King Kong - Various Artists

...genre to a cinematic icon: King Kong. King Kong is of course one of the most famous movies ever made, involving a big ape being transported to New York from an obscure island as a spectacular new exibition only to escape, wreack havoc on the city, kidnap the pretty female lead, and climb to the top of the Empire State Building only to be fall down with a big thump.

Made in 1933, the film was a huge success and helped the studio behind ...
...we know it and Steiner's King Kong score is rightly considered as the first modern film score that all others following came to mimick. Recording techniques, instrumentation, click tracking, everything was pretty much being invented on the spot, with the 46 performers in the original sessions sometimes jumping to play other instruments during the recording of a cue and then back again to their original instrument.

The movie was once ... more

INTRODUCTION

After tackling with the giant undertaking of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and garnering so much critical and popular (as well as Oscar) success, director Peter Jackson had things pretty sweetly in his pocket, allowing him to basically do what ever he wanted. So with the studios more than willing to let Jackson have free reign over what to do next, he went in a completely different direction from the literary fantasy genre to a cinematic icon: King Kong. King Kong is of course one of the most famous movies ever made, involving a big ape being transported to New York from an obscure island as a spectacular new exibition only to escape, wreack havoc on the city, kidnap the pretty female lead, and climb to the top of the Empire State Building only to be fall down with a big thump.

Made in 1933, the film was a huge success and helped the studio behind the film climb out from the Depression the world was suffering at the time. Indeed it only made sense that the end would take place on top of the "Tallest Building in the World," at that time only two years old, thus creating one of the most iconic cinematic images that captured the imagination of the world, and particularly Americans. Helping along was the score of Max Steiner that was likewise an icon of its time. By 1933 the concept of a "film score" was not yet fully realised as we know it and Steiner's King Kong score is rightly considered as the first modern film score that all others following came to mimick. Recording techniques, instrumentation, click tracking, everything was pretty much being invented on the spot, with the 46 performers in the original sessions sometimes jumping to play other instruments during the recording of a cue and then back again to their original instrument.

The movie was once remade in 1976 and was rightfully horrendous, but with Jackson now having all the modern CGI techniques, as well as finance, the re-make of King Kong would prove to be a markedly different beast all together. Jackson's biggest contribution to the story was to make Kong seem more sympathetic than a mere monster and he also extended the relationship of the main heroine and Kong to more melodramatic heights. Some have loved this approach, some have just thought it silly, but the general concensus is that the film itself is handsomely made (some CGI effects excluded), while mostly bordering on being too long at over three hours with not enough solid material to justify the lengthy expositions of on-screen action. However, what was considered as a matter of fact, was that returning to collaborate with Jackson on this film would be composer Howard Shore, whose music for The Lord of the Rings had earned him three Academy Awards among other such prestigious accolades.

RIPPLES IN THE WATER

Howard Shore hit it big time with The Lord of the Rings in basically creating a whole world musically and making it sound authentically believable as originating from Middle Earth. Shore's music is rightfully an iconic score for the new millenium, even though some have attacked it for being generic and simplistic (a view I personally disagree with completely). Following in the footsteps of Steiner was another leap that kept the film score community buzzing with excitement and having another Jackson/Shore collaboration kept the mouths of many watering during the musically somewhat barren first half of 2005. Then thunder struck!

"Howard Shore will no longer be working on the score for Peter Jackson's King Kong."

How could this happen? Three Academy Awards. A seemingly charmed director/composer relationship. One of the most anticipated scores of the year. Shore has been fired? Shortly afterwards Jackson himself gave a statement citing "creative differences" as the cause for the separation, which in its vagueness was much speculated. After all Shore had almost finished recording the whole thing by the time he was canned and any "creative differences" would most certainly have been sorted out long before. Studio intervention in the likes of Gabriel Yared's Troy score in 2004 came immediately to mind, though that would also seem a little strange as I'm sure producers would have been more than willing to put labels on the album "From the Academy Award Winning Composer of The Lord of the Rings." In the notification telling us of Shore's departure was immediately announced his replacee, James Newton Howard. Howard has in the intervening few years been massively upping his profile as a composer to be reckoned with. Particularly with his scores for M. Night Shyamalan's films giving him the opportunity to write some truly original music (The Village even receiving an Oscar nomination). Therefore Howard indeed had a good track record behind him (Dinosaur is still one of his most beloved adventure scores).

