I picked this up the other day on SAE and I am so excited as I wait for it to arrive. The samples are stunning and of course, I love John Scott. Counting the days....
I picked this up the other day on SAE and I am so excited as I wait for it to arrive. The samples are stunning and of course, I love John Scott. Counting the days....
Marvelous album - I'm sure you'll love it, and will look forward to your thoughts on it! If you don't have it, let me also recommend Scott's "Odyssey of the Belem" - which is his dramatic reworking of the material into an elegant, engrossing symphonic suite.
This is the 2003 French documentary? John Scott would be just the composer for it, having had some Jules Verne experience under his belt already.
He scored one of the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea remakes and, earlier in his career, came up with a very lively score (wish it was on CD) for the Verne-inspired FANTASTIC FLYING FOOLS/ROCKET TO THE MOON (1967).
I was looking for an existing John Scott thread so I didn't have to start another one and lo and behold, I started this one previously.
I followed the recommendations of a previous thread on Scott's "nautical" scores and picked up a few of the recommendations. I chose PARC OCEANIQUE COUSTEAU, ODYSSEY OF THE BELEM, and COUSTEAU: CAPE HORN / CHANNEL ISLANDS. I don't usually get giddy waiting for an order but waiting for these has me there.
There's rarely any superlatives I can add when Kari has already beat me to the punch.
It's all just incredible stuff, except maybe the pop-infused Cousteau "Amazon" scores he did, the sound of which just isn't my cup of tea. The rest is all fair game and indeed Stairway to Heaven & Warm Blooded Sea are must-haves.
I will surely look to purchasing Stairway to the Sea and The Warm Blooded Sea. I really appreciate the suggestions and the links. Right now I'm content with my copies of L'EXPEDITION JULES VERNE and Shogun Mayeda. I had read somewhere, maybe on this board that the Amazon scores may not compare to some of the others. I think I'll pass on those. Thanks again.
I will surely look to purchasing Stairway to the Sea and The Warm Blooded Sea. I really appreciate the suggestions and the links. Right now I'm content with my copies of L'EXPEDITION JULES VERNE and Shogun Mayeda. I had read somewhere, maybe on this board that the Amazon scores may not compare to some of the others. I think I'll pass on those. Thanks again.
Are Jules Verne and Shogun the only Scott score you own?
If so I strongly advise you allow Kari and I to make some suggestions - there's an insane amount of amazing music to discover when it comes to this incredible man's back catalogue of work.
I will surely look to purchasing Stairway to the Sea and The Warm Blooded Sea. I really appreciate the suggestions and the links. Right now I'm content with my copies of L'EXPEDITION JULES VERNE and Shogun Mayeda. I had read somewhere, maybe on this board that the Amazon scores may not compare to some of the others. I think I'll pass on those. Thanks again.
Are Jules Verne and Shogun the only Scott score you own?
If so I strongly advise you allow Kari and I to make some suggestions - there's an insane amount of amazing music to discover when it comes to this incredible man's back catalogue of work.
By all means, suggest away. I do have quite a few of his film scores; North Dallas Forty, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Man on Fire, Winter People/A Prayer for the Dying, King of the Wind, Lionheart, Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, Mill On the Floss, and Shergar. Any other recommendations are more than welcomed. I was looking to increase my Scott selections which is why I made the recent buys. Thank you.
I'm also surprised by the lack of 'ANTONY' in your collection. For many it's John's magnum opus - and it's hard to argue it doesn't belong on that pedestal, though I do believe when his score to the 1986 mini-series HAREM is finally released commercially, that will dethrone its position for many.
I also highly recommend KING KONG LIVES, WALKING THUNDER, BECOMING COLETTE, THE NORTH STAR, FAR FROM HOME, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, THE DECEIVERS, WICKER TREE, THE SHOOTING PARTY, PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT, SCARLET TUNIC, THE NEW SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, MOUNTBATTEN... Honestly even all these just scratch the surface of his vast 60 year output of music.
His unreleased Guitar Concerto is a masterpiece with one of the most beautiful melodies of his career gracing its second movement, his chamber music is wonderful, his silent film scores (all of which I own but only one of which was released commercially on CD and iTunes - his 26-minute suite inspired by George Melies' TRIP TO THE MOON - sensational stuff with a choral finale that's just breathtaking).
And, of course, I already mentioned HAREM, the score I personal feel is his ravishing masterwork - John gave me the music himself and I hope to help get it in Intrada's hand soon with John's cooperation so a commercial release can finally happen, but in the meantime here's a short suite I put together for the FSM gang - this doesn't even include the rapturous main title, sweeping finale or killer end title cues, and it's still chocked full of amazing highlights: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XiRpcUmOGSgGhJ1P4E0qSPSchnbeNLWo
Elsewhere, here a few of the above scores:
Enjoy and happy hunting. The man's music really is a gift that keeps on giving!
