Halo 3 Most Successful Launch Ever

On occasion there comes an event/announcement that takes me aback just enough to warrant a post even though it has almost nothing to do with a score of some sort. This is one of those occasions. Microsoft has announced that their release of HALO 3 is the most successful launch ever. Oh...not impressed? Well, they aren't saying its the biggest, most successful launch of a mere video game only...but of any channel of entertainment! Say wha? Here's the short of it...

"Halo 3 has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the United States alone in the first 24 hours. More than 10,000 retailers hosted Midnight Madness events to celebrate the launch of this third installment in the billion-dollar franchise."
Read the full story here

Considering all of the media launches ever...movies, television series, whatever, it's just staggering to think of what Microsoft and Bungie have done here. My prediction is that the big, movie studios will give way to the indy film industry and throw all of their bucks into the gaming world.....and then produce full length feature cutscenes to augment their game releases. Ok-- maybe I exaggerate...or maybe I do not.

Now just to weave in some score-related-something-or-other, if you didn't know, the HALO 3 Soundtrack will be released in November and will include the score by MARTY O'DONNELL.

Win the Soundtrack to ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

The winner of this month’s caption contest will receive a copy of the original soundtrack to "ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE" by Craig Armstrong and A.R. Rahman!

Check out the contest rules HERE. Enter the contest HERE.

Howard Shore Audio Interview at Movie Geeks United

The fine folk at MOVIE GEEKS UNITED interviewed composer HOWARD SHORE this past Sunday and you can hear the interview in its entirety at their site. The Shore interview begins at about 33 minutes into the show.

HOWARD SHORE talks about his early years with Saturday Night Live, how he came to work with director DAVID CRONENBERG, their most recent collaborative effort, EASTERN PROMISES, THE RETURN OF THE KING COMPLETE RECORDINGS release, his LORD OF THE RINGS symphony and more.

You can check out the interview here!

Bad Boys Limited Edition by Mark Mancina

Well bad boys and girls, LA LA LAND RECORDS has just announced its release of BAD BOYS LIMITED EDITION by MARK MANCINA! The short of it is you can pre-order this up limited release of 3000 now...and it you act now there are a limited number of AUTOGRAPHED editions. Full track listing, sound clips and a lot more info are available at the site.

GET MORE INFO and PRE-ORDER yours here.

Amazon offers MP3 Downloads - No DRM!

I was taken a little by surprise by this announcement, but today, AMAZON.COM joined the world of legal, downloadable music! There are a few good things with what Amazon is doing here. First, NO DRM! Thank God for that. Second, encoding is at 256 kbps and while I wish it were at 320, its a heap better than iTunes (which I have come to loathe) and its paltry 192 kbps. As I have said, 192 kbps might be good enough for your top 40 schrot, but for your jazz or orchestral stuff, that bitrate just does not cut it.

So I hear you asking - "So what about selection?" To that I say, "It's not a bad start." Check out some of the soundtracks you can get below:

MEDAL OF HONOR: AIRBORNE by MICHAEL GIACCHINO for $6.99

MEDAL OF HONOR by MICHAEL GIACCHINO for $6.99

More Medal of Honor by Michael Giacchino

THE SIMPSON'S MOVIE: THE MUSIC by HANS ZIMMER

Hans Zimmer

Jerry Goldsmith

All Soundtracks

Amazon MP3 Store

You also get HIGH QUALITY ARTWORK with each album purchase. To download entire albums you must download and install Amazon's tool, but you can download invidividual tracks - no problem. No doubt the library of titles doesn't approach iTunes, but it's a start and a welcome alternative!

Elizabeth: The Golden Age Site - Music

I have been checking the official film site for ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE for a couple of weeks now and it has become one of the best I've seen in a while. A lot of standard film info, but its packaged and delivered beautifully and interestingly.

One of the best features is the music employed throughout the site. I can't confirm, but stands to reason that these are significant bits from CRAIG ARMSTRONG and AR RAHMAN's score for the film. The soundtrack will be released by DECCA RECORDS on October 9, 2007.

Based on these bits and the various trailers released, I have to say I'm pretty excited about this one. The stunning visuals look like they'll be matched by a decent score and hopefully the script will be worthy of the cast (well except for Mr. Owen...getting a little too much "Clive" these days).

You can check the official site out here

Star Wars: The Corellian Edition Track Listing

Thought I post this new info regarding the tracklisting for Sony Classicals soon-to-come release of STAR WARS: THE CORELLIAN EDITION.



