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| 3/29/13
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The Fury (John Williams)
- Updated Review, With Additional Album |
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Buy it... |
if you seek a relatively obscure gem in the ranks of John Williams' fully symphonic
expressions of brute force, not to mention some very keen adaptations of Bernard Herrmann's
most challenging styles into a more accessible form.
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Avoid it... |
on the 2013 La-La Land album if you are content with the sound quality and presentation of the
2002 Varese product, for the additional remastering and supplemental bonus cues on the later
set are not significant improvements to this melodramatic listening experience.
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| 3/24/13
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In Country (James Horner)
- Expanded Review |
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Buy it... |
on the 2013 Intrada Records album if you desire one of James Horner's most poignant single
career cues, a long, orchestral powerhouse of solemn but beautiful melodrama for this film's
memorable final scene.
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Avoid it... |
if you cannot tolerate Horner's rather stereotypical application of trumpet versus shakuhachi
flute for an American veteran dealing with the Vietnam War, the solo elements of the score
somewhat uninspired without the full ensemble's gravity.
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| 3/22/13
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Testament (James Horner)
- Expanded Review |
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Buy it... |
on the Romanian bootleg release containing both Testament and the 1989 score for In Country if
you appreciate James Horner's more somber, humbling dramatic works for solo instruments over
very basic orchestral accompaniment.
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Avoid it... |
if only the quality of the finale from In Country is worth the trouble of finding that rare
collection of early Horner music, because while Testament is an interesting score, it is a
frightfully depressing listening experience when separated to a presentation on its own.
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| 3/17/13
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Winged Migration (Bruno Coulais)
- Updated Review, With Additional Album |
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Buy it... |
if you relax to expansive orchestral and vocal creativity with an extremely optimistic
personality and international flavor for an IMAX-like setting.
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Avoid it... |
if the dominant sounds of bird calls and other nature effects in the mix of several cues, as
well as the lack of a satisfyingly dominant thematic presence, deters you from a truly unique
experience.
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Buy it... |
on either of the similar expanded products if you are a dedicated collector of John Williams' albums and
are interested enough in the franchise to hear the minimal amount of unique music left off of the 1992
commercial album.
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Avoid it... |
on any album if you own the original Home Alone score and are less than thrilled with it, for this
sequel score so blatantly reprises the previous material that it's almost a completely redundant
accompaniment to the predecessor.
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| 3/7/13
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The Relic (John Debney)
- Updated Review, With Additional Album |
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Buy it... |
only if you seek a complete John Debney collection, for his mainstream debut in the horror
genre is as pedestrian and underachieving as the film itself.
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Avoid it... |
if you expect Debney to offer something beyond the usual, stock horror slashes and ensemble
hits that define the genre's most tiresome cliches, occasionally borrowing shamelessly from
Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann along the way.
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| 3/2/13
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Dave (James Newton Howard)
- Updated Review, With Additional Album |
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Buy it... |
if you have fond memories of the film's charming wit and seek the translation of that likeable
personality into James Newton Howard's thematically rich orchestral score.
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Avoid it... |
if you require something other than just a more comedic and outwardly playful sibling to Marc
Shaiman's The American President.
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