
work. And as we enjoy his next 500 CDs, this collection is a short pause
for reflection about how great film music has been and can be. --
Cary Wong
Flyers / Fire on the Mountain ***
BASIL POLEDOURIS
Prometheus PCR 510
16 tracks - 39:36
Prometheus unveils two early Basil Poledouris scores: Fire on the
Mountain (1981), a made-for-TV movie adapted from an Edward Abbey novel;
and Flyers (1983), an IMAX film. Both scores are orchestrated by
Greig McRitchie, and both have a strong foothold in Americana writing,
but the similarities basically end there.
Fire on the Mountain revolves around the conflict between an
old New Mexico rancher (played by Buddy Ebsen) and the U.S. Air Force,
who want to extend their missile range on his land. Poledouris' main theme,
as in "The Ride," evokes a natural Americana sound that gives strong hints
of things to come, especially Lonesome Dove (1989). "Gracias!" introduces
an additional theme that the liner notes describe as low-key Gershwin,
but it's more reminiscent of Elmer Bernstein's Americana style. As far
as presentation goes, the brass and winds are closely miked with some distortion
apparent in "Tree Chop" and other cues -- surprising given the relatively
recent date of the recording. The strings also sound a bit compressed and
could have used more forward presence at times. Aside from the recording
issues, the small ensemble is used in such a way that the orchestrations
get tiresome before Fire on the Mountain plays out.
I remember Flyers as my introduction to IMAX. "The Carrier/Coming
Home" is reminiscent of Silvestri, John Barry or even John Williams (when
I first saw the film, I remember waiting in anticipation to see who wrote
the music because it made me think of Williams). Flyers is helped
by action music that often boasts a carnival-like feel. More tender moments
include the beautiful nocturne that opens "Night Flight/The Canyon." The
second half of this lovely cue features solo trumpet and male chorus. In
another change of pace, "The Test" is an interesting take on a bolero.
Overall, Flyers shows off a wide range of styles and orchestrational
colors; signs of things to come in Poledouris' great canon. Engineer Eric
Tomlinson insures that the recording receives the attention that Fire
on the Mountain did not.
As Poledouris is known more for his big action scores like Conan
the Barbarian (1982) or Robocop (1987), this album (even the
overly simplistic Fire...) is a welcome surprise. The running time
is a bit skimpy -- not a good selling point -- but I suppose any more of
either score would be excess. Poledouris fans and/or completists should
still take advantage of this limited pressing. -- Steven A. Kennedy
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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