Archive for August 3rd, 2010
Review: Danny Elfman, “Batman: Expanded Archival Collection”
It’s a safe guess that your enjoyment of La La Land’s new expansion of Danny Elfman’s score to Batman (1989) (LLLCD 1140), like so many soundtracks, hinges on your enjoyment of the film itself. That sentiment, in turn, hinges on how much you can separate the idea of a fun movie from a good one. The blockbuster – drawn from the immortal DC Comics superhero – never falls short on action, thrills or compelling visuals. But it is too long and bloated, with thin characterization and a style-over-substance approach. Many superhero films suffer from the same problems, yet we have no problem watching the films and having fun doing so. (DC’s other legendary character, Superman, arguably had the same issues when Christopher Reeve ably donned the cape and tights in 1978.)
There were many takeaways from both Batman and Superman that stuck with the character, however: Reeve and Michael Keaton became to many the definitive versions of those heroes. They were both augmented by definitive musical moments, too. John Williams created the ultimate musical approach to Superman, a theme full of brassy fanfares and soaring motifs perfect for The Man of Steel. By contrast, Elfman – the Oingo Boingo frontman who was taking on his biggest soundtrack assignment yet – dreamt up a sinister, unyielding theme for Batman that’s stuck with The Dark Knight for decades.
Elfman’s approach to Batman – perhaps the best example of his approach to film soundtracks in general – is given the spotlight once more with the release of the Expanded Archival Collection reissue of this modern classic. This set may be the most comprehensive approach to Elfman’s Batman yet…if not necessarily the most ultimate. Dance with the devil in the pale moonlight after the jump.
The ’90s Revival Continues: Soundgarden Best-Of Planned (UPDATED WITH TRACK LIST)
Influential grunge rockers Soundgarden – set to take center stage at Lollapalooza this weekend – have announced a new compilation due for a fall release.
Telephantasm: A Retrospective, as it’s called, will feature songs from all of the band’s albums and EPs, plus a new vault track, “Black Rain,” recorded during the Badmotorfinger sessions in 1991. The set will be included as a bonus disc with the upcoming video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, to be released September 28, and will be available individually on October 5 in both standard and deluxe (double CD and DVD) packages. This is the band’s first product since 1997′s A-Sides, a compilation quickly assembled after the band’s breakup earlier that year. Lead singer Chris Cornell went on to head Audioslave and work on his own solo career before reuniting with his bandmates earlier this year.
UPDATE: Thanks to Anth for pointing us toward the track listing from Spin. Check it out after the jump.
Coming Tomorrow: Adventures in Kritzerland!
A most excellent heads-up to readers of The Second Disc: at noon tomorrow we’ll be posting our second interview. This one’s done by our very own Joe Marchese, and will feature a dialogue with Bruce Kimmel. The longtime record producer/writer/director known in some circles for his catalogue work through the Kritzerland label (and in others for cult classics like The First Nudie Musical!) will chat with us about his work, past, present and future. It should be a good read, and it’ll be here in less than 24 hours!
Intrada Readies “Predator” and Vintage Westerns
Intrada has some great releases due this week. One is a familiar romp through ’80s action territory, the other a pair of unearthed Western scores.
As rumored, Intrada is bringing Alan Silvestri’s score to Predator (1987) back into print. First released by Varese Sarabande in 2003, this high-powered, rhythm-heavy score is remastered from newly-discovered two-track digital stereo session elements, so it’s got the best sound one can hope for. The track order is more or less the same, outside of a few combined tracks and a slightly longer end credits track. (The one cue from Alien3 (1992) – Elliot Goldenthal’s creepy arrangement of the 20th Century-Fox fanfare – still remains.) This set sold out its original run at Varese, so the new 3,000 copy run at Intrada might go quickly too.
The label has also prepped a two-fer for some never-before-released scores to several Fox Westerns. There’s The Proud Ones (1956), a sparse but captivating score written by Lionel Newman, the famed Fox composer (and son of the equally famous Alfred Newman, who penned the Fox fanfare); and These Thousand Hills (1959), a more tuneful soundtrack composed by Leigh Harline, a man best known for his work in the early Disney canon (most notably “When You Wish Upon a Star,” with lyricist Ned Washington – who also penned the lyrics to the title theme heard here). This set is limited to 1,200 copies.
See the track lists after the jump, and visit the above links to hear samples and place your orders.
The Tra-La Days Are Back: Wounded Bird to Offer Sedaka Two-on-One
Neil Sedaka famously proclaimed that “The Tra-La Days Are Over” as the title of his (unfortunately out-of-print) 1973 album. But thanks to Wounded Bird (as if the label hadn’t announced a big enough bonanza for reissue fans already!), fans of rock and roll’s golden age have another chance to enjoy Sedaka’s days as king of the shoo-be-doos and tra-la-las. Little Devil and His Other Hits/The Many Sides of Neil Sedaka is set for release on September 7 according to Pause and Play. For an artist with as impressively deep a catalogue as Sedaka, far too few of his original albums are available on CD, making this release a welcome surprise.
Sedaka’s RCA label prime has been collected in complete form by Germany’s Bear Family Records, but domestically, RCA has been largely content to release only greatest hits compilations for the singer and songwriter behind “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” “Oh! Carol” and “Calendar Girl.” In fact, re-recordings made by Sedaka of his 1960s hits (licensed for various projects including 2007′s charting The Definitive Collection on Razor & Tie 82968) may be easier to find than the chart-topping originals. 1961′s Little Devil and His Other Hits lived up to its name, with no fewer than seven hit singles, three of which went Top Ten: “Calendar Girl,” “Oh! Carol” and “Stairway to Heaven,” an irresistible piece of Sedaka pop now perhaps better known for sharing a name with the Led Zeppelin anthem.
The Many Sides of Neil Sedaka comprises material of mid-sixties RCA Victor vintage, but was released years later in 1978. The artist had experienced a career rebirth just a few years prior, collaborating with members of 10cc and receiving the patronage of Elton John. RCA realized the time was right for a cash-in, as songs like “Laughter in the Rain,” “Bad Blood,” “Solitaire” and “Love Will Keep Us Together” made Sedaka a hot commodity once again. While the titles on The Many Sides are not as familiar as those on Little Devil (and the cover art cannily depicted a 1970s-era Sedaka), they’re of equally high caliber, with songs such as “Bad Girl” and “The World Through a Tear” as delightful as his hit singles.
Kudos to Wounded Bird for excavating these LPs; next, can we please have Sedaka’s Elektra albums, including 1977’s A Song, produced by none other than George Martin? In the meantime, click on the jump for the track listing for Little Devil and His Other Hits/The Many Sides of Neil Sedaka, which can be pre-ordered here at Amazon, still showing an August 10 release date. Read the rest of this entry »
