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This is a comments thread about FSM CD: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 12:26 PM   
 By:   Mark Ford   (Member)

I've never heard 12 tone serialism that is as accessible and fun as it is in this score. Great driving stuff beneath the tone rows holds it all together and really propels it along.

Some tracks sound as if a minor unresolved version of the Eee-O-11 theme met up with the Escape from the Planet of the Apes opening titles, especially track 5, "Money Montage. It's like a case of "You got Ocean's in my Escape!" "No, you got Escape in my Ocean's!" All kidding aside, there's some great listening throughout with a great driving main title and some standout tracks like numbers 5 & 6.

This is a singular score that really works well in support of an excellent film. If you're looking for a modern, progressive jazz-flavored, gritty, urban, funky New York sound, you'll find it here.

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 12:30 PM   
 By:   Hester_Prin   (Member)

The score for the original film is just terrific... its 70s funk beat... the electric, action pace... it not only captures the urgency of the film, but the feel of New York. The original film is very much what I think of of when I visit NYC.

Not interested in the new version in the least.


 
 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 12:48 PM   
 By:   ahem   (Member)

HG Williams also had to take to John Scotts shadow with the MAN ON FIRE remake for Tony Scott.

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 1:23 PM   
 By:   Mr. Jack   (Member)

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 2:05 PM   
 By:   rollon1959   (Member)

I would go so far as to say it is my favourite film score in the thriller genre. I particularly love the " Money Montage " cue, which is utilised to great effect in the film. Anything I have ever heard composed by David Shire is pure genius.

 
 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 2:36 PM   
 By:   Doctor Plesman   (Member)

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...


Simply one of greatest Main Themes in Film history. Period.

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 2:47 PM   
 By:   Hester_Prin   (Member)

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...

Ba-WOMP-WOMP-WOMP...


Simply one of greatest Main Themes in Film history. Period.


SING IT TO ME AGAIN!!!! ;-)

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 3:18 PM   
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

I sometimes have to cut through a really, really bad part of town. Its basically all Projects and long abandoned brass factories lining the Connecticut coastline. To say its dangerous down there is a pretty big understatement.

However, I was rolling through that area one day and happened to have the theme from Pelham playing. When I rolled up to a red light, several... urban youths stopped on a street corner stopped their conversation and started calling out, asking me where the rhymes were to go with that awesome music and beat.

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 3:37 PM   
 By:   Shaun Rutherford   (Member)

LOL, LeHah, there's no such thing as a bad neighborhood in Connecticut!

 
 Posted:   Jul 19, 2009 - 3:44 PM   
 By:   LeHah   (Member)

LOL, LeHah, there's no such thing as a bad neighborhood in Connecticut!

We ... actually have the largest split of quality of life in the smallest are in the entire United States.

Fairfield, CT - http://images.realestatebook.com/phototmp/THUMBNAILS/ExtraLarge/46001/546151096.jpg

http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/4/1/6/4/ar121215165846146.jpg

Bridgeport, CT - http://www.colonialrealty.net/images/1155-RailroadAveA0706.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2568031922_cf18328556.jpg

(Oh, wait, you were kidding around, my bad.)

 
 Posted:   Jul 20, 2009 - 6:51 AM   
 By:   Ray Faiola   (Member)

I just replaced my tv print (pan-and-scan and profanity-looped) of PELHAM with a gorgeous scope theatrical print. Came from England of all places. FABULOSO! I'm putting on the Rialto schedule for January and will have the wonderful FSM CD standing by for lobby music.

 
 Posted:   Jul 20, 2009 - 9:48 AM   
 By:   Josh "Swashbuckler" Gizelt   (Member)

The official theme of the Lexington Avenue Local (6) train!!!

 
 Posted:   Dec 14, 2012 - 2:10 PM   
 By:   lexedo   (Member)

I posted in another thread recently that I was just about sure it was Artie Kane playing piano on the Pelham 123 ST. FSM puts the musician list right on the product web page as a reference, which is outstanding.

