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Post by christopher on Jul 29, 2013 11:37:56 GMT -8
I've been trying to put together a "Best Of" playlist for this excellent composer, and I like my compilation, but it's limited by the smallness of my collection. If you were going to produce a "Best of JNH" album of about an hour or so, what would you put on it?
Here's my playlist:
"The Egg Travels" - DINOSAUR "And the Winner Is" - THE GREAT DEBATERS "Evacuation" - I AM LEGEND "Beauty Killed the Beast V" - KING KONG "The Great Eatlon" - LADY IN THE WATER "End Titles" - LADY IN THE WATER "Flow Like Water" - THE LAST AIRBENDER "Hospital" - RESTORATION "The Hand of Fate" parts 1 and 2 - SIGNS "The Orange Man" - UNBREAKABLE "The Gravel Road" - THE VILLAGE "The Vote" - THE VILLAGE "The Jump" - THE WATER HORSE "Main Credits" - WATERWORLD "Let 'Er Buck" - HIDALGO.
What am I missing? What would you include or delete?
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Post by indy2003 on Jul 29, 2013 11:45:53 GMT -8
It's not exclusively a JNH composition (as it includes music written by Handel), but I'd toss in "Turning the Tide" from CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. I'd also want to include a piece or two from ATLANTIS, but not sure which ones off the top of my head.
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Post by cflast on Jul 29, 2013 11:54:23 GMT -8
I think "Tarawa" from "Snow Falling On Cedars" is one of his crowning achievements. It's got an incredible build, using some thematic material from earlier in the score, and somehow maintains the score's delicate atmosphere while at the same time injecting into it a massive choir chant.
I also think his "Wyatt Earp" theme and his brilliant music to "The Fugitive" deserve a place on any Howard playlist, though unsure of which track I'd pick from the latter.
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Post by Jon Broxton on Jul 29, 2013 11:54:55 GMT -8
It's funny, I've actually been doing exactly this over the past few weeks, putting together 5-10 minute suites from all my JNH scores. I'm working chronologically, starting with the oldest, and I think I'm up to around 1995, WYATT EARP and scores like that. I'll post my list of suites as they stand right now when I get home tonight.
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Post by jb11sos on Jul 29, 2013 11:57:25 GMT -8
I think these tracks would be worthy additions:
"Flying" (Peter Pan) "Rue's Farewell" (The Hunger Games)
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Post by Southall on Jul 29, 2013 12:00:39 GMT -8
I think "Tarawa" from "Snow Falling On Cedars" is one of his crowning achievements. It's got an incredible build, using some thematic material from earlier in the score, and somehow maintains the score's delicate atmosphere while at the same time injecting into it a massive choir chant. It's a brilliant piece, but isn't it by Arvo Part? Wyatt Earp - definitely. One of my favourites by him.
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Post by indy2003 on Jul 29, 2013 12:17:37 GMT -8
Given the playlist you've put together I suspect this score might break the mood a bit, but SALT offers some of JNH's stronger action writing (it may be a bit of a John Powell imitation, but it's a much better Powell imitation than THE BOURNE LEGACY). There are several good options, but I'd probably go with "Chase Across D.C.". Action music generally doesn't seem to be his strong suit, but that one's an exception to the rule.
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Post by cflast on Jul 29, 2013 12:41:50 GMT -8
It's a brilliant piece, but isn't it by Arvo Part? Cheeky! I must admit I have a limited working knowledge of Part, and have heard that accusation before regarding "Cedars", but haven't been pointed in the direction of a piece that makes me think any less of the score, and certainly of "Tarawa." Is there a piece by Part that would completely change my view of that track? Honestly, from what I know of him, I found the string work in "The Village" to be a little more directly influenced by Part's string stylings, even though "Cedars" was temped with Part. I'd love to be directed to a good Part piece though, if only to hear another great piece of music.
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Post by Pawel Stroinski on Jul 29, 2013 12:46:52 GMT -8
Do you know Fratres? It's generally the track that is pointed. And James, it's actually Evacuation that has that much inspiration from Part. I don't quite hear so much Part in Tarawa .
