FILM MUSIC REVIEW

Presents...

The Best and Worst of Film Music of 2002  

Each year it's time for the selections of Best and Worst film music of the previous year.

The selections are chosen by our two FMR reviewers:  Roger Hall and Steven Kennedy.  

Each reviewer has provided comments about his choices.

The selections are from any or all of these categories, with links to the review pages:

*Top Film Composer

*Best New Soundtrack Releases

*Best Vintage Soundtracks (Restorations or Re-recordings)

*Best Compilation Releases

*Best Record Labels and Outstanding Album Producers

*Best DVD Releases (Single and Multi Disc Sets)

*Worst DVD Release or Design

*Worst Soundtrack, Compilation and Songtrack Releases

To read FMR reviewers previous picks, go to:

1st Annual Best and Worst List (2000)  

2nd Annual Best and Worst List (2001)

If you wish to send in your comments, send them to to:

FILM MUSIC REVIEW

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4th Annual Best and Worst List (2003)

3rd Annual Best and Worst List (2002)

Here are the choices for Best and Worst Soundtrack releases , with links to the reviews -

Roger Hall's Choices

Best New Soundtracks (in alphabetical order)

  1.   CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (John Williams, Dreamworks)

  2.   FAR FROM HEAVEN (Elmer Bernstein, Varese Sarabande)

  3.   GOSFORD PARK (Patrick Doyle, Decca)

  4.   HART'S WAR  (Rachel Portman, Decca)

  5.   KATE & LEOPOLD (Rolfe Kent, Milan)

  6.   IRIS (James Horner, Sony Classical)

  7.   THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (Howard Shore, Reprise/WMG)

  8.   MINORITY REPORT (John Williams, Dreamworks)

  9.   STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (John Williams, Sony)

10.   SIGNS (James Newton Howard, Hollywood Records)  

Worst Soundtracks:

  1. New:  ALI (Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke)

  2. Vintage: LOVE IS MY PROFESSION (Rene Cloerec) & WHERE THE HOT WIND BLOWS (Roman Vlad)

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Steven Kennedy's Choices

Best New Soundtracks

  1. IRIS (James Horner, Sony)

  2. STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES  (John Williams, Sony)

  3. MINORITY REPORT  (John Williams, Dreamworks)

  4. K:19: THE WIDOWMAKER (Klaus Badelt, Hollywood Records)

  5. THE FOUR FEATHERS (James Horner, Sony)

  6. SAINT SINNER (Christopher Lennertz, LaLa Land)

  7. STAR TREK NEMESIS ( Jerry Goldsmith, Varese Sarabande)

  8. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN  ( John Williams, Dreamworks)

  9. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (Howard Shore, Reprise)

Worst Soundtracks

  1. MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (Wilson and Janko)

  2. BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER (Don Davis)

Read on for the complete list, with comments by each reviewer...

Best and Worst Film Music of 2002

Selected by Roger Hall

My first impression of the past year was there were more bad soundtrack releases than good ones.  That has been true for several years now because the films have been getting less interesting.  It's a sad fact that too many of today's soundtracks are padded with pop songs that often have little to do with the film itself.  Yet the year also gave us some of the best soundtracks in years from Elmer Bernstein, James Horner, John Williams and a few others.  There were also some outstanding compilation and vintage score releases.

One of the problems with judging a soundtrack within the film itself is the loudness of the sound effects which often overwhelm the music.  It appears that the sound engineers don't care if the music is heard.  My advice to them - turn down the volume so we can better hear the music.  Fortunately, that problem can be solved by listening to the soundtrack CD or watching the DVD of the film, where you can adjust the volume and not depend on the automated movie projection in theaters.

My fellow reviewer, Steve, has written a very detailed summary of his choices (see below).  

So, I'll merely list my 40 choices for Best and Worst of the year with just a few comments.  

Click on the links to read the detailed reviews.

I.  Top Film Composer of 2002:  John Williams

This has been a banner a year for Mr. Williams.  He turned 70 on 8 February 2002 and received numerous celebrations in his honor (see the review:  "John Williams Scores Again With The Boston Pops" below).  As if to prove he hasn't lost his touch, he seemed to be conducting everywhere during the year.  Plus, there were an astonishing six major CDs of his music released in 2002. Two of these were excellent non-soundtrack releases:

 American Journey (featuring the "Call of the Champions" theme used for the 2000 Winter Olympic Games - Sony Classical SK 89364), and Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams (Sony SK 89670). Both CDs are winners

The other four CDs were soundtracks and all of them are of the high quality one expects from John Williams.  I have chosen three of the four for my Top Ten.   The one I left off (HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS) is also worthwhile and I chose it for Special Merit in November.  But I felt it just missed the list due to its recycling of previous themes.  

I named Williams the Top Composer for 2001.  He surely deserves to be named once again for 2002.  

This composer really delivers the goods!

II.  Best New Soundtrack Releases (listed in alphabetical order)

  1.   CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (John Williams, Dreamworks)

  2.   FAR FROM HEAVEN (Elmer Bernstein, Varese Sarabande)

  3.   GOSFORD PARK (Patrick Doyle, Decca)

  4.   HART'S WAR (Rachel Portman, Decca)

  5.   KATE & LEOPOLD (Rolfe Kent, Milan)

  6.   IRIS (James Horner, Sony Classical)

  7.   THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (Howard Shore, Reprise/WMG)

  8.   MINORITY REPORT (John Williams, Dreamworks)

  9.   STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (John Williams, Sony)

10.   SIGNS (James Newton Howard, Hollywood Records)  

I believe this is the strongest list of soundtracks in quite a few years and some of the films were also among the year's best, including: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, MINORITY REPORT and SIGNS.  

