Soundcast (Ep. 88) - Herrmann, Williams or Zimmer?

Episode 88 - Herrmann, Williams or Zimmer?

Marty and Will Brueggemann (Underscore Podcast) join Erik Woods and Christopher Coleman to discuss the results of the recent Tracksounds' Twitter polls which asked, "Which composer has had the most impact on film music:  Bernard Herrmann, John Williams, or Hans Zimmer?"  In addition to discussing the surprising poll results, they dive into the substantial merits of each composer for such a title.  Lastly, each shares which composer they feel has truly made the largest impact upon the world of film music thus far.


Episode Highlights

00:24 - Intro and Welcome to Marty and Will Brueggemann (Underscore Podcast)
07:21 - Defining "Impact"
11:33 - Surprising Poll Results?
20:30 - Recognizing Williams
24:44 - The Elegant Mantle of John Williams
32:50 - Herrmann's Undeniable Influence
39:59 - Which Composer Has Truly Had the Most Impact?
66:39 - Only Zimmer Could Go to Coachella
73:48 - The Last Word



Music Selections

00:00 - "Marnie" - (Pyscho:  The Essential Alfred Hitchcock Collection) by
Bernard Herrmann
07:01 - "Super Mario Kart Theme" - (Super Mario Kart) by Soyo Oka

20:49 - "End Credits" (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial) by John Williams
32:18 - "North by Northwest" (Pyscho:  The Essential Alfred Hitchcock Collection) by
Bernard Herrmann37:18 - "Harry's Wonderous World" (Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone) by John Williams
66:13 - "A Watchful Guardian" (The Dark Knight) by Hans Zimmer
80:59 - "The End?" (Sherlock Holmes:  A Game of Shadows) by Hans Zimmer

Notes:

UnderScore (Podcast)
Follow Underscore on Twitter.

Follow Erik Woods on Twitter.
Cinematic Sound Radio 

Follow Tracksounds on Twitter.
Follow Christopher Coleman on Twitter.

Support Tracksounds:

Most of the soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com

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The official podcast of Tracksounds.com, The SoundCast is hosted by Christopher Coleman and features reviews and discussions centered around film, TV, and video game soundtracks. Special edition episodes include interviews with composers and other industry professionals.

The Soundcast Stereo is co-hosted by Christopher Coleman and Erik Woods (Cinematic Sound Radio).  Each episode is a 30 minute (ish), two channel conversation about the world of film, television, and video game music.

Soundcast Stereo (Ep. 15) Composer Dominance

Episode 15 - Composer Dominance

Will the director-change for the DCEU's upcoming "The Batman" mean a composer change?  Could that composer change somehow be Michael Giacchino?  Erik and Christopher discuss the possibilities and the potential repercussions.  That discussion leads to a dive into some reflection on some of Hollywood's most dominant composers over the last 40+ years and those who may be poised to dominate in the near future!


Episode Highlights
00:04 - Intro & Affleckting the DCEU ...
06:51 - Michael Giacchino dominance
08:46 - Is composer dominance a good or bad thing?
13:12 - Hans Zimmer dominance
20:48 - John Williams dominance
31:46 - Henry Jackman dominance


Music Selections

00:00 - "Bumper to Bumper. Rail to Rail" (Speed Racer) by Michael Giacchino

54:44 - "Romanian Wind" (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) by Hans Zimmer

COMPANION PLAYLIST (on Spotify) - Soundcast Stereo Episode 14 Companion Playlist - https://bit.ly/sscp-15

These are unique Spotify playlists where we list tracks from most of (if not all) of the soundtrack titles referenced in the episode! And be sure to follow us on Spotify while you're at it. https://open.spotify.com/user/tracksounds

Notes:

Follow Erik Woods on Twitter.
Cinematic Sound Radio 

Follow Tracksounds on Twitter.
Follow Christopher Coleman on Twitter.

Support Tracksounds:

Most of the soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com

Subscribe and More Info

aCAST
GOOGLE PLAY

iTUNES

RSS FEED

STITCHER RADIO

TUNEIN RADIO

The official podcast of Tracksounds.com, The SoundCast is hosted by Christopher Coleman and features reviews and discussions centered around film, TV, and video game soundtracks. Special edition episodes include interviews with composers and other industry professionals.

The Soundcast Stereo is co-hosted by Christopher Coleman and Erik Woods (Cinematic Sound Radio).  Each episode is a 30 minute (ish), two channel conversation about the world of film, television, and video game music.

