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Nick Parker Wrote:
> Danny Burton Wrote:
>
>
>
> > I’ll die happy the day I can attend an
> Elfman
> > concert where I can hear Batman, Pee Wee and
> NBC
> > performed by a live orchestra.
>
>
> Not before a performance of Serenada Schizophrana
> and Rabbit and Rogue!And “Overeager Overture”!
He, he…loves the way he talks about an upcoming little thing called THE SIMPSONS, way before it became the cornerstone of popular culture that it is today.
This is one of the times where I actually DO think it sounds rather MV-ish. However, that opening groove has also been used by Elfman now and then, so I won’t rule it out either. Time will show.
Nick Parker Wrote:
> You would be right in saying that I am ignorant of
> trends outside of film music, but to be honest, I
> do not even really follow trends in film music, I
> think it is boring for the most part. I listen
> only to orchestral music, and Danny Elfman
> happens to be one of the few that writes music
> that “has its own legs”, so to speak. So when I
> say that I dislike The Kingdom, I say it because I
> do not think it has its “own legs”, not to me,
> anyways. I would not doubt that it is a great film
> score, though.I don’t think it’s a matter of standing on its “own legs”. After all, being such a post-rock pastiche, it almost becomes an album in the tradition of the aforementioned Explosions in the Sky or Mogwai or Sigur Ros. Only with certain typical Elfmanisms here and there. So it very much stands on its own. However, you are of course free to dislike that kind of music.
Nick Parker Wrote:
> Would I be in the wrong Message Board if I said
> that I thought The Kingdom sounded like a Media
> Ventures score?No offense to you, Nick, but every time I hear this re: THE KINGDOM, I’m reminded of the fact that most hardcore film music fans live in their own “musical world” and aren’t really in touch with musical trends OUTSIDE film music. THE KINGDOM is an obvious ode to the post-rock genre that director Berg loves (and used to great extent on his previous film with Explosions in the Sky). Elfman taps into that territory here, while sounding uniquely Elfman (esp. in the PLANET OF THE APES-like percussive riffs).
Hey, boingomusic, congrats on an evening well done! It’s pretty awesome that you get to dedicate an entire concert to Elfman’s music – and to have the crowd for it! What context was this? Some kind of school concert for your fellow music students, perhaps?
If I may, here are a couple of points that I hope are constructive.
First of all, I applaud your selection – great to see some rare stuff like JIMMY CALICUT and LITTLE DEMONS getting performed! I also like the slower or down-tempo parts that you obviously excel at. However, I was a little curious as to why you decided to dwell so much on these in your clips – especially in the film music bits. You seem to cut away just when the more up-tempo or vivacious bits are coming up, like the BEETLEJUICE main theme. Is this because you found these so difficult to play that you are displeased with your performance of them somehow? Or is it something else?
Also, you have fine technical skill, but perhaps a little non-chalant in your playing. It’s not always that the music gets the space to “breathe” and shine. Maybe it’s because you’re holding the pedal down too long (causing the notes to “bleed” into one another, again causing this massive “wall” of sound) or because you’re rushing things a bit. But I would have loved more dynamic there. On the other hand, it may just be because the sound quality of these clips leave something to be desired and that it would sound differently in better sound quality.
Finally, you have a fine singing voice! Some of those songs are quite difficult to sing…but I could hear you lean on Elfman’s particular phrasings here and there.
Anyways, just some comments that came to me while listening. Thanks a lot for sharing these and good luck in your future piano endevours!
TJ
That’s great, Ryan. Now if I could just use this opportunity to request something that you’ve probably received many requests for before: Will this board ever see a more contemporary format and lose the – if you’ll excuse me – rather archaic “branch” format? Perhaps that is all planned for the long-awaited revamp?
While reading the TERMINATOR thread just now, I found myself a bit “troubled” by having to scroll down miles to read the next response every time.
Call me crazy, but I’m actually going to buy this on COMPACT DISC! Remember those?
Also, I’m in no big hurry. I’ll wait a bit untill the price drops somewhat. But of course, I’m going to get it – perhaps even before I get to see the film.
