Sonic Cinema started out as an idea, primarily, for my musical works, and I would write movie reviews from time to time. Of course, over time, the balance has been reversed, and this site is very much a site for my discussion on film, with an area for the music I’ve written over the years. And you know what? That is perfectly fine. Movies have become my love, and music is a secondary way to express myself, with my selection in music being, sometimes, as personal a window into who I am as the music I write. I have a list of albums and tracks on my music page- I’ve never really put into words why some of those mean as much to me as they do. I’ve had this blog in my Drafts for about five years now; time to bring it to the finish line.
Various Artists & Graeme Revell, “The Crow”; “The Crow” was a life-altering experience for myself as a moviegoer, and it’s soundtrack paved the way. I purchased the song soundtrack before seeing the film in 1994, and the intensity of tracks by The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Pantera and Violent Femmes, among others, transported me into a world of pain and darkness like I had never gotten out of an album before. When I could finally put the songs in context with the movie, it took my appreciation for the curation of the soundtrack to another level. The chaser that gave me the biggest high, however, was Revell’s orchestral score, which had a different energy than any other score I had listened to up to that point, and it solidified “The Crow” as a film that would always have a profound place in my heart, as well as remain one of my very favorite films for years to come. (The score would also inspire a piece I wrote in 1999, “In a Lonely Place,” which I discussed on the podcast here.)
Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.”; My parents got me a cassette version of Springsteen’s 1984 smash album, and it began a life-long love of The Boss that remains potent today. It’s one of the few albums my father and I bonded over, as he enjoyed the big hits from the album- the titular song, “Dancing in the Dark,” “Glory Days” as well as “Darlington County”- but over the years, “No Surrender” and “Bobby Jean” are the ones that really took hold of me, as they connected with moments where I was trying to figure myself out, and had me thankful for friendships, and hopeful for a time when I might find a connection like Springsteen sings about in his best songs.
James Horner, “Braveheart”; James Horner’s thrilling, and epic, score for Mel Gibson’s 1995 Oscar winner is what inspired me to want to compose music, and film music, at that. From the second I saw the film two weeks in advance of its release, Horner’s score dug deep into my soul, and lit a fuse in me that may not glow as brightly as it did, but is still alive. The lush, romantic and heroic themes, the riveting action cues, and the unusual orchestration which emphasizes flutes and bagpipes, Horner’s music is something that, once heard, never leaves your brain, and even when I was away at Philmont for two weeks that summer, I had listened to this music so much prior to the trip that the themes reverberated in me the entire trip. A quarter of a century later, I’m still transported emotionally by the music Horner created in a way few other film soundtracks have managed to do.
Guns N’ Roses, “Use Your Illusion I & II”; If I’m being honest, I only really love 4-7 tracks between the 28 on this two-album release; “Appetite for Destruction” and even “Chinese Democracy” have better batting averages. But my do the tracks I love on these 1991 records have an impact on me. On “Use Your Illusion I,” their cover of “Live and Let Die” and “Double Talkin’ Jive” are fun hard rock tracks, and “Use Your Illusion II” has “You Could Be Mine,” “Locomotive,” “Civil War,” “Yesterday” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” but let’s face it, these come down to “Don’t Cry,” “November Rain” and “Estranged.” “November Rain” was a transformative listen for me, and the videos to these three songs paint powerful, expressionist narratives that match the lyrics (although I do prefer the alternative lyrics version of “Don’t Cry” more). Yeah, there are a lot of songs on here I can do without, but the songs that leave an impression cut deep. They still do.
Various Artists & Alex North, “2001: A Space Odyssey” & “Alex North’s 2001”; Stanley Kubrick’s science-fiction masterpiece has inspired me in a way few other films can lay claim to. His use (and non-use) of music is second to none. His epic film made classical works like “The Blue Danube” and “Also Sprach Zarathustra” household hits in the late ’60s/early ’70s, but for me, it was his use of the work of Gyorgy Ligeti- which admittedly, got him in legal trouble with the composer- that really hit home for me as I set out on my own musical experiments inspired by the film. “2001” is unique, however, in having another soundtrack, one that was not used in the film, available in a recording, conducted by the great Jerry Goldsmith, of Alex North’s unused orchestral score for the film. It’s fascinating to listen to the two albums, see the ways North tried to appease the director, and see why Kubrick was ultimately right to make the choices he did.
