Is there a Newman score that didn't get the attention that Finding Nemo, American Beauty or the other dozen famous ones got? Which ones would you like more people to (re)discover?
I have two - Oscar and Lucinda. Newman at the top of his game, big, luscious, but the movie was barely a wide release.
How To Make An American Quilt - Not a great movie, but his score IS. Some of my most played Tracks by him ever on this.
I like the two scores you mention a lot. I agree that they are both underrated.
But for me it's Flesh and Bone (which Newman himself considers to be his most underrated score) and The Salton Sea. They aren't the kind of of big orchestral scores that so many seem to yearn for, but these kinds of mood scores (textural and atmospheric ones) have almost never been done better.
I also think that The Horse Whisperer is an often overlooked score.
OSCAR AND LUCINDA is a marvelous score. Despite knowing about the title for years, I only discovered it properly some 5-6 years ago, and it quickly rocketed to my third place after SHAWSHANK and LESS THAN ZERO. But is it underrated? I get the feeling that it is widely known and loved, especially in film music circles.
In fact, most of his output is known to people around these parts. That’s why a mention of something like RAPTURE above is interesting. Is it available on album?
Yes, THE RAPTURE was released on CD around the time of the films' release. I don't know how rare it is to find these days? I bought a cheap/used copy in USA on a holiday around that time (when CD shops were plentiful). It's a tough listen...very experimental/atmospheric and dark. Takes a little work. I can't say I play it often.
I've always been a fan of THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE. It tends to get left out of the synthesizer score lists, but the opening theme with its sampled "Hey!"s is pure 1980s. "The Chase" is a great track as well.
I've always been a fan of THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE. It tends to get left out of the synthesizer score lists, but the opening theme with its sampled "Hey!"s is pure 1980s. "The Chase" is a great track as well.
Yes, THE RAPTURE was released on CD around the time of the films' release. I don't know how rare it is to find these days? I bought a cheap/used copy in USA on a holiday around that time (when CD shops were plentiful). It's a tough listen...very experimental/atmospheric and dark. Takes a little work. I can't say I play it often.
I think it’s likely difficult to find The Rapture these days as there was only the original release years ago. The film is something that really impressed me when it came out, with its bold finale and Mimi Rogers really terrific performance. I don’t find the score difficult to get into at all, though I have programmed out all the songs in my iTunes so it’s just Newman. I find the score mournful and very evocative. Definitely worth finding and checking out if you like the moody side of Newman.
Another score that is one of my absolute favorites by Newman is Angels In America. Some truly gorgeous writing in this one. The miniseries received 21 Emmy nominations and I was stunned that not only did Newman not win the Emmy for this, but he wasn’t even nominated….up there with Psycho as one of film music’s greatest oversights come awards time.
I’ll stick my neck out for UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL from 1996. It has some of his most gorgeous cues (check out “Up Close”) and doesn’t seem to get mentioned often enough.
Since I mentioned it in the 2000s thread, Newman's moody score for Susanne Bier's remake of her own film, BROTHERS, is a score I wish more people knew. Or at the very least shared my love of.
