So we’ve got a new Potter film out this week (in case you hadn’t heard), which gives us 6 total, just enough to make a Top 5 and not have to include every score.  This list, which will be in actual ranking of quality (whereas normally try to just list and not rank) because, well, let’s face it, in terms of scoring, these films are all over the place. 

#1) John Williams – Prisoner of Azkaban: As I intimated in an earlier post on Williams’ work on the series, I consider this his strongest Potter score, and one of his best in recent memory.  Whereas the two previous (which we’ll get to), felt like merely an extension of his previous work (especially Home Alone in places), the Azkaban score really felt like he was pushing himself and his craft to new and different places.

#2) John Williams – Sorcerer’s Stone: It’s hard to put this score any lower since it established all the major musical themes.  At the same time, though, the sound of Williams’ original score is so far away from what the scores are now (a change started by Williams in the Azkaban score).  But on its own, it is a good score, but not great.  It sounds like much of Williams’ scores for kids films (as mentioned Home Alone, E.T., and others), so I didn’t feel like he was really stretching, as he later did for Azkaban.

#3) Patrick Doyle – Goblet of Fire: I still don’t know fully how I feel about this score.  On the one hand when I listen to it, I think it sounds like rejected cues from Lord of the Rings.  But, Herr Vogler informs me that it actually sounds like most of Doyle’s work, and since I don’t really know his scores, I’m going to go with his opinion on this.  As for the music itself, it is an enjoyable and I especially love the “Hogwarts’ March.”

#4) John Williams/William Ross – Chamber of Secrets: This is a strange one to rank since it really is just reworkings of a lot of material from Sorcerer’s Stone (done by Ross)with some new themes by Williams.  The new themes are good (I discussed the Lockhart/”No Ticket” connection previous), and the music overall still sounds like Williams, which means it works well together.  At the same time, though, there is nothing really to write home about.  I might rank it higher if there were more original material and not just adapting the previous material, but in the end, I still have to put it above…

#5) Nicolas Hooper – Half-Blood Prince: Truth be told, I almost put this at number four.  It shows a lot of improvement over Hooper’s previous effort in Order of the Phoenix.  Herr Vogler said it best when he stated that the problem with Hooper’s score is a lack of cohesion.  There is such a variety of musical styles, sounds, etc. that is feels like the music comes from about three different films.  Prince has a greater amount of cohesion (the Dumbledore material that comes out of “In Noctem” I enjoy), but there are still those odd cues (like “Farewell Aragog,” which I really like, but sounds like a traditional Irish tune, and use of guitar in other cues) that stick out from the rest of the musical world.  But, I really like the the album is set up more in order of appearance in the film than Order, whose album ordering irks me to no end.

Well, that will do it for today.  Go see the film, I hear its good.

(Note: I didn’t edit much last night before posting, and I’ve gone back now and cleaned this up a bit.)

Now for the oft delayed, but never forgotten, Part III of our countdown of Star Wars (Original Flava) cues.  Same rules as before.  Let’s go to the tape:

1) “Yub Nub” aka Ewok Celebraion – I’m not sure exactly what this origianl Ewok celebration music is called on the soundtrack release since what I have has the new ending music, but I much prefer the pre-Lucas revision cue.  In my humble opinion (did you hear me stepping onto the soap box?), of all the changes that Lucas made, this was is the most egregious.  Now I’m not talking about putting young Anakin in place of old crusty Anakin, or even the scenes of the Empire falling, I could care less about those.  I’m talking about getting rid of “Yub Nub.”  I loved that song!  (Props to my friend Scott for cuing me into the image.)

And because I love you all, done by Barber Shop Quartet (with translation!)

2) “Leia’s News/Light of the Force” – Interesting to note that the cue on the CD is actually longer than what is used in the film (either version).  Right after the “Leia’s News” part, there is a pause where in the movie you have the Ewok horns and then the wipe cut to Luke’s torch.  On the CD, the first statement of the “Force Theme” is not what you hear next in the movie, but rather the second time the French Horn comes in is where the cue starts in the film (And yes, I’ve compared both versions).  But the main reason in selecting this cue is, of course, the Funeral Pyre scene (“Light of the Force”).  Through out the course of the trilogy, the “Force Theme” has taken on such a huge meaning: Luke’s Destiny/Fate, religious subtext, and many others.  The first full statement in series (Binary Sunset), has Luke gazing into the distance/space, not knowing what lay ahead, and here, the last statement, is how that is brought to a close: the son “buries” his father, closing the circle.  Not to mention the added meanings when you consider the prequels (Qui-Gon’s funeral, and of course the Immolation Scene in Revenge of the Sith).  But what is so great about the cue is just how subtlety Williams plays it.  In the part that is used, you have the French Horn statement over tremolo strings, with a string bass defining the bass line, expanding the tonal aural space.  And where, in the answer to the horn solo, the original “Binary Sunset” cue soars into space, this time the strings play it down as Luke looks on.  And even as the camera pans up, Williams elects to continue the understated natue as the cue comes to a close and the beginning of “Yub Nub” starts to play (if you’re watching the good version).