Soundcast Ep. 86 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Michael Giacchino

Episode 86 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Michael Giacchino

Marius Masalar, Erik Woods and Christopher drop in from hyperspace to talk about ROGUE ONE:  A STAR WARS STORY and its original score by Michael Giacchino.  Following the latest edition of WHYBLT? (What have you been listening to?) the trio dive into Disney/Lucasfilm's prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope and break down their personal reactions to the film, itself, how the score operates in context and lastly how it works as a stand-alone listen.

Episode Highlights

00:30 - "Together Again, huh?"
03:00 - What Have You Been Listening To?
22:30 - Rogue One - The Film (SPOILERS!)
44:40 - Rogue One - The Score in Context (SPOILERS!)
55:19 - Rogue One - The Score as stand-alone listen (SPOILERS!)
75:58 - "Now let's blow this thing and go home!"

Music Selections

00:00 - "Rogue One" (Rogue One) by Michael Giacchino
22:38 - "The Imperial Suite" (Rogue One) by Michael Giacchino
44:02 - "Jyn Erso & Hope Suite" (Rogue One) by Michael Giacchino
75:21 - "Hope" (Rogue One) by Michael Giacchino
86:41 - "The Master Switch" (Rogue One) by Michael Giacchino

Notes:

"Star Crash" by John Barry - https://youtu.be/MxlHUgRNCoU

Follow Erik Woods on Twitter.
Follow Marius Masalar on Twitter.
Follow Christopher Coleman Twitter.



Support Tracksounds:

Most of the  soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com

Subscribe and More Info

aCAST
GOOGLE PLAY

iTUNES

RSS FEED

STITCHER RADIO

TUNEIN RADIO

The official podcast of Tracksounds.com, The SoundCast is hosted by Christopher Coleman and features reviews and discussions centered around film, TV, and video game soundtracks. Special edition episodes include interviews with composers and other industry professionals.

The Soundcast Stereo is co-hosted by Christopher Coleman and Erik Woods (Cinematic Sound Radio).  Each episode is a 30 minute (ish), two channel conversation about the world of film, television, and video game music.

Soundcast Stereo (Ep. 6) Rogue One - Title Crawl and Music?

Episode 6 - "Rogue One - Title Crawl and Music?"

This is ep. 6 where Chris makes a big announcement and then he and Erik discuss the possibility of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story NOT including the classic Star Wars title crawl and famous John Williams music and the possible repercussions.  Soundcast Stereo episodes are two channel, 30 minute conversations about a single topic from the world of film, television and game soundtracks. 

Episode Highlights

00:00 - The Intro

01:31 - Big Announcement!

03:50 - The Opening Crawl and Old Guys

09:34 - Rogue One Opening Options

19:55 - Tone, Tone, Tone!

25:36 - Something borrowed, something new

30:14 - Is Lucasfilm trolling us?

32:03 - The Cinemablend Solution

36:04 - Speculation Palooza!

43:27 - Our end credits

Music Selections

00:00 - "Finale" (The Monuments Men) by Alexandre Desplat

01:01 - "Star Wars/ Revenge of the Sith" (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) by John Williams

43:49 - "Parade of the Ewoks" (Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi) by John Williams

00:00 - "End Credits" (The Monuments Men) by Alexandre Desplat

Notes:

Listen to all of Cinematic Sound Radio episodes

Follow Erik Woods on Twitter.

Follow Tracksounds on Twitter.

Follow Christopher Coleman on Twitter.

Support Tracksounds:

Most of the  soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com

Download the Episode

Subscribe and More Info

Soundcast Stereo (Episode 1) - John Williams: Resurgence?

Episode 1 - "John Williams: Resurgence?"

Soundcast Stereo episodes are a two channel, 30 minute conversation focused on a single topic from the world of film, television, or video game soundtracks.  In our official, first episode features Christopher Coleman and ERIK WOODS (CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO) who discuss recent news reports regarding JOHN WILLIAMS as officially attached to Indiana Jones 5 and Star Wars: Episode 8.

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Introducing Soundcast Stereo
00:36 - Breaking the news:  Indiana Jones 5
03:48 - But is REALLY confirmed for Star Wars?
17:25 - Redemption of a Franchise?
21:33 - Ready Player One, Indiana Jones, or Star Wars?
25:40 - Final Thoughts - This Chapter of the John Williams era

Music Selections


00:35 - "Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra" (Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade) by John Williams
27:49 - "The Adventure Continues" (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) by John Williams

Notes:

Follow Erik Woods on Twitter.

