Fellowship of the Ring Complete Recordings CDs

[You Know My Name]

There's a review up at Soundtrack.net:

http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=173

The FOTR soundtrack is one of my favorite movies scores (right along-side Star Wars) but the price-tag is kinda steep. It's $60.

[You Know My Name]

Cool. I'm glad they're finally releasing the complete score. Thanks for posting the link to the review.

[Gentleman]

Don't worry, there are some soundtrack lovers out there. Here's one!

The LOTR soundtracks accomplished what is rare these days: It's an epic soundtrack that doesn't sound like Gladiator and actually does have leit motifs or recognizable melodies... like, for instance, the tune that is played when the title of each part (fotr, ttt and rotk) is displayed... or the theme that plays when the fellowship runs towards the bridge of Khazad Dum, that's to LOTR what the hero / rebel theme is to SW, I guess. I also totally dig many of the more slow paced themes, which are often related to the elves. Then, there's also the Rohan melodies. Forth Eorlingas, hmmm, that's a good one for instance. You also gotta dig the songs, like May it Be, Gollum's song or Into the West. Hell, even Viggo Mortensen's voice is great in "The return of the king", as well as Billy Boyd's. Back to other recognizable melodies: Concerning Hobbits! Yes, as you see... there are several great tracks and I think the merit is where you can tell it's not something placed together just to cover the background... no, there is a clear goal, a planned route.

As for the FOTR soundtrack itself. I dunno, everything's great. I love what u hear when Gandalf says "behold, the great dwarf city of Khazad-Dum".. and then the track that follows, as I mentioned before: The Bridge of Khazad-Dum. Another great track is "The Ring goes South"... towards the end, when you hear the classic LOTR leit motif. In the film, this is the slow-motion take of the fellowship, showing up one by one in front of us. Going back to the beginning: The Prophecy and Concerning Hobbits.. great tracks, especially the second for being ultra original, I guess. Going back to towards the end: Amon Hen - always loved that one. The Breaking of the fellowship and may it be... awesome stuff.

Oh well, I guess most of it is pure greatness. I wonder what this new edition will bring, though... as the original release did seem to include everything.

Yes, a great, great effort by Howard Shore.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

I donna understand a the criticism he received for a the FOTR, eh? Alla the putzes, they complain that a the movie, she dinna have a the recognizable melodies anna themes...

Holy crappa! Were they listening to a the same movie as a the Dino?

However, to truly hear a the brilliance, you gotta to hear a the entire score of alla the three films, no? Like a the introduction of a the couple of a the notes of a the Rohan theme when a we first hear Boromir speak inna Elrond's council to a the full-fledged alla balls-out Rohan theme as a the Riders of a the Rohan, they charging down a the Pellenor fields, eh?

[Gentleman]

Totally, Dino.

I'm very into soundtracks and I definitely think Shore deserves recognition.

As for non-invasive soundtracks, people should try the Batman Begins score. That's a totally forgettable score. Not saying that it is bad because of that, because I'm sure Nolan specifically didn't want a leit motif for Batman, nor any tune of any kind that could stay glued to the viewer's ears.

I dunno... it's a big issue, nowadays. To leit-motif-ize... or not? Spiderman should have had his very recognizable tune, but he didn't. And now it seems Danny Elfman doesn't want to touch anything with "Raimi" on it.



So, back on topic... yes, The LOTR soundtacks are brilliant. And each score has its own gems... which is remarkable, because the second and third films could have just had the same melodies as the first one with some small changes.. but no.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

It's a funny you mention a the Elfman anna Spidey, eh? Is a the Dino the only putz who a thinks he was a, how you say? "phoning it in," no?

You can a take alla the themes Elfman has a done for a the superhero projects, anna wrap a them alla inna to a the same theme... Batman, Spiderman, Flash, etc.

It's a like "Generic Hero Theme" composed a by a the Blandy McOuttaIdeas.

[You Know My Name]

Elfman's Batman score is a great soundtrack IMO. It was one of the first soundtracks I ever listened to.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Meh...

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

I should a say...

"Meh.... John Williams Superman. She's a the Gold Standard, eh?"

THAT'S a the superhero theme.

[DinoDeLaurentiis]

Oh anna Queen's a Flash a Gordon, no?

[You Know My Name]

Meh...

Hey you Italian spaghetti slurping...

[Gentleman]

But the same happens with most composers. I can't think of a composer that makes totally different scores to the point where you can't recognize they belong to the same author. I used to think Kubrick or Coppola were the kind of directors that didn't belong to the school of "authors" in the sense that you could be watching different films by them and you wouldn't realize they belong to the same director. However, as I learned more and years went by, I can totally detect similarities. The directors' signatures. It may be subtle for some, but it's there.

As for actors, right away I can only think of only one true chameleon: Gary Oldman. But I'm sure ther are others.

Is there any composer that can do totally different things?

Still, the fact that you can recognize a theme belongs to Elfman doesn't make him a bad composer. Sometimes authors try different things, like Williams did for the Hook soundtrack (listen to track 3... it could belong to anyone else)... but in the end they always return to what they like, I guess.

As long as it's not a copycat of previous works, why not. Heh, this reminds me of Horner and his Star Trek 2 theme. As great as it is, if you listen to his "Battle beyond the Stars" theme, well, there's certainly a similarity.

Beautiful world, the world of soundtracks is.



Does anyone else think that the film score composers of nowadays could be to us, in a way, what the classic composers were for our ancestors? I always meditate on this.

[You Know My Name]

Heh, this reminds me of James Howard and his Star Trek 2 theme.

You mean Horner.

[Gentleman]

Yeah, the moment i sent the reply i realized.