Grex Music2 Conference

Item 84: Soundtracks to Movies

Entered by jiffer on Thu Sep 18 04:53:34 1997:

Ever notice that when you buy soundtracks they sometimes aren't as good as
the movies.. and sometimes they are...
28 responses total.

#1 of 28 by jiffer on Thu Sep 18 04:56:40 1997:

I recently bought the soundtrack to _%th Element_ and while i loved the music
to the movie while i watched the movie and thought "wow! the sound track has
to be awesome" it wasn't as good!  I have come to the conclusion that some
music just doesn't go great without the visuals to go along with it!  Though
I must admit that the bonus track amused me on this one.  I kind of wish that
alot of sound tracks were like the one to _The Last Temptation of Christ_
which is awesome and i need to scour around for the  Peter Gabriel _Passion
Sources_ since School Kids didn't have it... drats.


#2 of 28 by senna on Fri Sep 19 00:46:10 1997:

Then there are the fake soundtracks.  The sountrack to Batman and Robin was
infinitely better than the movie.  I still like listening to it, it has a lot
of strong songs.  Soundtracks of that sort tend to be a melting pot, all sorts
of different songs from different artists, a few who are known and are good,
and many from those who are unknown and bad.  

Then they're the Spawn soundtrack, in which ever track is a collaboration
between multiple artists and the result is apparently very cool.

Soundtrack Scores?  The only really, really successful one, commercially, is
the Star Wars Trilogy scores.  And the sountracks from musicals, such as
Grease.  Prevalent stuff.


#3 of 28 by lumen on Fri Sep 19 08:35:41 1997:

See also item #29.  Are we repeating ourselves, or did I just not talk about
this particular topic enough?

What do you mean by 'fake soundtracks,' Steve?  I had said something to the
effect that very few movie soundtracks have all the music that's used in the
film, and only the music that's used in the film.  Nowadays, they split the
orchestrations and all the pop efforts to two albums.  That's why the pop
soundtrack is usually titled "Music For and Inspired By..," to justify all
the tunes that *weren't* used.

Producers today aren't necessarily creating music *for* a movie.  The music
industry is powerful enough today that sometimes it seems they create a movie
for a soundtrack, or create a soundtrack that will sell big money rather than
one that fits the movie.

This isn't quite black and white.  Moviemakers used to have creative ways to
fit soundtrack songs into a movie.  Watch _Ghostbusters_, and then listen to
a copy of the soundtrack.  You'll see what I mean.  Of course, some tunes just
don't fit, I guess.  Notice-- another example-- of all the songs Prince
whipped up for Batman, only one was put into the movie.

Please, return to item #29, so I might feel that I haven't been ignored
totally.


#4 of 28 by senna on Fri Sep 19 20:52:22 1997:

All us folk who type read new compulsively forget what items are elsewhere.
I've sort of given up on my campaign to make sountracks that actual tracks
used in the sound of a movie (at least, the music).  Those that are just
thrown in as an afterthought or not at all, such as those mentioned above,
are "fake soundtracks"


#5 of 28 by jiffer on Fri Sep 19 23:15:34 1997:

but we got it going again?  O Okay.. for some odd reason i thought i didn't
see an item for this... sorry!


#6 of 28 by krj on Sun Sep 21 03:29:31 1997:

We shall repeat ourselves endlessly.  It doesn't mean that we don't
love you.


#7 of 28 by jiffer on Mon Sep 22 02:45:31 1997:

you you you love me?  *sniff*
 shanks!!!


#8 of 28 by senna on Mon Sep 22 05:04:19 1997:

Look at me.  I'm horribly repetetive.  I probably repeat the same reesponse
three times to each item at radically different intervals without realizing
it


#9 of 28 by mappy on Sat Dec 5 14:52:32 1998:

soundtracks are awesome! I bought the soundtrack for 5th Element too,
jen...and I think it goes better with the visuals too...there were only about
2 or 3 tracks out of the whole thing that were decent on their own...but I
was disappointed they didnt include the track that was playing during the car
chase...=|  I also was impressed by the score to Stargate and I like most of
the scores Danny Elfman composes. As to my favorite soundtrack...at this time,
I would have to say it is ugh...there are way too many to name...GAWD! Of
course there are 3 soundtracks I desperately want to get ahold of but haven't
been able to because either they arent available anymore or arent available
yet are... Candyman (that was some really freaky music...but in a good way...I
think Philip Glass did the score...and gaw!!! it's out of print!!),
Earth:Final Conflict (I love the opening theme and the background music...sort
of a cross between contemporary/modern and Celtic), and the Buffy the Vmpire
Slayer (TV Series) soundtrack which both it and Earth:Final Conflict are not
available yet =(


#10 of 28 by mcnally on Sat Dec 5 18:52:48 1998:

  Recently bought the soundtrack to "Velvet Goldmine", Todd Haynes' 
  somewhat flawed but different film about "glam" rock.  My first
  impression is that the music that's original to the movie worked
  better in the movie and the stuff that wasn't original to the movie
  I already mostly had but it does have potential to grow on me.
  I think it was an interesting choice to have Thom Yorke of Radiohead
  sing vocals on many of the tracks by the in-movie "glam" band
  Venus in Furs.. 