Star Wars: The Corellian Edition Track Listing

1. Star Wars Main Title and The Arrival at Naboo Orchestra 2:55
2. The Flag Parade 2:11
3. Qui-Gon's Noble End (Voice) 3:47
4. Jango's Escape Williams, John; London Symphony Orchestra 3:47
5. Yoda And The Younglings 3:56
6. General Grievous 4:07
7. Anakin's Dark Deeds 4:04
8. Imperial Attack 6:44 9. Ben Kenobi's Death/Tie Fighter Attack (Medley) 3:53
10. Yoda and the Force 4:05
11. The Clash of Lightsabers 4:19
12. Sail Barge Assault 5:04
13. End Title [from Star Wars Episode VI] 6:05



Don't forget to you to enter the NEW CONTEST HERE.

Win STAR WARS: CORELLIAN EDITION SOUNDTRACK

Tracksounds and Sony Classical partner to deliver this unique opportunity to win Sony Classical's upcoming release of STAR WARS: THE CORELLIAN EDITION soundtrack. The single disc release includes music from ALL SIX STAR WARS EPISODES all composed by JOHN WILLIAMS.

Simply fill out the entry form, subscribing to SONY BMG MASTERWORKS e-newsletter list and you'll have a chance to win 1 OF 5 soundtracks!

If the force is with you, what do you have to lose?

ENTER NOW!

Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collectors Soundtrack November 6, 2007

You didn't think Lucas would let the LORD OF THE RINGS franchise garner all the attention in November with its release of the LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING COMPLETE RECORDINGS now did you?

SONY CLASSICAL has just officially announced an 8 CD, 30th Anniversary, Collectors edition! These 8 discs include JOHN WILLIAMS' work for episodes IV - VI (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). Also included as part of the set is a special CORELLIAN edition which is a 13-track compilation from ALL SIX STAR WARS flicks.

Now the special box set contains a heap of collectors too big for even an imperial trash compactor to handle. Below is SONY'S official press release, so you can get all of the Endor-lovin' details there....

But for now there is no shame in endulging your fantacism...PRE-ORDER YOURS HERE!



For Immediate Release


SONY CLASSICAL CELEBRATES
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF STAR WARS
WITH AN 8-CD COLLECTORS EDITION
FEATURING THREE OF
COMPOSER/CONDUCTOR JOHN WILLIAMS’
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RECORDINGS

LIMITED EDITION BOX SET FEATURES
FIRST SINGLE-DISC COMPILATION OF STAR WARS MOST POPULAR THEMES, PLUS EXCLUSIVE NEW CD-ROM WITH ORIGINAL LP INSERTS,
POSTER AND PHOTOS

RELEASE DATE IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2007

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Star Wars movie, Sony Classical is releasing a one-time deluxe edition of Williams’ lush, timeless themes on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. The Music of Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is housed in an elegant numbered box set featuring new cover art depicting the main Star Wars characters. The box contains eight CDs. Six of these are mastered from the Expanded Edition versions of the soundtracks from three Star Wars episodes:

Episode IV – A New Hope (two CDs)
Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (two CDs)
Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (two CDs)

Each of the above is housed in a gatefold mini-jacket that is a scale reproduction of the original LP cover art.

The seventh CD is Star Wars: The Corellian Edition. This is a collection of the most popular Star Wars themes from all six episodes – on one CD, for the first time. The new recording takes its name from the Corellian System, a fictional group of “core worlds” at the heart of the Star Wars galaxy. The 13-track Corellian Edition CD can be purchased separately. (The stand-alone version, housed in a single jewel case, became available in stores October 2, 2007. Its track lists and credits are printed on a newly designed six-panel, fold-out mini-poster.)

The eighth CD in the premium box set is a CD-ROM. Its digital artwork files faithfully reproduce all of the inserts – including gatefolds and posters – that were packaged with the original LP vinyl recordings of the themes from Star Wars Episodes IV, V and VI.


The Music of Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collector’s Edition also includes:

an exclusive new 15” x 15” fold-out poster celebrating Episodes IV, V and VI;
three collectable 4” x 4” stickers, each featuring a four-color reproduction of the CD cover from the Expanded Edition soundtrack of one of these episodes;
new notes on the history of the first Star Wars soundtrack; and
track lists and credits for the CDs.

In 1977, John Williams had just finished serving as music director for Steven Spielberg’s breakthrough feature Jaws. Spielberg, impressed with the high level of dramatic tension that Williams’ score had imparted to the film, recommended him to another upcoming producer-director, George Lucas, who was hard at work on a project titled Star Wars.

