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"French Twist" (the Hammer)
Nothing worth mentioning.
"The Fix" (the Hammer)
There were a number of cues I enjoyed in this episode: from the opening in the bird santuary (with what I guess was Jan's attempt at a tropical sound), to one of the sad pieces with the judge, to the couple of dark pieces with the judge when he stands up in his home office and says again he's out.
Cue for cue, another one of the better scores, though there's not what you'd really call a cohesiveness to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvoDjL4Wv74
"Payback" (the Hammer)
There was a nice opening cue when Crockett goes to a prison to make a visit; another version of it is used a little later on. And as far as I recall, this is the first episode this season to use Crockett's Theme (which I think fits Tubbs better); it goes without saying I liked the rendition (and another shorter kind of sorrowful version to end the episode). And an exciting synth action piece as Crockett fights for his life in a speeding boat.
In all, one of the better episode scores this season.
The Internal Affairs office isn't exactly believable, when you use the same set you used in the previous episode for a different place. Yeah, don't even repaint it, don't move the couch around, don't do anything but put a different sign on the receptionist's desk.
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"Free Verse" (the Hammer)
This episode featured one of my favorite scores for the series and was indeed one of the first times, when I originally watched the series, that I took note of the score, particularly the scene in the alley where Hector Sandoval, a poetic and escapee from a despotic regime, is wheeling around in his wheelchair drunk, rambling. I refer to it as his theme, which appears three or four time (that I recall) in the episode. The theme was remade by Hammer for that 2CD set of score that was on his website for sale years ago (re-recordings and some original stuff; since sold out, though it's offered as a download now, if you are into such things). The new arrangment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD3oIuSrKvY
"Trust Fund Pirates" (the Hammer)
Very little scoring. There was a nice cue during of the climax when the plane lands into hte ocean, but it sort of went nowhere.
Speaking of pirates, did you know Friday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day?
"Sons and Lovers" (the Hammer)
Aisde from some breif delicate moments early (maybe tracked score from other episodes), there was almost no score and nothing really worth mentioning.
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"When Irish Eyes Are Crying" (the Hammer)
There are two or three plesant Irish-flavored cues early on that are nice, but they idea of doing that style is dropped after those cues. Also during the climax build at the end at the beach there is a decent paced actin piece but I could sure do without the grunge guitar strumming over it.
I miss the neon pink glow behind the show's title. It's now a neon blue.
"Stone's War" (the Hammer)
Crockett's Theme make a return. Two times in the episode, one sounds exactly like the version on the 2CD set (only part of it is used). That was pretty much the only score that jumped out at me.
"Killshot" (the Hammer)
There's a neat fast-paced percussion piece as one of the good guys makes a call from a phonebootch to the bad guy (About halfway int othe episode). There's another fast percussion piece in the tense stand off that ends the episode. Both enjoyable stuff and could make nice exercise music.
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"Walk-Alone" (the Hammer)
Not much score, but one cue that sort of stood out is when Martin is being driven to the prison.
"The Good Collar" (the Hammer)
Not much score. There were a couple of cues playing under kind of sad scenes, which might sound good apart from the episode.
"Shadow in the Dark" (the Hammer)
This episode score makrs kind of a departure from what you'd normally expect from Hammer's scores. It's more experimental with the synths and the style is just sort of different -- I don't know how to put it. The unusual synth piece as Crockett and Tubbs are callign it a night is interesting (but fades out before completion). The cue with the weird acoustic guitar sounding instrument as Lt. Gilmore suddenly errupts and then in the next scenes is taken away by two police officers, offers a different kind of tense feel; perhaps the guitar is just too processed and reverb heavy and makes me think it's not just what I think it is. The guitar returns in another tense cue as Crockett and Tubbs respond to a burglery. The different synth approach returns for a breif montage as Crockett tries to figure things out, and keeps going as Castillo meets up with him in what I asume it some sort of small cafe. There's also a neat rythym piece as Crocett drives around, that as cymbol tapping, the guitar, kick drums, and the synth drums Hammer likes to use.
