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Post by Jon Broxton on Jul 30, 2013 20:53:55 GMT -8
I've been finding myself listening to a lot of early Horner over the last couple of days, from 1980-1985, and I've been really enjoying it.
There was a youthful energy, a brashness, a lack of cynicism, total heart-on-sleeve emotions in Horner's writing in those days - it's no wonder that he rose to the top of the scoring tree so quickly on the back of music like that.
He had this habit of writing gorgeous, massive love themes with rolling, cascading string phrases that are quite beautiful - "Nanelia and Shad" from Battle Beyond the Stars, "Colwyn and Lyssa" from Krull, "Irina's Theme" from Gorky Park, even creeping into the end title piece from Cocoon.
One of my favorites from that period is also Brainstorm, which has a gorgeous classical pastiche in "Michael's Gift to Karen", and one of the most brutally graphic depictions of death in the history of film music in "Lillian's Heart Attack", which contains one of the first and best uses of the four-note danger motif, when it was fresh and new and conveyed genuine terror.
He also had an idyllic, pastoral Americana sound which was really pretty, making really special use of a string-and-woodwind combination, from the first few moments in Deadly Blessing (after the ominous Latin chanting) to Rascals and Robbers, the main title of Something Wicked This Way Comes, the more restrained Testament, and especially The Journey of Natty Gann, which is probably the thematic high point of the style in this period.
Even in his very first score. Humanoids from the Deep, you can hear the genesis of a lot of the musical traits Horner would develop over the next decade or so, especially the action music in "The Humanoids Attack", the brief love theme "Jerry and Peggy", and the stark trumpet writing in the main title which would feature again in Wolfen and others.
What are your thoughts about this period in Horner's career? Any favorites?
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Post by christopher on Jul 30, 2013 21:52:20 GMT -8
Don't you think that brand new composers would have a fierce desire to get out there and knock every opportunity they're given out of the park? If I were fresh out of school and got my first film to score I would pour myself into that with everything I've got. I imagine that's one reason for Horner's earlier career. I imagine many composers are never more creative than when they're brand new to the film scoring scene. That said. I'm not a huge fan of Horner's earlier scores. I don't really enjoy Krull, apart from the love theme and a couple other tracks. Brainstorm isn't for me, apart from the track you mentioned. There are quite a few of those scores you mentioned that I haven't heard, but my exposure to that period of Horner's music doesn't really encourage me to seek many of them out. Star Trek II has a great theme, but little else in it that I enjoy. I don't like Aliens. I realize I'm dismissing some scores that are considered not only some of Horner's best, but some of the greatest scores ever written in their respective genres, but I have to admit that I've never seen the appeal. I downloaded a couple of the tracks you mentioned "Nanelia and Shad" as well as the two from Humanoids. Those two were just okay. "Nanelia and Shad" was very nice. I'll have to seek out some of these others you mentioned. It's 90s Horner that does it for me. I LOVE the sweeping beauty of Braveheart or Legends of the Fall. Chronologically, I'd have to say that the first score of Horner's that resonates with me is Cocoon, for that wonderful theme. I do also really enjoy The Journey of Natty Gann. He wrote some really great music in 1989, but by then we're past the period you're talking about. It's the long-lined gorgeous melodies the man writes that I love. The best recent example of that (I think) is what he wrote for that air show. The track is "Write Your Soul" and he certainly did that. That's the kind of thing I love to hear from him. The earlier stuff is too challenging for a simple-minded music lover such as myself.
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Post by Jon Broxton on Jul 30, 2013 22:10:19 GMT -8
I really think you should give Krull another chance - it's one of my all-time favorites from Horner. There's just so much going on in that score, so many themes, so many wild and imaginative touches in the orchestration, so much fire and energy in the action music - how can anyone not enjoy "Ride of the Fire Mares" for example! Then you have the avant-garde, glassy-textured stuff in "The Widow's Web" which to me is just amazing, the high register choral work... it just goes on and on.
The actual structure of that score is astonishing, the way certain themes overlap and play against each other, and have interlocking ideas. Brilliant, brilliant writing.
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Post by indy2003 on Jul 31, 2013 5:44:28 GMT -8
Love quite a bit of Horner's early stuff. I'd list Brainstorm and Krull as being among my favorite Horner scores (they'd certainly be on a top ten list). While I'm really not a huge fan of most of Horner's synth-y thriller scores of the '80s (48 Hours, Commando, etc.), Gorky Park is a rather interesting exception where the oddball instrumentation actually proves quite effective. Even if the action material doesn't work for you, there are gorgeous cues like "Releasing the Sables" and "Airport Farewell".
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Roman
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Post by Roman on Jul 31, 2013 6:35:36 GMT -8
When it comes to Horner I find I like his 80s material the best. As you know, I enjoy a good adventure score, and his early work really shows how he would build that style into the pinnacle, "The Rocketeer". I recently picked up "Battle Beyond the Stars" and loved hearing all those different elements coming together and how they would turn into "Wrath of Khan". But man, he must have had "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" as a temp track on that film or something.
"Brainstorm" is really amazing stuff. One of my favorites by him. I love the darker material especially. He just really creates this churning dread that warps into pure terror.
I know I'm in the minority, but I think "Commando" is a lot of fun. It reminds me of that movie, which is so over the top awesome. The score just seems like a natural fit with it. Entertaining stuff.