Since then, Williams has composed the music and served as music director for one of the most phenomenally successful franchises in cinema history – the six episodes of Lucas’s space-adventure saga, which take place “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” Williams’ score for the first Star Wars movie won the Academy Award for 1978, edging out another of his own scores (for Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

As Lucas planned and shot Star Wars “prequels” out of chronological sequence, the first movie was re-titled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The sixth and final installment, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, opened in May 2005. In an interview with National Public Radio, Williams said he had “never imagined in the 1970s that I’d still be working on the Star Wars project 30 years later.”

RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz are labels of SONY BMG MASTERWORKS. For e-mail updates and information regarding RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, Masterworks Broadway and Masterworks Jazz artists, promotions, tours and repertoire, please visit www.sonybmgmasterworks.com.

The Last Winter Released

MovieScore Media presents

THE LAST WINTER

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Featuring orchestral score by Jeff Graceand ambient score by Anton Sanko


The Last Winter takes place in the Arctic region of Northern Alaska where an oil company's team is drawn into a world of disorientation and mysterious fear following the death of one of the members. The Last Winter is written and directed by horror genre specialist Larry Fessenden, who has been acting in films such as Headspace and The Roost, and produced genre titles such as Zombie Honeymoon and The Off Season. The Last Winter stars Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Alien: Resurrection, The Name of the Rose), Kevin Corrigan (The Departed, Goodfellas, True Romance), James LeGros (Enemy of the State, Zodiac, Psycho) and Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights).

The music for The Last Winter is special in that it actually features two original scores by different composers - one orchestral and one electronic. "I invited two different composers to illuminate different aspects of the story: Anton Sanko I wanted to provide an ambient score to suggest the encroaching mental stress the characters are going through. Jeff Grace I wanted to provide a more romanticized interpretation of the story, to track the emotional aspect of the characters' journey," explains director Larry Fessenden.

MovieScore Media reunites with composer Jeff Grace, whose much acclaimed score for the independent horror film The Roost was released by the label last year. It was hailed as "one of the most satisfying and memorable horror scores of the past few years" by noted web site soundtrack.net. Jeff Grace has quickly emerged as a truly original and very interesting new voice in the film music business. With The Last Winter he returns to the bold avant garde experimentalism of The Roost, but he also showcases another side of himself: a restrained beauty rooted in traditional harmony and instrumentation, heard in the main theme of the film. The electronic score by Anton Sanko provides an eerie contrast to Jeff's music and as a whole, The Last Winter is, in terms of its musical approach, one of the most original horror films in recent years.

Listen to sound clips and download artwork here:http://www.moviescoremedia.com/lastwinter.html

CD edition distributed by Screen Archives Entertainment:http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=7916

Download album in 320kbit mp3 format here:http://www.filmmusicdownloads.com/MovieScoreMediaShop/album_details.htm?id=5426

Download album on iTunes here:http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=263657113&s=143444

SPECIAL NOTE: We are now lowering the price of our CDs! Suggested retail price for The Last Winter and all forthcoming MovieScore Media releases is $17.95 (previous price: $19.95).

MMS07009

THE LAST WINTER: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Music Composed by JEFF GRACE & ANTON SANKO

Release date: September 18, 2007.

For a preview of our upcoming CD releases, please visit http://www.moviescoremedia.com/comingsoon.html

Dead Head Fred Score Available on iTunes

For those of you who are fans of one of the more popular Sony PSP titles, DEAD HEAD FRED, or of the work of composers ROD ABERNETHY AND JASON GRAVES (aka Red Note Audio), the official soundtrack has recently been released on iTunes (hopefully a CD release will follow).

Here is the full, official 411:

DEAD HEAD FRED™ ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES®

ORIGINAL MUSIC BY AWARD-WINNING COMPOSERS ROD ABERNETHY AND JASON GRAVES RELEASED AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD BY LAKESHORE RECORDS

Los Angeles, CA – September 18, 2007

Rednote Audio (www.rednoteaudio.com) and Lakeshore Records (www.lakeshore-records.com) today announced the original soundtrack to the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) third person action game Dead Head Fred™, developed by Vicious Cycle Software, Inc. and published by D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA), is now available at the Apple iTunes® music store.

The Dead Head Fred Original Soundtrack includes nearly 40 minutes of music encapsulating the unique, often sublime atmosphere of the game’s ‘twisted noir’ setting. Written and produced by veteran video game composers Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves, the game’s eclectic score blends cinematic orchestrations with a dark panorama of jazz, southwestern guitar, ambient, rock fusion and other seemingly disparate music styles into a cohesive and alluring listening experience.