Too bad this different kind of score is for such a load of an episode. I'm not sure how to better describe it then a mediocre attempt to cash in on a film that opened months earlier that we all know: "Manhunter"; from the unusual killer to the cop who is "edgy" and wants to get into the mind of the killer.
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"El Viejo" (the Hammer)
Nothing really stood out for me here.
They got another famous musician (Willie Nelson), but you have to stick around for the whole of the episode to find out if he's good or bad.
"Better Living Through Chemistry" (the Hammer)
Not a lot of score. Only a couple breif cues stood out for me, the ones that featured a woodwind instrument (I think a shakuhachi).
I've temporarily skipped "Baby Blues", as I wanted something with a little more punch for the last hour of my exercising. I've skipped "Streetwise" simply because I already watched -- it's what lead me to start on the show here in this thread, so I don't need to watch it again so soon just to comment on the score.
"Forgive Us Our Debts" (the Hammer)
Tehre was barely any score in the episode. I can't imagine more than two minutes. Nothing particularly stood out.
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"Forgive Us Our Debts" (the Hammer)
Tehre was barely any score in the episode. I can't imagine more than two minutes. Nothing particularly stood out.
You've spent a lot of time and trouble giving us your thoughts on the JH tracks in Miami Vice. Good work, but I have to disagree with that comment above. There is plenty of score in the episode, although it is repetitive. I particularly like the dark, brooding score that accompanies the C&T interview with the wife. It's moody and melancholy. It's repeated later when C&T burst into the house and is met with a myriad of weaponry and a character saying "the way I see it only Felicia would make it out of this party".
There's also a good bit of sequencer work when the food truck closes down as a bunch of Feds turn up, at the tail end of C&T's surveillance.
So, you're right, in the sense that there's not much but I think what there is, is worth mentioning. :-)
By far, what's important and used to much greater effect in Season 3, is the use of the songs. The stand out track that signifies the coda of the episode is Peter Gabriel's We Do What We're Told, as it underpins Crockett's dilemma. The secondary track that helps to give the show a signature atmosphere is Meatloaf's Standing On the Outside.
This episode is one of my favourite btw.
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"Down For The Count, Part 1" (the Hammer)
Not a lot of score here and for me only one cue stood out: after the match is won at the end of the episode (kind of fast-paced with some cymbol work, reminiscent of Goldsmith's rejected "Gladiator" score). But the cue was ended early, implying there was more.
One thing I didn't like about TV shows from the 1980's and 1990's: the forced inclusion of boxing episodes, car racing episodes, episodes about dealing with a baby, etc. And here the show went for the obligatory boxing episode and unfortunately has dragged it out into a two-parter.
"Down For The Count, Part 2" (the Hammer)
I'm going to assume the previously on montage is tracked.
There's a nice piece as threats are made on a hotel balcony. There also a kind of sad peice at the very end on Crockett's boat.
"Cuba Libre" (the Hammer)
Not much grabed me until Crockett's Theme made a return; a nice peaceful verson with an underlining dark tone, late at night on Crockett's boat. It's mostly SFX free. The theme also makes another return a little later in a version not too disimilar from the one on the 2CD set of score. Shortly after that there is an extended performance with a strong '80's sound.
The theme returns yet again for a short and slow rendition, with some of the notes played in a low dramatic octive (that's first I remember hearing it that done way) in the open.
Then there's a nice theme that... just kidding, it's Crockett's Theme again. ;-)
This time with the '80's backing and the theme played on I don't know what (about 41:00 into the episode).
In the forest chase scene, there's a decent action-y piece which is essentially just a drum machine with some electric guitar riffs over it.
Though short and uncomplex, I like the moody synth piece that closes out the episode.
This episode was score heavy. It goes without saying I hold it up as one of the better scores, as I've already stated my love for Crockett's Theme previously.
Also, as a plus, I always like the Switek character and he got a few good lines in this episode, including when he pulled up in the bug van to pick up Crockett who was tranded and on foot:
Switek: "How about a ride, sailor?"
