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- Review count9
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- First reviewMarch 25, 2015
- Last reviewApril 28, 2015
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FilmMusicFan's Reviews
![Avengers: Age of Ultron [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4877/4877018_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Avengers: Age of Ultron - Original Soundtrack
on April 28, 2015
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
Marvel music is at its best when there is a memorable theme in play. Many film scores have gotten away from using such themes, instead opting for music to simply set the mood in the background. But these are superheroes we’re talking about, they deserve a theme – and a hummable one at that.
This is where “Age of Ultron” disappoints on some level: the lack of memorable themes. There are plenty of rousing action cues that will no doubt play well to picture, but that’s not enough to create a pleasant listening experience. To be clear, I like most of the album - I just don't think it's quite as good as the first "Avengers" score by Alan Silvestri.
I wonder why Marvel and/or director Joss Whedon did not get Silvestri back for the sequel (especially because it's my understanding that Silvestri's music is re-used quite substantially in "Age of Ultron") - perhaps the composer did not wish to return or had another commitment. Whatever the case may be, he was "replaced" by two capable composers in Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman.
Brian Tyler is Marvel's go-to guy, having scored two Phase 2 films and composed the new Marvel fanfare that plays over their logo. So it's no surprise that he landed this assignment. Danny Elfman, on the other hand, was brought on late in the process. I would've guessed he contributed just a small portion of additional music, but in fact he is credited for around 30% of the album (including some key pieces). As you probably know, Elfman has a long history w/ superheroes ("Batman", "Hellboy", Ang Lee's "Hulk", and Raimi's first two "Spider-Man" movies).
So two experienced composers are at work here, and yet none of the new material is as good as the original Avengers theme by Silvestri. Now, the good news is that Tyler and Elfman do pay homage to Silvestri's work - you can hear the Avengers theme present in "Heroes" [Track 2], "The Battle" [18], and "Outlook" [26].
They also weave other existing themes into the "Age of Ultron" score. Here are just a few examples I picked up on (and hope to find more once I give the album another listen):
Track 3 "Rise Together" -- Tyler's theme for "Iron Man 3" appears briefly @ approx. 2:00.
Track 15 "Inevitability/One Good Eye" -- a tinge of the Black Widow theme @ 2:00; "Iron Man 3" theme @ around 2:30.
Track 3 "Rise Together" -- Tyler's theme for "Iron Man 3" appears briefly @ approx. 2:00.
Track 15 "Inevitability/One Good Eye" -- a tinge of the Black Widow theme @ 2:00; "Iron Man 3" theme @ around 2:30.
This re-purposing of old themes is something that really hadn't been done in Marvel films until now. I like it a lot as a creative choice and from a story perspective -- it preserves the characters' past musical identities and helps build continuity/cohesiveness (which is what I assume Marvel is going for at this point).
So overall, I enjoyed this score to a limited extent. I appreciate that the composers tried to build from the original "Avengers" soundtrack, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in surpassing the first film's score. This was one of my most anticipated soundtracks of the summer, and as such I am left slightly disappointed. But there's no doubt that there are moments of greatness in the score - a few of my favorites are listed below. Definitely worth a listen if you have enjoyed past Marvel soundtracks or if you are an Avengers fan.
Favorite Tracks:
[02] Heroes
[11] Farmhouse
[26] Outlook
[29] New Avengers – Avengers: Age of Ultron
[02] Heroes
[11] Farmhouse
[26] Outlook
[29] New Avengers – Avengers: Age of Ultron
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![Age of Adaline [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2776/27765282_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
Age of Adaline - Original Score
on April 28, 2015
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
"The Age of Adaline" wears its heart on its sleeve, for better or worse. How appropriate that the score attempts to do the same, and it succeeds. This is not a soundtrack (or a film) that I was particularly looking forward to, but I must say that composer Rob Simonsen's score did the trick.
The story is first and foremost a romance. There are a lot of emotional ups and downs, and quality writing and great performance are essential for the movie to work -- but films like these also require a strong musical component to really hit the emotional beats.
You'd expect that the goal of most composers would be to elicit an emotional response (whatever that emotion may be); yet I'm surprised at just how unmoving most scores are these days. "The Age of Adaline" does it though - the album is not only pleasant to listen to, but it evokes feelings of sadness and hope right when it needs to.