With only five weeks to compose three hours of music, the undertaking was enormous. Since Jackson was stationed in his recidential New Zealand and Howard was in Los Angeles, a complex series of communication links were set up for Howard writing music in LA, the recording sessions taking place simultaneously across town and Jackson listening over at New Zealand when ever he chanced to tune in, working as the link between the different parties. Helping Howard out was a band of orchestrators, conductors, and additional composers, with Howard writing at white heat the same amount of music in a day that he would normally write in a week. After five weeks of writing, recording, and editing the music down, the score was finished and, by all accounts, Howard has thankfully delivered.

THE SCORE (Finally I can hear you say)

The biggest issue and fear I had with this replacement was that how can anybody possibly write something that would actually be any good given this frame of time. At most times a composer with such a deadline can easily revert to old tricks and just rehash something done previously, doing the job but very little else (think of the replacement score for Troy, minus all the careful research Yared made). With King Kong Howard doesn't break any new ground, but as far as replacement scores go, it is consistently enjoyable and definitely better than any Media Ventures endeavor done in the past (the number one boys for replacements). This is an old fashioned score. It is all orchestral, with very few electronics in sight which is something to be grateful for.

Beginning with the main title "King Kong" we are introduced to the two predominating themes: the Island Theme and the Kong Theme. The Island Theme is a very mysterious, minor-keyed motif that immediately evokes the strange and misty lands that have been forgotten by time. Kong's theme on the other hand is a big, descending four-note motif that is more primal and does bare some similarity with Steiner's original three-note Kong motif. These two motifs create the backbone of the entire score, the Island Theme being more extensively used as we work our way toward Skull Island in the cues "It's in the Subtext," "Two Grand" and "The Venture Departs" and of course continues as the cast go around the island in "It's Deserted" and "Something Monstrous… Neither Beast Nor Man."

Howard centres the more romantic material for the character of Anne Darrow. Introduced in "A Fateful Meeting", the Romantic Theme is very lyrical and beautiful which is something Howard is well known for. This theme will get its best workout in the two cues concerning Anne and Kong bonding in "Beautiful" and "Central Park." In all three instances of this theme's appearance on album, it is led by the piano with other instruments hugging and turning over next to the underlying strings that really is as beautiful as the theme Howard pulled out for Batman Begins (in my view that score's only saving grace). This is one of those things that I really love about the score, as a beautiful love theme or such is always nice to hear and this one doesn't disappoint in making an action adventure score really what it is supposed to be: lush, varied and powerful on all fronts, making them all great highlights.

As the film is based in 1933 (when the original was made), there are also the few odd cultural references to the 1930's in the form of slightly jazzy lightheartedness. These are mostly apparent during the early scenes "Defeat is Only Momentary" and "Two Grand" that are more distictly mimicking the action on screen. I have to say that this kind of loud Mickey Mouse -music has never been really something I enjoy simply because, as it follows the action so closely, the music by deference jumps around a little too much from one punchline to the next and more than anything demands images to accompany it. Thankfully Howard offsets this less interesting material with some thematic reminders so it will at least offer something of interest. There are also a few moments where a kind of a vaudeville melody is brought out for Anne in the cues "Defeat is Always Momentary," "The Venture Departs" and in its fullest in "That's All There Is" as Anne entertains Kong.

As this is primarily an action film, there is a lot of action scenes on the album as well. These are mostly concentrated on Skull Island and the final scenes in New York. The arrival to the island in "Last Blank Space on the Map" has a very percussive and dissonant feel to it as the ship approaches the island in the fog. This is extremely tense material and it is quite an interesting effect Howard achieves here with the brass that slurs like the shouts of dinosaurs in the distance. The tension is kept to the max in the many action escapades that follow in cues like "Something Monstrous…Neither Man Nor Beast" that introduces Kong with his massive motif and continues with a very percussive edge; "Head Towards the Animals" that is an all out action cue, though it is really nothing more than uninteresting banging around; "Tooth and Claw" which features a magnificent heroic fanfare for Kong complete with choir; and "Captured" that reprises that fanfare (this heroic fanfare also gets a more restrained appearance in the following "The Empire State Building").