“When we went to Rednote Audio we already knew a lot about Dead Head Fred and Hope Falls but we didn’t know what Fred’s world sounded like,” said Adam Cogan, Game Designer, Vicious Cycle Software, Inc. “Luckily, Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves at Rednote Audio did. They far exceeded our expectations and managed to create scores that are every bit as original and distinctive as Fred is.”

Created specifically for the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) system, Dead Head Fred draws players into an original 1940’s inspired alternative universe where players experience an innovative and refreshing twist on action gameplay as cranium-impaired hero Fred Neuman, collecting, upgrading and strategically switching his head with the heads of enemies to battle through a story of revenge and redemption.

Mark Reis, Senior Sound Designer at Vicious Cycle Software, Inc., added “Working with Rod and Jason is always a joy and their contribution to Dead Head Fred added flavor and depth that complemented the sound design and voice acting. The edgy soundtrack is a perfect accompaniment to the twisted noir world of Dead Head Fred.”

For more information on Dead Head Fred, visit the official game web site at www.deadheadfred.net.

About Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves

Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves of Rednote Audio create award-winning music for video games, film and television. Their video game credits include BlackSite: Area 51, Transformers, Star Trek: Legacy, Blazing Angels, King Arthur, Zathura, Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, Rise of the Kasai and The Hobbit (“Soundtrack of the Year” – 2004 Game Audio Network Guild Awards). Rod Abernethy’s work in video games began by collaborating with veteran film composer Elmer Bernstein on the video game Wild Wild West, The Steel Assassin. Since 1998, Rod has created scores for over forty video games. Early in his career, he recorded and collaborated with many well-known producers including legendary Paul Rothchild (The Doors, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt) and David Lord (Peter Gabriel, Tori Amos, The Pretenders). Working in many major studios in the U.S. and U.K., Rod has recorded for Warner Bros., Elektra, Atlantic, and MCA Records. Jason Graves has studied with film composers Elmer Bernstein and Christopher Young, as well as Hollywood orchestrators.

Playable Cinema - The Fusion of Gaming and Movies

As I finished up both my review of BIOSHOCK and my interview with the composer of the game's score, GARRY SCHYMAN, that phrase "playable cinema" kept running through my mind. That is where the gaming and film industries have been moving toward for a number of years now. With the release of games like BIOSHOCK and perhaps even moreso, HEAVENLY SWORD, we might just be there. I can't say that I've ever seen any game like the visuals of HEAVENLY SWORD or been as enveloped by a games atmosphere like BIOSHOCK. I've been addicted to the short animated back-story shorts presented at the HEAVENLY SWORD site. I've been swept up in the depth of 2KGames' official sites for BIOSHOCK. Both of these games and LAIR as well, have created new, detailed worlds, that are as interesting as the games themselves. For as long as movies have been made, audience members have said to themselves "I wish I could do that!" ...and the day has come where they can.

If you look at the history of it - the two mediums have been on a collision course for decades. We first saw game-spin-offs of movies and more recently movie spin-offs from games. As processing power continues to exponentially increase, the merging of the two seems only natural...if not inevitable. I, for one, am ecstatic at seeing this media evolution continue. As I've remarked elsewhere, with the storage, bandwidth, and processing power available for game development ever on the increase, this affords game producers what they need to hire grade-A composers and grade-A orchestras for these game scores. And we won't even speak about the budgets. They certainly have plenty of bucks now-days.

Let's not underestimate the power of symphonic music in these games. While the visuals cause our jaws to drop, just how much less impacting would the game play be without the contributions of a MICHAEL GIACCHINO, INON ZUR, or JESPER KYD? As it's been said before "Audiences will put up with bad picture, but they won't put up with bad sound." 128-bit+ graphics with 16-bit sound would be unforgivable. So as we are witness to "playable cinema" emerging before our very eyes, I hope you'll join in the anticipation for where this will lead musically. If the music matters within film and it matters within a game - just how much more when the two become one? As gross as it sounds...my ears salivate at what's to come!

Interview with composer Garry Schyman (Bioshock)

As 2KGames continues to get rave reviews for their ground-breaking effort BIOSHOCK, Tracksounds speaks with composer GARRY SCHYMAN about his work on the project, his thoughts about a potential paradigm shift in the gaming industry, if he'll be involved with a "Bioshock 2," and his most recent project DESTROY ALL HUMANS: PATH OF THE FURON.

Check out the interview here!