This is one of Simonsen's biggest assignments to date - he scored "The Way Way Back" and "Foxcatcher" (as well as provided additional music for Michael Danna's Oscar-winning "Life of Pi" score). So he's typically working with great material, and elevates it appropriately. His "Adaline" score is definitely less subtle than much of his previous work; but fortunately it is not over-the-top like so many scores seem to be these days.
The album ends with "Start Again", an original song created for this film. It fits perfectly with the rest of the album, sounding like a piece of the score with lyrics added.
I'd highly recommend this album. As always, I've listed my favorite tracks below. It wasn't easy here because one track is not necessarily distinguishable from another, but that's fine - this is a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. This score just works on every level (for me anyway), and seems to do so effortlessly.
Favorite Tracks:
[1] Adaline Bowman
[4] First Resurrection
[22] To a Future with an End
[1] Adaline Bowman
[4] First Resurrection
[22] To a Future with an End
- John from FilmMusicFan.com
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![The Hunger Games: Catching Fire [Original Motion Picture Score] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2875/2875556_sa.jpg)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
I was not the biggest fan of the score for the first "Hunger Games" film, but fortunately I feel the "Catching Fire" album is a large improvement. I really enjoy the work of composer James Newton Howard, and his return to this sequel draws parallels to the first album while forging a new path that features more emotional and intense music. There are a number of thrilling moments where a track is dark or suspenseful, and then suddenly comes to life ("Peacekeepers" and "The Games Begin" are good examples of this). Obviously, there is a romantic aspect to the movie that also allows for some more conventional orchestral music on the album ("Just Friends" is one of my favorites).
Not only do we have an increase in quality, but we also get an increase in quantity. This album has 29 tracks totaling over 75 minutes of music; that's 10-15 minutes more than the typical movie soundtrack, and a whole half-hour longer than the first "Hunger Games" score. I'm glad to see more music being made available on the album.
FAVORITE TRACKS
[1] Katniss
[4] Just Friends
[6] The Tour
[10] Horn of Plenty
[26] I Need You
[1] Katniss
[4] Just Friends
[6] The Tour
[10] Horn of Plenty
[26] I Need You
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My Best Buy number: 2558809654
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![The Amazing Spider-Man 2 [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [CD]](https://bestbuy.ugc.bazaarvoice.com/profiles/3545w/static/noimage70.gif)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
The soundtrack for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is one that I enjoyed listening to. However, it's not particularly a memorable score and I don't see myself returning to it very often.
I should admit right now that I am a huge Hans Zimmer fan. I think his scores for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies as well as his work on The Dark Knight trilogy is some of the best work in modern film. At this point in his career, I love that Zimmer is still experimenting and doing some unique work. But the thing about experimentation is that sometimes it works out great; other times not so much. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is a nice soundtrack with quality moments, but it doesn't come anywhere near the greatness of scores like Gladiator, The Last Samurai, or The Dark Knight.
My first impression of the soundtrack is that there are some tracks I like very much, but overall the soundtrack seemed more bland and repetitive than I would have liked. It should be noted that I am simply discussing the isolated listening experience of hearing the soundtrack (music often functions better when placed in the context of the movie). Zimmer's frequent use of electronics is always fascinating to me, but sometimes I wish he would compose something more old-fashioned every now and then.
The most important piece is the main theme for Spider-Man. In the first "Amazing Spider-Man" film, composer James Horner had a grand theme that I liked very much. It was subtle for most of the film, but continued to build (and can be heard in its full glory near the end of the movie and on the final track titled "Promises" on the soundtrack). That previous theme is not reused or referenced at all in the second film's album (which is a shame, but not surprising given the change in composers). Instead, Zimmer goes for something bold - it works for me, but I've heard others who think it sounds like an intro to a news broadcast.
There are also three villains, each of whom gets their own musical theme. The primary theme is that of Electro, which is an odd theme that I personally do not care for - but it's hard to deny the electronics in the piece makes the music sound very "electric" in nature (which I suppose is character-appropriate).
You may notice that Zimmer really worked with a lot of different people on this album; most notably, he brought in Pharrell Williams to contribute (apparently the two have been friends for a long time). Also on the album is guitarist Johnny Marr (who collaborated with Zimmer previously on "Inception").
NOTE: There are two versions of this soundtrack. A regular version (w/ 20 tracks) and a Deluxe edition (w/ 31 tracks). Being a fan of Spider-Man and Zimmer, I decided to get the deluxe edition - although the regular version does contain most of the best music, so you will get the most memorable tracks no matter which version you buy.