III.  Best Vintage Soundtracks (Re-releases or Reconstructions)

    1.   BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL & SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (Hugo Friedhofer,  FSM)

    2.   THE BLACK STALLION (Coppola) & BLACK STALLION RETURNS (Delerue)(Prometheus)

    3.   KING OF KINGS  (Miklos Rozsa, Rhino - 2 CDs)

    4.   SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (Arthur Freed-Nacio Herb Brown, Rhino - 2 CDs)

    5.   YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (Arrangements by Ray Heindorf and Heinz Roemheld, Rhino)   

The two best labels for vintage releases in the past few years have been Film Score Monthly (soundtracks) and Rhino (songtracks and musicals).  Both deserve praise for their attention to such details as including previously unissued tracks and informative, well written CD booklets.  

IV.  Best Compilation Releases (alphabetical order)

     1.  ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND (Screen Archives Entertainment)

     2.  Benjamin Frankel: Music for the Movies (CPO)

     3.  The Fantasy Album (Silva - 2 CDs)

     4.  Frank Sinatra in Hollywood, 1940-1964 (Rhino - 6 CDs)

     5.  Goldsmith Conducts Goldsmith (Silva)

     6.  THE MALTESE FALCON & other classic film scores by Adolph Deutsch (Marco Polo)

     7.  MARILYN MONROE: Songs from the Diamond Collection (Varese Sarabande)

     8.  Max Steiner: The RKO Years (BYU FMA)

     9.  Music from the Movies of Clint Eastwood (Warner Bros.)

   10.  Previn Conducts Korngold  (Deutsche Grammonphon)   

As with the previous category, there are several record labels that continue to produce outstanding re-recordings or restorations:  Marco Polo,  Silva and Varese Sarabande.  There are also two others which haven't produced as much yet but are worth special praise for their excellent releases:  Brigham Young University Film Music Archives and Screen Archives Entertainment.

V.  Best Record Labels and Outstanding Album Producers

     1.  BYU & Screen Archives Entertainment - Ray Faiola

     2.  Marco Polo - John Morgan and William Stromberg

     3.  Rhino - Didier Deutsch, Charles Granata, George Feltenstein

     4.  Silva - James Fitzpatrick

     5.  Varese Sarabande - Robert Townson 

CD album producers often get overlooked at the expense of film composers and conductors.  I have listed those who contributed the most to my listening experience in the past year.  The team of Morgan and Stromberg must be singled out for their distinguished film music series on Marco Polo, with scores by many of the Golden Age greats such as their Adolph Deutsch release. One example of someone who produces for more than one label is Ray Faiola.  Naturally there are others, such as Nick Redman and Lukas Kendall.  All deserve our gratitude for their dedication and hard work.

VI. Best DVD Releases

      1.  Best DVD (Soundtrack):  HIGH NOON (50th Anniversary Edition)

           Best DVD (Musical):  1776 (Restored Director's Cut)

      2.  Best Double DVD (Soundtrack): E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (20th Anniversary Edition)

           Best Double DVD (Musical):  SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (50th Anniversary Edition)

It is difficult to keep up with all the Special Edition DVDs being released these days. Many of them are being issued on 2 DVDs, with bonus material on the second disc.  The titles I have listed are the ones I believe deliver more than the useless chatter on some DVDs.  These four DVDs have fascinating commentary by those who have participated in the making of the film.  With the exception of E.T., none of the DVDs have isolated music tracks.  But it's the film and music together that matters most, at least to me.

VII. Worst DVD Design

           Soundtrack:  LEGEND (Ultimate Edition - 2 DVDs) -

It's really the "ultimate" in poor packaging with a see-through plastic cover that doesn't stay closed and makes the text nearly unreadable.  There's also no place to store the inside booklet, even though it contains the essential information of what's on the two DVDs. I believe the film itself is vastly overrated and rather empty in its fantasy storyline.  But the DVD does have Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful score and it's worth having just to get that restored soundtrack.  Just be careful how you handle that slippery DVD case!  

VIII. Worst Soundtrack, Compilation and Songtrack Releases .  

         1.  Soundtrack (New):  ALI

         2.  Soundtrack (Vintage):  LOVE IS MY PROFESSION & WHERE THE HOT WIND BLOWS  

         3.  Compilation:  8 FEMMES 

         4.  Songtrack:   MOULIN ROUGE 2

All of these CDs were rated either Fair or Poor. For me, none of them rises above the level of boredom.  As for the absolute worst one -  that would be LOVE IS MY PROFESSION & WHERE THE HOT WIND BLOWS. It's an example of how devious a CD can be produced with no redeeming value at all.  The booklet is filled with sexy pinup photos of Brigitte Bardot and nothing at all about the two soundtracks.  Nor are there any track listings and it lasts less than 30 minutes.  Sex appeal is only thing that sells this "Special Edition Package."  One of the cheesiest CD releases I've ever seen!      

Best and Worst Film Music of 2002

Selected by Steven Kennedy

General Commentary

I celebrated my third year of reviewing film music this year. And as I look back over the past year, I realize that I have been fortunate in hearing a number of foreign scores and limited edition releases that I never would have bothered to explore. I also somehow managed to get on the short list for vintage releases or re-releases and this has made it unbelievably difficult to just chose ten because I want very much for you to have the same joy of experiencing some of the musical surprises that I discovered in the past year. On the other hand, with only two months to go, it was hard to come up with ten newer scores that really stood out. The saddest thing of all was that there was little new talent on that short list. And the majority of the choices were divided between two composers, one whom I have always admired, and the other whom I had high hopes for long ago, but gave up on until IRIS.

