Tag Archives: soundtrack

Music for snowy mornings – “Edward Scissorhands”

Edward ScissorhandsAs you already know, I have a love affair with Danny Elfman’s music.

This morning I deviated from my current obsession with Beetlejuice and instead of listening to that soundtrack during my morning commute I was inspired by the snow flurries to put in the music from Edward Scissorhands. A coworker had reminded me about the beauty of it when I was talking about my love of the Beetlejuice soundtrack. She mentioned that she often played it when laying her grandson down to sleep. Just after that conversation I went and found my copy of the soundtrack and set it out where I’d be able to just grab it and go but continued on with my unexplainable Beetlejuice fascination.

Even more music to make you feel epic – Beetlejuice

BeetlejuiceWell, this music might make you feel more manic than epic but it’s still some awesome music.

There are some composers whose work is extremely recognizable. For me, Danny Elfman is the one that I can pick out usually within a few notes. While I’d heard his stuff with Oingo Boingo growing up I don’t think I sat up and paid real attention to his music until I watched Beetlejuice. I remember being young and knowing that just the opening chords of the main title, complete with the creepy sounds of “Daylight come and me wan’ go home…” scared me even then but I loved the music.

More music to make you feel epic – X-Men: The Movie

X-Men SoundtrackThat’s right…I have more music suggestions that will make you feel as though your normal commute is much more exciting than it actually is!

A movie score that I feel gets overlooked too often is the score to the first X-Men movie. I’ve heard several people scoff at Michael Kamen’s compositions for this film (he’s probably best known for the scores to films such as “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”, “Highlander”, “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and also for the orchestral side to the Metallica S&M concert) but even if you are one of those people, I urge you to listen to the score once again, this time without the distraction of the movie.

The first track on the album, “Death Camp” sets the tone for the rest of the music, and you can feel the build and tension in the music leading up to the sudden quiet. The music from the opening credits, however, is found later on the album in the track called “Cerebro”. I’m personally a huge fan of that particular track with its sweeping strings that make me want to fly down the freeway in a manner reminiscent of the film’s opening credit sequence.

Other tracks such as “Ambush” and “Museum Fight” help to provide that feeling of action and excitement without feeling as cliché as other movie scores. These tracks maintain a slightly different feel that only heightens the experience of watching a superhero movie. Not to mention, cleaning house and listening to these track make you feel like you’ll actually win the battle against your dust bunnies.

There is one track on the album that is easily my favorite and I can listen to on repeat endlessly. “Logan and Rogue” is the final track on the score and from the moment I first heard the melody in the theater (the scene where Logan finally gets to Rogue and lifts up her limp form) I was captivated. Easily the most memorable piece of music from the movie, it’s replayed in its entirety during the end credits of the film. Every time I hear this piece I feel like I want to cry and soar at the same time. Don’t ask me how it manages to produce that feeling, but listen to it with your eyes closed and see what you think. Even those who turn up their noses and call Kamen’s score to X-Men campy and terrible often have nothing but good things to say about this particular track.

From the melodic and sad tones of the strings in the track “Logan and Rogue” to the forceful use of the same instruments in ” Ambush”, Michael Kamen shows off his ability to create an epic movie score without crossing the line into “too cheesy”. HIs score makes you feel as though it could still be applied to your own life’s soundtrack. Which is what makes it so wonderful in my opinion.

For this Elf, out of all 4 X-Men films, the score to the first is easily the most memorable. My second favorite is the score to the third movie but Kamen’s work on the music for the first film is brilliant. When the movie came out in theaters I happened to be working at one during the film’s run and would often sneak into the theater at the end of the movie just to close my eyes and listen to the music from the “Logan and Rogue” moment through the end of the credits.

Even if you think that Kamen’s work is cheesy or not epic enough for X-Men, give it a listen without the film. Let me know what you think!

True Blood Season 2: The Score

True Blood Score

Last week I got all excited when I was browsing Amazon and drinking some coffee before work and found the score to season 2 of True Blood available for download. While I’m usually a very good girl about avoiding impulse buying first thing in the morning (before I’ve finished the first cup of coffee) I didn’t even think twice about purchasing the mp3 album and starting the download while I finished getting ready for work. I’d enjoyed the score to the first season so much that I’ve been wishing and hoping they’d release more music soon.

After listening to the full album twice through now I can say that while I love certain tracks on it, I think the music from the first season might still be my favorite. Even so, Nathan Barr is an amazing composer and the music he’s written for the show is beautiful. The themes that he’s able to set for each character and then alter enough to make them fit the situations are well written and recognizable.

Probably one of my favorite musical themes through the show is what I call the “Loss” or “Grief” theme. It’s probably best associated with Sookie’s Grandmother but it’s often played when a character, usually Sookie, is hit with a loss in her life. You can hear it played through the first season, most noticeably after the events with Gran. It’s while Sookie is eating that pecan pie alone at her table that you hear that there are words to it, making it a sad and sweet Southern-sounding hymn. (I admit, I cried during that scene and the music was at least partly to blame). Much to my delight Nathan Barr continues to use this theme through the music in the second season, particularly on a track called “Packing Gran”.

One of my other favorite themes is the love theme between Bill & Sookie. While I may not care for Bill at all, the music set for them is a lovely piece that builds in intensity and occasionally leaves you hanging without a musical resolution.

There isn’t much on this particular album that involves Maryann even though she was a huge part of the second season. For that I’m a little grateful. The track “House Party” manages to wrap up her and her influence in one single musical track. You also catch a glimpse of her madness in the early track “Ride & Slash”. We are introduced to some more music involving Eric on this album and the track “Eric’s Grief/ The Bleeds” had me sitting in my car for a few extra minutes, entranced by the new themes and music that I now associate with my favorite blond vampire.

All in all, it was worth the download. I now have more music to fuel my fantasies about being swept away by a tall blond Swedish man. *happy sigh*

Anyone else have a similar reaction to the album? Anyone going to run and nab one of the score albums just to hear what I’m describing? Let me know what you think of them!

Music to make you feel epic: Pirates of the Caribbean

PotC Soundtracks

I have to admit, I was a little nervous while trying to decide on my first post here on The GeeksFTW! but it hit me this morning as I was driving to work…

Geeky music. Specifically the scores to the three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

If I’m feeling the need for epic, these are the soundtracks that I always pull up to listen to. Nothing can make the morning (or evening) commute more interesting than listening to a track like “The Kraken” from “Dead Man’s Chest” as I’m merging onto the interstate.

Listening to the soundtrack from “Curse of the Black Pearl” can take me back seven years ago to when the movie just came out in theaters. I immediately bought the soundtrack and promptly blew out the speakers in my car listening to it at almost top volume. From the jaunty riffs that remind you of Captain Jack Sparrow’s distinctive walk to the sweeping epic music that makes you wish your car had sails and that you had a pirate hat, the first soundtrack is brilliant.

The score to Dead Man’s Chest is just as amazing if a little darker than the first. My favorite track on that is easily “The Kraken” followed by “Davy Jones” that begins with the sound of the music box locket he wears. “At World’s End” competes heavily with the first movie’s score for the winning place of “most epic”. The tracks “At Wit’s End” and “Hoist the Colors” (complete with chorus) and “What Shall We Die For” never fail to make me shiver. Add in the spaghetti western feel of the track “Parlay” and you’ve got a score that might not win “most epic” but easily ties for it.

Even if you aren’t normally a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean or of instrumental scores, give these a try.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sit outside on my break, listen to the score and dream of being a pirate.