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Post by cflast on Jul 29, 2013 12:50:30 GMT -8
Do you know Fratres? It's generally the track that is pointed. And James, it's actually Evacuation that has that much inspiration from Part. I don't quite hear so much Part in Tarawa . I have! That's one of the few pieces I do know (and love), and like I said, while I certainly do hear it as an influence in parts of "Cedars," I hear very very little of it in "Tarawa" specifically, which is what was confusing me, and I hear a lot more of it in Howard's string work in "The Village." I'm not very familiar with Part's choral work, which is what I thought James might be referencing.
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Post by Southall on Jul 29, 2013 12:54:13 GMT -8
It's a brilliant piece, but isn't it by Arvo Part? Cheeky! I must admit I have a limited working knowledge of Part, and have heard that accusation before regarding "Cedars", but haven't been pointed in the direction of a piece that makes me think any less of the score, and certainly of "Tarawa." I was only being silly really. Cedars is possibly my favourite JNH score. The Part influence (some would say more than influence) is there without doubt, but it doesn't make me like the music any less.
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Post by cflast on Jul 29, 2013 13:00:26 GMT -8
Good-natured sarcasm was one of the first victims of the internet. It is missed always
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Post by Jon Broxton on Jul 29, 2013 19:30:52 GMT -8
Here's my James Newton Howard playlist as it stands, through the first 34 scores of his career, chronologically:
1. FIVE CORNERS (1987) - “Suite: Love Theme/Return Home” (3:13) 2. PROMISED LAND (1987) - “Suite: Main Title/Plymouth Waltz/Promised Land Suite” (12:22) 3. RUSSKIES (1987) - “Suite: Main Title/The Submarine/The End of the Dream” (6:51) 4. OFF LIMITS (1988) - “Suite: The War Zone/Chase/Love Theme” (4:46) 5. MAJOR LEAGUE (1989) - “Theme from Major League” (1:31) 6. THE PACKAGE (1989) - “Suite: Chase Part 3/You’re A Dead Man, Sergeant/End Credits” (8:32) 7. FLATLINERS (1990) - “Redemption” (4:29) 8. THREE MEN AND A LITTLE LADY (1990) - “Suite: Motorcycle Montage/Peter’s Proposal/To England/The Big Goodbye” (6:05) 9. DESCENDING ANGEL (1990) - “End Titles” (2:03) 10. KING RALPH (1991) - “Suite: Search for Heirs/The Crown/To Be King of England/Farewell Call/Parliament/Introducing Willingham/The New King’s Suggestion” (7:45) 11. GUILTY BY SUSPICION (1991) - “End Titles” (3:45) 12. DYING YOUNG (1991) - “Suite: Theme from Dying Young/I’ll Never Leave You (Love Theme)” (6:55) 13. THE MAN IN THE MOON (1991) - “Suite: The Pond/Lovemaking/End Titles” (4:40) 14. MY GIRL (1991) - “Theme from My Girl” (3:36) 15. GRAND CANYON (1991) - “Grand Canyon Fanfare/End Titles” (4:10) 16. THE PRINCE OF TIDES (1991) - “Suite: The Reunion/End Credits” (6:06) 17. DIGGSTOWN (1992) - “Suite: Main Title/Training Montage/Emily/The Mock Ending” (7:48) 18. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992) - “Main Title” (4:15) 19. ALIVE (1993) - “Suite: It’s God/The Final Climb/End Title” (9:18) 20. FALLING DOWN (1993) - “Suite: 110 Freeway/South Central/Miracle Mile/Venice” (9:53) 21. DAVE (1993) - “Suite: Main Titles/To the White House/The Picnic/End Titles” (14:30) 22. THE FUGITIVE (1993) - “Suite: The Fugitive Theme/Stairway Chase/It’s Over” (9:10) 23. THE SAINT OF FORT WASHINGTON (1993) - “End Titles” (4:24) 24. INTERSECTION (1994) - “Suite: Home/End Titles” (8:17) 25. WYATT EARP (1994) - “Suite: Main Title/The Wagon Chase/The Wedding/It All Ends Now/It Happened That Way” (13:38) 26. JUNIOR (1994) - “Suite: Main Titles/Thunder and Lightning/Junior” (8:15) 27. JUST CAUSE (1995) - “Suite: Main Titles/That’s Laurie’s