FAVORITE TRACKS (from Deluxe Edition):
[2] There He Is
[3] I'm Spider-Man
[15] Sum Total
[20] You're That Spider Guy
[2] There He Is
[3] I'm Spider-Man
[15] Sum Total
[20] You're That Spider Guy
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My Best Buy number: 2558809654
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![Gone Girl [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [LP] - VINYL](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2623/26234142_sa.jpg)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
With the soundtrack for "Gone Girl", Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have produced a fine album. It's their third collaboration with director David Fincher - in my opinion this score is not quite as good as "The Social Network" but is better than "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".
It's a soundtrack that fits the film's suspense perfectly. The music helps to build tension; that is its primary function. But the score works well as an isolated listening experience as well (depending on your mood), in part because of its uniqueness/originality. In fact, I would say that the soundtrack is as weird as the film itself - it's music that would only work for this one movie.
Recommended if you enjoyed the movie or if you were a fan of the previous efforts of Reznor/Ross.
FAVORITE TRACKS
[1] What Have We Done to Each Other?
[14] The Way He Looks at Me
[15] Technically, Missing
[1] What Have We Done to Each Other?
[14] The Way He Looks at Me
[15] Technically, Missing
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My Best Buy number: 2558809654
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![Guardians of the Galaxy [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [Enhanced CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/7818/7818399_sa.jpg)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
The soundtrack of "Guardians of the Galaxy" is one of my favorites in a long time, and the 2-Disc Deluxe Version is the one the buy.
*****
DISC 1 - Awesome Mix Vol. 1
DISC 1 - Awesome Mix Vol. 1
Disc One is the songs from the movie. All but one of them are featured in the film ("Spirit in the Sky" is not in the movie, although it was used in one of the trailers). Not only is the music good, but as you know if you've seen the film, the mixtape serves a significant narrative purpose. The songs here are presented as much more than just background music - these songs are important to the main character. My understanding is that the director even played the songs on set to help the cast understand the tone he was going for.
Favorite Tracks
[01] Hooked on a Feeling
[03] Spirit in the Sky
[08] Come and Get Your Love
[12] Ain't No Mountain High Enough
[01] Hooked on a Feeling
[03] Spirit in the Sky
[08] Come and Get Your Love
[12] Ain't No Mountain High Enough
*****
DISC 2 - Original Score by Tyler Bates
DISC 2 - Original Score by Tyler Bates
The original score for the film is certainly overshadowed by the songs in the movie. But Tyler Bates is very a talented composer, and he delivers an emotional underscore here that serves the story well. It's not as compelling to listen to on it's own as disc one of this album, but there are some interesting tracks that I've found myself revisiting.
Favorite Tracks
[12] Sanctuary
[20] Sacrifice
[22] The Ballad of the Nova Corps.
[26] Groot Cocoon
[12] Sanctuary
[20] Sacrifice
[22] The Ballad of the Nova Corps.
[26] Groot Cocoon
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My Best Buy number: 2558809654
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![Interstellar [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/9160/9160371_sa.jpg)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
"Interstellar" is definitely one of the best soundtracks of the year. Typically I am content to buy digital music these days -- but for Interstellar I wanted to own the CD as a both collectible and as a source of the highest quality of music.
As for the score itself, it is really great. I would say this is one of the cases where the music works better as presented in the movie than it does on it's own; but it is really a pleasure to listen to this music in any context. There is not a weak track in the bunch - I've listed my five personal favorites below. My only concern is that it left me wanting more, and indeed I was disappointed to find out that some tracks that I wanted were not included here (a few are available on iTunes, others remain unreleased).
There are only a few key themes here, and they are included a number of times on the album. An example: variations of "Day One", which I would call the main theme of Interstellar, can be heard in the tracks "Cornfield Chase" (where it is more upbeat) and "S.T.A.Y." (where it is more somber). This is not a bad thing to hear variations of the same theme, especially when it's so good.
FAVORITE TRACKS
[2] Cornfield Chase
[3] Dust
[4] Day One
[8] Mountains
[16] S.T.A.Y.
[2] Cornfield Chase
[3] Dust
[4] Day One
[8] Mountains
[16] S.T.A.Y.
***
PROS
- Great music, one of Zimmer's best scores in recent years.
- The soundtrack comes in a neat digipak case with a star wheel (rotate the CD disc itself to see where the constellations are in the sky). It's an interesting concept that I find moderately amusing. This might be a con if you're one who likes a typical jewel case.
- Booklet includes liner notes from Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan. The story behind how the score was initially conceived is very unique and interesting.