3) “Jabba’s Baroque Recital” – Time for another one of my strange associations.  For some reason this music, which is being played in Jabba’s “throne room” when C-3P0 and R2-D2 arrive, always made me think, for some reason, that is was a Sunday morning on Tatooine.  It feels laid back, and calm, like something you’d be playing during Sunday brunch or something.  Regardless, it’s another Williams music track that fills out the diegetic aural space of the Star Wars universe brilliantly, alongside the Cantina Band numbers.

4 & 5) I’m going to cheat massively here and put the entire Battle of Endor sequence for the last two spaces.  On your two-disc set, that is the following cues: Emperor’s Throne Room, The Battle of Endor I, The Lightsaber/Ewok Battle, The Battle of Endor II, and The Battle of Endor III.  As I’ve said many times to Herr Vogler, I think that this sequence (roughly the last 30 minutes of the film) is one of the best examples of audio-visual editing and scoring music to image in film.  The creation of continuity between the three battles (Emperor/Luke/Vader, on Endor, and in space around Endor) is just about perfect.  Also, Williams really brings it all to the score, bringing most of the major themes from the series to a head, and it perfectly fits with the ebb and flow of the battle.  And the Emperor’s music (with the chorus) is among the best music of the series.

So that concludes the original trilogy.  Maybe someday when I’ve stopped crying about it, I’ll do the prequels.  As for next week…suggestions?

So yes, originally this post series was supposed to be an easy way for me to get through a packed few weeks…see how well that turned out?  Anyway, just because the reason has passed, doesn’t mean I’m not going to satisfy your curiosity about my appraisal as Mr. Williams’ work.  Same rules apply as before: no “Yoda’s Theme” or “Imperial March,” if the theme is what strikes, it must be referenced within context of a cue.  Also no opening theme music or end credit suites, but the music right after or before respectively are fair game.  Titles used are off the two disc editions.

1) “The Asteroid Field” – I know I keep referencing old memories when talking about things here, but as many have pointed out, music has a strong impact on memory recall.  In reference to this cue, I remember constantly replaying the Asteroid Field level on the Super Nintendo “Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.”  Not only is the film my favorite of the franchise, but the game had so many get aspects, and this level was my favourite, trying to navigate your way through the field.  One of the reasons I loved it was that it used this cue for the music.  The music also reminds me at times of the second movement of Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, especially in the woodwind.

2) “The Rebel Fleet” – There is about a minute here of perfect music, in my opinion.  Pull out disc two of the set and listen from about 57 seconds in until the end credits come in (which we aren’t talking about), the swell of the music as Luke and Leia say goodbye to Lando and Chewie as they gaze out the window at the galaxy that they’re fighting for.  Yes, it’s a “down ending” in that Luke gets his hand chopped out and Han is captured by Boba Fett (thank you Kevin Smith for that analysis), but the music gives one so much hope for the future.

3) “The Clash of Lightsabers” – The first truly great lightsaber duel in the Saga, sure Luke get’s beaten up by Vader hurling stuff at him, sure Vader turns out to be his father…but Williams truly outdoes himself with this cue.  The tremolo strings, harp glissandi andbrass hits starting around 30 seconds in, which is just a great arrangement of Vader’s Theme.  And of course the cue ends as the picture settles back in on Luke and Vader (after showing us Lando, Leia, and Chewie’s escape from Cloud City).

4) “Lando’s Palace” – The main theme for Cloud City is such a peaceful and buoyant piece of writing, complete with Williams’ trademark glockenspiel that gives it all a nice shimmer.  Makes the viewer forget just how dark the whole thing is, but wait…what’s going on here?  And that’s the great part about the sequence and cue, it lures us in with the facade of the Cloud City theme only to rip the rug out from under us.

5) “The Battle of Hoth” – Stand by ion control…The first transport is away, the first transport is away.  It really is too easy to include this epic fifteen minute cue on the list, but it really is great, and lays so much ground work aurally (and visually, and the editing of the two together) for what will be, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the audio-visual editing of the saga…The Battle of Endor, but that’s for next week.  This cue really does so much right, and it shows in that even now, as I’m listening to it, I know exactly what is going on on screen just from listening to the music (the AT-AT walkers are coming into view).  That is a sign that the composer was doing his job: the melding of music to image is so complete that one multiplies the effect of the other (I think Kurosawa said something to that effect).

So that’s it for FSF for this week, tune in next time for Return of the Jedi.

So, time for another special three week countdown here at the Temp Track.  Partially due to my being busy the next couple weeks, and just plum out of ideas at the time, I’ll be counting down my top 5 cues from each of the original Star Wars films, scored by Mr. John Williams.  A few rules to begin with: 1) I’m discounting the opening title theme just because it is too obvious, but not the music immediately following it; 2) Likewise I’m also nixing the end credit suites, but not the music leading into them; and 3) No individual themes, I’m doing cues, not themes (so no just “Imperial March,” but this does not discount cues involving said themes, of course). 

