Filmtracks Theme of the Month: 10 Most Underrated of the 90s

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Month of September, 2000

Any film score collector has those two or three scores near the CD player at all times. Those few that have singled out from the collection. Those favorites that nobody else seems to like. Yes, we all enjoy a handful of scores that are not often spoken of. Perhaps they're silly, or perhaps they just have a special meaning to us personally. The list of ten scores presented in the September, 2000, Theme of the Month may not be your favorites, but they should be.

Nine months ago, as January, 2000, was celebrated with wild anticipation, several "best/worst/most important/etc..." lists were published in the film score community and beyond. With nine more months of perspective (and joyously no 'end of the world' event that the doomsday cults had predicted), Filmtracks begins a retrospective analysis of its own. One of Filmtracks' proudest achievements is the suggestion of underrated scores to people who had simply not known that they either exist or are worth the price. Every year has that great forgotten score, and it's our job to find it for you.

Therefore, in the list below, Filmtracks most highly recommends the following ten albums. The titles and composers are relatively well known; hundreds of wonderful, obscure titles by composers with unpronounceable names exist as well, but that's not what we're after here. They may have been scores that were popular at the time of their release, but have gone without due discussion since. The Filmtracks list of the most underrated scores of the 1990s contains readily available titles by mainstream composers. As the month progresses, more titles will be revealed... leading to the #1 most underrated score of the decade. Every three days in September, another entry in the list will be added.

Also: Did Filmtracks get it wrong? What's your list? Let's talk about it!

The 10 Most Underrated Scores of the 1990s:

10. The Lion King, Hans Zimmer (1994)

Forget the songs. Elton John's contribution was indeed noteworthy, and he inspired a string of Disney albums that deviated from the previously successful Alan Menken formula. But what also made the film such a major success was the maturity of Hans Zimmer's electronics for the score. Zimmer's rumbling, bass-heavy, choral cues completed the film's sense of awe and inspiration, and catapulted him to a very deserved Oscar win. Its thematic integrity and masterful coordination with the songs was balanced with a more epic, flowing cohesiveness not to be heard in many of the later Zimmer scores of the decade. The commercial album contains the most important cues, but extra material is available on the German album as well as Zimmer's promotional "Follow Your Dreams" albums, the latter of which are recommended.
9. Presumed Innocent, John Williams (1990)

One of the most powerful John Williams scores of the decade, but one of the most unappreciated, this score delicately but surely accentuates the suspense of the film. Not particularly thrilling in any of its parts, it is a sobering and down right creepy score with an outstanding performance. The players' performances enhance Williams' theme by ever so slightly manipulating the title motif for the twisting changes of plot that wrench the film around. Often imitated, Williams' piano theme and its variations float in the background as a constant reminder of innocence and family. During the more frightening cues, the frenetic unstability and pounding timpani put you in the head of a man (Harrison Ford) whose mind is stirring with confusion, lust, and disbelief. The final cue, during which the unbelievable truth of the film is exposed, contains some of Williams very best low-volume work. This is atmosphere at its best.
8. Sommersby, Danny Elfman (1993)

At the height of his fully orchestral talents, Elfman composed a surprising, if not confusing score for this film. After the orchestral and choral beauty of Edward Scissorhands, he had returned to a more unconventional style for Batman Returns. With Sommersby, came an all-new Elfman style that had never been heard before, and would not be heard again (in the decade, at least). Overwhelmingly dark and dreary, Elfman's music is mixed with a disproportional amount of strings, and an emphasis on the base and cellos. Melodic and powerful themes are performed with an occasionally grinding and harsh attitude, though the clear sadness of the music --something which Elfman delights in creating-- rolls that music along at an interesting pace. The depth of heart is continued by Elfman's unique farming tracks which feature more upbeat (but still ultimately troubled) guitar performances. There's not another like it.
7. Evita, Andrew Lloyd Webber (1996)

Many film score fans dismissed the lengthy mass of music from this film for a number of reasons: First, some categorize Evita as only a Broadway production. Second, some consider it simply a remake or re-release. Third, some do not care for an album that features more song than score. Fourth, some just hate Madonna. All of these reasons for dismissing this album are ridiculous. Yes, the material isn't all new, and there is minimal score. However, Webber's translation of the music to the big screen included several improvements in voice and general sound quality. Antonio Banderas, Madonna, and Jonathan Pryce are superb in their performances, and the production quality of the album is equally impressive. With film versions of Webber's Phantom of the Opera and/or Sunset Boulevard lingering as possibilities in the future, Webber commands attention now and in the future. His unparalleled ability to compose heart-breaking themes is surely enough evidence to warrant such attention.
6. The Rocketeer, James Horner (1991)

