Paramount Pictures 90th Anniversary Memorable Scores (Compilation)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Which compilation hasn't delivered everything from movie music? So far, not one and now expanding the realm of 4 discs for one compilation (Cinema Century, Var鋊e Sarabande 25th Anniversary Set), it is difficult even for those series to put so many great highlights onto one piece of music. Another Anniversary collection (2 discs) was delivered also by Paramount to show that they delivered in their 90 year of existence some movies which captured stunning music. And so they rightfully delivered Paramount Pictures 90th Anniversary Memorable Scores as a wonderful collection of the new and old, great and good, classic as obscure. It stands as a testament to the producers that they carefully balanced things between which was old and new and fitting and non fitting that this 2 CD set is at times capturing a stunningly close link to all the scores, whether through 2 scores appearing right after each other from the same composer to pieces that fit musically so well with the other. And as always, the surprises are waiting around the corner since you don't know everything, and so it captures a lot of new things even for the trained ear. And as you may know, I haven't really explored the Golden Age of film music enough because personally I lose a bit the interest when comparing it with today's music. But highlights it captures nonetheless. Like 'Finale' from The Lost Weekend composed by Miklos Rozsa, containing emotional string grandeur a la Close Encounters of the Third Kind and is one track which amazes me from start to finish. Or another one is 'Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet' from Romeo & Juliet, the old version composed by Nino Rota capturing a wonderful theme with a heartfelt but brilliant choral accompaniment. These two tracks show that Golden Age mustn't be forgotten, simply because it also delivers stunning music on itself.

From the first soundtrack we also remember various other highlights, 'Moon River' of Breakfast at Tifanny's captures a wonderful and calm sound, with the choir stating the words in a nicest way imaginable, or 'Baby Elephant Walk' of Hatari, which is fun, sparkling and playful, more the moment you hear it you will instantly recognize it as one of the most ever used pieces of music. Equally impressive is the more recent '80 sounding 'Theme from Terms of Endearment' of Michael Gore which brings a superb piano theme to greater power with added electronic but enjoyable proportions. And to remember are the appearances of classic themes like Star Trek, Raiders of the Lost Ark as Beverly Hills Cop, plus some Golden Age Moses crackers in The Ten Commandments which is equally highly enjoyable. Overall, the first disc brings much new, a lot of great highlights and the second disc continues that trend, with only more recent compositions. Braveheart's 'For the Love of a Princess' graces the screen as with ever brilliance, the stunning theme of Star Trek: First Contact always makes the day and a Titanic track not containing the material we already heard is 'Hard to Starboard', which is always good for a pulse racing tension track. But also here are pieces everyone remembers, sadly not in their most overknown presentation. 'The Strength of the Righteous (Main Title)' of The Untouchables isn't the big main heroic theme but more a tension builder which works and 'Main Title' of The Addams Family starts with a short statement of the main theme but doesn't expand on that, rather stating the also lovely love theme. 'Flashback & Photos' is a short but lovely introduction to John Barry's Indecent Proposal and Jarre performs some electronic but nice themes in either Witness or Fatal Attraction. Yet there is more to expect.

Somewhat bizarre yet to the point are additions to the first Mission: Impossible (by Danny Elfman) which brings the complex and loud music along with an excellent statement of the main theme (alone this track amuses, together with the rest it makes the soundtrack downright hideous), the second Mission: Impossible 2 doesn't receive the best Zimmer track and is rather short (but shows the ultimate difference of the MI theme appearing with electric guitar instead by orchestra like Elfman did) and Tomb Raider of Revell didn't make for a fine album but the inclusion of the 'Main Titles' is still enjoyable nonetheless. Highlights here are the introductions to Rules of Engagement, 'Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)' is the best track of that album and states terrific fanfares along with trumpet solos worth hearing, it then also appeared with stunning effect in the trailer of We Were Soldiers. And another fun track is 'Baby Shower Happenings' from The Rugrats Movie, a fun track stating vocals, sound effects and some terrific fanfares all in one curious but ever so fun track. Recent additions like 'The Mission' from The Sum of all Fears gives fans the stunning choral interlude to the score and Silvestri rounds it out lovely with Forrest Gump. The strange thing is, this album followed a chronological order starting from the year 1944 to 2002, with the possible exceptions of Saving Private Ryan's famous hymn opening the first disc and as said Forrest Gump ending the second disc. They could have played along in line flawlessly. Yet don't regret this choice too much since that is just a quibble. Together this compilation delivers not all highlights per se but a stunning look nonetheless to some of the film music having appeared in Paramount Pictures over 58 years. The best thing is the flawless transition from style to style that makes the album, and also the inclusion of perhaps odd but nonetheless enjoyable features. The Anniversary's 90th presentation is then also a grand success to listen to.