Crockett: "Almost funny."
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"Duty and Honor" (the Hammer)
This episode offeres ome foreign percussion as well as a little ehru, too bad though by my ear it sounds like it was all samples and no live players.
Aisde from the opening cue, nothing immediately jumped out, though to me I strongly suspect some of it would work well apart from the episode.
"Theresa" (the Hammer)
Breifly in the last episode Crockett got a new love interest and what do you know -- she made it to a second episode, and they have a love '80's theme which is very likable. Now, I'm just starting the episode out, but I know 1980's drama shows of that time, so I fully expect her to either be dead by the end of this episode or the next.
Aside from a couple other nice cues (one which seems to represent some of the ideas from the love theme heard early on but never fully realized in the episode), not much else stood out for me.
Well, surprise surprise -- she managed to make it to the end alive.
"The Afternoon Plane" (the Hammer)
Hey, now Tubbs suddenly has a love interest, that coincidently has her and him stuck on an island to be murdered by a previous episode villain. Well, I can't help it: she's gonna bite the bullet before the end. I mean, two love interests i na row, the 1980's, and one lived? No way she makes it alive to the end.
Anyway, for the tropical island setting Hammer introduces some tropical percussion which is fun to listen to. That opened the episode, but soon the direction goes to more subdued drama pieces until around the halfway point when some typical percussion pieces some into play, which are nice to listen to.
Probably one the better secondary score efforts, though a nubmer of cues have no solid structure and are more of mood pieces.
Wel, damn -- she made it to the end, too.
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"Lend Me an Ear" (the Hammer)
Not very much score, nothing particularly memorable, though the cue in the quiet colorful confrontation in the house at the end, might be a nice moody piece away from the episode.
For some reason there are three composers credited as "music consultant" in the end credits for this epsiode (as well as three more upcoming ones), and I don't kkow why; there was barely any score to speak of and the episode used songs like any other episode -- what could these guys have done that not only necessitates their inclusion, but three of them?
The name plate on Trudy's desk reads: Big Booty Trudy
"Red Tape" (the Hammer)
There's a nice kind of upbeat piece that opens the episode.
In the body of the episode there are also a couple decent moody faux action cues, one with some shakers was nice.
And there's a bittersweet, albeit short and simple, synth cue worth mentioning that closes out the episode.
"Baby Blues" (the Hammer)
I'm backtracking to the episode I skipped earlier.
The opening has a low-key percussion piece that neat. I have a feeling I may have heard it before though, so maybe it's tracked. Following that there's also another nice synth piece as they discover a plane of babies being transported like cargo. Also, a tense percussion piece during the climax in the hospital, was very enjoyable; pretty sure it wasn't on the 2CD set though. And the episode closes out with, as before, an albeit short and simple piece, with acoustic guitar, that's good.
All in all, a good score even though there is no cohesive whole to it. I'd say it's another fine strong secondary effort.
You know, I was alive when push-button phones were introduced and I remember them having redial buttons, even in the late '80's. So it's baffling that Larry dials the Bug van phone to reach HQ -- why isn't that on redial or at least speed dial?
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"Forgive Us Our Debts" (the Hammer)
Tehre was barely any score in the episode. I can't imagine more than two minutes. Nothing particularly stood out.
By far, what's important and used to much greater effect in Season 3, is the use of the songs. The stand out track that signifies the coda of the episode is Peter Gabriel's We Do What We're Told, as it underpins Crockett's dilemma. The secondary track that helps to give the show a signature atmosphere is Meatloaf's Standing On the Outside.
This episode is one of my favourite btw.
I write at length about the Gabriel track and this ep in my FSM article "vICES vERSES"
(available as a free download).
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/fsmonline/backissues_print.cfm
My most wanted unreleased cue is the one i entitled "Monastery Stakeout" - great track!
brm
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"By Hooker By Crook" (the Hammer)
We will. ;-)
Sorry, just had to do that.
There's a good cue when Crockett arranges and goes out on a date with the woman he met on the boat early on in the opening; it's kind of got that '80's backing that Crockett's Theme has, with what I would dub an early prototype version of said theme. There's another similar cue no too long after that.