Bioshock Soundtrack by Garry Schyman

Beauty and the Big Daddy
Review by Christopher Coleman

One of the most anticipated games of 2007 has been 2KGames' BIOSHOCK. The game has garnered super-high praise from the gaming community due to its immersive environments, engaging storyline, and chillingly creative score. BIOSHOCK along with upcoming games such as LAIR and HEAVENLY SWORD are good examples of what could be called "playable cinema." In order to make a big splash in the gaming-world it's no longer enough to have just a clever game concept (although in the end it remains the most important ingredient). What we are currently witnessing is the line between video-gaming and movie-going becoming thinner by the minute. And at least one good consequence of this media-blending is the increase of feature-film-quality game scores being produced.


Read the full review here (covers the soundtrack + promo release)

Terence Blanchard's A Tale of God's Will

In wanting to keep all of you score-hogs well-rounded, here's some news from a post in our discussion forums. Trumpet master, TERENCE BLANCHARD's recent work for Spike Lee's A TALE OF GOD'S WILL: A REQUIEM FOR KATRINA is now available.

Not only does it feature Blanchard's stellar jazz quintet but also a 40 piece string orchestra and it's a dynamic listen and may be his best collaborative effort with Lee since Malcom X. You can check out the soundtrack's microsite here. There you will find three high quality, streaming tracks.

Heavenly Sword is Here

Well she's here...and she carry's a big sword. Perhaps the most anticipated game for the Sony Playstation 3 has been Ninja Theory's HEAVENLY SWORD.

The music for the game was composed by NITIN SAWHNEY and from the tiny clips heard on the offical game site, things are sounding promising. Music4games.net has recently put up a nice interview with the elusive composer which is worth a read.

Hopefully we'll get a full score release as well.

Lastly, be on the lookout for our interview with GARRY SCHYMAN (BIOSHOCK) by the end of the weekend...plus a review of his score for the super-popular game.

Track from John Debney's LAIR at Playstation Store

For those of you who dropped $500+ on the Sony Playstation 3, Sony has recently released one track from John Debney's popular score for the game LAIR...and you can get it through the Playstation Store.

The track that has been released is "Battle for Asylia." Apparently, there will be more tracks released through this same channel in the future. I have not heard the track released but, if you want a taste of JOHN DEBNEY'S score you can hear a few clips here...and read a review of the 5 track Lair promo disc.

Still no word on a more complete and official soundtrack release.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Nicholas Hooper

Phoenix Rising
Review by Steve Townsley

(Apologies for spoilers herein, but…the seventh book has broken sales records in stores, already—who am I spoiling here?)

When I learned that Patrick Doyle was succeeding John Williams as composer for the phenomenal HARRY POTTER film-franchise, I was elated and relieved, for I knew that if Williams could not provide music for all the Potter-installments, then Doyle is more than worthy to pick up the wand…er--baton. So, when movie 5 was announced, and NICHOLAS HOOPER was proclaimed the new composer, I, probably like many, had the response, “Who??”

For the months preceding, I anticipated the forthcoming film (and score) very little. Not that I wasn’t intending to enjoy it in due time. I merely let my eagerness wane, so as not to over-exhaust myself with Pottermania to the saturation point. And not that I wasn’t curious as to the as-to-my-ears heretofore unheard NICHOLAS HOOPER turning in what was suspected to be a by-the-numbers derivative score, drawing naturally upon the instantly associative “Hedwig’s Theme”, and perhaps a quotation here and there of other established themes within the franchise.


READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Teaser Poster

Coming in under the "just too cool not to post" category comes the unveiling of the next Indy Film...and I don't mean festival.

INDIANA JONES and THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL is the official title of the next Indiana Jones installment to release next Memorial Day!

To get things kicked off - the first teaser poster is officially on sale at Moviegoods.com. Now if we could only get a teaser of John Williams score.

You can pick it up here...
You have about 8 months to stare at it on your wall.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings to hit November 6,2007

November 6, 2007 - the date so many have been waiting for! Warner/Reprise Records has announced that this will be the date that THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING - THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS is due out. You can read their full press release below, but suffice it to say...this will be a doozy. 5 discs with almost 4 hours of music? The fifth disc is a special DVD-Audio disc with the complete 3 hours and 50 minutes of score in even higher resolution sound! Anyway...start saving your pennies...



"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings"
Set for Release November 6, 2007 on Reprise/WMG Soundtracks

Available for the First Time!

BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - September 12, 2007) -

Howard Shore's complete Oscar®-winning score for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," from the epic film trilogy "The Lord of the Rings," will be available for the first time in a deluxe five-disc edition from Reprise/WMG Soundtracks on November 6, 2007.

