Tag Archives: soundtrack

Soundtrack Review: Ben-Hur (1959)

Longtime readers of this blog know that I am a huge fan of composer Miklos Rozsa’s film scores. Rozsa (1907-1995) was a titan of film music and his epic score for Ben-Hur (1959) remains a benchmark that few have ever equalled (let alone surpassed).

I am pleased to announce that Tadlow Music is releasing a completely new recording of this 157 minute score on October 3rd, one that will feature previously unrecorded music. The music has been recorded by the City of Prague Philarmonic and is conducted by Nic Raine.

If you haven’t seen the 1959 epic, it is NOTHING like the travesty that came out in 2016 (in fact, forget that movie even exists). The 1959 version of Ben-Hur is still considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, winning a record 11 Academy Awards (a feat that has only been equaled twice and NEVER surpassed) as it tells the story of a Judean prince (played brilliantly by Charlton Heston) whose life is thrown into turmoil at the same time that a strange carpenter begins preaching a new message to the people.

When you listen to this soundtrack, I highly recommend starting with the Overture. While it may seem strange now for a film to have an “overture” like an opera, back in the day it was fairly common for an epic film to start with a musical overture of some kind (there was also intermission music and exit music) that would play as the audience took their seats.

Another track that I absolutely recommend is the “Parade of the Charioteers” (this is usually preceded by a series of fanfares). This is the music that precedes the climactic chariot race (where Ben-Hur and Messala settle their differences once and for all) and is rightly considered one of the greatest sequences ever put on film. Curiously, the race itself has no music, something I’ve talked at length about.

Another track that I must recommend is the music that accompanies the “Lepers!” scene. As I’ve said previously, this scene features some amazing musical work, as Rozsa must convey with music alone that something terrible has happened to Ben-Hur’s mother and sister without the audience actually seeing what it is.

Truthfully, I could recommend this entire soundtrack, as it is a beautiful masterpiece, whose importance to film music cannot be overstated. In fact, parts of the score were used as temporary music for Star Wars (1977) (and it is said you can still hear its influence in certain places). If you want to hear some fantastic music, please pick up this new recording when it comes out in October. My thanks to The Krakower Group for making this information available.

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Soundtrack Review: Teen Wolf (2011-present)

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Teen Wolf is an American television series that airs on MTV (the final season is currently airing). It is loosely based on the 1985 Teen Wolf film and tells the story of Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), a teenager who is bitten by a werewolf and must learn to live with the consequences. The soundtrack is composed by Dino Meneghin, who has worked on the series since its premiere in 2011 (which has really allowed for the musical themes to develop). The soundtrack for Teen Wolf was released on September 15th, so be sure to check it out!

In listening to any television soundtrack, I like to start with the main title. This sets the tone for any series and is usually a good indicator of what you’re going to get (that’s why McCreary’s theme for Constantine is one of my favorites). The main title for Teen Wolf is largely what I expected for a series of this kind: fast-paced, frenetic, a blend of symphonic instruments and electronic sounds, with a firm drum beat as well. I say this is what I expected, but that does not make it a bad thing. This is a show aimed at young adults after all, so the sound is right for that audience.

The next piece I listened to was “Hellhound” and for a few seconds I wondered if the track had been mislabeled. It starts out very soft and quiet, not what you’d expect. And then, out of nowhere, there’s a HUGE crash of drumbeats and you finally have the feeling of something menacing going on. It was still more melodic than I expected for the track title, but I enjoyed listening to it.

Of all the tracks I heard, “Fear Defeated” might be my favorite (with the main title running a close second). The track begins with an eerie sort of sound, followed by a strange clanking noise. I think this might be a mallet dragged over xylophones, or better yet, it may be the xylophone bars themselves clanked together to make a really creepy sound. The music then shifts into a dark and at times triumphant symphonic quality that I really enjoyed listening to. It really felt like the music you might hear in a movie, not a television show.
One thing I’ve taken away from listening to these recent television soundtracks is that the nature of television scoring has really changed from the early years. In some high-quality productions (most notably Game of Thrones), the music is so complex and thematic that it really stands on the same level as film music. But even in smaller (compared to GoT) productions, the music is now more symphonic, more nuanced and I couldn’t be happier. Whether it be television or film, music is often the make or break ingredient in any production.