And later Crockett's Theme makes an actual appearance, in a softer rendition. Noot too long after that a sad version of Crockett's Theme is heard, and then a more bittersweet version as Crockett confronts his new girlfriend in jail. It makes one more breif appearance later.
And an interesting, albeit short and simple, dark synth piece with electronic huffing woodwinds sounds is heard as Crockett is listening to her undercover (an interesting arragement of it, too). Another neat synth cue in the same vein after Castillo breifs everybody.
And an action piece for the shootout at Sulu's, I mean Togaru's office. "Oh my!"
What can I say, I'm a sucker for Crockett's Theme. While there most certainly likely is a list online (but I haven't looked), I decided to note every episode that uses it, so there will be a comprehensive one.
One of the top scores in the show, so far in.
"Knock, Knock, Who's There?" (stop -- Hammer time)
Not too much score, and almost nothing stood out for me. Mostly servicable breif moody pieces. There was one percussion action piece during the climax at the end that's enjoyable, if you like Hammer's show-defining sound (though the cue does kind of shift gears twice to fit on-screen action; once to moody and then back to the action).
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There is a new bio out about Peter Gabriel that makes no mention of his songs being used in VICE.
Not even in the end section which mentions his film work (original, it is true).
brm
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"Viking Bikers from Hell" (the Hammer)
There's a theme running through the episode that's plesant in a '80's sort of way; we get short spouts of it, then a longer version in the last third. It has a synth backing with a fretless electric guitar tumbing around in the back and a synth instrument that sounds like some kind of guitar.
Also, a sad-like piece when Switek hides the van as forces prepare to take down the baddies.
"Everybody's in Show Biz" (the Hammer)
There's a good search cue with tamborine and percusion in the first half, and later around the end a smiliar cue with percussion like in the opening theme is heard.
There's a melancholy theme heard with synth backing and a decending instrument that sounds like some kind of prcoessesed telephone dial tone sounds; I think I've heard it before in "The Omega Man" and another score I can't place at the monent -- a rarely used sound. It's a good kind of sad theme.
A strong contender for secondary score efforts.
Some people like this episode and the lead guest star, but I don't. Though I do sort of like the lead bad guy, though a little unoriginal he may be.
"Heroes of the Revolution" (the Hammer)
A sort of latin power anthem is heard twice in the first half that has what sounds like a tightly wound guitar of some sort, finger pluked, which is them doubled with a synth sound and what I guess is lating percussion (some of which I think is done with live instruments instead of synth ones like in passed episodes). Later a slower and softer rendition is heard.
There's also a sad synth piece after Trudy and Gina are involved in a shooting, that's good.
And the episode closes with a sort of unique cue, taking into account episode scores thus far, with synth and a live-played piano that's bittersweet.
Possibly a contender for a secondary effort.
Gina's ethics and behavior leaves much to be desired in this episode. She's not the first character to make poor judges these two seasons, but her's were especially damning in my view.
And so ends season three.
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" (the Hammer)
"Heroes of the Revolution" (the Hammer)
There's also a sad synth piece after Trudy and Gina are involved in a shooting, that's good.
And the episode closes with a sort of unique cue, taking into account episode scores thus far, with synth and a live-played piano that's bittersweet.
.
Love those cues esp. the closer.
release 'em dammitt!!!
brm
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And now I begin season four -- it's been well over a decade since I've seen most of these.
"Contempt of Court" (the Hammer)
Nothing [musically] really stood out for me. Except Tubbs has this odd beard now. And it appears Crockett has put on a little weight -- no more I'm cool shirtless on my boat shots, likely.
"Amen... Send Money" (the Hammer)
Again, not much stood out. At times it seemed like there were some good cues, but they sort of disappeared in the mix and never really went anywhere.
"Death and the Lady" (the Hammer)
As Crocket is pondering the possible murder on his boat late at night, and sees the possible suspect being interviewed on the TV, there's a moody synthy piece with percussion playing at a moderate pace, that sounds like it would be enjoyable to hear apart from the episode.
