I could never get into Danny Elfman that much, which has always baffled me. His music certainly has a lot of personality, but it often lacks a certain 'oomph'. More specifically, he often has a great main theme...and then the rest is just bland underscore. The kind of composer where instead of owning a complete score, I find it more ideal to instead create a compilation of his various themes. As well as, admittedly, I tend to find 'Elfman imitation' scores to be better-executed (such as Horner's Casper which is much better orchestrated than a lot of Elfman's mischievous music).
DAVID RASKIN..never understood his standing within thr filmmusichistory and his high regards...I guess he was a good arranger.Never felt that LAURA was anything of a great score. MAURICE JARRE.even though I think his Lawrence of Arabia is a milestone..and Schiwago is one hell of an anyoing theme...I dont like his use of the ondes martinot.Ruins almost all scores.
I could never get into Danny Elfman that much, which has always baffled me. His music certainly has a lot of personality, but it often lacks a certain 'oomph'. More specifically, he often has a great main theme...and then the rest is just bland underscore. The kind of composer where instead of owning a complete score, I find it more ideal to instead create a compilation of his various themes. As well as, admittedly, I tend to find 'Elfman imitation' scores to be better-executed (such as Horner's Casper which is much better orchestrated than a lot of Elfman's mischievous music).
Not a big fan myself of Elfman, however Yavar turned me onto Black Beauty and I highly recommend giving it a fair try. It's an excellent score, definitely one that people whom don't like Elfman might care for.
Dominic Frontiere should be among my favorites. He's not, but damn it, he should be!...
Jim Phelps, I understand where you're coming from, but I'm a bit surprised too. Myself, I have to say I fell in love with Frontiere only because he scored The Stunt Man, which was my first favorite movie ever (because I hadn't seen The Lion in Winter yet). Still enjoy the score a lot, even the carnival music, which is odd for me.
But it's his music from the one-season-wonder Search that I always remember. This number IS the 70's.
Probe [pilot title for what became Search]
Thanks for the intro on this. I've been listening to it a few times this morning. You are dead-on in that the Search theme defines what the (early) '70s sounded like (or as you and I preceive it to sound), just as Frontiere's theme to VEGA$ is to the late '70s--now THAT is some Dom I DO love!
