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Review of Up and Down: Richard Band (Compilation)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... only to satisfy your curiosity about Richard Band's career in
general, especially in the realm of television, because this sampler is not meant
to be a standalone, coherent listening experience.
Avoid it... if you're expecting to be satisfied by the quantity of material from any given show that you see in the listings.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Up and Down: Richard Band (Compilation) Composer Richard
Band's career has crossed between the realms of film, television, special
presentations, CD-ROM games, and commercials, with genres that include drama,
horror, and comedy. He is best known for his works in the horror film genre, thanks
to the extensive partnership with his father and brother, both of whom were
veterans of B-rate horror filmmaking in the 1980's and early 90's. When that
collaboration came to an end due to the cumulative failure of those productions,
Band found himself in a career built around television episode scoring, often
working on well-known series ranging from "Stargate SG-1" to even an episode of the
History Channel's "Modern Marvels" series. He eventually earned an Emmy nomination
for his work on one of several episodes he scored in the 2005 series "Masters of
Horror." Multiple promotional albums with Band's music have been pressed through
the years, and much like the Arthur B. Rubinstein compilation produced by the same
label a dozen months prior, a two-CD promotional set released for Band in early
2000 offers an equally wide and comprehensive sampling of a composer's career. The
material presented on this lengthy set represents mostly Band's dramatic and comedy
efforts, with just a hint of his trademark horror works. Since he is a versatile
artist, especially in the effort of making the best of a moderately sized orchestra
and array of electronics, it is likely that the majority of the works on this set
are for projects that many listeners will not be familiar with. Nevertheless,
Band's capabilities, when he is presented with adequate time and a decent
orchestra, would suit a major motion picture project quite well. Before jumping to
any conclusions about the listenability of this double-CD set, it's important to
remember its purpose. As a promotional sampler, the contents of "Up and Down" are
presented in such a fashion to gain the attention of (and impress) those who would
be in the position of hiring Band. Because of this, you can easily jump to the type
of music that most interests you, whether it is adventure, ethnic influence, family
comedy, animation, contemporary romance, etc.
Unfortunately, the arrangements that typically exist on such promotional samplers don't typically lead to the best of listening experiences. The first CD, devoted to the drama genre, is more listenable than the second, comedy-oriented CD, and with 80 minutes of material on the drama CD alone, there is plenty to enjoy. From the lush electronics of "Hyperion Bay" to quirky choral snippets of "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer," the selections offer a consistent and very listenable collection of cues. The tracks from "Walker: Texas Ranger" and "Stargate SG-1" are, at times, too unforgiving in their electronically low-budget sound, but they represent only a small portion of the album. Listeners hoping for Band's material from "Stargate SG-1" without paying for this promo can find it on a compilation specific to that show. The second CD in this set, with a seemingly endless parade of colorful and creative comedy cues (many only 10 seconds in length), is not as easy to grasp. Then again, it's difficult to listen to traditional Warner Brothers tunes for extended lengths of times either, and the jarring cues function better exclusively from each other than in succession. Together, their circus atmosphere can be overwhelming after only a dozen minutes. As a cross between the crazy styles of Danny Elfman and the wickedly intense themes of John Debney, the comedy cues are certainly more than functional. Therefore, on the whole, the album works very well in promoting Band and his talents. Selections from "7th Heaven" are spread across both CDs and offer some of the better material on the set. As a listening experience, Band's previous, single-CD promotional release, "Film Music Over the Years," remains perhaps more enticing for the average soundtrack collector (both have become very hard to find on the secondary market). Much of Band's best horror material is missing from this album, and although "Up and Down" may not be entirely complete, it still provides a stunning variety of cues from every possible musical corner of the entertainment industry. Packaged in an awkwardly sized DVD package, the set does include extensive insert notes. This presentation makes it evident that Band's knack for combining the best of a smaller orchestral ensemble (or even the occasional full one) with his vast electronics will most certainly keep him employed for years to come. ***
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 136:59
* includes Stargate theme by David Arnold ** also arranged and orchestrated by Steve Morrell.
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes very detailed track listings, with short information
about each section of the album. It also features a quick note from Band and a
short bio.
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Up and Down: Richard Band are Copyright © 2000, Super Tracks Music Group (Promo) and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 1/12/00 and last updated 10/1/08. |