Visit the official Cinematic Sound Radio site.

Follow Tracksounds on Twitter.
Follow Christopher Coleman on Twitter.



Support Tracksounds:

Most of the  soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com

Download the Episode

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Soundcast - Episode 83 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Episode 83 - Star Wars:  The Force Awakens

The Soundcast returns to a galaxy far, far away!  Author Doug Adams (The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films), Kristen Romanelli (Managing Editor of Film Music Magazine Online) and Eric Woods (Host of Cinematic Sound Radio) joins Marius, Edmund and Christopher for an in-depth discussion about John Williams' most recent score for STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS.  They discuss their reactions to the film, the music as a stand-alone listen as well as in context.  They also dive into the new themes Williams introduces and his reprisals of classic themes and moments (some very surprising).  Lastly, they share what their favorite musical moments from the score and film are.

Episode Highlights

00:44 — Welcome and Intros
07:40 — How we watched the film
16:10 — Movie reaction (non-spoilers)
44:04 — Music reaction (Spoilers)
68:42 — The Major Themes (Spoilers)
115:11 — Our favorite musical moments (Spoilers)
135:32 — Final Thoughts/ Burning Homestead (Spoilers)

Music Selections

00:00 — "Scherzo for X-Wings" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
15:43 — "I Can Fly Anything" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
43:45 — "Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
69:00 — "Rey's Theme" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
75:22 — "The Falcon" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
80:20 — "Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
82:58 — "Snoke" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
85:27 — "Palpatine's Teachings" (Star Wars:  Revenge of the Sith) by John Williams
89:01 — "Main Title/ Attack on the Jakku Village" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
99:05 — "March of the Resistance" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
100:51 — "The Shark Cage Fugue" (Jaws) by John Williams
102:26 — "The Jedi Steps and Finale" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
106:14 — "The Hologram/ Binary Sunset" (Star Wars:  A New Hope) by John Williams
115:24 — "The Ways of the Force" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
116:03 — "The Starkiller" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
117:08 — "The Falcon" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
120:49 — "Han and Leia" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
126:47 — "Rey's Theme" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
127:45 — "Snoke" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
128:18 — "Main Title/ Attack on the Jakku Village" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams
135:46 — "Burning Homestead" (Star Wars:  A New Hope) by John Williams
140:46 — "The Jedi Steps and Finale" (Star Wars:  The Force Awakens) by John Williams

Notes:

 Follow Doug Adams on Twitter or visit www.themusicoflotr.com
 Follow Kristen Romanelli on Twitter or visit fsmagonline.com
 Follow Eric Woods on Twitter or visit cinemanticsound.net
 Follow Marius Masalar on Twitter
 Follow Edmund Meinerts on Twitter
 Follow Christopher Coleman on Twitter.



Support Tracksounds:


Most of the  soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com

Download the Episode

Subscribe and More Info

Oscars - Interview with John Williams, Gustavo Santaolalla, and Gustavo Dudamel

On July 21, 2014, The Academy held a special event "Behind the Score: The Art of the Film Composer" at LACMA's Bing Theater.  Below you will find six wonderful excerpts of a panel discussion with composer John Williams, Gustavo Santaolalla, and Gustavo Dudamel - hosted by Tavis Smiley.

They address questions such as: "What is the power of  film music to connect us to characters in film?"  "What they, as composers, wish for the audience to take away from the movies they score and the music they write."  "How do subtitles in a film effect your composition?"

Return of the Maestro: John Williams Confirmed for Star Wars: Episode VII

At long, long, last ... it has been confirmed.  Star Wars - Episode VII:  Return of the Maestro.  At the Star Wars Celebration in Europe, Kathleen Kennedy (President of Lucasfilm) announced that the legendary composer will be returning to that well known galaxy, alongside director J.J. Abrams.  (You can read a wee bit more here.)

The genuine excitement that Williams exudes here should give us great hope for what we'll be hearing in a couple of years.

So let the anticipation begin.  In the meantime, how does this announcement make you feel?

2013 BMI Film & TV Awards - Composer Interviews

On May 15th, BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) held their annual awards gala, The Film & TV Awards, where they honor the composers of the years top-grossing films and top-rated television programs.