Finally, while I generally have not entered the DVD reviewers market, I must recommend the anniversary presentation of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN. The movie is an interesting picture of Hollywood past and "present" but the multitude of extras included is overwhelming and a must for serious film fans. Of most interest was the inclusion of the original scenes that were the various inspirations and back history for the story of the film. Even these clips appear to be re-mastered. One of the best overall DVD releases I have seen!

And now on to the "best of the year!"

Top Film Composer: John Williams

You have to go back almost thirty years to find a time when John Williams wrote more than three scores in a single year. It turned out that the following period would feature some of his finest work. With triumphant flare, Williams led the Utah Symphony at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in his recent CALL OF THE CHAMPIONS and we were reminded of the joy and vigor he brings to any concert or event. That is about as high profile, worldwide, that anyone could hope to get! And he returned to conduct this year’s Oscar orchestra as well. Yet there were more surprises as the year progressed. The accompanying CD, AMERICAN JOURNEY, also allowed us to hear the millennial music composed for its respective celebration along with a host of wonderful miniatures.

ATTACK OF THE CLONES featured STAR WARS’ first real love theme. Williams CD presentation managed to fall closer to his scoring of more intimate films. It was a welcome and interesting change to what turned out to be one of the worst, yet campiest, films in the series. With less than a month separating them, we were treated to MINORITY REPORT. A film that, like A.I., was misunderstood by the general public unaware of the stylistic unity that Spielberg brought to this Philip K. Dick short story. Compare Williams’ (and Spielberg’s) approach to this material to that used in another recent Dick film adaptation, IMPOSTER, and you will see that Spielberg was on the right track. MINORITY REPORT stands out as one of the best scores this year. Then fall came and we were treated to HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. While a more interesting film, the music basically returned to themes and ideas from the first movie, this time expertly "adapted" and conducted by William Ross. But the world is a better place with the beautifully soaring set piece and thematic material for "Fawkes the Phoenix." It is among Williams’ best musical creations and moves to the top of the list with the "Flying Theme" from E.T. as a classic standalone piece. The latter also incidentally celebrating its 20th anniversary and another re-issue coming on the heals of one not very long ago that added little to the previous CD.

Williams final surprise came with his score for Spielberg’s other 2002 film, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. The main title music recalls the jazz of the 1960s…something Williams was a part of in his own way during the period. The score is a marvelous recasting of the classic Stan Getz and Eddie Sauter recordings, especially the classic Verve album, "Focus." Those familiar with their collaboration on MICKEY ONE will note some of that score’s similarities as well, though CMIYC is not intended to be derivative as much as it is an homage or pastiche. This is clear with the carefully selected popular period songs that grace the album. Other moments of the score recall STEPMOM frequently, especially the tracks reflecting the personal relationships in the film. It is becoming clearer that STEPMOM was the beginning of a stylistic change in Williams’ scoring style away from predominantly character-driven motifs.

Not only newer scores, but older ones as well appeared this year. THE FURY was a welcome surprise from Varese earlier in the year as was the relatively recent HOME ALONE 2 deluxe set, and Film Score Monthly’s THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING. Add to this releases that featured a young Williams as performer on "Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds" (even more fascinating to hear in connection with CATCH ME IF YOU CAN), and on the STUDS LONIGAN (Goldsmith) score disc; the release of Shelley Manne’s classic CHECKMATE interpretations of Williams’ music for this short-lived TV series, a disc of works for cello featuring Yo-Yo Ma (Sony Classical), a recording of his TUBA CONCERTO on ASV, and an early arrangement of a Richard Rodgers tune on a Boston Pops Rodgers retrospective (RCA/BMG) and you begin to feel like you had too much of a good thing this year. There were also some small specialty label releases of early Williams orchestral music, and a re-recording of his classic Gershwin arrangements—recorded in Texas.

Williams fans could not have imagined a luckier year and there is no sign that this great master is slowing down. It was a great way to celebrate a year that saw him enter his seventh decade of life. Each new score is only one more precious gift in a long and distinguished career.

Best New Soundtrack Releases:

1. IRISs - Horner (Sony)

2. STAR WARS - EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES - Williams (Sony)

3. MINORITY REPORT - Williams (Dreamworks)

4. K:19: THE WIDOWMAKES - Badelt (Hollywood)

5. THE FOUR FEATHERS - Horner (Sony)

6. SAINT SINNER - Lennertz  (LaLa Land)

7. STAR TREK NEMESIS - Goldsmith (Varese Sarabande)

8. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - Williams (Dreamworks)

9. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - Shore (Reprise)

IRIS is one of the best films of the past year if not decade and James Horner’s intimate score supersedes the Oscar-nominated A BEAUTIFUL MIND hands down. The themes are captivating and richly orchestrated. The extended "Parts" manage to create a semi-concerto quality that is enhanced by Joshua Bell’s gorgeous solos. In short, it is a score for the romantic in us all that captures the ear far more than previous Horner outings. I was impressed by the variety of musical ideas in this score particularly in the way that they are orchestrated. It would seem that here we have a kind of mix between the music of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE and TITANIC. Personally, I have had my love-hate relationship with Horner’s music for a long time. After being impressed with ABM, I am beginning to regain my confidence in his talents. Easily one of the scores I returned to most often in the past year and a score that may become identified as the defining shift in Horner’s maturity as a composer if it continues, though one hears early hints of this in his score for SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER. It is perhaps my favorite Horner score hands down.

