> The Brood (1979)
> Scanners (1981)
> Videodrome (1983)
I've only heard the first two on the 1992 Silva compilation, and have no inclination to give the third a try. Very early Shore is NOT my cup of tea, and I find Cronenberg movies in general a very acquired taste...which I haven't acquired, and don't want to, frankly. 
With Shore, anything pre-LotR is a hard sell, a few exceptions (Big, Dogma) notwithstanding. The often dissonant, often mid-to-low-budget and, for lack of a better term, "jumpy" nature of his music is not enticing at all. However, it is indeed remarkable, as you rightly point out, how early his style, musical characteristics, melodic, harmonic and rhythmic devices were established.
And now for something completely different: wanna see Shore with John Belushi in a wardrobe test? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yev_U2pN6fU
Looking forward to this series a lot, it'll be a good way of learning about certain (older) Shore scores without, uhm, actually having to listen to them!
CK