I hope you enjoyed this short look into the music of Teen Wolf, the soundtrack is available now if you’d like to hear it in full. My thanks to The Krakower Group for making the soundtrack available for review.

See also:

TV Soundtracks

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Soundtrack Review: BoJack Horseman (2014-present)

See also:

TV Soundtracks

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Soundtrack Review: American Assassin (2017)

The Lion King “King of Pride Rock” Pt. 2 (1994)

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With Scar finally out of the way for good (thanks to a hungry pack of hyenas), Pride Rock is finally saved. Rainfall douses the flames and an exhausted Simba appears out of the smoke to be acclaimed as king by his lionesses and friends (as well as being reunited with Nala). But Rafiki points out that there is one more duty to perform: he needs to properly claim his rightful place at the ledge of Pride Rock, where all can see and hear him.

As the long climb begins, a great fanfare strikes up. This is the moment Simba fulfills his long-delayed destiny. For one moment, he even appears as Mufasa himself (causing a double take from Zazu). Reaching the top (as the bones and debris are washed away by the rain) Simba watches the emerging stars and hears Mufasa’s last word to him “Remember…” and he ROARS!!!

The Lion King “Ending scene” (1994)

I love this part, though I have a little piece of trivia to share: that’s not a lion’s roar. Those are actually tiger roars you are hearing (but it still sounds so cool!!!)

Time lapse to a restored Pride Rock in all its verdant glory and the animals of the Pride Lands have all returned. Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa stand at the ledge as Zazu circles above. And then Rafiki appears, revealing the reason for the celebration: Simba and Nala have their own baby (Kiara, with her own love story in The Lion King II) and its time for her to be presented to the Pride Lands as the Circle of Life goes on 🙂

And that’s the end of The Lion King 🙂 I hope you enjoyed looking at this great film. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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For more Lion King, see also:

The Lion King “The Circle of Life” (1994)

The Lion King “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” (1994)

The Lion King “Be Prepared” (1994)

The Lion King “To Die For” (1994)

The Lion King “Hakuna Matata” (1994)

The Lion King “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (1994)

The Lion King “Beneath the Stars” (1994)

The Lion King “King of Pride Rock” Pt. 1 (1994)

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Mulan “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” (1998)

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Mulan “I’ll Make a Man out of You” (1998)

Disguising yourself as a man and then running off in the middle of the night to take your father’s place in the Imperial Army is all well and good, but unfortunately Mulan really hadn’t thought out what to do after that. Despite looking like a man, she has no idea how to act like one, and is therefore skulking in the woods outside camp, unsure of how to get inside without being found out as a girl. Enter Mushu!

No sooner was Mulan gone than her ancestors held a little conference to decide what to do with her. All agreed that Mulan had to be forced to come back, lest catastrophic damage be done to the family name. Mushu (Eddie Murphy), a small red dragon, offered to go, but seeing as the last time he tried to help that person lost their head, he is soundly rejected. Instead, Mushu is ordered to wake The Great Stone Dragon and have HIM bring Mulan back. After convincing the Great Ancestor Spirit that the Great Stone Dragon is on the way, he heads off himself to instead make Mulan a big war hero and thereby put himself back in the good graces of Mulan’s ancestors.

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Which brings us back to where Mulan is hiding outside camp and Mushu puts his plan into action. Convincing Mulan that he was indeed sent by her ancestors to help her, the pair make their way into camp. Due to a series of errors, Mulan causes a huge brawl in camp, and she also falls afoul of two guys named Yao and Ling (a third guy, Chien-Po, is friendly to everybody). The fight is broken up by the camp commander, Captain Li Shang (son of General Li, the head of the imperial army), who demands to know who Mulan is. Introducing herself as Ping, the training begins with a lesson. Shang shoots an arrow into the top of a tall pole, and challenges Yao to climb up and get it. But there’s a catch: he has to do it using two heavy weights. Yao makes it halfway up, but the weights pull him back down, and one by one everyone fails in the task. This failure prompts the training song “I’ll Make a Man out of You” which follows Mulan in her attempts to train for war.