As they have done of late, they offer short videos with many of the top composers in the industry via their Youtube channel.  They've created a playlist of them all, which we offer to you above.  Interviews included are:  Christopher Lennertz, John Williams, Brian Tyler, Mark Isham, Cliff Martinez, Mike Post, David Buckley, Nathan Barr, Theodore Shapiro, iZler, Blake Neely and more!

As always, its great to see and hear from the people behind some of the past year's best music.  In addition to Cliff Martinez (this year's recipient of the Richard Kirk Award winner), Christopher Lennertz shares about playing the role of James Bond as a 9-year-old.  John Williams talks about scoring Lincoln (and looks great... strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark...or score a Star Wars film or something.).  Mark Isham shares about scoring the weekly "Once Upon a Time" and biopic "42." while David Buckley shares about scoring season-to-season on The Good Wife.  Brian Tyler talks about scoring a "post-Avengers" film, Iron Man 3, and iZLER reveals how gratifying and hair-raising it is to score two TV series at one time:  Revenge and Shameless.

Give the entire playlist a listen above and you can see a list of ALL the winners below:


RICHARD KIRK AWARD

CLIFF MARTINEZ

ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

MYCHAEL DANNA
Life of Pi

ADELE (PRS)
"Skyfall," from Skyfall

BMI FILM MUSIC AWARDS

ALAN SILVESTRI
The Avengers

THOMAS NEWMAN
Skyfall

DANNY ELFMAN
Oz the Great and Powerful

JOHN WILLIAMS
Lincoln

DANNY ELFMAN
Men in Black 3

BRIAN TYLER
Iron Man 3

ALAN SILVESTRI
The Croods

MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
Hotel Transylvania

NATHANIEL MECHALY (SACEM)
Taken 2

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (SACEM)
Argo

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ
Identity Thief

DANNY ELFMAN
Silver Linings Playbook

MYCHAEL DANNA
Life of Pi

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (SACEM)
Rise of the Guardians