It may seem a bit anti-climactic after the massive marketing blitz of THE PHANTOM MENACE, but the year’s first anticipated super-blockbuster boasts one of John Williams’ finest scores. Unlike some, I found his music for "Episode I" fascinating and full of cross references to later STAR WARS music. In ATTACK OF THE CLONES, though, Williams has come to an amazingly new place in his art. With a style that was used in A.I. excellently last year, Williams has managed to expand upon the music for this series in unique ways. While there are obvious standalone pieces (like the "Love Theme"), the musical development is a kindred spirit of his music for films like STEPMOM. The music develops intrinsically in AOC in ways that make for repeated discoveries with each listen. There are a couple of occasional references to TPM and hints of "Princess Leia’s Theme" and the Jedi music that is to be an integral part of the later chapters in the series. In "The Chase Through Coruscant" we even get a little electric guitar riffs that are new to the STAR WARS musical universe, but absent from the final cut of the film. More percussion writing, continuing to expand on the Sith music from THE PHANTOM MENACE, again illustrates that Williams has much to still say in this series. Perhaps the most frustrating part of the score can be laid at the feet of Sony who marketed different versions of the CD, some with screensavers, some with an extra track ("On the Conveyor Belt"), and some with nothing. But at over 75 minutes we really have nothing to complain about. And of course, next year we will likely be subjected to a "complete" recording, though I think I would prefer a "Volume 2" with possible bonus alternates from TPM if there were room.

There was not much time for dust to settle before Williams’ next score appeared. MINORITY REPORT is everything that many of Williams’ previous scores have not been. It is a challenging and harsh experience that is the alter ego of the music he wrote for HARRY POTTER. It may not win the average fan over, but it is one of his finest efforts to date. With only one lyrical piece, "Sean’s Theme," in the bunch for respite, there is very little that is left that one can compare to previous of his scores. The music tends to mix the kind of anxiety driven music from INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM with the drive of NIXON and a little of the lyricism in the starker cues from A.I. The score may be influenced by several new orchestrators. An easy listen it is not, but it is worth the effort. The only real carp is that the CD is recorded very low.

While the film received little notice with unfair comparisons to DAS BOOT, K:19—THE WIDOWMAKER had more than its own share of problems. Klaus Badelt produced a score that has moments reminiscent of Zimmer’s CRIMSON TIDE and Poledouris’ score for THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER which were no doubt temp-tracked and requested styles for this film. The music is interesting and designed to create extended sound pictures on the CD. The opening suite is a good piece of music in its own right as is the extended cue, "Journey." No there is no real new musical ground here and many will compare this to Zimmer’s music, but Badelt is still a new enough voice to see how it will develop in future. If anything the CD could become one of those rare collector’s items if the musician’s union gets its way since evidently the Kirov Orchestra was "illegally" used to record the score. So in some ways, I have included this score as one of historical interest. The liner notes are vague as to sections that may have been recorded in Hollywood.

It may seem hard to believe that I would consider two Horner scores in a given year, but THE FOUR FEATHERS really impressed me. I was set out to hear the Horner of WILLOW and STAR TREK adventure music, and was treated instead to an amazing score that extends beyond what one has come to expect from him altogether. THE FOUR FEATHERS is an amazing mix of GLORY and IRIS through the lens of epic military reflection we have come to hear in films like THE PATRIOT and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. This is not to say that Horner’s score is derivative in any way—something you rarely have heard said of his music. This is really one of his finer efforts and suggests that IRIS was not a fluke in his recent work. This is a score with less broad thematic outlines and much denser orchestral scoring. It relies more on creating mood pictures and de-emphasizes the expected action.

Christopher Lennertz’s score for a Sci-Fi telefilm based on Clive Barker’s SAINT SINNER, is among the better gothic horror scores in some time. The score features a full orchestra and chorus that is reminiscent of some of the great scores in this genre. It can stand beside Christopher Young’s score for HELLRAISER and Elfman’s for NIGHTBREED and demonstrates Lennertz’s amazing talent. The music is always interesting to listen to and the tracks are all capable of standing on their own. It is a rather uncommon event to have such a new score for a television film available so soon, but I think it is a mark of the confidence of the producers that those who see the film will want to add this to their music collections. From the standpoint of a film music aficionado, this score will undoubtedly be an important beginning to the addition of Lennertz to ones music collection. His will likely be a name that will continue to be lifted to the forefront of film composers of his generation. The CD is available exclusively through the companies website at Error! Bookmark not defined. and is in a limited edition pressing of 3000 copies. (Incidentally, a recent issue of Film Score Monthly, in a bold move, placed my positive review of this score alongside a ranting negative review.)

I must admit that another STAR TREK outing was not all that interesting to me in lieu of the tiredness of the plots from the past two Next Generation outings that seemed more like extended TV movies. Goldsmith’s scores were about the only redeeming factors for me. INSURRECTION has become one of my personal recent favorites. With STAR TREK NEMESIS Goldsmith pulled out all the stops to create one of the better scores in the series. The notes provided by Robert Townson state that the players were practically ecstatic with the music and as you listen to the CD presentation one can see why. Goldsmith has taken the best techniques heard in scores like TOTAL RECALL and THE EDGE and mixed them together along with his previous Trek ideas to create one of the best scores in the series. Never have I spent more time grabbing the case again to see which track I was listening to in order to remember which were really good. I gave up and just held the case as the music washed over me. The placement of this film’s opening in mid-December bodes well in a rather poor year of films. Goldmith’s score may have a slim to none chance come award time, but it still manages to be one of his finest achievements.