Another piece along the same lines with the same synth church bells, this time adding some shakers, is also a nice moody piece.
It's another one of those unhappy endings episodes.
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"The Big Thaw" (the Hammer)
Nothing stood out. Little score in the episode.
"Child's Play" (the Hammer)
A second episode that makes heavy use of Crockett's Theme. There's a sad version, a slightly less sad version. Then later a kind of wistful version. As Crockett drive in anger, there's a version in two parts and both parts are very similar to the reproduction on the 2CD set. A little later there's a short version with one statement of the theme in an unusual manner not heard before. And the episode closes out with a more upbeat rendtion of his theme with that '80's backing
There's a very short but sad synth piece as Crockett sits in his car with his son, and later around the end right before Crockett does the same thing with his son again, another very short cue just like it.
Again, since I love that theme, I have to call this one of the best scores of the show.
"God's Work" (the Hammer)
The opening cue cue has a nice beat and theme going over it.
Nice action piece when a young preteen kid is chased down and then another edgy piece soon after when he's being interrogated.
There's a very good moody rhythem piece during a argument with the crime family at the end that then transitions into a quick pace with a synth spanish guitar with a tamborine, which closes the episode on a dark synth note.
I'm inclined to say this is a good contender for a secondary effort.
EDIT:
I forgot to mention one thing. I think the episode was "God's Work". There was a cue that was completely out-of-place. Why? It's the poem theme from the episode "Free Verse", a new performance. Why in the world was this done? That theme belonged where it was first heard and for the guest star it accompanied.
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"Missing Hours" (the Hammer and jingle composer John Petersen)
This marks John Petersen's first co-composer effort. I read an interview excerpt where Hammer talked about meeting him and that he was some "New York jingle". Apparently the load of work had begun to wear on him and he wanted to work on other projects, so he split the load. Before the show, Petersen's only claim to some kind of fame was scoring for the Voltron cartoon (the entire first season; no other seasons are up yet, so I can't say how much he did). Well, to be fair, this show was only his fourth [known] scoring gig.
Just two standout cues for me: the opening piece as Izzy and his friend are play fighting on some outside steps. And the final action piece with the mystery synth ending.
"Like a Hurricane" (the Hammer & John jingle Petersen)
Around the last half of the episode there were some slow low key synth and acoustic guitar cues that might be a good listen apart from the episode, but not much else did it for me.
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"The Rising Sun of Death" (the Hammer & John Petersen)
With the Yakuza involved in the plot of this episode, a number of cues feature instruments from the East, like percussion, and what I think was a koto. they all have nifty feels and rhythms, including the opening and closing cues. Some of it sounds like real players were utilized.
There's also good use of the mostly instrument parts of the song Si Senor the Hairy Grill (by Yello, who did that cool Oh Yeah song). I'm going to pull of my magic crystal balls (no, it's not dirty, so stop thinking that...) and say that if in the future a set of scores are released for the show, a number of instrumental song parts used will be missing and score fans will be asking about it; undoubtedly this will be one asked about. It's not helped by the fact that the songs are almost exclusively not credited in the show.
One of the better secondary efforts, even though I didn't recognize a running theme.
"Love at First Sight" (the Hammer & John Petersen)
Not much stood out. Maybe some quieter pieces might be a decent listen apart from the episode, but there's not much to offer here.
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"Rock and a Hard Place" (the Hammer & John Petersen)
A couple of decent cues with a beat, including the montage scene early on, but not too much otherwise to offer.
"The Cows of October" (the Hammer & John Petersen)
There is almost no original score. There are some tracked score cues from film: "The Magnificent Seven" and a re-recording by Montenegro of "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" theme. I think the opening orchetral cue is also from Bernstein's score.
I thought I recognized the voice f the F.B.I. agent. Indeed it's Harry Shearer, better known as Principal Skinner on "The Simpsons". This role comes right at the time TS was taking off.
Over all a fun episode with some funny lines.
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