#11 of 28 by cloud on Sun Dec 6 04:45:46 1998:

I seem to recall that the soundtrack from "The Crow" sold pretty well.  It
must have, since I actually own it, which considering my general tastes is
no mean feet.
Didn't Queen do a couple soundtracks?  For "Flash Gordan," and "The
Highlander," as I recall.  (Here we are... fighting for survival we're the
master's of the Universe... Maybe it was He-Man...<smile>)


#12 of 28 by scott on Sun Dec 6 13:34:03 1998:

Yup, Queen did the "Fash Gordon" soundtrack.  Years later, I'd read online
posts about "Flash (AHH-OHH!)", from the theme song.

I think "The Crow" really made a big industry out of soundtracks, after years
of insignifigance.


#13 of 28 by happyboy on Sun Dec 6 23:06:00 1998:

you know what i'd REALLY like to find?

a copy of the score for "Popeye" which starred robin williams & 
shelly duvall....the music was composed by harry nillson (sp).

"Every thing is food food food!"


#14 of 28 by mcnally on Mon Dec 7 00:27:14 1998:

  I think one "l", two "s"es

  I think eventually we'll see all kinds of things that no store would ever
  stock available on demand from recording companies over the web but music
  companies especially seem to be too afraid of the piracy potential to take
  advantage of the obvious benefits that net distribution has to offer when
  it comes to really obscure material that they've already got lying around
  somewhere..




#15 of 28 by bruin on Mon Dec 7 02:33:50 1998:

RE #12 And don't forget that Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released from
the "Wayne's World" soundtrack.  The song also benefitted from the death of
Freddie Mercury at about the time of "WW"'s release.


#16 of 28 by md on Mon Dec 7 03:43:47 1998:

Re #13, if you ever find that Popeye soundtrack, let me know where.
That's one of my all-time favorite movies and soundtracks.


#17 of 28 by lumen on Mon Dec 7 04:29:24 1998:

re #11: As far as I know, the soundtrack for _Highlander_ per se is no longer
available (the Highlander catalogs are a reputable source), but the same
material is presented in the package Queen released it as, dubbed "A Kind of
Magic."  Hehehehe, cloud, Freddie said, "..princes of the universe.."

I wasn't aware Queen did the "Flash Gordon" soundtrack.  I've never seen the
movie and I've only heard the theme song.


#18 of 28 by krj on Wed Dec 9 10:36:52 1998:

I've been meaning to look for a soundtrack album from THE TRUMAN SHOW.
My recollection of the credits is that much of the music was by 
Philip Glass.


#19 of 28 by lumen on Thu Dec 10 04:41:35 1998:

That would be quite a soundtrack.


#20 of 28 by rcurl on Thu Jan 28 05:22:09 1999:

What is the 'advertising' music for The Highlander on TV? Sounds like
its from a fanfare. The Scottish Fanfare by ??


#21 of 28 by otaking on Tue Mar 2 18:38:48 1999:

Re #18: You were right, krj. Philip Glass did compose music for The Truman
Show.

I enjoy the soundtracks by Michael Nyman (Drowning by Numbers, A Zed and Two
Naughts, Prospero's Books). Some of it is very repetative, but I enjoy them
nonetheless.

Recently, I found a CD that collected the musical scores from all 3 Highlander
movies. I enjoyed the tracks from the first movie, but the rest of the CD was
mediocre.
,


#22 of 28 by lumen on Thu Mar 4 04:37:03 1999:

That's because Queen did the soundtrack for the first movie, and it's 
good.  Once upon a time, I think it was marketed as the Highlander 
soundtrack, but the Highlander catalogs now just sell it as the Queen 
album under the title "Some Kind of Magic."


#23 of 28 by otaking on Thu Mar 4 14:32:56 1999:

This wasn't the Queen soundtrack for Highlander. I think it was the Michael
Kamen orchestral score. I'll have to grab the CD again so I can confirm that.


#24 of 28 by cloud on Wed Mar 10 02:21:34 1999:

Queen also did the music (or at least one song) for "Flash Gordon"


#25 of 28 by krj on Wed Mar 10 03:22:50 1999:

I heard an interesting new soundtrack at Tower tonight: from a film
called "Ravenous," by (forgot the name) and Michael Nyman.
I would have bought it on the spot, but it was at Tower's New 
Improved Price of $18, so I'll be looking for a cheaper copy.
Very intense stuff; reminded me a little bit of Hedningarna, 
in an odd way, not that there was anything specifically 
Scandinavian about it.  


#26 of 28 by otaking on Wed Mar 10 14:28:26 1999:

THANK YOU! I love Michael Nyman soundtracks. I'll have to pick that one up
(but not at Tower).


#27 of 28 by lumen on Wed Mar 10 22:17:53 1999:

resp:24  Yeah, it was the theme song.  I thought it was pretty rad when 
I finally got a chance to listen to it.


#28 of 28 by cloud on Thu Mar 11 03:27:49 1999:

I found out another interesting tidbit... The music for the musical "Chess"
was writtain by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus-- of ABBA fame.  The musical
is completely different from any of the (admitatly few) ABBA songs I've heard,
and Tim Rice's lyrics are, as usual, very good.


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