Car/Phony Message/Conviction Overturned” (7:31) 28. OUTBREAK (1995) - “Suite: Motaba River Valley/Casey Rips His Suit/They’re Coming” (10:35) 29. FRENCH KISS (1995) - “Suite: Main Title/I Love Paris/I Want You – Love Theme from French Kiss” (6:36) 30. WATERWORLD (1995) - “Suite: Main Credits/Escaping the Smokers/The Bubble/Slide for Life/Dry Land” (16:11) 31. RESTORATION (1995) - “Suite: Main Titles/Creature of the New Age/The Cabinet of Curiosities/The Fire/Your Child I Believe” (11:28) 32. EYE FOR AN EYE (1996) - “End Titles” (2:08) 33. THE JUROR (1996) - “End Credits” (3:57) 34. PRIMAL FEAR (1996) - “Suite: Martin Meets Aaron/Aaron on Stand/Don’t Smile/Love Hurts” (5:21)
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Post by Jon Broxton on Jul 29, 2013 19:33:32 GMT -8
What's really interesting is that, up until The Package in 1989, JNH was almost exclusively an all-synth composer, building on his career as an arranger for pop artists. We all think of him as the big orchestral guy, but the beginning of his career was not like that all. Some of those early synth scores are really interesting.
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Post by josh on Jul 29, 2013 21:05:11 GMT -8
Good picks, Chris. Here are a few James Newton Howard gems I return to often: "The Crystal Chamber" from Atlantis - my favorite track from an album with plenty of standout moments. There's great drama and mystery here, and impressive balance between moments of quiet wonder and statements of full-orchestral majesty. I love the ethnic female vocal at 1:09, especially in combination with the percussion accompaniment (I don't know what those are, but they make me think of water!), and the way that transitions into a powerful crescendo, punctuated by adult choir. "Solomon Vandy" from Blood Diamond - Blood Diamond is one of those works that while not standing with James Newton Howard's best (in my opinion), always leaves a good taste in my mouth. The last track offers a triumphant, hopeful blend of strings, ethnic percussion, and African vocals. JNH really knows how to build to a stirring climax. "The Courtship" or "Across the Desert" from Dinosaur - I'd probably take "The Egg Travels" over either of these if I had to pick just one, but it would be a tough call. "Rue's Farewell" from The Hunger Games - I have to second this recommendation. JNH's score had few chances to really shine in the film, but this track totally sold the heartbreak of the scene for which it was written. (Actually, this whole score really grew on me after seeing the film.) "Beauty Killed the Beast V" from King Kong - I enjoyed the whole score; but just like "Rue's Farewell," this particular track so poignantly complemented the onscreen tragedy that if you were prone to crying at movies, I'd be surprised if you didn't! "Can I Hold You Now" from Snow Falling on Cedars - In this case, everyone's favorite is not my favorite. "Tarawa" is awe-inspiring, but "Can I Hold You Now" is usually the one that gets repeated when I come across it. Such restrained beauty, with glimmering strings, haunting harmonies, and well-placed cello solos. My favorite part (it's brief!) starts at 2:20. "Montage" from Hidalgo - There's an intoxicating, dreamlike quality to this track. Love it. "12 Years Later" and "The Launch" - Few composers can nail the transition from reflective, quiet beauty to all-out orchestral power and majesty like James Newton Howard. He certainly does it in "12 Years Later." I love the incorporation of electric guitar, which acknowledges that this is a modern retelling of the story without overpowering the orchestra. And "The Launch" is a delight, creating a palpable sense of anticipation before unleashing the main theme in all its glory.
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