CD Reviews: Evolution and The Score
by Josh Gizelt
Evolution * 1/2
JOHN POWELL
Varese Sarabande 302 066 256
23 tracks - 40:17
John Powell is a member of the Media Ventures school of overemphasis,
oversimplification and overamplification. Media Ventures scores tend to
sound very much like the humming of small children as they play -- only
expanded for full orchestra. Evolution does nothing to change that
opinion. Cues are often trying too hard to be funny, and music that is
trying to be funny rarely is. Romps such as "In the Hall by the Pool,"
"The Water Hazard" and "The Forest" are hobbled by the fact that Powell
does not create melodic music along with the necessary mickey-mousing.
Furthermore, the album is an extremely disjointed listen because Powell
fails to establish a consistent style, save for some mysterious interludes.When
the music attempts to be heroic, the effect is merely a silly version of
the Iron Chef theme (i.e. Backdraft or Crimson Tide or
The Rock or Gladiator or whatever). While such a thing would
certainly have a place in a comedy, it would almost certainly have to be
self-conscious, which this music definitely is not.
The climactic action cues, such as "Animal Attack" and "Dino Valley"
are a horrific cobbling together of all the dull elements which have made
the score up until then (which make not a whit of musical sense on their
own). Towards the end, there are serious attempts to make the score sound
like Danny Elfman. They fail -- at least at making it sound like good Danny
Elfman. Promise is shown in the engaging track "Selenium," but it appears
too late on the album to establish much, and once it's over, the disc goes
back to its multiple personality disorder. Running at 40 minutes and change,
the album feels like it is a hell of a lot longer. The sound on the album
is excellent, leaving one to wonder why such great sonics were wasted on
this score.
The Score ****
HOWARD SHORE
Varèse Sarabande 302 066 267 2
12 tracks - 38:34
The Score turned out to be one of the summer's best moviegoing
experiences. Sure, it was the old story about the old pro who wants to
go legit and a young upstart, but the solid performances by Robert De Niro
and Edward Norton, and the assured direction of Frank Oz set this film
apart from the lackluster crowd of films this year. Rob Hahn's great use
of the Panavision frame and a hilarious turn by Marlon Brando doing his
best Truman Capote also made this one of the most cinematically satisfying
caper films in recent memory.
While the film maintains a low-key tone throughout, this did not stop
Howard Shore from coming up with a powerhouse score for the film. Distinctive
and fun (and given a good showing in the sound mix), the score shines on
this smoothly recorded album. Because of the fact that Shore only scored
moments where the film needed it (unusual in today's woefully overspotted
cinema), the album tends to have an "on the move" sound, which makes for
some very entertaining listening.
De Niro's character in the film runs a jazz club, which gave Shore the
chance to combine his characteristic strings- and woodwinds-heavy orchestral
sound with a jazz band. In addition to paying homage to classic film noir
scores, this style of music also allows Shore to return to territory he
previously found so fertile on Saturday Night Live and Naked
Lunch. His main theme (a simple, yet powerful, six-note descending
motif for horns) is usually combined with propulsive percussion, with statements
from Tim Hagan's sultry trumpet often interrupting or complementing for
a brief statement. There is actually a second part to this theme, which
is only heard in the framing tracks, "Main Title" and "Bye Bye," which
gives a nice symmetry to the score. It's also great to hear a vibraphone
in a modern film score...
The album is the perfect length, giving the listener a chance to savor
Shore's music without overstaying its welcome. More pensive cues such as
"Files" and "Set Up" show up at just the right time to break up the constant
momentum established in such tracks as "Customs" and "Sapperstein." "Run
Late" is a wonderful example of mounting intensity, setting up the fireworks
display of the voluminous following cue, "Suspended." Incidentally, The
Score is a great CD to listen to in a car.
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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