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (SACEM)
Zero Dark Thirty

ALAN SILVESTRI
Flight

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ
Think Like A Man

THEODORE SHAPIRO
The Campaign

BRIAN TYLER
The Expendables 2

JOE KRAEMER
Jack Reacher

DANNY ELFMAN
Dark Shadows

AARON ZIGMAN
Madea's Witness Protection

STEVE JABLONSKY
Battleship

ALAN MENKEN
Mirror Mirror

JOHN OTTMAN
Jack the Giant Slayer

THEODORE SHAPIRO
Hope Springs

MARK ISHAM
The Lucky One

HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS
Total Recall

LYLE WORKMAN
American Reunion

AARON ZIGMAN
Escape From Planet Earth

BMI SPECIAL CITATION OF APPRECIATION

LAURA DUNN

BMI MINISERIES MUSIC AWARD

TONY MORALES
Hatfields & McCoys

BMI TELEVISION MUSIC AWARDS

BRIAN KIRK
NCIS

CHUCK LORRE
Two and a Half Men

BLAKE NEELY
Golden Boy

JOS JORGENSEN
America's Got Talent

ANDY LOVE
America's Got Talent

BLAKE NEELY
The Mentalist

PETE TOWNSHEND (PRS)
CSI

CHRISTOPHER FRANKE
The Amazing Race

VAUGHN JOHNSON
The Amazing Race

LEE SANDERS
The Amazing Race

MARK MANCINA
Criminal Minds

ROB SIMONSEN
Blue Bloods

ROB CAIRNS
The Bachelor

GEORGE RITTER
Rules of Engagement

BERT SELEN
Rules of Engagement

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ
Revolution

KEITH POWER (SOCAN)
Hawaii Five-0

BRIAN TYLER
Hawaii Five-0

CARIM CLASMANN (PRS)
Grey's Anatomy

GALIA DURANT (PRS)
Grey's Anatomy

PETER BJORN AND JOHN (STIM)
2 Broke Girls

JOHN FRIZZELL
The Following

PETE TOWNSHEND (PRS)
CSI: NY

BILL BROWN
CSI: NY

KEB' MO'
Mike & Molly

DAVID BUCKLEY (PRS)
The Good Wife

JOS JORGENSEN
The X Factor

ANDY LOVE
The X Factor

SCOTT KIRKLAND
Bones

KENNETH BERRY
Undercover Boss

EHREN EBBAGE
Undercover Boss

MATT KOSKENMAKI
Undercover Boss

JOHN NOONEY
Undercover Boss

CRAIG OWENS
Undercover Boss

CHAD FISCHER
Scandal

iZLER
Revenge

CARTER BAYS
How I Met Your Mother

CRAIG THOMAS
How I Met Your Mother

MARK ISHAM
Once Upon a Time

MIKE POST
Law & Order: SVU

BLAKE NEELY
Arrow

BMI SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION MUSIC AWARDS

JOSE ANGEL
La Patrona

MARLU
La Patrona

PACO PANIAGUA
La Patrona

JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
La Patrona

ALEJANDRO SIRVENT BARTON
Abismo de Pasión

BMI CABLE TELEVISION MUSIC AWARDS

TREE ADAMS
Perception

JIM JOHNSTON
WWE Raw

MICHAEL BOLGER
SpongeBob SquarePants

SAGE GUYTON
SpongeBob SquarePants

EBAN SCHLETTER
SpongeBob SquarePants

JEREMY WAKEFIELD
SpongeBob SquarePants

JACE EVERETT
True Blood

NATHAN BARR
True Blood

CHARLIE CLOUSER
American Horror Story

CESAR DAVILA-IRIZARRY
American Horror Story

DAMON CRISWELL
Fish Hooks

ANDY STURMER
Fish Hooks

BRANDON KINDER
Bering Sea Gold

J.G. QUINTEL
The Regular Show

JOHN ENROTH
The Regular Show

ALBERT FOX
The Regular Show

MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
The Regular Show

CRAIG OWENS
Dance Moms

RONNIE VAN ZANT
Mountain Men

JACOB SHEA
Mountain Men

ROLFE KENT
Dexter

DANIEL LICHT
Dexter

iZLER
Shameless

Find out more at the official BMI site

SoundCast 57 - 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winners

Jeremy Meyers join the team to reveal all of the winners from this year's Genius Choice Vote!  We are joined by special guest, composer Matt Uelmann (Torchlight II)! WHYBLT? is back as well as Sidetracks, where we discuss John Williams apparent interest in scoring the next Star Wars film and lastly we talk about (or become) the Oscar Whiners.


Episode Highlights


00:00 Genius, sheer genius...
00:45 Welcome and Intros
03:20 WHYBLT? Jack the Giant Slayer, A Good Day to Die Hard, Evil Dead, Transformers
09:35 WHYBLT? Onimusha, Tron Uprising, Mirrors Edge
14:15 WHYBLT? In Country, Emporer
20:20 Sidetracks:  John Williams wants to score the next Star Wars?
33:38 Sidetracks: Oscar Whiners
46:01 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Dramatic Score
47:56 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Record Label of the Year
48:40 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Animated Score
50:04 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Television Score
51:41 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Surprise of the Year
53:34 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Action Score
55:00 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: The Monkey King Award
57:00 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Cue
59:27 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Video Game Score
60:28 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Breakout Composer of the Year
62:05 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Most Memorable Theme
64:14 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: The Marius Award
65:23 Interview with Composer Matt Uelmen (Torchlight II)
79:33 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Composer of the Year
81:00 2012 Genius Choice Vote Winner: Best Overall Score
83:21 Genius comments and upcoming episodes


Music Selections


00:00 "With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker
03:27 "Jack and Isabelle" (Jack the Giant Slayer) by John Ottman
05:55 "McClane's Brain" (A Good Day to Die Hard) by Marco Beltrami
10:35 "戦慄の教師" (Battle Royale) by Masamichi Asano
12:16 "Beck's Theme" (Tron: Uprising) by Joesph Trapanese
14:57 "Distant Memories"(In Country) by James Horner
17:57 "Time is Running Out" (Emporer) by Alex Heffes
21:12 "The Dune Sea Of Tatooine-Jawa Sandcrawler" (Star Wars IV) by John Williams
32:26 "The Pit Of Carkoon-Sail Barge Assault" (Star Wars VI) by John Williams
40:27 "Main Title (I Had A Farm In Africa)" Out of Africa by JOhn Barry
43:03 "God Storm" (Life of Pi) by Mychael Danna
46:36 "Leaving India" (Life of Pi) by Mychael Danna
49:01 "Merida's Home" (Brave) by Patrick Doyle
51:59 "Awakening" Halo 4) by Neil Davidge
53:53 "My Dear Frodo" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) by Howard Shore
55:14 "Man of Destiny" (Unmei No Hito ) by Naoki Sato
57:18 "Overhill" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) by Howard Shore
59:42 "Threshold" (Journey) by Austin Wintory
60:52 "The Impossible Main Title" (The Impossible) by Fernando Velasquez
62:31 "Misty Mountains" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) by Howard Shore
64:31 "Torchlight II Title Theme" (Torchlight II) by Matt Uelmann
78:40 "Torchlight II Title Theme" (Torchlight II) by Matt Uelmann
81:31 "Roast Mutton (Extended)" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) by Howard Shore
91:55 "With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker

Additional Notes:

The full interview with composer Matt Uelmen will be released in a separate bonus episode!