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Let’s get down to business to defeat the Huns
Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?
You’re the saddest bunch
I ever met
But you can bet before we’re through
Mister, I’ll make a man out of you

Tranquil as a forest
But on fire within
Once you find your center
You are sure to win
You’re a spineless, pale pathetic lot
And you haven’t got a clue
Somehow I’ll make a man out of you

To say that her training goes badly at first is a massive understatement. In fact, no one is doing well in the beginning. Various skills are shown: shooting arrows through tomatoes before they hit the ground, deflecting rocks with a staff while balancing a bucket of water, launching primitive rockets at a target, hand to hand combat, etc. Finally, after Mulan falls behind in an endurance walk, Shang brings Mulan her horse and tells her to go home, she’ll never be a soldier. At this point, Mulan could go home, but having come this far, she’s not ready to give up.

I’m never gonna catch my breath
Say goodbye to those who knew me
Boy, was I fool in school for cutting gym
[spoken] This guy’s got ’em scared to death
Hope he doesn’t see right through me
Now I really wish that I knew how to swim

(Be a man)
We must be swift as the coursing river
(Be a man)
With all the force of a great typhoon
(Be a man)
With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

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Time is racing toward us
Till the Huns arrive
Heed my every order
And you might survive
You’re unsuited for the rage of war
So pack up, go home
You’re through
How could I make a man out of you?

(Be a man)
We must be swift as the coursing river
(Be a man)
Shang: With all the force of a great typhoon
(Be a man)
With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

She sees the arrow at the top and makes another try for it, and then it hits her: everyone has been letting the weights hang at their sides, but if one ties the weights TOGETHER, you can use them to pull you up to the top. Doing this, Mulan sends the arrow down to Shang at sunrise, and is allowed to stay. Not only do Mulan’s fighting skills improve , she is now accepted as “one of the guys” and is quickly becoming an accomplished warrior.

I really like this song: Shang’s singing voice is performed by Donny Osmond and it’s really awesome to watch the training montages as everyone progresses from clumsy to skilled. Next time: Everyone is thinking of “A Girl Worth Fighting For.”

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See also:

Mulan “Honor to Us All” (1998)

Mulan “Reflection” (1998)

Mulan “Mulan’s Decision” (1998)

Mulan “A Girl Worth Fighting For” (1998)

Mulan “The Huns Attack” (1998)

Mulan “I’ve Heard a Great Deal About You Fa Mulan…” (1998)

For more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

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*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

Brian Tyler Battle: Los Angeles scoring session (2011)

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Brian Tyler scoring Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

You know that old expression “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover?” Well, I think a similar expression is also true: “You can’t judge a soundtrack by the film it’s attached to.” This was my thought after listening to a five minute scoring session from Battle: Los Angeles, a 2011 sci-fi action film which depicts Los Angeles (and the rest of the world) under attack from hostile alien forces. The film stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Ramon Rodriguez, and was directed by Jonathan Liebesman.

The film itself received very negative reviews (it was notably panned by Roger Ebert), but the soundtrack, composed by Brian Tyler, received some positive mentions. For example, on Wikipedia, one review called it “…a highly entertaining, old-fashioned orchestral soundtrack that should appeal to fans of Hans Zimmer…”*

I have to agree with Mr. Monger (the author of that review): the music does indeed have that old-fashioned feel to it, but in the world of film music I believe that is a good thing. To call a film score “old-fashioned” is to say that the composer is using a traditional orchestra and not simply synthesizing everything.

As you watch the scoring session, take note of the computer screen immediately behind Brian Tyler: you’ll see two sets of numbers, like this 12 l 1 . That is a measure/beat counter that is timing the recording according to the measure and particular beat of said measure. That way, if Mr. Tyler wants to go back to, say, measure 100, he can select that on the computer and the recording will automatically transfer to that point.

Given how wonderful the music sounds, it is such a shame that Brian Tyler’s hard work is attached to a film that was so badly received (I haven’t seen it myself, but Roger Ebert was never one to pan a film without good reason). It is obvious to me that Tyler puts a great deal of his heart and soul into this music, and I hope that someday his music will receive the proper appreciation (hopefully in the form of an Academy Award).

Please enjoy this scoring session from Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

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See also:

Film Composer Interviews A-H

Film Composer Interviews K-Z

*review taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle:_Los_Angeles_(soundtrack)

** poster image is the property of Columbia Pictures

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