SOUNDTRACKS
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Soundtracks are a lot more than movie music...
...or so I'm ready to argue as a 30 year devotee of this sorely under appreciated genre. So, in an effort to do my part, each week
I'll be making recommendations of soundtracks current and vintage, make a fuss over long awaited soundtrack scores finally getting
a well deserved release, and in general, make some noise about this often overlooked category. Beyond my long experience as a
listener and as a pianist and songwriter, both of which I've put to use in writing a quarterly soundtrack column for the Chicago
Tribune, I can only offer my recommendations. You'll discern my taste soon enough and upfront I'd like to make it clear that I'll
focus most heavily on SCORE soundtracks. In the end, all criticism is subjective but if I can point a listener toward a little heard
soundtrack or strongly advise you to either ORDER IMMEDIATELY or SKIP ALTOGETHER, all the better.
...or so I'm ready to argue as a 30 year devotee of this sorely under appreciated genre. So, in an effort to do my part, each week
I'll be making recommendations of soundtracks current and vintage, make a fuss over long awaited soundtrack scores finally getting
a well deserved release, and in general, make some noise about this often overlooked category. Beyond my long experience as a
listener and as a pianist and songwriter, both of which I've put to use in writing a quarterly soundtrack column for the Chicago
Tribune, I can only offer my recommendations. You'll discern my taste soon enough and upfront I'd like to make it clear that I'll
focus most heavily on SCORE soundtracks. In the end, all criticism is subjective but if I can point a listener toward a little heard
soundtrack or strongly advise you to either ORDER IMMEDIATELY or SKIP ALTOGETHER, all the better.
John Williams had worked with producer Irwin Allen on his television series The Time Tunnel,
Lost in Space and Land of the Giants. When Allen produced The Poseidon Adventure in 1972 he
brought along Williams to score what would usher in a host of disaster films. Williams rose
to the task and wrote the equally ominous and stirring main title that prefaces the
impending disaster of the ship that would have the great misfortune to be struck by a tidal
wave and flipped over.
Though the Main Title, with its dramatic use of French horns is the most familiar cue, the rest
of the score offers the usual Williams touches that would become more recognized as the
esteemed composer moved to the forefront of his profession with his famed collaborations
with Steven Spielberg that were still to come. For reasons I’ve never been able to
understand, the score to Poseidon was never released at the time, though, of course,
Maureen McGovern’s recording of “The Morning After” from the movie was a huge smash.
Though Williams didn’t write the song (which won the Oscar), he does quote the song
throughout the score each time the character of Nonny the rock singer played by Carol
Lynley, is in emotional distress. In other words – frequently. The song itself is not included
on the soundtrack finally released in 1998 but that’s partially made up for by the track of the
cheesy, 70s source music cue used for the dance in the ballroom just before the ship
strikes.
The rest of the score is filled out with the sort of ominous sounding cues one would expect –
although these offer a lot more melodic flavor than one would find in a comparable disaster
flick today (including the Poseidon remake score by Klaus Badelt). Credit Williams for that, of
course.
A bootleg of the score did make the rounds in 1995 but it wasn’t until three years later that
an official release, albeit a limited addition appeared. This was the initial Film Score Monthly
series release that included both Williams’ score for Poseidon, the light jazz flavored The Paper
Chase from 1974 and the one existing cue from Conrack. The sound quality on all of these
isn’t nearly as stellar as one would hope (the heavily illustrated booklet explains that the
source tapes had basically withered to dust). This is a case of better this than nothing! As a
bonus, there are several additional Poseidon cues either not used in the film or in expanded
form. Finally, though Poseidon isn’t one of Williams’ best efforts, the Main Title is iconic and
though the FSM release of 3,000 copies sold out almost instantly, copies come up for sale
from time to time.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Don't forget to check out previous soundtrack recommendations by visiting the ARCHIVES
Next Week: TBD
Lost in Space and Land of the Giants. When Allen produced The Poseidon Adventure in 1972 he
brought along Williams to score what would usher in a host of disaster films. Williams rose
to the task and wrote the equally ominous and stirring main title that prefaces the
impending disaster of the ship that would have the great misfortune to be struck by a tidal
wave and flipped over.
Though the Main Title, with its dramatic use of French horns is the most familiar cue, the rest
of the score offers the usual Williams touches that would become more recognized as the
esteemed composer moved to the forefront of his profession with his famed collaborations
with Steven Spielberg that were still to come. For reasons I’ve never been able to
understand, the score to Poseidon was never released at the time, though, of course,
Maureen McGovern’s recording of “The Morning After” from the movie was a huge smash.
Though Williams didn’t write the song (which won the Oscar), he does quote the song
throughout the score each time the character of Nonny the rock singer played by Carol
Lynley, is in emotional distress. In other words – frequently. The song itself is not included
on the soundtrack finally released in 1998 but that’s partially made up for by the track of the
cheesy, 70s source music cue used for the dance in the ballroom just before the ship
strikes.
The rest of the score is filled out with the sort of ominous sounding cues one would expect –
although these offer a lot more melodic flavor than one would find in a comparable disaster
flick today (including the Poseidon remake score by Klaus Badelt). Credit Williams for that, of
course.
A bootleg of the score did make the rounds in 1995 but it wasn’t until three years later that
an official release, albeit a limited addition appeared. This was the initial Film Score Monthly
series release that included both Williams’ score for Poseidon, the light jazz flavored The Paper
Chase from 1974 and the one existing cue from Conrack. The sound quality on all of these
isn’t nearly as stellar as one would hope (the heavily illustrated booklet explains that the
source tapes had basically withered to dust). This is a case of better this than nothing! As a
bonus, there are several additional Poseidon cues either not used in the film or in expanded
form. Finally, though Poseidon isn’t one of Williams’ best efforts, the Main Title is iconic and
though the FSM release of 3,000 copies sold out almost instantly, copies come up for sale
from time to time.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Don't forget to check out previous soundtrack recommendations by visiting the ARCHIVES
Next Week: TBD
The official Poseidon release (top)
and its bootleg predecessor. The
official CD has extended music and
unused cues by the film's composer,
the Zeus of modern day film
composers, John Williams.
and its bootleg predecessor. The
official CD has extended music and
unused cues by the film's composer,
the Zeus of modern day film
composers, John Williams.