John Williams’ last 2002 score for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN came as a real surprise. It is a mixture of his own jazz roots and does homage to classic jazz of the 1960s. The sound of master orchestrator Eddie Sauter and the ghost of Stan Getz infuse much of the angular composed sax solos masterfully performed by Dan Higgins. While some of the more intimate scenes had music that felt cribbed from STEPMOM, the overall CD experience of this score is truly a mark of Williams’ abilities as an album producer as well. This is one of the few CDs featuring period songs that does not have massive level changes from the score music. The songs fit excellently alongside Williams’ music. Some may quibble that Williams is copying ideas by Thomas Newman with the vibraphone pulses that appear throughout the music, but these ideas come out of a long musical tradition extending back into the jazz of the ‘60s.

Roger and I disagreed over Howard Shore’s score to THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (that just made me sound like Gene Siskel—rest his soul!) I did feel a bit vindicated by my prediction of its Oscar victory that year over some tough competition. While THE TWO TOWERS may be overlooked, it would be unfortunate to let this music go unheard. Shore has continued to extend ideas from the previous score and also introduces some new thematic, and orchestral, material as well. There are brief moments of light here that are truly fascinating to behold when they appear, especially in "Helm’s Deep". This track gives a good overview of the music for this and the previous film. It is hard to imagine that over eight hours of music has been created to date for these films. It would be an overwhelming task for any one person. Shore’s contribution will deservedly enter the annals of film music as one of the great accomplishments that film music has to offer. It will be near impossible to read these great books without hearing the sounds of his music.

As we come to the end of 2002, there are a few scores I have not had the chance to hear. Among them is Elmer Bernstein’s FAR FROM HEAVEN. I suspect that it would take the tenth spot on my list to date. As the Golden Globe score nominations have been announced, there are some curious selections. Terence Blanchard’s score for 25th HOUR has received some notice and as a Blanchard fan I will hold out hope that it may carry over to Oscar time. Goldenthal’s nomination is curious and as a fan of his music I am pleased, but the CD is filled more with songs than score so it is possible that the nomination is based less on the actual score music, unfortunately. Philip Glass’ contribution to THE HOURS has garnered some critical attention and I will be curious to see if it is a new direction musically, or more of the same minimalist pap. Peter Gabriel’s score for RABBIT-PROOF FENCE is very interesting. I had a chance to hear this score earlier in the year and actually predicted it may receive some accolades. This was based on the unusual, unique quality of the score, and the previous success of Gabriel’s music for THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST that became his successful "Passion" album. As a fan of both Rolfe Kent and Carter Burwell, I look forward to hearing their scores for ABOUT SCHMIDT and ADAPTATION either of which may be "list worthy."

So, if I had to be forced into my number ten spot, I would place Peter Gabriel’s score there for now even though it is not a style of music that I personally would return to for listening often. That is not intended to diminish the power the score brings to the film it was for which is, after all, the place where all scores need to be truly appreciated.

HONORABLE MENTION:

1. EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS - John Ottman (Varese Sarabande)

2. RED DRAGON - Danny Elfman (Decca)

I am a sucker for films that love to poke fun at genres and understand that they do so. Such was the case with this over-the-top parody of all those 50s monster spider movies. I cannot remember when I laughed so much at a film. John Ottman’s score was priceless and really helped keep one’s tongue firmly in cheek. The variations on the children’s song, "Itsy Bitsy Spider," were so wonderfully intertwined with the action that it was a treat to hear the score on its own. My favorite moment in the film involved the classic "Strangers in the Night" heard as muzak while an old barber does not realize he is "dancing" with a huge spider behind him. It was entirely lost on the rather young audience in the theater. This film makes great conscious use of music in film that made it a joy to hear and watch.

I am not a Hannibal Lector fan so I did not run to see the "remake" prequel RED DRAGON. I did manage to get a copy of the CD which turns out to be one of Elfman’s more interesting efforts in some time. It is a far darker score that delves into new musical territory for him and I was torn between putting this in my list. If I was to recommend film scores based on their main titles, Elfman’s scores for this year would all win hands down. There are few composers who have provided such interesting main title music for films and Elfman has done so for each of his last few projects consistently. The main title music for SPIDER-MAN was the main highlight of that score. I also enjoyed the more humorous jazzy tracks from the MIB2 CD that is one of Elfman’s better comedy scoring jobs in some time.

Best Vintage Soundtracks (Re-Releases or Reconstructions):

1. THE CHANGELING - Ken Wannberg/Rick Wilkes/Howard Blake (Percepto)

2. SILVER STREAK - Henry Mancini (Intrada)

3. SILK STOCKINGS - songs by Cole Porter (Rhino)

4. 08/15 - Wilhelm (Cobra)

5. IL FARO IN CAPO AL MONDO -Piccioni (GDM)

6. SUNSET BOULEVARD - Franz Waxman (Varese Sarabande)

7. THE FURY - John Williams (Varese Sarabande) .

8. WILSON - Alfred Newman (Screen Archives)

9.  SCARAMOUCHE - Victor Young (Film Score Monthly)

10. THE PRIZE - Jerry Goldsmith (Film Score Monthly)

If there are any remaining copies of Percepto's THE CHANGELING do not hesitate to get one before it is too late. The music is really one of the best scores of 1979 with an excellent main theme and eerie accompanying strings. Even at 73+ minutes the music continues to be accessible and interesting which is a difficult order for any ghost story score. If you can find it, this George C. Scott film makes for a great evening’s enjoyment as well.