It's not just another adventure fantasy score from Horner. The sheer energy and exuberance that is unleashed by this score separates it from all those that would follow. It was a transitory effort that links the best of Horner's Star Trek scores with his late-90s ones. In many cases, material will be recognizable from many of those other scores, but the difference here is that The Rocketeer features the best renditions of those Horner trademarks. Also to its credit is the 40s, jazzy style that weaves in and out of the straight adventure music. The feeling of comicbook hero magic begins at the very start, with tingling electronics and an eloquent piano theme. Always soaring, the score maintains a positive electricity --even surrounded by the re-recorded period songs-- and addresses the villain of the plot with a storybook kind of ominous woodwind treatment. Finally, the score concludes with the best arrangement and performance of the 'favorite Horner big ending,' crashing to a fully orchestral blast with a bit of help from an enthusiastic snare drummer.
5. The Ghost and the Darkness, Jerry Goldsmith (1996)

What a romp! For a film that received numerous awards for its sound effects and sound editing, much of the credit must go to Jerry Goldsmith's score. With a constant rush of adventure, Goldsmith's music is thematically and orchestrally refined, but still just rough enough around the edges to make you uneasy in the theatre. The title theme is an odd, but surprisingly effective combination of African and Irish styles. Complimenting this theme and much of the underscore is an array of synthesized samples and chorus. The electronics mimic everything from the grinding of the railroad to the growling of the lions. Several solo and ensemble vocal performances, all of which ethnically charged, are offered across from heroic brass themes during large cinematic shots in the film. The album is very well organized, with bonus material from the chorus. Just like the film, this score is a sonic marvel with a rich, diverse personality well deserving of its incredible quality of sound.
4. Incognito, John Ottman (1998)

By far the most obscure title on this list, John Ottman (editor, director, composer) provides a breakout score in his career to exceed even The Usual Suspects. Of all the scores I have heard in the past ten years, this one is no doubt the most creative. If you're a John Barry fan, that might not be good news, but Ottman builds his strong themes into this score as well as Barry does into any of his. Saturated with mystery, intrigue, and international flavor, Ottman writes orchestral passages for Incognito that are seemingly jumbled and nervous, and yet they wrap into such a neat package after every one. The film itself is saved by the score; Ottman's jumpiness perfectly accentuates the lack of absolute certainty you get from the film. The actual painting sequences in the film offered Ottman the opportunity to allow the score's creativity to take center stage, and he took advantage of every moment of it. Most interesting aspect of the score is the incorporation of every orchestral element practically in existence. This includes the Spanish flavor, which so well suits the film's surprise ending.
3. Far and Away, John Williams (1992)

Unfortunately overshadowed by Jurassic Park the following year, Far and Away is easily one of the best John Williams scores of the 1990s. After a few years of waiting at the time for a momentous action score from Williams, this one is a satisfying blast of Williams' great touch for adventure and frontiers. Much of it is dominated by the ethnicity that is an integral part of the film. From the hauntingly beautiful pan flute performances to the all-out dancing of the Chieftains, Williams incorporates that ethnicity into every corner of his music. During the racing scenes in the American West, Williams kicks the orchestra into high gear and provides some of the best brass themes of his entire career. The new age song by Enya near the end of the album fits extraordinarily well with the tone and mood of the score, and only adds another positive to the entire affair. Don't let the failure of the film deter you from investigating this great and lengthy John Williams gem.
2. Les Misérables, Basil Poledouris (1997)

So different from the typical Poledouris score, and yet so good. Nothing short of tragic, this score applies an appropriate amount of weight to the burdens of the story. Its themes immense with power and gloom, the music is an epic with all the emotional baggage of a typical Broadway production. The orchestral performance is awesome in its driving development of themes and atmospheric motifs. A heavy string section is pushed to its dramatic limits by a strong mixing of bass elements in the recording of the score, causing parts to brood. Normally, this can be an overly depressing tactic, but Poledouris' themes and underscore are so elegant that it's easy to get caught up in its power. The organization and packaging of the album is a complete mess, though the lengthy suite format of that album works in that the music is excellent for a lengthy, straight-through listen. The overpowering and emotional style of the score compensates well for its dark mixing and performance.
1. The Russia House, Jerry Goldsmith (1990)

How surprising that the most underrated score of the decade was one of its earliest... Jerry Goldsmith is known for being a jack of all trades, but even this is beyond all expectations. Unglamourous and undemanding, it is so easy for the soft and jazzy score for The Russia House to simply slip away, and yet it doesn't. It is easily the most stylish score of the decade, with the majority of material performed by a small jazz ensemble. Even for people not usually captivated by bar room sax music, this score combines that mystique with the infamous Goldsmith synthesizers and some elegant themes. There is no better a score to accompany you while you work; it is refreshingly cool and flows with a remarkable personality. Traditional Russian elements mingle with the Marsalis sax performances, leading up to fantastic and lengthy suite at the end of the album. A variation of this suite also appears at the end of Goldsmith's The Vanishing. For an ultimately depressing film, Goldsmith manages to capture the romance as well as the intrigue of espionage with his tingling electronics. It is one of the best scores of Goldsmith's career, as well as the most underrated of the 1990s.

Themes of the Month Index

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