Hans Zimmer, “Broken Arrow”; The soundtrack for John Woo’s 1996 action movie had as much of an impact on me as any of the albums I list above. A synthesized symphony of moods and motifs, with Duane Eddy on guitar, Zimmer’s score was the first where I really connected with a synthesized piece of music, and got me thinking about the potential of electronic music as my composing itch began. It’s best to be able to listen to this album as a whole, as each track leads into the next one, but there are terrific individual tracks like “Hammerhead” and “Nuke” that rise and fall dramatically, and are exciting enough to listen to while driving, or working out, while also reminding you of the moments in the movie they scored.
Ennio Morricone, “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly”; Those coyote howls Morricone employs are a powerful, and iconic, thing. This is one of those scores that just evokes memories of the film every time you hear it, but, when you revisit the film, you see just how much more layered Morricone’s orchestrations are compared to the album. That is the appetizer; the score, as heard in Sergio Leone’s epic western, is the entree. His scores for the Man With No Name trilogy inspired an album of my own in the western idiom, but even I’d be silly to think I could create cues as riveting as “Ecstacy of Gold” or “Story of a Soldier,” let alone a theme that brought so much personality to a film as that howl, and how the maestro deploys it through individual orchestrations to represent each of the main characters. This is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Bernard Herrmann, “Vertigo”; There’s some competition, but Herrmann’s hypnotic, haunting romantic score for Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller about romantic obsession might be the best original film score ever written. Few scores have ever acted like a character in the film quite as memorably as Herrmann’s does, sucking us into Scottie’s dizzying descent into romantic obsession as he is following an old school friend’s wife, and what happens after she dies. The lush orchestral sound of Herrmann’s score draws us into the mystery, and then the tragedy, and its impact is unforgettable.
Various Artists, “The London Trombone Sound”; A fellow trombonist turned me on to this album in my senior year of high school, and it remains one of my favorite classical albums. In addition to having a fantastic finale in “76 Trombones” performed by 76 trombones, it also has a great version of Barber’s “Adagio,” Henry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther” theme, and “Layla,” which is probably my favorite version of that song, if only for how the performers lay into that final portion of it.
Peter Gabriel, “Passion: The Last Temptation of Christ”; My journey to my current appreciation of Martin Scorsese’s controversial “The Last Temptation of Christ” comes as much with my adoration of the score by Gabriel as it does my exploring of my spiritual side in my 20s and 30s. Gabriel’s score is a powerful, and experiential, piece of composition from the artist. From the opening riffs during the credits to the ecclesiastic finale after “It is accomplished,” very few film scores move to the beat of their own drummer like his. “A Different Drum,” for when he arrives at the temple on Palm Sunday, is a piece that is heroic and inspiring, while “Passion” captures the existential struggle of Christ throughout this film as He makes his way to the cross. It’s an unforgettable, and singular, piece of film music.
U2, “Achtung Baby”; 1991 was an absolutely insane year for rock, and my discovery of those albums in 1992 was transformative for me. Few had the collective shock to the system like U2’s strikingly-produced album, recorded in Germany post-Berlin Wall. From the very opening of “Zoo Station” all the way through to “Love is Blindness,” this is unlike anything else the band had ever produced (which I would learn after the fact), and for me, it wasn’t just the hits like “One” and “Mysterious Ways” that would resonate. The ones that I found myself most coming back to over the years were “So Cruel,” “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” and “Love is Blindness.” On the whole, however, this is an album that is a complete and immersive experience; it’s one of the best ones on this list.
John Williams, “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”; It’d be easy to cheat, and just put the entire Skywalker Saga musical cycle together here for Williams. The truth is, though, “Empire Strikes Back” stands out in a series of (mostly) equals. It’s the first time we hear the villainous Imperial March, and the introduction of Han and Leia’s love theme, as well as Yoda’s theme. But more than that, we also get a deepened spirituality given to the Force Theme, some expert deployments of the fanfare from the first film, as well as Leia’s theme, and my two favorite set piece cues in the entire saga, with the mechanical Battle of Hoth, and the thrilling race against the Empire after Luke finds out some hard truths. Oh yeah, and the asteroid field cue is another all-timer. His music for “A New Hope” was not yet fully formed. In “Empire,” it is as rich and exciting an experience as the composer has ever given us.
Nine Inch Nails, “The Downward Spiral”; My proper inauguration into the musical world of Trent Reznor. I don’t listen to it quite as much as I used to, because it’s hard to really get myself into the mood to listen to NIN’s dispair, and rage-filled, masterpiece of industrial music. Individual tracks will occasionally make their way into the mix- “Closer,” “I Do Not Want This” (probably my favorite track from the album), “A Warm Place,” and “Hurt”- but this is a rough album to listen to in its entirety for me, anymore. Doesn’t mean I still don’t find it remarkably brilliant for the soundscapes and energies that Reznor exudes in each track.