Intrada released several limited editions this past year. The appearance of Henry Mancini’s remarkably light-hearted music for 1976’s SILVER STREAK is easily one of my favorite discs of the year. Intrada managed to find pretty much all the music Mancini composed for this film including several outtakes. The score was recorded in mono primarily, yet Intrada decided to include a significant portion of the available stereo cues to round off the disc. The score presentation itself runs to over 47 minutes of music with the total CD practically maxing out to 80 minutes of playing time. When it comes to Mancini, one can never get too much of a good thing. Here is a score with a great main title, a gorgeous love theme, and some fun 70’s underscoring that reveals a great master at work. With so little of Mancini’s work available, it is hard to imagine what would keep you from picking up this excellent score. Williams fans will discover that the influence of Mancini lived on into the younger composer to the point that one can never truly hear a solo piano line in Williams again without realizing that it is an extension of Mancini’s own orchestral style and predilection.

Every now and then we all need a little sugar. With this complete score release of MGM’s SILK STOCKINGS we receive just that. For the first time, the score has been remastered in true stereo and there are 16 previously unused tracks included. In addition, there have been several tracks extended and a couple of alternate takes added. The true joy of the score lies in the luscious arrangements by Conrad Salinger and the infectious music of Cole Porter. On top of this add the wonderful studio orchestra performance conducted by Andre Previn and you have practically one of the best CDs to lay back and enjoy. Anyone who fell in love with this film in their lifetime will want to have this wonderfully produced CD that features a booklet packed with pictures and well-written annotation.

If you can imagine what a film score that melded together the music of Max Steiner with that of Malcolm Arnold, you will come close to understanding the style Rolf Wilhelm brought to his first film score for the German WWII epic, "08/15" (1954-Part 1; 1955, Parts 2 & 3). "08/15" utilizes a variety of sources to support this sprawling and, now anachronistic, film that was the first German movie made about the "Great War." As such Wilhelm draws from the sounds of the war period to support his drama. There is so much here to enjoy for anyone who loves film music of the 1950s. The music from "Part One" mixes together original and contemporary favorites to create a sound that is kin to GONE WITH THE WIND. As the film progresses, we move into a style that Arnold would use for his classic score in THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI. By part three, Wilhelm employs a jazz band for some cues, including a wonderful reworking of the main title music, that is reminiscent of Adolph Deutsch’s 1950s comedy scoring. All the while, it is important to remember that this score often predates the responses to this kind of film that we are more familiar with and that is what makes for a release worthy of adding to your collection. Cobra Records is a German label producing "rare" soundtracks. No doubt for European fans some of the films and composers will hold more meaning than they will for those of us on this side of the ocean. But of all their releases, this would be a good place to start. For information on this and other releases you may need to e-mail Cobra directly at Error! Bookmark not defined..

From Italy comes this Piccioni score for a 1971 Jules Verne film adaptation. The movie is likely instantly forgettable though notable for its producer-star, Kirk Douglas, and a cast that included Yul Brynner and Fernando Rey. Piccioni is one of those underrated Italian masters and this adventure score shows just how important he is to Italian film. His name is lesser known here only because he has not managed to garner high profile projects. The music for IL FARO is a wondrous combination of the tunefulness of John Williams mixed with static harmonic progressions reminiscent of John Barry. There is much to admire in the orchestration and the themes are always engaging. They wear well even thirty years later and make this an easy pick among the often overlooked fare coming from Europe. At over 73 minutes this is an excellent way to hear this fabulous B-picture score.

After a bit of a pause in reconstructed scores, Varese has provided music lovers with one of the finest recordings of its distinguished catalog. To hear Waxman’s SUNSET BOULEVARD performed in its entirety is such sheer musical joy that it boggles the mind why no one has ever released more than just the suite. This beloved score is admirably conducted by Joel McNeely and given one of the finest performances in the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s long recording life. It almost seems like a waste of space to recommend an essential release like this one. If you have not yet secured your own copy, do so and reward this team for their amazing efforts!

Varese Sarabande made possible a long time dream for many Williams’ fans when they released the score for 1978’s THE FURY in a limited collector’s edition. This is one of Williams’ best scores and for the first time we get a presentation of the film’s music in chronological order, including unused cues. The two-disc set includes a remastered recording of the released score album with the London Symphony Orchestra that was recorded separately. While some may carp at the reissue of the accompanying CD, collectors will be attracted by the improved sound and the accessibility of both discs in one slim package. The CD is only available through the Varese website and is a limited edition pressing.

Screen Archives Entertainment entered the classic score CD market this year and their release of Alfred Newman’s Oscar-nominated score for the presidential biopic WILSON (1944) is truly a marvel of production. An excellent booklet helps guide you through the film’s history in an intelligent and interesting way and includes a track-by-track synopsis. Of greater importance is the scholarship that went in to identifying and including the information for the variety of popular music incorporated in almost every part of the score. Fans looking to rediscover some long lost Newman music will be somewhat disappointed by the over-abundance and reliance on the many popular and patriotic tunes used in the score, but there is a truly beautiful waltz that may make the disc worth adding to your collection. This is a definite must for Newman completists!

