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Posted: |
May 3, 2018 - 10:48 PM
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By: |
tvogt1
(Member)
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First of all, I am BIG Horner fan. I have many of his CDs. But the other day, I wrote down all the Horners that I don't have. I was stunned how long the list was!
But before I list them, I want to say:
My favorite Horner scores are
1. Legends of the Fall
2. The Land Before Time
3. Glory
4. The Mask of Zorro
5. For Greater Glory
6. Willow
All of these are sweeping, melodic, full-body scores.
But I also like
1. Dad
2. Searching for Bobby Fischer
3. The Man without a Face
All of these are quiet, pretty, melancholic, and melodic.
So in other words, melody is very, very important to me.
Below is the list of ones that I do not have. As you look at the list and consider what I like, do you see a MUST HAVE?
Life Before Her Eyes
Red Heat
Brainstorm
Name of the Rose
Jack the Bear
Chumscrubber
Beyond Borders
Testament
Where the River Runs Black
Freedom Song
Journey of Natty Gann
In Country
Jade
Project X
Rascals and Robbers
Apocaypto
Wolfen
Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Humanoids for the Deep
Flightplan
48 Hours
Another 48 Hours
The Magnificent Seven
Battle Beyond the Stars
Commando
Gorky Park
Once Around
Bobby Jones
The New World
Black Gold
The Forgotten
The 33
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
House of Cards
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
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Although I don't see Krull on your list, I have to recommend it as an absolute "must own" -- especially if Willow is one of your favorite scores. Many people (myself included) consider Krull James Horner's best score.
Star Trek II (also not on your list) is highly recommended too -- it's one of his earliest scores, but also one of his best, and definitely a "sweeping, melodic, full-body score".
If you like The Mask of Zorro, I'd recommend the sequel score, The Legend of Zorro.
Brainstorm is a "must have" as well, as far as I'm concerned. It's a bit avant garde in places, but soaringly inspired and romantic in others.
I would not recommend Where The River Runs Black however, based on the scores you prefer. It is a mostly electronic score, not very melodic with a lot of repetitive rhythms and percussion "loops".
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The Spitfire Grill
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Posted: |
May 4, 2018 - 2:04 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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Although I don't see Krull on your list, I have to recommend it as an absolute "must own" -- especially if Willow is one of your favorite scores. Many people (myself included) consider Krull James Horner's best score.
It has some good tracks, but be warned that it has FAR more dissonance and has far more 'suspense/horror' cues than WILLOW. In fact, a surprising amount for a fantasy film. So except for cues like "Ride of the Firemares", it's not as melodic as you might prefer.
As for your list, I can't recommend BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS strong enough. It's my alltime favourite Horner score, and while it isn't necessarily very melodic, it paints beautiful textures in broad strokes. Drop-dead gorgeous!
Given your preferences and your list, I also recommend BRAINSTORM, THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN, THE NEW WORLD, HOUSE OF CARDS and -- if you can take scrawny orchestral performances of great music -- BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS.
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I would say Battle Beyond the Stars is definitely worth checking out.
If you enjoyed For Greater Glory, then I think you will also very much enjoy Black Gold.
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From your list...
Brainstorm (atonal at times, gorgeous at others)
Testament (absolutely sublime music on a small scale)
Journey of Natty Gann (Horner Americana = Gorgeous)
In Country (solemn, sombre, lovely)
Project X (his under-appreciated masterpiece)
Bobby Jones (gorgeous...Braveheart 2)
The New World (dreamy, meditative/contemplative spa-music)
Black Gold (deserty old-school scoring)
House of Cards (mystical new-age loveliness)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (if it's cheap, it's a mixed bag of goofy cartoon music, suspense stuff - plus songs and dialogue - but the epic xmas sweep of the Main Theme is glorious)
Not on your list...
The Star Trek scores, Krull, American Tail 1 & 2, Cocoon 1 & 2, Apollo 13, Casper, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Mighty Joe Young, Bicentennial Man, Radio, Wolf Totem.
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It has some good tracks, but be warned that it has FAR more dissonance and has far more 'suspense/horror' cues than WILLOW. In fact, a surprising amount for a fantasy film. So except for cues like "Ride of the Firemares", it's not as melodic as you might prefer.
I'm a bit baffled by that description. Of course they're not identical -- Willow has more "playful" moments and uses more ethnic instrumentation, while Krull is a more straightforward, swashbuckling adventure score. But I can think of no other James Horner score which captures the same "sword and sorcery" spirit of Willow the way Krull does.
And while Krull certainly has moments of dissonance ("The Widow of the Web" and some of the "slayer" music), the vast majority of the score is traditionally tonal, with brassy heroic action cues, and an "old school" romantic love theme.
And Willow is not without a great deal of dissonance itself. To be honest I find Willow a "noisier" score than Krull.
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Uncommon Valor & Honey I Shrunk the Kids - Gems to be admired!
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Brainstorm - big thumbs up
Jack the Bear - is synthy, but this is the genesis for some of The Man Without A Face
Testament - very melancholy (the best section, the choral bit at the end, is not really Horner, but Britten, I believe)
Journey of Natty Gann - big thumbs up
In Country - thumbs up, like the "sad" parts of Field Of Dreams
Project X - I'll never understand why McGann likes this so much
Gorky Park - I love this, though, even if you won't
Bobby Jones - hope you like Braveheart!
The New World - this is pretty but I don't remember anything super themey, just has a nice feel
The 33 - this has a good theme, but I don't think this is in your wheelhouse
House of Cards - in the Bobby Fischer realm, but I didn't get into it like I did that
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Posted: |
May 4, 2018 - 2:18 PM
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By: |
tvogt1
(Member)
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Thank you all so much for your carefully considered responses! What a great group.
And Thor was right...... I have Titanic, Star Trek 2, Krull, etc. The only ones I don't have were in the list.
And it looks like The New World, Brainstorm, Project X, and Natty Gann are the ones I will probably get first, based on what was said here. Although I have always wanted Wolfen and Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
Now...... it must be said that Willow is absolutely awesome. It is one of the few scores I know every note of. And Krull, while not without merit, is no Willow.
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WOLFEN is brilliant tvog, but I didn't include it cos it didn't seem to fit your remit.
It's basically the first time we heard the stuff that sounds like Khan, Klingons or ALIENS etc.
An absolute must buy for your Horner collection.
Almost as good as PROJECT X innit Shaun.
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Everything.
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- S N E A K E R S -
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