Wendy Carlos, “Tales of Heaven and Hell”; This album from the electronic music pioneer was released shortly after I became enamored with her soundtrack for “A Clockwork Orange,” and especially, her tone poem, “Timesteps.” The centerpiece track on this dark musical journey is a sequel she wrote to that, “A Clockwork Black,” and while it’s a fun piece, it’s the music around that track that has always influenced me most, especially the opening piece, “Transitional,” and the closing work, “Seraphim,” which is as hauntingly beautiful a piece of electronic music as I’ve ever heard. Even more so than her cues for “The Shining,” “Tales of Heaven and Hell” is an album I’ve been inspired by considerably in my own, dark musical journeys.
Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil, “Cloud Atlas”; No film score in the past two decades has had quite the immediate, emotional connection to me as the one written by Tykwer and his collaborators for the film he made with Lana and Lilly Wachowski. From the opening notes of the theme to the full composition of the “Cloud Atlas Sextet,” which presents a through line in several of the film’s narratives, “Cloud Atlas” is one of the most important scores in recent memory in how much it serves its film, and keeps us focused on the themes of freedom from oppression, and making our own destiny outside of society’s rules. The music is our guide through those journeys in this unforgettable and unique film.
Clint Mansell, “The Fountain”; Darren Aronofsky’s 2006 epic is one of the most profound, emotional experiences I have ever had with a film. It’s multiple layers of storytelling in how a couple copes with death transported me to places I never expected cinematically, and few films have gone to since. The score by Mansell, performed by Kronos Quartet and Mogwi, is one of the most imaginative pieces of film scoring I’ve ever heard, and like the album immediately above it on this list, one that transcends typical notions of storytelling and goes right for the heart while also containing riveting, and spellbinding compositions that stand alone. It remains one off the best scores of the 21st Century.
Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, “Live 1975-85”; Listening to Springsteen’s live performances is almost as meaningful an experience as his studio albums, and this three-album compilation of performances over a 10-year period is a perfect example. It opens with an acoustic version of “Thunder Road,” and dives into just about every significant song he had written in his career up to that point, as well as covers of “War” and “Because the Night” that are riveting to hear. My favorites are the aforementioned “Thunder Road,” “Reason to Believe,” “The River”- which is preceded by a personal story about he and his father- and an acoustic version of “No Surrender” that solidified that as my favorite song of all-time.
Pink Floyd, “The Wall”: Just to get it out of the way, no, my love of this 1979 opus from rock’s iconic, cerebral band isn’t based solely on the great 1982 film that it spawned; my love of “Animals” and “Dark Side of the Moon” is equally powerful. But Roger Waters’s riveting rock opera on alienation just resonates with this artist more strongly, whether you’re talking about the haunting “Hey You” and “Comfortably Numb,” the driving “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2,” or the classic rock of “In the Flesh” that starts this 81-minute masterpiece off before it delves into the dark recesses of a rock star’s broken psyche.
Hans Zimmer, “Millennium”; I’m the type of film soundtrack junkie who will buy a soundtrack album before he even watches the film. That’s been especially true with Zimmer over the years, and there are still scores of his I own for movies I’ve never watched. One of those is “Millennium,” which includes music he wrote for a 10-part documentary series on what lessons the modern world might be able to learn from rural societies in different parts of the world. Fans of his Oscar-winning score for “The Lion King” will appreciate the way he weaves similar motifs and instrumentations into this score, which I’ve always appreciated as a spiritual and emotional experience, especially the track, “The Art of Living.” This remains one of my favorite Hans Zimmer soundtracks, and one I just enjoy listening to at times where I need to relax.
Brian Eno, “Discreet Music”; It took me ages to really delve into some of Eno’s own work beyond albums he produced, or individual tracks that were used in movies. His 1975 album, “Discreet Music,” is actually my favorite of the albums he created that I’ve heard. Using synthesizer and tape delay, the titular track is 30 minutes of haunting, ambient sounds that repeat at distinct times, creating the sense of progression and movement, even though there is no real new motifs that become clear. The B-side involves three arrangements of variations on “Canon in D Major,” by Pachelbel. It’s a drastic departure from “Discreet Music,” but listened to on the whole, the album’s two halves make up a truly haunting series of pieces that is also stress-relieving as it transports you to another time and space.