Film Score Monthly continued to release great Golden Age scores throughout the year, but their release of Victor Young’s SCARAMOUCHE has to be mentioned because it is one of those great swashbuckling scores. Young’s music is woefully underrepresented and it is wonderful that here is the only available version we will ever see. Though the stereo masters were missing, the mono sound has a lively and spacious quality that allows everything to shine through gloriously. There are also the requisite "bonus" tracks appearing following the main body of the score. The booklet is printed on glossy paper and the notes include a brief overview of Young’s contributions to film music history.

Another of FSM’s "surprise" releases was the 1963 score for THE PRIZE by Jerry Goldsmith. THE PRIZE was one of the scores that Goldsmith re-recorded early in his career and FSM has managed to even include that re-recording in this amazing release. Ryko had included the main title music for this film in their MGM compilation a couple of years ago and that just whet the appetite for me as a score I would like to hear more of in future. THE PRIZE turns out to be a quintessential 1960s spy caper score that has some truly fascinating musical moments, unique orchestral sounds and techniques, and a great theme. A little bit of everything is thrown into the mix. One hears a sound Goldsmith was using in his scores for THE TWILIGHT ZONE along side some of the jazzy sounds of the period. His sliding horn ideas come across as extensions of Herrmann’s Hitchcockian sound that have managed to continuously appear throughout Goldsmith’s career and are now thought of as "typical" of his own style. The unique percussion ideas hint at the great things to come later that decade in PLANET OF THE APES. But most of all, this is an amazingly engaging score to listen to overall. The score itself runs about 48 minutes long and FSM has managed to include an additional 19 minutes of source music that includes some Andre Previn cues from DESIGNING WOMAN that were used in this film. The remainder of the disc is filled out with the aforementioned re-recorded LP cues. So at over 76 minutes of music, this becomes a true gift and highlight of FSM’s releases.

Best Compilation Releases:

1. Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand (Decca)

2. Music for the Movies - Benjamin Frankel (CPO)

3. Previn Conducts Korngold (DGG)

4. THE MALTESE FALCON and Other Classic Scores by Adolph Deutsch (Marco Polo)

5. THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. - Jerry Goldsmith and others (Film Score Monthly)

Though I have always enjoyed Legrand’s music for LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, I cannot say that I have always rushed out to get the latest Legrand CD. In this case, I would have missed out on a truly wonderful jazz CD. Legrand’s piano improvisations use many of his more popular film songs as their starting points. Each of the songs is shaped in different ways though taken as a whole they tend to blend together. This is probably to be expected for a solo album that features over an hour of music. But it really cannot be beat as a break from the normal orchestral arrangements of these tunes. Legrand’s performance is flawless though unfortunately recorded too low at times. Not for purists, but definitely enjoyable.

CPO may be familiar to Korngold fans for a series of releases made over the last few years. They have a tendency to record some fairly peripheral classical music and have managed to delve into film music on occasion. With this latest release of music by British composer Benjamin Frankel they have done the film music community a great service. The highlight of the disc is ultimately the first complete recording of music for John Huston's THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA (1964). From that more dramatic score to the likes of operetta in selections from THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (1952), and the more romantic music for TROTTIE TRUE (1949) and FOOTSTEPS IN THE FOG (1955), one soon realizes that here is music just waiting for discovery. Only the most cynical will find nothing to like in this great recording by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Werner Andreas Albert.

It has been a long time, too long, since there has been a good release of Korngold's music. Deutsche Grammophon released one of the best performances and recordings of this music in many years by the consummate musician and conductor, Andre Previn. Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, Korngold's music sounds exquisite. This is the very best of the scores represented: THE SEA HAWK, THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, CAPTAIN BLOOD, and THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER. The sound here is nothing short of remarkable and it is like hearing this music for the first time. The music is not really in suite form, but the cues due tend to flow together more like a suite. If you have Rhino's Warner Brothers collection, there are many cues duplicated that make for fascinating comparisons. About the only bland thing about this production is its cardboard packaging. This will likely replace nothing in the Korngold fan collection, but it will be a CD returned to frequently.

One of the single best CDs of film music this year has to be Marco Polo’s release of music by Adolph Deutsch. With scores from THE MALTESE FALCON, GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE, HIGH SIERRA, THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS, and NORTHERN PURSUIT, the team of Stromberg and Morgan have given a wonderful gift to music fans. These classic 40s scores by this underrated master of scoring is such sheer joy to listen to that one wonders how Deutsch was overlooked so much by the Academy for his original contributions to film. Deutsch’s music tends to focus often on motivic ideas that are marvelously orchestrated. He focuses on differing his orchestral combinations more than on any general thematic development in these scores and the results are nothing short of amazing. The entire production is so excellent that it would take pages to discuss the sheer joy of listening to this release. This is a CD that no music collection should be without and is a must for any film score fan.

Perhaps it is cheating a bit to include Film Score Monthly’s two disc set of music from the 1960’s spy series, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., but after having a chance to sit and enjoy the variety of the release, I find this is quickly becoming a guilty pleasure of mine. Spanning over the four seasons and sporting music from several composers besides Jerry Goldsmith, there is much to enjoy throughout. The first season music, primarily by Goldsmith on disc one, is a great illustration at his talent for writing interesting underscoring that is years ahead of its material. There are hints even at ideas that would get fleshed out later that decade, especially in scores like PLANET OF THE APES. The music for each episode is edited together into a single flowing track making for an easier more coherent listening experience. The accompanying booklet is beyond compare with information about the series, brief biographies for each of the composers represented, and detailed information about each track. The latter includes where music was subsequently tracked in future episodes after the initial appearance of the music. The amount of time and work lovingly put into this release is worthy of everyone’s attention. Often, TV music is not all that compelling, but the jazzy variety, along with the 1960’s faux rock ‘n’ roll music that appears on disc two is a great deal of fun even for those too young to remember the series itself. Music by Gerald Fried, Lalo Schifrin, and a few others fills out the set along with appearances of the slightly altered main theme for the show that allows you to hear attempts at reaching out to different demographics. A wonderful way to end 2002 with a little retro music!