I also have to add that his work on "Star Trek III" is really great. I love the track "Returning to Vulcan" and of course "Stealing the Enterprise". I need to pick up the expanded version of this one.
The big hole in my collection for these years is "Krull". I was listening to some tracks on YouTube the other day and was really enjoying it. Like you said, it really feels like Horner at his most dynamic and energetic. So many interesting and colorful ideas in that score. I think he refined things a bit more for "Willow" and "The Rocketeer". But "Krull" is certainly a step in that evolution.
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Post by chollman on Jul 31, 2013 6:44:50 GMT -8
It has been a long time since I listened to Krull, so I am doing it as I type this. It really has some amazing moments. I don't care for some of the 'darker' passages (like Quicksand), but that is generally the case I have with almost any score.
While I find myself returning to Horner's late 80s and 90's music most often, Krull is a great score.
I believe, though, that the best score Horner has written is 'The New World'. God that's a gorgeous score.
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Post by Craig Richard Lysy on Jul 31, 2013 6:49:23 GMT -8
There was a youthful energy and vibrancy to his writing during this time. These five are the efforts that standout for me, each for different reasons;
Cocoon - for its sense of child-like wonderment Brainstorm - for its mystery and dark awesome power Krull - for its heroism, adventure and timeless love theme. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan - for boldly capturing the adventure of the high seas and the spirit of "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Battle Beyond The Stars - for its unabashed and bravado battle music.
Today, Horner has matured and mastered his craft, yet I would gladly give up the sophistication, complexity and counterpoint for a return of the youthful boldness.
All the best!
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Post by indy2003 on Jul 31, 2013 7:08:33 GMT -8
Today, Horner has matured and mastered his craft, yet I would gladly give up the sophistication, complexity and counterpoint for a return of the youthful boldness. Granted, he doesn't do this very often, but every now and then he'll offer up a reminder of the sort of bold, energetic scores he used to write during his early days. The Legend of Zorro comes to mind (which, as far as I'm concerned, was an even more exhilarating score than its predecessor), as do portions of The Amazing Spider-Man.
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Post by synchrotones on Jul 31, 2013 11:14:45 GMT -8
Brainstorm is one my favorites of Horner. Such a brutal score at time, love it!
Cocoon, Krull, Aliens... all great, though some of them took me some time to get used to.
When I was a wee lad growing up amonst tulips and cheese, I wasn't too keen on young Horner. My exposure was limited to Gorky Park, 48 Hrs, Name of the Rose, Commando, etc... and I didn't like any of it. It was all loud and chaotic. It took a few years of maturing (much like that cheese, but not so much the tulips) before I began to appreciate those 80s scores.
<s>
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Post by Southall on Jul 31, 2013 12:25:11 GMT -8
I love all phases of Horner, really. There were some real gems early in his career, though perhaps a bit more of the kleptomania then as well. That no longer bothers me, for whatever reason.
Michael's Gift to Karen is, Mozart or not, utterly gorgeous.
I think Krull and Star Trek II remain his two finest scores.
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Post by ethanrsmith on Aug 1, 2013 9:35:43 GMT -8
Krull is one of Horner's greatest scores! It's so creative and bombastic and just plain "big." It's a colossal effort- In my opinion Krull is even a larger work than both of his Star Trek scores combined.
80's Horner kicks ass, but 90's Horner pulls on everyone's heartstrings like none other. 2000s+ Horner combines both of those styles but lays both of them back a tad.
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Mike Skerritt
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Post by Mike Skerritt on Aug 8, 2013 12:58:31 GMT -8
I just miss the specificity in his writing from those days. Even when he wasn't spoiling us with huge themes, there was always a very clear purpose in what he was doing. Every little beat, no matter how minute, worked both with the whole and with itself. Now he's become much more abstract, happy to stretch chord progressions dressed up with his signature tics (danger motif, snares, etc). He can still knock a score out of the park (BLACK GOLD is a solid recent example, and I liked a lot of SPIDERMAN), but frankly most of his stuff nowadays just bores me. It can't hold my attention for these inordinately long albums he produces.
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Post by Paul Schroeder on Aug 9, 2013 5:24:56 GMT -8
I love all phases of Horner, really. There were some real gems early in his career, though perhaps a bit more of the kleptomania then as well. That no longer bothers me, for whatever reason. Michael's Gift to Karen is, Mozart or not, utterly gorgeous. I think Krull and Star Trek II remain his two finest scores. Agree with your views on KRULL and STII -- Horner's best 2 scores. I like a lot of early and mid-period Horner but aside from the Zorro scores, haven't liked much since TITANIC. Really tried to get into THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN but absolutely detest the score. Evidently FOR GREATER GLORY is like a compendium of themes from previous scores but might give it a try anyway.
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Post by christopher on Aug 9, 2013 9:23:39 GMT -8
I would try BLACK GOLD before FOR GREATER GLORY if haven't already. It's a much stronger score, imo. Also, you've probably already tried them, but have your heard THE MISSING or THE NEW WORLD? Those are my other favorites of his since 2000. THE MISSING isn't consistently strong, but there's a great album in there if you skip a few tracks.
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Mike Skerritt
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Post by Mike Skerritt on Aug 9, 2013 9:43:01 GMT -8
My favorite post-TITANIC score of Horner's has become THE FOUR FEATHERS. The exotic material, the action material and the supremely gorgeous love theme combine for a really strong whole. "The Makings of a Fine Soldier" is as fine an opening as he's ever written. The album, long as it is, has few lulls.
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