John Williams, “A.I. Artificial Intelligence”; My favorite Steven Spielberg film also has one of John Williams’s most experimental scores. Sure, the themes and orchestrations sound similar to most of his other scores, especially for Spielberg, but there’s a focus of mood and atmosphere we aren’t quite used to from the composer, but something he and Spielberg would explore a lot over the next few years in films like “Minority Report,” “War of the Worlds” and “Munich.” And even if I’ve never been a huge fan of the techno-like music he composes for the chase in the woods, I love that it was a choice he attempted at a point in his career where he didn’t really have to. The final portion of this film, where David’s story jumps far into the future, is some of my favorite storytelling the composer has ever done for Spielberg.
Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds, “Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds”; I remember buying this album, unheard, during a post-Christmas/pre-New Years sale in 1992. I bought it because I recognized Stradlin’s name from being the rhythm guitarist for Guns N’ Roses. Over the next year, this became one of my favorite albums to listen to. A mix of reggae and rock sensibilities, with a touch of country twang, his self-titled debut with his backing band, the Ju Ju Hounds, is one of the most distinctive-sounding albums I’ve ever listened to, and almost 30 years later, it remains a fun treat for me to revisit. “Shuffle It All” was the song I wore out the most back in 1993, but the entire thing is just a blast of energy and joy to hear. This is a pretty good example of a “comfort food” album for me.
Kronos Quartet, “Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass”; Kronos Quartet was a huge influence on me as a composer, and in my musical taste, in the mid-late 2000s. Part of that was their collaborations with Clint Mansell on Darren Aronofsky’s scores, but their classical albums became powerful, constant listens to me. (There’s one double CD I have of them playing Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans that is phenomenal.) I think my favorite album of theirs, though, is an album of them playing four string quartets by Philip Glass (another influential individual on me during that time), which culminates of their playing of the composer’s soundtrack for “Mishima.” Classical music transports you to another level of consciousness in a way that film music, and other genres, cannot, and this collision of two tremendous, experimental artists is one of my favorites if I need that blast of energy.
Before I wrap this up, I wanted to share something. In 2007, I was really in a profoundly low place emotionally. Things seemed to be falling apart for me personally in how the direction of my life was going (at least, in terms of how I thought my life should be going), and a physical health crisis that landed me in the hospital with pneumonia and a collapsed lung just made things worse. I finally pulled myself out of it, partially because some actions at that time took me to what would be my “rock bottom,” but it was a period of enormous emotional and spiritual reflection on my part. Music was something I leaned on heavily in that process, and I created a mix CD of pieces that inspired me. Most of them were film cues from soundtracks, but sometimes, classical pieces would find their way on there, as well. I called it “Creative Spirit,” and I still, occasionally, update it, and listen to it for inspiration. I’d like to share what would be on my most recent iteration of that album with you. I hope you enjoy!
“Creative Spirit”
“Duduk of the North” by Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard (from “Gladiator”)
“The Unexpressed Expressed” by Carter Burwell (from “Adaptation.”)
“A Gift of a Thistle” by James Horner (from “Braveheart”)
“Flugufrelsarinn (Kronos Version)” by Kronos Quartet (from “Plays Sigur Ros”)
“A Different Drum” by Peter Gabriel (from “Passion: Music from The Last Temptation of Christ”)
“Kingdom of Atlantis” by Rupert Gregson-Williams (from “Aquaman”)
“Many Meetings” by Howard Shore (from “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”)
“Magic Snow Music” by Christophe Beck (from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)
“Xibalba” by Clint Mansell (from “The Fountain”)
“The Art of Living” by Hans Zimmer (from “Millennium”)
“Elegy for Dunkirk” by Dario Marianelli (from “Atonement”)
“On the Nature of Daylight” by Max Richter (from “Shutter Island”)
“The Story of a Soldier” by Ennio Morricone (from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”)
“Lament for a Lost Son” by Graeme Revell (from “The Crow: City of Angels”)
“The Spirit Returns” by Steve Wood & Daniel May (from “Everest”)
“The Funeral” by Greg Edmonson (from “Firefly”)
“Allay Pain” by Taku Iwasaki (from “Witch Hunter Robin”)
“Stoic’s Ship” by John Powell (from “How to Train Your Dragon 2”)
“The Spark” by John Williams (from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”)
“No Time for Caution” by Hans Zimmer (from “Interstellar”)
“Sixteen Hundred Men” by Thomas Newman (from “1917”)
“Togetherness” by Ennio Morricone (from “Lolita”)
“Winter is Here” by Ramin Djawadi (from “Game of Thrones”)
“Anyone Can Cook by Michael Giacchino (from “Ratatouille”)
“There Will Be No Mysteries” by James Newton Howard (from “A Hidden Life”)
“Victory Lane” by Hans Zimmer (from “Days of Thunder”)
“Cloud Atlas Finale” by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil (from “Cloud Atlas”)
Thanks for listening,
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