This historic release contains 3 hours and 50 minutes of music on four CDs, comprising the full score of the 2003 film. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings" marks the third and final edition of the three complete recording releases of the film trilogy whose score has been honored with three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. This deluxe set includes exclusive new artwork, packaging, liner notes written by Doug Adams, author of the forthcoming book "The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films," and features Annie Lennox performing the Oscar®-winning song "Into the West."
Composed for symphony orchestra, adult and children's choir, and soloists, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings" was performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola featuring vocal performances by Annie Lennox, Renée Fleming, Sissel, Ben Del Maestro and cast members Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, and Dominic Monaghan. The score also features solos performed by renowned flautist Sir James Galway.

The fifth disc is a DVD-Audio presenting the entire "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings" in Advanced Resolution Surround Sound, Advanced Resolution Stereo Sound, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and Dolby Digital Stereo Sound.

"Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings" was released on December 13, 2005 and spent months in Amazon.com's top 100 Sales Ranking, garnering some of the best reviews of the year. "For fans of any of 'The Lord of the Rings' films, 'The Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings' is an essential experience," said Heather Phares, All Music Guide. "'The Complete Recordings' is last year's most important archival soundtrack release, expanding and preserving one of the finest and most significant recent scores in all of film music. Shore's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is an operatic symphony that is among the finest musical accomplishments of the last half-century. The plethora of unreleased material on this beautifully packaged edition is mouth-watering at the least, and the sonic dynamic achieved on the surround sound DVD of the entire 180-minute score is simply astonishing," said Randall Larson, Music From the Movies.

Get more info here as it becomes available

Here He is . . . IRON MAN!

Ok...let the hype for Summer 2008 films really begin! The IronMan teaser is now available for your viewing pleasure online. So far ... so good!

Apple's quicktime site is offering it from iPhone size...to 1080p. Nice.

Check it out here

Help Wanted!

Hey folks - Tracksounds is busier than ever! Traffic is higher than ever. We've got more ideas than we have hands or time...so we're lookin' for some creative, hard-working, passionate folk to hook up with.

We're lookin' for reviewers, editorial writers, forum/community moderators, and coders. If you are interested in getting involved...


CHECK OUR HELP WANTED PAGE HERE

The Lady in the Trailer

It absolutely amazes me. The indelible mark that James Newton Howard's recent work has left upon Hollywood is truly amazing. In particular I refer to his music for the much underappreciated film LADY IN THE WATER. Yes...I speak of the film itself as being underappreciated. James Newton Howard's score has gotten many accolades, including here at Tracksounds.

Now, odds are if have been to your local multiplex in the last few months and you might have noticed something. References to Howard's score for this film are everywhere. Recently, when I went to see STARDUST I was baptized in Howard's LADY IN THE WATER. Prior to the start of the feature film (you know... some 30 minutes prior these days?) there were two film trailers that played back-to-back (THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, THE GOLDEN COMPASS) which featured his score. And his influence doesn't stop there. In STARDUST itself Eshkeri was, at times, clearly influenced by "the Lady" as well. Check out our full review of STARDUST for more about Eshkeri's excellent score.

And there is more. In Steve Jablonsky's D-WAR (DRAGON WARS) James Newton Howard is climbing in, out, and all around that score as well. Look for our review on that D-WAR soon. Like STARDUST, Jablonsky's score has been positively influenced by Howard's work.

Somehow it seems Mr. Howard hit the fantastic-bullseye with his score for LADY IN THE WATER. About a decade ago it was the work of Randy Edelman that seemed to crawl from trailer to trailer. Edelman's work for DRAGONHEART and DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY were everywhere. Looks as though a new Trailer King has been crowned. Next time you see a trailer for a fantasy film in the theater, download one, or catch one on TV, pay close attention as you might catch a audible glimpse of The Lady in the Trailer.

New Poll: What Early Fall Score are you most anticipating?

My, my. There are a lot of good flicks to choose from this Fall! Vote for the score you are most looking forward two over the next couple of months.

Cast your vote here!

Stardust by Ilan Eshkeri

Just the Other Side of the Wall
Review by Christopher Coleman

As the summer of 2007 tails away, director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) brings Neil Gaiman's graphic novel, STARDUST, to the big screen. With a stellar-cast such as: Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfieffer, Peter O' Toole, and the narration of Sir Ian McKellen, the film would seem to be in good hands in that department. Bringing on composer Ilan Eshkeri was also a promising move. Although his engaging score was poorly represented on the DARK KINGDOM: THE DRAGON KING soundtrack, what was evident in the two tracks that did find their way onto that release was that Eshkeri could do fantasy. STARDUST would afford him the perfect opportunity stretch his legs more fully.