- Great music, one of Zimmer's best scores in recent years.
- The soundtrack comes in a neat digipak case with a star wheel (rotate the CD disc itself to see where the constellations are in the sky). It's an interesting concept that I find moderately amusing. This might be a con if you're one who likes a typical jewel case.
- Booklet includes liner notes from Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan. The story behind how the score was initially conceived is very unique and interesting.
CONS
- There are some notable tracks from key points in the film that are not included here. Certain music is usually omitted from most soundtracks due to not enough space on the disc to fit the complete score, but the choices of what was included/not included on the "Interstellar" album are quite odd.
- Most of Zimmer's recent soundtracks have included a voucher to redeem in the Z+ Music App, so you can hear the music with Headphone X technology (a cool concept if you have not tried it). Unfortunately, there is no voucher on the standard soundtrack release. Instead, you'll have to purchase the $40 'Illuminated Star Projection Edition' to get the Z+ redemption code.
- There are some notable tracks from key points in the film that are not included here. Certain music is usually omitted from most soundtracks due to not enough space on the disc to fit the complete score, but the choices of what was included/not included on the "Interstellar" album are quite odd.
- Most of Zimmer's recent soundtracks have included a voucher to redeem in the Z+ Music App, so you can hear the music with Headphone X technology (a cool concept if you have not tried it). Unfortunately, there is no voucher on the standard soundtrack release. Instead, you'll have to purchase the $40 'Illuminated Star Projection Edition' to get the Z+ redemption code.
Please visit FilmMusicFan.com for more soundtrack reviews.
My Best Buy number: 2558809654
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 [Original Motion Picture Score] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1082/1082393_sa.jpg)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
The score for "Mockingjay Part 1" is another competent installment of this ongoing musical saga. I really enjoy the work of composer James Newton Howard, and he is crafting an effective score... one which continues certain themes from the previous films, while also introducing plenty of new music into the mix. If I had one minor quibble, it's this: sometimes the music is just too subtle for my taste (I have found this to be true of each of the Hunger Games scores). I wish the composer would go bigger at certain points - not to overshadow the drama on screen, but to compliment it in a more impactful way.
I would say the 70 minutes of music we get is the best value yet for a Hunger Games album. The "Catching Fire" score had 5 more minutes of music, but the film was also about 20 min longer than Mockingjay Pt. 1.
The highlight of the album is without a doubt "The Hanging Tree", which really is a fantastic song that is not only performed well but has relevance to the story. Each time I listen, I find myself liking it more and more. A lot of people thought it should have been included on the soundtrack album rather than on this score album, but I think it's right at home here - after all, the track is just as much dependent on the orchestration as it is the lyrics.
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My Best Buy number: 2558809654
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![The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1138/1138022_sa.jpg)
Posted by: FilmMusicFan
As someone who has mixed feelings on Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth Saga, the music always stood out as my favorite aspect of the films. Composer Howard Shore did something right that his music for this franchise has left a great impression on millions of fans. From the first themes from "Fellowship of the Ring" (still my favorite of all six scores), it was clear that Shore had achieved something special. This final installment, "Battle of the Five Armies", represents the end of the musical journey that began over a decade ago.
With 23 tracks totaling around 110 minutes of music, you are getting a lot of value in this album (including some extended tracks). This is the type of score that you can listen to straight through; you'll be immersed in the sounds of Middle Earth. And unlike so many soundtracks, the cues presented here are long and are given time to build in intensity and emotion.
The song "The Last Goodbye" (performed by Billy Boyd) is a very nice addition to the soundtrack, and probably my favorite of the songs in The Hobbit trilogy.
I will say that in terms of the Hobbit trilogy soundtracks, "Battle of the Five Armies" is my second favorite. On the whole, "Desolation of Smaug" remains my preference at the time of this writing. And my favorite single track from this trilogy is "Over Hill" from "An Unexpected Journey". But really, picking this track or that track is a futile effort here - the whole thing works best as an experience from beginning to end. And I look forward to listening to all three Hobbit scores back-to-back-to-back at some point in the future (when I have 5 hours free!).
We all know that the music from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is widely considered to be among the best of what modern film music has to offer. However, that legacy left big shoes to fill for the Hobbit Trilogy - and while I do not think Shore's scores for the Hobbit are quite as memorable as their LOTR counterparts, ultimately he was successful in crafting something that was new but at the same time reminiscent of what he achieved on the Rings trilogy.
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My Best Buy number: 2558809654
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