What I really meant to say was that I was just about sure it was Artie Kane doing the End Title piano soloing on Pelham 123, which is an incredible take for sure. And this I came to by reference w some of his other solos (e.g., you can compare the End Title piano playing to the Souce Rock cue piano playing on One Is A Lonely Number). Artie Kane is an incredible pianist, and it's fun to try and figure out the STs he is playing on.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 15, 2012 - 9:56 AM   
 By:   Graham S. Watt   (Member)

lexedo, I mentioned that resource a while back in regard to one of your previous comments about Artie Kane. And if you click on his name, you'll get all the scores he has played on which were released by FSM and fall under the AFM list. Even within that narrow base he's on just short of one hundred FSM CDs. Stuff as diverse as THE YAKUZA, MARATHON MAN, THE ILLUSTRATED MAN and FANTASTIC VOYAGE. I think just about my favourite Artie Kane piano work is on Oliver Nelson's great ZIGZAG score. It's just amazing. Good composer too when he got the chance. It's very interesting to cross-reference other instrumentalists using the resource.

And THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 is just about the best half hour movie score album ever.

 
 Posted:   Dec 15, 2012 - 11:32 AM   
 By:   lexedo   (Member)

What a great resource, Graham! Thanks for pointing out the approach for using the web links, etc. His playing on Pelham 123 is really just butter - smooth and tasty.

Re: ZigZag. I actually love Oliver Nelson, and the movie is pretty cool in a 70s way also. I wonder if that's Artie Kane playing behind Anita O'Day on Green Dolphin Street (the source cue)? Whoa - that would really be something; her take is very excellent - sexy and soulful.

[edit]It makes me happy that discussions of largely unknown, but excellent, musicians can take place in this Forum. Guys like Artie Kane, Tommy Tedesco, Larry Bunker, etc. would mostly be forgotten if some of us didn't maintain the interest, which is really a jazzer thing. I am still determined to find out the LSO drummer on Brannigan - the guy ate his Wheaties that day for sure.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 15, 2012 - 12:42 PM   
 By:   Simon Morris   (Member)

I am still determined to find out the LSO drummer on Brannigan - the guy ate his Wheaties that day for sure.


A friend of mine spoke to John Richards, the recording engineer, about Brannigan (one of my favourite scores) years ago and he said then that the core rhythm section - as far as he could remember - were session musicians, with members of the LSO providing brass, strings etc.

No names alas, but people like Barry Morgan and others of his ilk spring to my mind. I'd certainly have put my money on someone like him rather than an LSO drummer.


EDIT: I agree with Graham by the way - The Taking of Pelham 123 is the perfect half-hour score album.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 16, 2012 - 12:11 AM   
 By:   dan the man   (Member)

Those 4 notes are just perfect for the film.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 16, 2012 - 12:11 AM   
 By:   dan the man   (Member)

Those 4 notes are just perfect for the film.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 16, 2012 - 2:16 AM   
 By:   Rollin Hand   (Member)

One of my favourite track is the long dissonant organ "Smoking More, Enjoying It Less" (0:26) that reminds "First Escape" from Lalo Schifrin's "THX 1138" (1970). Both FSM releases, by the way.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 16, 2012 - 5:15 AM   
 By:   Graham S. Watt   (Member)

Back to ZIGZAG, Artie Kane and Anita O'Day for a moment - I'm a bit fuzzy-headed this morning, so I'm having difficulty assimilating info, but the liner notes for ZIGZAG say that the version of "On Green Dolphin Street" (Disc 1, Track 22) is a "pre-record" with Ray Mace on piano, while the version heard on Track 27 is the "orchestrated film version" - which I suppose suggests that it could be Kane on piano in that one at least.

The other standards sung by Anita O'Day on the ZIGZAG CD are, as you'll know, from THE OUTFIT. Ray Mace was again the pianist on those, although it's Artie Kane on the actual Fielding tracks.

I know this thread is about THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123, but my post is relevant because I've somewhat "derailed" it, and I've also used the word "track" twice. Humour doesn't get much better than this.

 
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