The Official Cue Awards Tumblr

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John Williams Didn't Think He Was Good Enough for Schindler's List

John Williams revisits some of his most famous themes (for the millionth time) in this interview by CNN.  There are a couple of tidbits that come out in this brief interview that you might never have heard before.  For instance, did you know that John Williams actually didn't think he was good enough to score Schindler's List?  Make sure you don't miss Steven Spielberg's response to this!

Superman and His Music - A Twitter Discussion

With the imminent return of Superman, via Zach Snyder's upcoming MAN OF STEEL, it's a sure bet JOHN WILLIAMS' original themes and scores for late-seventies, feature-film, iteration of Superman will be coming up in many forums and on countless social media platforms.  Add to this JOHN OTTMAN's exciting, recently released score for JACK THE GIANT SLAYER and his past connection to the Superman franchise (SUPERMAN RETURNS) and you get the following twitter conversation between Erik Woods (Cinematic Sound Radio), Christopher Coleman (Tracksounds), Dane Walker (Composer), Mark A. and Doug Adams (Author).

While some feel that JOHN OTTMAN could do more than a serviceable job scoring one of the upcoming STAR WARS films, not everyone agrees.  A large part of that disagreement comes from Ottman's treatment of Williams' well-known, well-loved, original themes for Superman.

Read through.  Judge for yourself.  And chime in!  Do you think John Ottman would make an acceptable choice to score one of the new Star War's films?  Did you enjoy his work for Superman Returns? ...

Lincoln (Soundtrack) by John Williams - Review

A Linc to the Past

Review by Edmund Meinerts

Having hunted vampires earlier in the year, Abraham Lincoln now turns to the rather more serious matter of the abolition of slavery in STEVEN SPIELBERG’S acclaimed biopic LINCOLN. Having gone through a slew of rewrites in the pre-production stage concerning just which portions of Lincoln’s turbulent and eventful presidency to cover, the final product eventually honed in on just the last four months, dealing with the struggle to pass the slavery-banning 13th Amendment, the wrapping up of the Civil War, and ultimately the fateful visit to the theater on the night of April 14th, 1865 (spoilers?).

It being a SPIELBERG picture, and one concerning a prominent figure of American history no less, there was never even a shadow of a doubt that JOHN WILLIAMS would return to grace the production with his usual respectful sense of Americana. Listeners familiar with the maestro’s career will find absolutely no surprises in LINCOLN – it sounds exactly the way you would expect it to. And in a way, that is a comforting fact considering that the octogenarian’s legendary career is slowly but surely coming to an end; there is only so much new WILLIAMS music we’re going to be hearing, and each and every score is to be treasured.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Ten Best Tracks from the Harry Potter Movies

It’s been over a year since the film series came to a conclusion, so now is a great time to look back over the extensive catalogue of top notch orchestral music from Harry Potter. Within the eight soundtracks there are a total of 181 fabulous pieces. Today I do the stupid impossible heroic, and choose what I believe are the ten most rich and inspiring tracks from the entire Harry Potter series.

Sadly none of Patrick Doyle’s score for The Goblet Of Fire made it into my Top 10. This is unfortunate, since I really do love Doyle’s unique take on the Potter franchise. My favourite cues, however, all come from Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat and of course John Williams. It should come of no surprise that my list is dominated by John Williams.

Before I dive into the list, I feel I should note once more that this really is an impossible task, and that many superb pieces of music will inevitably be left out. However if there are some in particular that you would include in your top ten, I’d be very interested to hear from you! Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Without further ado, let’s jump in to-

10. Obliviate

As the first track of The Deathly Hallows Part 1, this was an excellent introduction to Alexandre Desplat’s slice of the series. After a very slow and quiet opening the track builds into a wistful, rhythmic melody. The undercurrent impersonates the chugging sound a steam train (fitting for Potter) as the foreground is filled by seductively emotive strings. It’s an extremely effective piece I’ve been in love with since the very first time I heard it.

