Mr. And Mrs. Smith (Original Motion Picture Score) - Hollywood Studio Orchestra

Advantages: A Goldsmith classic, absolutely brilliant
Disadvantages: Main theme maybe too familiar

...that when combined with the orchestra make for some great self-sustaining and aural music, like in the cues "The Cloud", "Vejur Flyover", "The Force Field" and "Spock Walk". There are also some atmospheric space cues where the music just seems to float around the room weightless. These are mostly found from "Klingon Battle", Floating Office" and "Spock's Arrival". 20 years after the first appearance of Goldsmith's instantly recognizable main theme for Star Trek: the Motion Picture, Columbia/Legacy have finally released an expanded and re-mastered presentation of the original Goldsmith score, called the "20th Anniversary Collector's Edition". Finally included are the tracks "Floating Office," "Spock's Arrival" and "A Good Start" so long missed by fans of the music (and me too if I had been old enough). Compared to the more action... Read review

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Advantages: The most powerful Batman score ever composed; an Elfman classic all the way
Disadvantages: So what if it isn't the most sophisticated score in the world?

...of the dark Batman theme at the very end of that cue, ending the score proper in minor, not the reaffirming major. Apart from the excellent use of music, Batman also stands out in being the first film to offer two soundtrack albums for sale. In a time when film scores were not a hot selling commodity and many producers were keen on producing song compilations under the movies name, Batman was a forerunner in producing albums of two completely different character. As expected, the heavy use of Prince's songs in the film yielded a song compilation that was released as "The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" (the equivalent of today's "Music from and Inspired by…" albums). But due to Tim Burton's insistence, the actual score of Elfman's was also stipulated to be released if Prince's songs were. As it would turn out, Elfman's score would prove... Read review

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Advantages: One of the best scores of the 1990s, need I say more?
Disadvantages: Oh, none whatsoever.

.... Throughout the early 1990's he was mostly involved in writing music for a bunch of movies that were never really meant to be remembered for long, but in the middle of 1995 he really hit it big. CutThroat Island was originally going to be scored by David Arnold who was just fresh off from scoring the hugely popular Stargate, but scheduling conflicts resulted in his replacement with Debney. Debney took the project with much enthusiasm, opting to create an old-fashioned, purely orchestral swashbuckler in the style of the Golden Age masters (the score is dedicated to "Rózsa, Korngold, Steiner, and Newman"). Employing the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices, Debney wrote at white heat some of the most energetic and inspired music he has ever managed to put down on paper and has rarely been able to surpass. Despite being a somewhat over... Read review

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