Best Record Labels and Outstanding Album Producers:

1. Buena Vista:  Randy Thornton

2. Screen Archives

3. Film Score Monthly: Lukas Kendall

4. Percepto:  Taylor White

5. Intrada:  Douglass Fake

Disney’s music division re-released a lot of scores from classics and forgotten fare remastered and produced by Randy Thornton. In amazingly updated sound, each new release was like an extra bit of joy from WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? to THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE and NEWSIES there was really something for every discerning taste no matter where you looked, and all this at practically bargain prices. Disney also re-issued many of its classic soundtracks again this year in clear jewel cases perhaps hoping to appeal to the older discerning listener. The only reason none of them made my "best of" list above was due only to my inability to select just one! Though I remember owning the LP of MILLIONAIRE so rehearing this fun Sherman score was a delightful flashback for me. Take a wad of money and go pick up as many of these as you can as they represent a truly interesting history of film music that was heard by more people than almost any other film scores being written at the time.

Screen Archives began releasing CDs this year and brought to the forefront some relatively forgotten but important scores. The production values were nothing less then exemplary and the lesser known the score the better the documentation. Loaded with film stills as well, the excellently remastered music was a sheer delight to discover.

Lukas Kendal managed to up the ante this year with a series of releases from the MGM archives that appeared to be a semi-partnering with Turner Classic Movies. I hope that the releases are being given some free ad time on that cable channel because all of them have been sheer joy to explore. Throughout the year fans of the living composers that appear in FSM releases were probably frustrated at another Rosza score release over more personal and perennial favorites, but at no time could anyone say that the choices seemed unusual once the music was heard. At a time when Varese Sarabande reinstated its film music club, FSM’s releases seem to still outshine them in presentation, quantity of music, and substance of musical choices and extras.

And a close second must be Taylor White’s Percepto label which began a year ago promising great Vic Mizzy releases and made good on their announcements this year with a string of Mizzy scores and other fascinating music that included the excellent score to THE NIGHT WALKER (though there were some noticeable production flaws) and my own personal favorite release, THE CHANGELING. Their disc featuring MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and COME TO THE STABLE by Cyril Mockridge also made the season bright. My wish list this year has many of Percepto’s late summer and end of year releases on it and I look forward to ordering and enjoying many of these in the early part of the upcoming year. (Yes, sometimes we buy CDs too!)

Douglass Fake accelerated Intrada’s own Special Collector’s series this past year with something for a wide variety of score fans. The most anticipated, and the one most quickly to sell out, was Bruce Broughton’s YOUNG SHERLOCK HOMES. Even I lost out by waiting too long on this one! But Mancini fans still have a chance to pick up one of the longest score re-mastered albums in SILVER STREAK (see above). In addition, Intrada released a two-disc set of Laurence Rosenthal’s music for the 1980s miniseries MUSSOLINI: THE UNTOLD STORY, and a classic Friedhofer score, THE BARBARIAN AND THE GEISHA.

Worst Soundtrack Releases:

1. MY BIGy Big Fat Greek Wedding (Wilson and Janko)

2. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (Davis)

First, I do hope that Alexander Janko gets a better opportunity in the future to show off his talent which the ongoing success of this film may allow. It is on minimal display here for this excellent orchestrator who may be familiar to David Newman fans. The CD release for MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING will be a big fat waste of your money. In a day where the average CD now runs $18, this 40 minute effort of rehashed ethnic Greek music that is cribbed from a budget label (Laserlight at that with an average list price of $3-$5) and intermixed with less than 20 minutes of score music is inexcusable. So kudos to Janko for a fun romantic score, shame on the producers of this album.

Usually the awful scores of the year fall into that dreaded dearth of films released between Valentine’s Day and early April. But thank goodness the fall comes along for Hollywood to try to quickly pass off the films that had high hopes but that ended up being unavoidably awful or worse. Such was the case with the Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu film BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER. The film was derided as chaotic at best and filled with clichés that focused on explosions over substance. Don Davis, whose work I have admired in THE MATRIX and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, has added to this mess by providing a score that is basically a hard rock jam. Some specific harmonic progressions ad nauseum make it clear that this is a thematic device. The real problem though is that this film needed a truly recognizable theme that could then run through all the electronica and noise. David Arnold has found that to be an adequate device for his Bond scores, though half his work is done for him since he can always fall back on the James Bond theme. The real problem here is that at 68 minutes, this CD is overly long timewise and short on ideas. The mark of Davis’ genius is only seen about half way through the disc. This is one release that should have stayed to the 30-minute format of Varese’s other CDs.

And while I am at it, though I will not put DIE ANOTHER DAY down as a "worst" score, I think that I can safely state that Madonna’s song enters the record books as the single worst Bond song in the series. It’s appearance at the beginning of the disc set me up for what I thought would be an unmitigated disaster. The following Paul Oakenfield "mix" was a pale and pathetic imitation of Moby’s superior traversal of the Bond theme on TOMORROW NEVER DIES and I hope this is the end of this sort of stupidity. This managed to push Arnold’s score music to little more than a half hour.

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