9. Dumbledore’s Farewell

Nicholas Hooper brought us many dark themes over his two-movie-long relationship with Potter, and this is certainly one of the best. It’s gentle and tender, with powerful strings accompanied by subtle, eerie chorals. This piece supplies a perfectly morose tone for several of the most tense and cheerless moments in the film series.

8. Statues

Rarely has fantasy action been so sentimental. Alexandre Desplat seems to rarely, if ever, compose action cues in the traditional way I expect. Instead, he creates beautiful, rhythmic pieces like this one, which don’t so much “score” the action of the film but instead toy with our emotions. The result in “Statues” is an beautiful piece of music which also works excellently in the film. I should note the similarity to another piece from The Deathly Hallows Part 2, “Courtyard Apocalypse”, which meddles with the same melody in a similar fashion. In the end I chose “Statues” for my list.

7. Dobby The House Elf

Playing to the lighter side of The Chamber Of Secrets, it’s impressive how well this track holds up by itself outside of the context of the film. In fact, I probably prefer this piece outside of the film, where you can really appreciate its musical prowess. Playful, mischievous and quirky, this piece is still totally grounded and controlled like all of John Williams’ greatest.

6. Flight Of The Order Of The Phoenix

This track from Nicholas Hooper’s first Harry Potter score may be tragically short, but it uses it’s one-and-a-half minute runtime to build into a spectacular cue. As with all of these great Harry Potter tracks, Hooper combines palpable senses of excitement and wonder to form a magical piece of music. It’s a tragedy that Hooper didn’t get to spend more time developing themes like this one.

5. Harry’s Wondrous World

As we head adventurously into the final five tracks, here’s John Williams doing what John Williams does best: non-stop magnificence. I think of this piece as the unofficial theme for Hogwarts, as it seems to describe musically the magical castle we know and love. It’s a remarkable combination of the themes of The Philosopher’s Stone, stirred together with copious doses of pure triumph, ending the film on a glorious note.

4. A Window To The Past

The perfect antithesis to “Harry’s Wondrous World”, this is John Williams taking Potter into dark and sombre territory in The Prisoner of Azkaban. The wistful melody never fails to conjure powerful images in my mind of darkness and snow and hooded Dementors from The Prisoner of Azkaban. Essentially a woodwind solo, this track contains the power to bring (manly) tears to my eyes. It really encapsulates an intense and childlike sense of longing.

3. The Chamber Of Secrets

Excitement and mystery are incarnate in this grandiose, almost vampirical piece. A spine tingling series of descending notes on organ lead into a waltz of strings and horns, building powerfully to an epic conclusion. The orchestra seems to come together so fluidly and graciously, changing drastically from moment to moment but never leaving the listener behind.

2. Hedwig’s Theme

This is the quintessential piece of Harry Potter music. From the delicate tinkling of the iconic theme we’ve all heard a thousand times to the cheeky pumping of brass, and then into the inevitable culmination of the united orchestra. Most of this track is used in film to score the action-packed wizarding sport, Quidditch. I’m glad Williams doesn’t hold back.

1. Fawkes The Phoenix

Fluttering out of the magic and mystery, this piece will forever be romantically entwined with the Harry Potter universe. Mixing an absolutely epic scale of majesty and grandeur with the delicate beauty and wonder of the enchanting melody, this track is another of the many reasons that John Williams is one of the greatest composers of all time.

There it is! My favourite magical music from Harry Potter. As I mentioned at the beginning, there are so many more incredible tracks and themes that I absolutely adore in the eight Potter soundtracks. In the end I whittled down to this list of ten, but maybe your list would be different? Let me know, what are your favourite pieces of music from the Harry Potter series?

SoundCast Ep. 51 - The Return of Star Wars!

Episode 51: The Return of Star Wars!

Erik Woods (Cinematic Sound) and Jeremy Meyers (Deeper Context) join Helen, Marius, Chris, and Edmund to talk about the newly announced Star Wars films and who they hope to see score them. Could John Williams return?  Is Michael Giacchino the next, most logical choice?  And what about Hans Zimmer? (Dun dun dun!)

Episode Highlights

00:00 "I always said I wasn't going to do any more..."