STARDUST is an interesting film - dubbed an adult-romantic-fantasy. It has drawn comparisons to Rob Reiner's classic THE PRINCESS BRIDE, but such comparison's are misplaced. Vaughn's movie does tell its fairy-tale story with subtle wink, but it doesn't approach clever and classic humor of THE PRINCESS BRIDE. On the other side of things, STARDUST has its moments, but certainly doesn't take itself as seriously as many fantasy films do. This film is just a hard film to qualify...which makes the movie experience a little awkward while remaining enjoyable. Further confusing the issue of categorization is STARDUST's sumptuously serious score.


READ THE FULL REVIEW

Nike's Leave Nothing Campaign Uses The Last of the Mohicans

Ok the season of all seasons is here. Of course I refer to FOOTBALL, that's "American football" for all of my non-USA-friends. As I get ready to feast on my first few games of the year, I happen to see Nike's new commercial for their LEAVE NOTHING campaign.

It's a great commercial with some interesting editing and CG work. It's reported that Michael Mann directed the spot. Interestingly, the ad above utilizes Trevor Jones' memorable music from THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS - still one of the best selling soundtracks of all time.

Far be it from me to miss a chance to post something that combines football and film music!

Look for the ad wherever the NFL is being televised.


But you can also view it here. (click on "see more action" and you will)

Heavenly Sword: The Music by Nitin Sawhney

Ok. So there has been a lot of coverage for John Debney's LAIR around here, but there is more going on for the SONY PLAYSTATION 3 than just LAIR. The second game that has got me eyeballing a PS3 for the first time is HEAVENLY SWORD.

This game is truly amazing to behold, but providing the musical texture is composer NITIN SAWHNEY. For this project he blends orchestral and electronic elements to give HEAVENLY SWORD a distinctive sound.

The official game site has been releasing MAKING OF episodes for a few weeks now (along with some pretty entertaining back-story episodes as well). You can even download all of the episodes in 720p! Between this site and Bioshock's, these game sites are doing a better job ofm not only generating hype, but providing interesting insight into the game's story even better than the film studios for their projects. The fifth installment of the "making of" series focuses on NITIN SAWHNEY's contribution to the epic project.

I'm trying hard to secure an interview with the composer, but its been no easier than getting one with John Debney. Keep your gaming-fingers crossed and stay tuned for more on the score for HEAVENLY SWORD.

Enjoy the feature!

Upcoming Film: Silk - Score by Ryuichi Sakamoto

Don't know how this one dropped below the radar, but there is an upcoming flick by THE RED VIOLIN's director, FRANCOIS GIRARD, entitled SILK. If the movie holds to what the trailer shows, we are in for, at the very least, a visual treat.

It looks to be well-cast as well: Keira Knightley, Alfred Molina, Michael Pitt, Koji Yakusho, Sei Ashina. I'm just thankful they didn't cast GONG LI or ZANG ZIYI in this one. ;) There has been a vicious rumor for years that there are actually a few Japanese women who can play the role of a Japanese woman. I don't know...we'll have to wait and see.

The composer for this beautifully tempting film? Famed Japanese composer, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO. Ok...we've got a French director and a Japanese composer for a film that is making its way through the Festival circuit now. Don't be surprised then to see SILK nominated for a Golden Globe or two...and of course the Oscar for BEST SCORE - regardless of how good the score and film actually are. ;)

For now, enjoy the trailer (the music in the trailer doesn't ring any immediate bells, so if you know, please post a comment!)

HSO Performs at the JULES VERNE ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL

More news from the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra...

The orchestra will be performing at this years festival which is reason enough to check the festival out. Also, there will be some interesting premieres like: BLADE RUNNER 25th ANNIVERSARY ULTIMATE DIRECTOR'S CUT (could the title be any longer?), John Woo's EX-MACHINA, TITANIC 10th ANNIVERSARY EVENT, NASA 50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT...and more...check below for the "more."

You can also check out the JULES VERNE FILM FESTIVAL website and trailer which has some "interesting" music. Interesting as in bits from TYLER BATES' 300, HOWARD SHORE'S LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, JERRY GOLDSMITH'S GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, JOHN BARRY'S OUT OF AFRICA and JOHN WILLIAMS' DUEL OF THE FATES, among others. Just see how many clips you can name! The trailer is some 18 minutes long and by the end of it...you'll want to be there.

This is a truly unique film festival that really should be getting more attention. Check it out!