Thanks for sharing. Just a couple of weeks ago, I managed to track this down myself (through other venues than youtube, and in better quality), but I’m sure there are a lot of people interested in this who never got to see it.
Heh….two movies called NINE / 9 with Elfman music in it….that woulda been something, eh? Now all he needs to score is a remake of PLANE 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (which isn’t that farfetched of an idea).
About a month later, and my list has shrunk considerably.
The only things that remain on the list now are WISDOM (completely impossible to find anywhere!), SHRUNKEN HEADS (likewise hard to find) and the Nike commercial (youtube has many Nike commercial, even with Charles Barkley, but I could not find the one with Elfman’s music).
Also, I’ve never seen any of the TV episodes mentioned above in full (except “The Jar”, which I managed to track down), but I have at least seen the opening credits for all of them, and that is really the only thing Elfman did in the first place (except PEE WEE’s PLAYHOUSE)!
TJ
I never understood how someone could get mad at a list! It’s a subjective list…I’m sure you would post a different one, as would I, as would Jonathan from Arkansas or Bjørn from Sweden. It’s just an excercise in personal favourites and “interpretations” of history, even if it is put together by a bunch of people and even if it is done by connaiseurs of film and music. Lists like these have little pragmatic value beyond that and should not be used as some sort of benchmark for an entire industry or artform or for the cultural competence of a given nation.
rkeaveney Wrote:
> The copy you don’t buy can go to someone elseIndeed. Be my guest.
By the way, I didn’t know that this had become hard to get. I seem to see it everywhere, both off and online. But if is indeed that, then I guess it’s great to have it available again. But a reissue would have sufficed.
I’m just going to quote what I’ve said elsewhere:
I’m the biggest Elfman nut in the world, but this is one of the most pointless releases I’ve seen in a long, long time – an example of a CD release frequency totally out of control. Not only is the existing album WIDELY AVAILABLE, it’s also MORE than long enough already. In fact, it’s way too bombastic and “sturm-und-drangey” for me to sit through THE WAY IT IS NOW! I always have to mentally prepare for this album, and even then it’s a chore. Releasing an expanded version of this is like kicking you when you’re down and exhausted from listening.
HOWEVER, it was a cool surprise, and judging from the response, I’m sure there’s a market for it. So good luck, LaLaLand.
rkeaveney Wrote:
> Yup! It’s been discussed here before.
>
> http://elfman.filmmusic.com/forum/read.php?7,28659
> ,28659#28659
> http://elfman.filmmusic.com/forum/read.php?7,28130
> ,28130#28130
>Touché!
Descent Into Mystery Wrote:
> FYI, Black Beauty is not a Tim Burton movie. It
> was directed by Elfman’s then girlfriend, Caroline
> Thompson.Yeah, I know. I don’t think I said it was a Burton film. It’s a great score, but I’m not sure I should “sully” my experience of it by watching the film. How is the film, btw?
Thanks, I’m actually well aware of what they’re all about. I just haven’t gotten around to watching them yet. When I started this thread, I didn’t expect the list to be that long!
Joseph was not just in “any kind of band”. I assume Toto is familiar to everyone. He is also the singing voice of Simba in THE LION KING. Among many other things.
Descent Into Mystery Wrote:
> To begin with, Williams didn’t write anything for
> Superman IV. Alexander Courage simply used
> alternate takes from the original score. You can
> hear those on the 2001 DVD of Superman: The Movie.I’m sorry, Descent, but Williams wrote “Jeremy’s Theme”, “Nuclear Man Theme” and “Lacy’s Theme” aka “Someone Like You”. The rest of the music was, as you say, for the most part Courage adaptations of the classic Williams themes:
http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=8874
SUPERMAN 2 and 3, however, were pure adaptations by Ken Thorne. No new Williams material there.
Well, Williams did some new themes for SUPERMAN IV, of all things. But you’re probably right that there are no more superhero themes on his resume. Unless, of course, you stretch the definition to include guys like Indiana Jones, Harry Potter or the Star Wars dudes.