For the names of the cues, I’m using the track listings from the two disc releases from a few years ago that are still available.  So, let’s go to the tape:

1) “The Hologram/Binary Sunset”:  I’ve got to give it up to this cue, while not the first instance of the Force motif in the film, that occurs in “Imperial Attack,” it is used here to underscore one of the most powerful and iconic images in the film series: Luke gazing at the sunset over Tatooine and contemplating his future.  As mentioned in an earlier post, it is also here where in the “Blue Harvest” episode of Family Guy that Chris Griffin turns to the camera and says “John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra!”  When I teach a course on film music, you can be sure that I’m going to show that clip.  Oh, we also have appearances in this cue of Leia’s theme and the main theme.

2) “The Dune Sea of Tatooine/Jawa Sandcrawler”:  For starters, I remember from an early age thinking that “The Dune Sea of Tatooine” portion of this cue sounded like Rite of Spring, and while I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison, I’m pretty sure there is more than a little similarity, especially the opening wind solos.  But the Jawa portion is pretty genius, Williams really does capture the nature of the strange scavengers quite well, and it blends quite effectively with the “Dune Sea” portion due to its use of winds (especially the double reeds, not to mention the tuba solos).

3) “Cantina Band” (Both tracks):  These songs might just be the best piece of diegetic music ever written specifically for a film, and really, I kind of like the second one more than the first.  Sure, everyone knows the first one, but how many people really notice the second song that starts playing as Han sits down to talk with Luke and Obi-wan?  Well, I’m sure the readers of this blog do, but how many others?

4) “Ben Kenobi’s Death/Tie Fighter Attack”:  When I hear this cue, I always hear Han yelling to Luke, “Blast the door kid!”  See, back in the early days of CD-Rom tech, Microsoft had a program called Cinemania that was kind of like IMDB before the Internet really became the “The Information Superhighway.”  In this program were a few select clips for a few films, including Star Wars, and the clip from it started towards the end of Obi-Wan and Vader’s duel, and ends right as Han tells Luke to shoot the door controls.  And the cue for the Tie battle I can always hear because it was used over and over in the computer game X-Wing and Super Star Wars for the old Super Nintendo.  Oh, and the music is pretty great too.

5) “The Throne Room”: I always have a weird feeling when watching the end scene of the film because this cue gives me a sense of unease.  I can’t explain it, but after the initial fanfare, I always expect that something is going bad is going to happen because of the pervading minor key, the march feeling, and timpani hits.  Of course, then the music changes to major as Leia gives them their medals, Chewie growls, R2D2 appears all shiny and new, and the universe is saved…at least until The Empire Strikes Back is released three years later.

But you won’t have to wait three years for my top 5 favorite cues from Empire.  Just tune in next Friday.

Okay, so you may have heard, there is a new Star Trek film opening today, and everybody is all a twitter (that word takes on new meanings these days).  So we have reached the end of our 3 week countdown with this: Film Score Friday Top 5’s Star Trek film scores. 

#1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Jerry Goldsmith:  You really shouldn’t be surprised by this, considering that in the last two weeks, both lists have been topped by a cue from this score.  Goldsmith really set the trend of what Trek should should sound like with this Oscar-nominated score.

#2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan:  If anything, this might be my favorite of the scores, but I respect Goldsmith’s work on the series too much to put him below Horner.  If anyone has heard Horner’s Battle Beyond the Stars score, it sound like an audition tape for the Trek II gig.  Supposdly, the studio wanted a smaller budget so they went with the relatively unknown Horner…largely due to his Battle score.  Guess it worked.

#3. Star Trek by Michael Giacchino:  I’ll post a more extensive review of this score shortly, but after some initial hesistation upon first listening, I have quickly grown to love this score.  It is quite different than previous Trek scores, but it also references them in many subtle ways.  Besides the obvious when the original theme comes in full force in the end credits, there are colors throughout that sound alot like Goldsmith, and to a larger degree, Horner.  As Herr Vogler points out in his post on the score, Giacchino actually uses one of Horner’s former orchestrators.

#4. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country by Cliff Eidelman:  This score, much like the film, does not get nearly enough credit.  The real fans of Trek and Trek scores certaintly know and appreciate them, but we need to do more to inform the public at large.  From the moody “Overture” to the poignant closing send off material, this is a great score from a composer who was getting his first major work (much like Horner in Khan).

#5. Star Trek: First Contact by Jerry Goldsmith: I was really trying to only have one Goldsmith score on the list, but when one person scored 5 of the previous 10 films (and Horner alos racking up two with parts 2 and 3), it’s hard.  The only other composers left after using Eidelman are Dennis McCarthy (and the less said about Generations overall, the better), and Leonard Rosenmann’s Star Trek IV, which was good, I enjoy it, but…I think First Contact is better.  Yes, the film overall, while lightyears better than the previous installment, feels flat after the opening Borg battle, but listening to Goldsmith’s score on its own makes me appreciate it more than the film.  So I’m putting it in the 5 spot.

Well that’s it, I’ll have to start thinking of new topics that are non Trek related now.  But for now, go see the movie because we want them to make more of them!

Next Week: Top 5 Television Themes that are not from the Star Trek franchise