00:49 Welcome and Intros

03:08 Reaction to George Lucas' big annnouncements

13:12 Will JOhn Williams return?

25:50 Is Michael Giacchino on deck?

31:15 Who we'd like to see announced as composer

58:20 What about a video game composer?

62:50 Some REALLY outside-of-the-box picks

76:31 Conclusion

Music Selections

00:00 "Tales Of A Jedi Knight-Learn About The Force" (Star Wars: A New Hope) by JOhn Williams

25:55 "Colditz Castle" (Medal of Honor) by Michael Giacchino

34:47 "Main Theme" (The Last Starfighter) by Craig Safan

36:43 "Peace, The Jedi Consular" (Star Wars: The Old Republic) by Mark Griskey, Gordy Haab et al

39:00 "The Battle of Dark Versus Light" (Vol. 1) by Two Steps from Hell

41:53 "Flight to the Wasteland" (Final Fantasy) by Elliot Goldenthal

52:34 "Finale" (Tron: Legacy) by Daft Punk

55:26 "Fight!" (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning) by Grant Kirkhope

79:19 "The Throne Room-End Title"  (Star Wars: A New Hope) by John Williams

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Star Wars - Music By John Williams in Six Parts | Video

After being stirred up by some newly found documentary footage centered on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, I was pleasantly made aware of this documentary which focuses on John Williams and his original score for, what many call, the best of the original trilogy films.

We've compiled a convenient list of all six parts of the documentary for your viewing pleasure.  So I highly encourage you to take about 60 minutes of your day and enjoy this fantastic look at the maestro at work on this iconic film.

Why don't they make docs like this any more?  Share your thoughts in our comment section below.

You can follow us on Youtube for more future playlists, too.

Composer John Williams on NBC's Rock Center

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Well, perhaps TV does have something to offer on occasion.  If you missed it, like I did, last night NBC's ROCK CENTER featured a segment on The Maestro, composer John Williams.

Some things to note in this short video:

1) Check out his reaction to the question, "Do you own an iPod?" (It's the same reaction I have.) 2) Check out his "studio." It's is EXACTLY as we had talked about in episode 50 of the SoundCast.

It's always a delight to see and hear from Mr. Williams. 

Enter to Win The Adventures of Tin Tin Soundtrack CD by John Williams

While we say a big ol' "Congrats!" to Brian Buda who won our last True Fan Contest, we also say to all of you, "Ready for more?"

Thought so.  You may not have won WAR HORSE, but John Williams isn't hardly done there.  In just a couple of weeks THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN:  THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN will be released and Tracksounds is proud to partner with SONY CLASSICAL to give you a chance to win the  original soundtrack! Follow the link below for all the glorious details!

ENTER THE TRUE FAN CONTEST

Win the WAR HORSE soundtrack by John Williams!

Become Tracksounds' TRUE FAN of the Month!

You can win the highly anticipated original soundtrack from WAR HORSE by JOHN WILLIAMS.   Simply enter the contest below.  One lucky winner will be drawn at random, but you can increase your odds of winning by following all of the steps below:  Follow us on twitter, like us on Facebook, tweet out that you've entered!  You ear FIVE ADDITIONAL ENTRIES for Liking our Facebook Fan page and FIVE MORE to start following us on Twitter.  You can also earn an addition TWO ENTRIES PER DAY by tweeting about this giveaway!

Please note, you must use the entry form below.  While our Marginize tool remains on the site, it is NO LONGER connected to this contest!

Entries will be accepted until midnight,  November 30, 2011.  The winner will be drawn from all entries and announced with 72 hours of the contest closing.

Star Wars in Concert!

Well, when did this sneak onto the scene? Apparently, my head has been in the sand on this, as I was just introduced to these series of concerts via 1UP and Comic-Con, today.

With the 10th Anniversary of The Phantom Menace being this year (Is that possible already?) and 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back looming for next year, (and perhaps due to the success of the traveling Lord of the Rings concerts), George Lucas, John Williams and company have put this special multimedia, live performance together.

At this time, it appears most of the performances are in California, with a few in Oklohama and Washington state. Unfortunately, John Williams isn't conducting himself (that would have just made it too irresistable), but still should be a very entertaining show. I think this is a great way to celebrate these anniversaries, but you know what would be better?...

John Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road, re-recording the entire scores of the original trilogy! Now, that would be cause to get your "yub yub" on! In the meanwhile...

You can get all the info you need at the Star Wars in Concert official site here.