The famed Paris film festival and film music concerts arrive in Los Angeles with very special seminars, films, events for all ages. 10 days of Adventure, Conservation and Exploration, including special performances by the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra!The Shrine Auditorium Thursday Dec 6 through Sunday Dec 9, The Los Angeles Theatre Thursday Dec 13 through Sunday Dec 16

Movie Premieres: The international documentary film selections will explore the Planet - The James Cameron's Undersea Adventures - 3D movie Premieres - Blade Runner's 25th Anniversary Ultimate Director's Cut Special event - World Premiere of John Ford's "Iron Horse" with live Orchestra & Native American events - Titanic’s 10th Anniversary special event. "Heroes," the Ultimate Event with casts and creators - Star Trek's Classic HD giant screenings - John Woo’s production of Japanese animation "Ex-Machina" - NASA 50th Anniversary Special Event - Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea & props... Gala concert with the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra. And much more! Special guests: Ted Turner - Jean-Michel Cousteau - Kirk Douglas - William Shatner - Leonard Nimoy - Michele Nichols - George Takei - Walter Koenig - John Woo - Walter Hill - Stan Lee - James Cameron and many more...

BUY SPECIAL PASSES, CREDENTIALS AND EVENT TICKETS NOW

Music Soundtrack Seminar in Hollywood

Just received some news from our friends at the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra that I wanted to pass along. First up - a special series of seminars sponsored by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Looks like some interesting material by some interesting composers! Below is the blurb from the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra newsletter:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents a three-evening seminar series offers a detailed look at the music scoring process from the perspective of motion picture composers themselves. Each week's topic will be illuminated by film clips, on-stage discussions with guests (subject to availability) and questions from the audience. Each session will begin with a film clip illustrating two different scores for the same scene. We are pleased to note that HSO Honorary Advisors Charles Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin and Bruce Broughton will be participating in this terrific series.

Sept. 20 – Traditional Scores Moderated by Charles Bernstein, with Lalo Schifrin and Jan Kaczmarek

Sept. 27 – Alternative Scores Moderated by Bruce Broughton, with Mychael Danna, Mark Isham and Rolfe Kent

Oct. 4 – The Music Team With George S. Clinton, Michael Giacchino, John Powell and music editor Mike Flicker

Passes for the entire series are $30 for the general public and $20 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Series passes may be purchased online beginning September 4 or by mail (HTML or PDF format). Tickets for individual evenings, if available, will be $10 at the door. The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at the Academy's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study, 1313 Vine Street, Hollywood. Parking is available behind the building through the entrance on Homewood Avenue (one block north of Fountain). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, please call the Academy at (310) 247-3600.

GET MORE INFO HERE

3:10 To Yuma by Marco Beltrami Sound Clips

I was suppose to catch the SNEAK PREVIEW tonight of 3:10 TO YUMA, but the schedule just didn't allow for me to get there on time. In fact, the flick is starting right about now. This looks like it could be the best western in some years (Jesse James hasn't really captured my attention much yet.)

Now to appease myself from missing the Sneak Peek, I thought I'd post this little bit as there are a SOUND CLIPS of MARCO BELTRAMI's score at the official movie website. Just visit THE OFFICIAL SITE and click on "soundtrack" once you're there.

Thus far now label has been announced, but since the official site went to the trouble of posting clips and a track listing, I pretty certain there will be a release.

If you don't want to listen to the clips, then, while you are there, at least check out the trailer.

Hans Zimmer on CNN's The Screening Room

While just having a quick surf of the net...I came across this on hans-zimmer.com. It's Hans being Hans and he's always a good interview. Here are a couple of quotes:

"You're a composer second and a film maker first."

"My job is to do the things they (directors) can't imagine."

"At it's best it enhances everybody elses contributions. At its worst, it probably ruins your movie...I try not to ruin to many of them."

Anyway, enjoy a little Hans on your Sunday here.

WIN THE KINGDOM BY DANNY ELFMAN!

Enter to win composer DANNY ELFMAN's latest project - THE KINGDOM. Simply enter up to three captions for the posted movie image! Contest ends on September 30, 2007.

ENTER TODAY!

Ghost Rider (Soundtrack) by Christopher Young

Blazing New Trails

by Cap Stewart

Collisions at intersections are never a pretty sight. Malfunctioning lights, bad weather, driver error—whatever the cause of the accident, the results aren’t pleasant. Passenger cars simply weren’t designed to be bumper cars.

Some might say the same thing about certain musical genres. For example, western and horror elements don’t readily come to mind as being inherently compatible. Neither would a rock band and a gothic choir be considered the best combination.

In the case of the movie GHOST RIDER, however, director Mark Steven Johnson and composer CHRISTOPHER YOUNG thought otherwise. Indeed, the musical approach to the film is quite unique. The combination of western, horror, gothic choir, and rock elements is largely successful—almost good enough to be called a beautiful collision.

READ THE FULL REVIEW