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Does it have the Lea Thompson version of Don't turn away?
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What a fantastic score! Feels like a whole new work by the great John Barry. Complex in its simplicity and with a galore of great themes. How I've missed this sound. Thanks again to my favorite label, Intrada rocks!
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Listening to the entirety of Barry's score the accumulative affect of hearing several variations on the heroic theme I must say that Barry really nailed it. That theme, had it been for a more successful franchise, would be much better known and celebrated. It's got an upbeat optimism that frankly would have worked well in the Indiana Jones films. John Barry, out of his comfort zone, knocking it out of the park.
Furthermore, how times have changed. Once upon a time Hollywood puts out a stinker flop and the flop drags everything associated with it to a watery death. Now, we say let's take that 40 minute forgotten soundtrack lp and turn it into a 3 CD set.
Thanks so much Intrada. Sinful Davey next, please and thank you.
P.S. Yes, I know, Sinful Davey's tapes were flooded and the score destroyed in a fire, so there's no hope; no need to correct me.
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Posted: |
Oct 18, 2019 - 9:07 AM
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By: |
Alex Klein
(Member)
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Listening to the entirety of Barry's score the accumulative affect of hearing several variations on the heroic theme I must say that Barry really nailed it. That theme, had it been for a more successful franchise, would be much better known and celebrated. It's got an upbeat optimism that frankly would have worked well in the Indiana Jones films. John Barry, out of his comfort zone, knocking it out of the park.
Furthermore, how times have changed. Once upon a time Hollywood puts out a stinker flop and the flop drags everything associated with it to a watery death. Now, we say let's take that 40 minute forgotten soundtrack lp and turn it into a 3 CD set.
Thanks so much Intrada. Sinful Davey next, please and thank you.
P.S. Yes, I know, Sinful Davey's tapes were flooded and the score destroyed in a fire, so there's no hope; no need to correct me.
There is a slight hope that the written score for Sinful Davey might survive somewhere, either at Laurie Barry's lair or at some vault in an unknown studio. Then again, I recall reading that Barry's pre-1970s written scores got lost when the composer left England for the U.S. and some sleazy agent Barry trusted made them disappear, somehow.
Either way, I am sure there's still a wealth of material hidden in Barry's estate, and someday it'll come to light. Let's just hope we are all alive at that point.
Alex
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Posted: |
Oct 18, 2019 - 9:10 AM
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By: |
Alex Klein
(Member)
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My copy arrived today 
I recall getting a cassette copy of the album from a pen-pal back in 1986 or 87 ... which was a surprise as I has been expecting something else. But he knew I was a JB fan(atic) and sent me this recording ... which I soon replaced with the LP.
Move forward to 2004 and a different pen-pal provided me with a very good CD transfer (which happily replaced my own poor transfer).
All in all, I know the album very well ... and as a JB fan(atic) for close on 50 years I have to say this is easily one of his weakest, least interesting scores ... at least in 6 track album form. Yes, there's the gorgeous saxophone-led melody and at under 19 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.
And, without doubt, it's so much more enjoyable than any other score I've bought (or newly heard in film) in recent years. Given the praise from others about the score I look forward to discovering more but I'd suggest to anyone who isn't au fait with this composer's works ... start elsewhere. It may be superb (it is!) ... but it's definitely well below superb-Barry.
Mitch
As a die-hard Barry fan, I must disagree with you. If you look at Barry's output in the 80s, Howard the Duck ranks pretty high on the best scores he wrote during that decade. Granted, it is nowhere close to his choral masterpieces or his best Bond scores, but it is way better than 90% or more of the scores he wrote in the 80s (it is definitely better, for example, than things like The Golden Child, Masquerade and even Until September).
Alex
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Hey Alex! No dissing The Golden Child -- it's awesome! 
Yavar
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Hopefully when his widow passes away whomever runs the estate will be open. and hopefully one day somebody will be cleaning out the house of an agent and finds tapes hidden away in boxes.
I don't wish her dead, but it looks like her dying is the only way we'll get access.
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Posted: |
Oct 18, 2019 - 10:32 AM
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By: |
MusicMad
(Member)
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As a die-hard Barry fan, I must disagree with you. If you look at Barry's output in the 80s, Howard the Duck ranks pretty high on the best scores he wrote during that decade. Granted, it is nowhere close to his choral masterpieces or his best Bond scores, but it is way better than 90% or more of the scores he wrote in the 80s (it is definitely better, for example, than things like The Golden Child, Masquerade and even Until September).
Alex
All to their own taste, of course ... and I know you love John Barry's music as much as (maybe more than ) I do ...
As I said, I've known the album for 30 years, I've played the score now - just once, so I'm not willing to make a long-lasting statement but from that first play, it doesn't come close to being as enjoyable as either Masquerade or Until September. Perhaps I'm influenced by having seen the films ... I did try Howard the Duck but struggled to stay awake.
I'm so very pleased to have this new release ... it beats most newly acquired score releases in my collection, but not everything can be top 10 and, for me, so far, Howard the Duck is bottom quartile of my John Barry scores.
I played the Sylvester Levay rescored tracks today ... I think it will be some time before I do so again: how anyone can think that bone-numbing beat music was/is better than the orchestral material it mangles is beyond me.
Mitch
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