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Tracks

Double Disc

CD 1: 73.57

Saving Private Ryan (John Williams)

1. Hymn To The Fallen (6.08) Excellent Track

Double Indemnity (Miklos Rozsa)

2. Prelude (3.16)

The Lost Weekend (Miklos Rozsa)

3. Finale (4.12) Excellent Track

The Heiress (Aaron Copland)

4. Departure / Morris Suggests Love / The Proposal / Finale (2.40)

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)

5. Prelude (3.50)

The Ten Commandments (Elmer Bernstein)

6. Prelude (5.06)

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Henry Mancini)

7. Moon River (2.42)

Hatari (Henry Mancini)

8. Baby Elephant Walk (2.42)

Rosemary's Baby (Christopher Komeda)

9. Main Title (Vocal) (2.25)

Romeo & Juliet (Nino Rota)

10. Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet (2.33) Excellent Track

Once Upon a Time in the West (Ennio Morricone)

11. Once Upon A Time In The West (3.53)

Love Story (Francis Lai)

12. Theme From Love Story (3.21)

The Godfather (Nino Rota)

13. Main Title (The Godfather Waltz) (3.07)

14. Love Theme From The Godfather (2.40)

Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith)

15. Love Theme From Chinatown (Main Title) (2.03)

The Godfather "Part II" (Nino Rota)

16. End Title (3.53)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Jerry Goldsmith)

17. End Title (3.16) Excellent Track

Raiders of the Lost Ark (John Williams)

18. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (6.03) Excellent Track

Terms of Endearment (Michael Gore)

19. Theme From Terms Of Endearment (3.27) Excellent Track

Flashdance (Giorgio Moroder)

20. Love Theme From Flashdance (3.29)

Beverly Hills Cop (Harold Faltermeyer)

21. Axel F. (3.02)

CD 2: 73.52

Witness (Maurice Jarre)

1. Building The Barn (4.58)

Children of a Lesser God (Michael Convertino)

2. Main Title (3.00)

The Untouchables (Ennio Morricone)

3. The Strength Of The Righteous (Main Title) (2.22)

Fatal Attraction (Maurice Jarre)

4. Fatal Attraction (3.47)

The Addams Family (Marc Shaiman)

5. Main Title (2.01)

Dead Again (Patrick Doyle)

6. Winter 1948 (2.55)

Indecent Proposal (John Barry)

7. Flashback & Photos (1.42)

The Firm (Dave Grusin)

8. How Could You Lose Me? (End Title) (3.39)

Clear and Present Danger (James Horner)

9. A Clear And Present Danger (5.23)

Braveheart (James Horner)

10. For The Love Of A Princess (4.07) Excellent Track

Primal Fear (James Newton Howard)

11. Courtroom Montage (2.14)

Mission: Impossible (Danny Elfman)

12. Zoom B (2.54)

Star Trek: First Contact (Jerry Goldsmith)

13. End Credits (5.26) Excellent Track

Titanic (James Horner)

14. Hard To Starboard (6.50) Excellent Track

The Rugrats Movie (Mark Mothersbaugh)

15. Baby Shower Happenings (2.23)

The Talented Ripley (Gabriel Yared)

16. Italia (1.39)

Rules of Engagement (Mark Isham)

17. Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) (4.11) Excellent Track

Mission: Impossible 2 (Hans Zimmer)

18. The Bait (1.03)

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Graeme Revell)

19. Main Titles (2.06)

Vanilla Sky (Nancy Wilson)

20. To The Roof (2.20)

The Sum of all Fears (Jerry Goldsmith)

21. The Mission (5.58) Excellent Track

Forrest Gump (Alan Silvestri)

22. I'm Forrest, ... Forrest Gump (2.41) Excellent Track

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