FILM MUSIC REVIEW

  FILM MUSIC REVIEW

           Presents...

THE BEST FILM MUSIC OF 1999

Selected by Roger Hall

To see the choices for best film score and song of 1999, see The Sammy Awards

The Top Film Composer of 1999

For the second year in a row, I have chosen John Williams (born: 8 February 1932) as the top film composer.

He just keeps turning out significant scores every year and deserves to be the world's most popular film composer. In 1998, his score for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was my choice for best of the year. In 1999, he composed two impressive scores - one for the somewhat disappointing film, STAR WARS - THE PHANTOM MENACE; and the other one a more sensitive score for ANGELA'S ASHES.

Since 1988, John Williams has received 7 Sammy Awards, more than any other film composer. He began in the 1950s as a jazz performer and arranger - see Soundtrack Re-Issue of Special Merit below. He continues to produce memorable scores of great dignity and strength.

In short, he's a master of his craft (or art, if you think of film that way).

Soundtrack Re-Issue of Special Merit from 1999

This is the first year a CD has been singled out for a Special Merit selection.

It was selected as Best Soundtrack for July 1999. For a review of this superb re-issue - see Previous Reviews - Soundtracks.

MUSIC FROM PETER GUNN (Recorded in 1958-1959) - Henry Mancini (Buddah/BMG). The first important television jazz score, it remains one of the best ever composed for that medium. This CD includes music from the original 1958 LP, which won Grammy Awards for Best Album of the Year and Best Arrangement. The Buddah re-release has several bonus tracks from the second LP, "More Music from Peter Gunn" (1959). The pianist on both 1950s albums was a guy named Johnny Williams. Sound familiar? Yep, that's the same guy who is now the world's best known film composer. If you want proof of his versatility, listen to his beautiful piano solo on the "Dreamsville" track of this CD. This famous television soundtrack provides many examples of Mancini's brilliant jazz scoring. A milestone for its era. Excellent sound on this re-issue. Essential to any film music collector's vintage television & film score library.

The Best Soundtrack and Compilation Releases From 1999

Based on my reviews during 1999, these are my choices for five best new and vintage soundtracks, compilations, and record labels:

Best Motion Picture Soundtrack Releases (in alphabetical order):

This year I have chosen 5 scores which all are highly sensitive to the film's strong emotional content. Most of them accompany particular locales, such as Ireland and the Pacific Northwest.

ANGELA'S ASHES (John Williams) - Sony - Another major score by John Williams, with a highly memorable subdued main theme woven throughtout the score.

DURANGO (Mark McKenzie) - Intrada - Lovely low-keyed Irish-flavored score by McKenzie.

THE RED VIOLIN (John Corigliano) - Sony - A rich and rewarding score featuring a marvelous main theme and an added Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra. Vilion soloist, Joshua Bell, plays beautifully.

SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (James Newton Howard) - Decca - Extremely subtle score for the story of Japanese-Americans in the Pacific Northwest during World War II.

TOY STORY 2 (Randy Newman) - Walt Disney - Full of fun and frivolity and some terrific songs. One of Randy Newman's very best Disney scores.

Runner-up soundtracks (not reviewed in 1999): AMERICAN BEAUTY (Thomas Newman); THE IRON GIANT (Michael Kamen); THE LEGEND OF 1900 (Ennio Morricone); THE MUMMY (Jerry Goldsmith); SLEEPY HOLLOW (Danny Elfman).

Best Vintage Soundtrack Releases (Newly Recorded or Expanded Re-Issue)

ANATOMY OF A MURDER (Duke Ellington) - Columbia/Legacy/Sony - The best jazz score of all-time, with numerous added tracks of rehearsal sessions.

BERNARD HERRMANN AT FOX, Vol. 2 - Varese Sarabande - Rousing, robust scores by Herrmann in the 1950s, with great sound for its era.

KING KONG (Max Steiner) - Rhino - The original Steiner classic score, including the crakling dialogue from the movie. This CD is a model of high quality production.

THE SONG OF BERNADETTE (Alfred Newman) - Varese Sarabande - Newman's Oscar-winning masterpiece in its full glory on 2 CDs. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (Max Steiner) - Marco Polo - One of Steiner's finest adventure scores, brought vividly to life by the master duo of arranger John Morgan and conductor, William T. Stromberg.

Best Compilation Releases

CITIZEN KANE: The Essential Bernard Herrmann Film Music Collection (2 CDs) - Silva Screen - Excellent collection from 21 scores by Herrmann. Superb sound.

THE CLASSIC FILM MUSIC OF VICTOR YOUNG - Marco Polo - Featuring 4 memorable scores by Young, including his classic one for THE UNINVITED.

THE LION'S ROAR: Classic M-G-M Film Scores, 1935-1965 (2 CDs) - Rhino - Another in the superb Rhino series of vintage movie music releases, this one containing excerpts from 37 M-G-M scores.

MIKLOS ROZSA AT M-G-M (2 CDs) - Rhino - An ideal complement to the LION'S ROAR set, this one focusing on Rozsa years at M-G-M, including suites and themes from 13 of his best scores at that studio.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE: The 40th Anniversary Collection (4 CDs) - Silva - One of the most welcome compilation's of the year, especially for TZ fans. Disc one is devoted to music by Bernard Herrmann, second disc to Jerry Goldsmith. The other two discs feature other assorted composers and they are equally as good. A real treasure filled with some of the best music composed for television.

Best Record Labels of 1999

Rhino (2 compilations, 1 vintage soundtrack)

Silva Screen (2 compilations)

Sony (2 new soundtracks, 1 vintage soundtrack)

Varese Sarabande (2 vinatge soundtracks)

The Worst Score and Compilation of 1999

These two releases both received Poor ratings and are IMHO the worst examples of trashy exploitation passing as soundtracks:

Worst Score

IN TOO DEEP (Christopher Young)

From the original review from November 1999:

"This score CD is unappealing and not worth repeated listenings. For me, I'd rather listen to Goldsmith, Horner, Williams or any of the others who actually write a melody rather than this kind of uninspired stuff. Not recommended."

Worst Compilation

SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT

Complete original review from August 1999:

Unlike most SOUTH PARK fans and movie critics, I think this movie and especially the soundtrack is a bummer! It's juvenile, vulgar and self-serving. Yes, I know it's all supposed to be a harmless parody. But I found it just sarcastic and nasty.

The songs by Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman are dreadful - uninspired and unmemorable. They try to parody the styles from stage musicals (LES MISERABLES or EVITA anyone?) and they do it very badly.

Most of the songs have little to offer. The only songs with some melodic interest are the opening track ("Mountain Town"), track 7 ("Up There") and track 9 ("Eyes of a Child" - nicely sung by Michael McDonald). The other ones, especially the songs with explicit lyrics, are just plain moronic. Hearing songs with foul language sung by squeaky-voiced singers doesn't make them good songs. And what's the point of adding the repetitive rhythm rappers on tracks 13-20? They make this CD sound even worse. Could it be the rappers were added to help sell this piece of trash?

The CD booklet is poorly designed with just who wrote the songs and a bunch of stills of the stupid little bug-eyed kids.

I found this CD a poor excuse for a movie musical when compared to good musicals of the past (and that includes the Disney animated musical films, like BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING).

Worst of all, this CD brings a new low to movie bad taste and stupidity! A piece of trash.

The Best Soundtracks, Compilations, Record Labels of 1998

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