An absolute highlight of the island material and the whole score is the cue "It's Deserted" that features some truly awe inspiring moments during its seven minute length. Here we get the first appearance of the Kong Theme since the opening of the film, some really wonderful choral writing that brings some much needed sense of grandeur to the film and some terrific action towards the end. The other major highlights are centered for the final set of cues entitled "Beauty Killed the Beast I -V." These five cues offer the final confrontation on top of the Empire State Building and Kong's subsequent death. Beginning with some militaristic rhythms in "Beauty Killed the Beast I," the following cue starts out the outright action portion, followed by "Beauty Killed the Beast III" with very much the same kind of material. "Beauty Killed the Beast IV" is the real emotional climax of the score as the action lets down, the chorus softly makes its appearance, and the boy choirster Ben Inman performs Kong final rites as he falls down the building in an affectionate farewell. "Beauty Killed the Beast V" brings the score to an elegiac and somewhat downbeat close.

THE ALBUM

The album features a generous 75 minutes of music which is about one thirds of all the music written for the film. As far as the presentation goes it is one of the better ones I have seen. With this much music it is easy for a score to descend into repetitiveness, but the selection of material is pretty solid with the music never getting too stale. The cues are not in film order which is something that can peeve some people, but the arrangement in this instance works in its favor. In having some of the more intimate moments placed between the more tense action parts makes the album as a listening experience much better and thus there is no danger of getting tired in the middle. With only five weeks to write the music, James Newton Howard has really managed to pull out what I never expected to be possible: a replacement score that actually is very good. Howard is very quickly becoming one of my top 10 favourite composers around and with this track record there is plenty to wait from him in the future. The real reasons behind the firing of Shore will probably never be known and despite my expectation to hear Shore's work, I am more than happy that JNH delivered in such a grand and delightful way. It's nothing spectacularly original, nor is it going to stand as one of the greatest scores ever written, but it certainly is one of Howard's best as well as one of 2005's best. Recommended with a kiss.

TRACK LISTING & MISCALLENOUS OTHER STUFF

1. King Kong (1:09)
2. A Fateful Meeting (4:17)
3. Defeat is Always Momentary (2:48)
4. It's in the Subtext (3:20)
5. Two Grand (2:35)
6. The Venture Departs (4:03)
7. Last Blank Space on the Map (4:44)
8. It's Deserted (7:09)
9. Something Monstrous… Neither Beast Nor Man (2:38)
10. Head Towards the Animals (2:48)
11. Beautiful (4:09)
12. Tooth and Claw (6:18)
13. That's All There Is (3:26)
14. Captured (2:26)
15. Central Park (4:36)
16. The Empire State Building (2:36)
17. Beauty Killed the Beast I (2:00)
18. Beauty Killed the Beast II (2:23)
19. Beauty Killed the Beast III (2:15)
20. Beauty Killed the Beast IV (4:46)
21. Beauty Killed the Beast V (4:14)

Produced by James Newton Howard & Jim Weidman
Music Composed by James Newton Howard
Additional Music by Blake Neely & Chris P. Bacon
Performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony
Conducted by Pete Anthony, Mike Nowak & Bruce Babcock
Boy Soloist: Ben Inman
Additional Vocals: Liz Constantine
Orchestrated by Jeff Atmajian, Pete Anthony, Pat Russ, Brad Dechter, Jon Kull, Bruce Babcock, Frank Bennett & Conrad Pope
Music Recorded by Joel Iwataki
Music Mixed by Alan Meyerson
Recorded at The Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage, Todd-AO Scoring, Fox Scoring Stage, O'Henry Sound Studios & Cow on the Wall Studios
Supervising Music Editor: Jim Weidman
Music Editors: David Olson, Peter Myles, Malcolm Fife, Marie Ebbing & Jonathon Stevens
Decca Records, 2005 (476 5224)

© berlioz
 

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