I also highly recommend KING KONG LIVES, WALKING THUNDER, BECOMING COLETTE, THE NORTH STAR, FAR FROM HOME, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, THE DECEIVERS, WICKER TREE, THE SHOOTING PARTY, PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT, SCARLET TUNIC, THE NEW SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, MOUNTBATTEN... Honestly even all these just scratch the surface of his vast 60 year output of music.
Agreed! Many of these are my favorite Scott scores.
It's funny how much VARIETY there is in all of those, two - WALKING THUNDER and NORTH STAR are period westerns written less than a year apart, but sound nothing alike at all aside from the consistent high quality of orchestrational and melodic aptitude Scott always demonstrates. 20,000 LEAGUES is impressionistic and sweeping, but in a totally different way (to my ears) than his JULES VERNE ADVENTURES scores, and KING KONG LIVES is as epic and bombastic as they come whereas THE SHOOTING PARTY is as refined, elegant and classically-rich as 20th century music can be - and again penned with just a very short window of time separating them.
The man's skill, no matter what idiom he's working in, always exemplifies fresh ideas, great harmonic and melodic inspiration, an unerring ear for drama... And without a note of "help" from orchestrators/elves. Pretty good for a man who's found time to score over 120 projects between duties to concert work, library music and so forth!
bobbengan, if it's not too much trouble, do you think you could put together a small list of examples (like five or so) of action and chase music by him?
I love how a thread can resemble an unwatched pot - you come back 24 hours later and you have a wonderful souffle. Okay, I'll dispense with the silly simile. The suggestions are just what I was hoping for.
I'm actually surprised myself that Anthony and Cleopatra is not among my Scott scores. I checked again and I also have Shoot To Kill and Mountbatten but no A and C. I have been eyeing 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and THE FINAL COUNTDOWN but will probably bypass for now and go right for Antony and Cleopatra. I broke down and bought the digital release entitled Festival Jules Verne.
bobb, I am praying that you are successful in releasing more of Maestro Scott's wonderful work. The Harem score sample you shared is divine and only makes one want more.... His music does something to the soul, I swear.
There's a driving action cue from MOUNTBATTEN that is just an amazing piece, sounding more like a ballet than an "action" score proper, but for the life of me I can't recall the name of that cue right now.
"Wrong Bet" from LIONHEART is a juggernaut.
"The Final Race" from Shergar.
Virtually all the pirate-related music from NEW SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (the opening bars of "Hands Off my Girls!" is like a fantastic outtake from BEN-HUR's chariot race).
"Defeat of the Deceivers" from that eponymous score is great, if a bit simplistic by Scott's usual standard.
I will surely look to purchasing Stairway to the Sea and The Warm Blooded Sea. I really appreciate the suggestions and the links. Right now I'm content with my copies of L'EXPEDITION JULES VERNE and Shogun Mayeda. I had read somewhere, maybe on this board that the Amazon scores may not compare to some of the others. I think I'll pass on those. Thanks again.
Keep in mind that Odyssey of the Belem and L'Expedition Jules Verne are the same score. Only it appears no musical understanding went into the latter. Odyssey was assembled by John and plays as a much more coherent experience. When I compared the two, I was amused to see one striking case where a cue ended with the first chord of the main theme because it was composed to flow into the theme itself...with said theme being located on the CD two tracks earlier!
I will surely look to purchasing Stairway to the Sea and The Warm Blooded Sea. I really appreciate the suggestions and the links. Right now I'm content with my copies of L'EXPEDITION JULES VERNE and Shogun Mayeda. I had read somewhere, maybe on this board that the Amazon scores may not compare to some of the others. I think I'll pass on those. Thanks again.
Keep in mind that Odyssey of the Belem and L'Expedition Jules Verne are the same score. Only it appears no musical understanding went into the latter. Odyssey was assembled by John and plays as a much more coherent experience. When I compared the two, I was amused to see one striking case where a cue ended with the first chord of the main theme because it was composed to flow into the theme itself...with said theme being located on the CD two tracks earlier!
I appreciate the info. Though the same score, I wanted to purchase the version released by Mr. Scott's label. Though my copy of L'Expedition Jules Verne is well used and loved, I look forward to the "coherent experience" of the JOS release. Trust me, your ear is much more trained and discerning than mine. The differences, nuanced or pronounced would probably go unnoticed by me. You have really piqued my curiosity though Roger.
