Back To School Extravagan-Z-A

by Me.  @FilmScoreFans

My millions (hundreds) of readers around the world have no doubt lived through a wide range of schooling experiences.  Well, here in the good ol' USA, we let our kids out from the middle of June to the end of August (or even later).  Why, you may ask?  Simple: early American agrarian culture.  Farmers needed the kids at home in the summer for cheap (free) labor.  Geez...  Read a book once in a while.

Well, now we're too far committed and can't turn around.  Kids get to go home in June and are basically invited to forget EVERYTHING.  And along with the break, comes the obligatory commercialization of any major event.  Back to school ads start popping up in the middle of July while most people have just realized they have no idea what the date is.  Or even what day of the week it is.  Seriously teachers, tell me that doesn't happen to you every summer.  Anyway, the back to school craze is as American as baseball and celebrating Christmas (beginning on Halloween).
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This guy gets it.
And so, here is your obligatory back to school post.  I could easily post the top five scores for a movie about school.  But, we all know I would just post the "Saved By the Bell" theme song five times and be done with it.  

So how about something different?  This was actually Mrs. FilmScoreFan's idea.  She's smart.  Creative.  And doesn't mind me spending hours on the computer for this website.  She's a winner.  So even if her idea was no good, I'd probably still be subjecting you to it.  Lucky you, though, this was pretty fun.

I'm always caught between my need to listen to the classics in my library or exploring new releases.  There isn't enough time in the day.  There is also a distinct lack of employers in this world that are willing to pay me to sit around and listen to music.  But, Mrs. FSF's idea really helped with the idea of re-experiencing older scores.  She recommended a "back to school" post - one track per letter.

To begin, I put my entire iTunes library in alphabetical order by track name.  I then went through each letter of the ABCs, hitting 'next' until I found something I enjoyed.  First one to catch my ear in each letter: it goes in this post.  Each time I got to a letter, I usually had an idea of what I wanted to pick.  But I went down the list alphabetically and usually found something I hadn't noticed at all or had forgotten completely.  These are not my favorites - just a list of notable tracks I came across.  I recommend it.  This was a great way to explore everything in my library.  Well done Mrs. FSF.  You may stick around for another couple of weeks.
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There's some stuff around here that needs your attention anyway.
As I started writing, the word extravaganza kept popping into my head.  So, I threw it in the title.  I doubt that anything I've done here actually matches the definition of that word.  I'm not going to look it up, though.  I like a little mystery in my life.  Livin' on the edge.

But, man did it work out.  How clever (not really) am I?  Every list goes A-Z.  Nuh-uh.  No way.  Not here, my friends.  Let's rock this Z-A style - in honor of the extravaganZA-ness of it all.

I wonder how many times I'll have to say the alphabet from the beginning, to figure out which letter comes before the one I just wrote about?  Does that sentence make any sense?  Please send me a message if you have a better way of saying that...

So here we go.  Kids, behave yourselves.  Teachers, behave yourselves.  Here is your Back to School awesomeness: Z to A for Film Score Fans.

Z is for... "Zen Ball Master"

Hans Zimmer & John Powell - Kung Fu Panda 2
Highlights: 
  1. 1:30 - main theme
  2. 2:02 - Shifu, baby!
  3. 2:43 - slow-mo beatin' up the bad guys
  4. 3:40 - loved the action?  stick around for our gorgeous string section
  5. 5:45 - final confrontation

Y is for... "Yes"

Thomas Newman - Meet Joe Black
Highlights:
  1. 0:00 - Have you ever heard more emotion in one spoken word?  No.  No you have not.
  2. Everything else - mysterious and soothing all at the same time.

X is for...  "Xizor's Theme"

Joel McNeely - Shadows of the Empire
Highlights:
  1. 0:00-1:20 - It is so perfectly Star Wars.  So perfectly Williams-esque.  Good for you Joel.  PLEASE get in line to score a future SW film.
  2. 2:50-3:00 - I'm a bad guy!
  3. 3:00-end - It doesn't matter if you've read the book or played the game, this is a great villain theme from start to finish.

W is for... "Walking Through"

David Newman - Ice Age
Highlights:
  1. What a nice little waltz!
  2. Do I hear woodwinds?  So happy to say yes.

V is for... "Valerie"

Dario Marianelli - V For Vendetta
Highlights:
  1. While being held captive, Evey finds a letter from a former "prisoner" named Valerie.  We hear the story of Valerie's life.  It is a tour de force in music, and in making us care deeply about a marginal character in just about 5:00.
  2. 5:45-6:10 - In otherwise nostalgic and melancholy track, we hear an uplifting few moments that cries out for hope.

U is for...  "Uh-Oh!"

Danny Elfman - Mission: Impossible
Highlights:
  1. Great percussion throughout this entire score.
  2. A perfect example of Elfman's fantastic "non-Burton" writing.  He can do so much more than back up Johnny Depp.

T is for... "T-Rex Rescue & Finale"

John Williams - Jurassic Park
Highlights:
  1. Williams' ability to write themes into action sequences.  Is that 4 note theme based on something?
  2. Oh yeah, and his ability to take frenetic runs and chaos - and have it all make perfect sense.
  3. 7:20-end - Wait a sec, the T-Rex is the GOOD GUY in this movie?  Cool!!

S is for... "Sab Than Pursues The Princess"

Michael Giacchino - John Carter
Highlights:
  1. Giacchino rivals Williams in using thematic material during action cues.
  2. 2:25 - Jump high, save the girl, get a main theme.  Yay!!

R is for... "RA - The Sun God"

David Arnold - Stargate
Highlights:
  1. All of it.  I'm obsessed with this score.  It is perfect from the baton drop to the wrap.  I'll probably write about it eventually, and you'll agree with every word.
  2. 0:00-1:05 - This is the definition of the word menacing.

Q is for... "The Queen Drives"

Alexandre Desplat - The Queen
Hightlights
  1. 0:00-1:00 - The main theme - in a fun (cheeky?) mood.
  2. 1:00-end - The main theme - a little more driven.  (Driven, get it?)

P is for... "P.S. I Love You"

John Powell - P.S. I Love You
Highlight:
  1. Want to feel peaceful?  Like your peace on the piano?  Look no further.

O is for... "Obliviate"

Alexandre Desplat - Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Highlights:
  1. One long build - let's get the final chapter started the right way.
  2. 1:46 - Cello and then full orchestra to finish the crescendo.

N Is For... "N.S.E.A. Protector"

David Newman - Galaxy Quest (Limited Edition)
Highlight:
  1. Oh, that theme.  'Nuff said.

M Is For... "MIB Main Theme"
Danny Elfman - Men In Black
Highlights:
  1. Opening - I dig that bass.
  2. Who doesn't love that repeated background?  I remember hearing that in the trailer when the MIB logo comes up.  So simple.  So effective.

L Is For... "La Fleur"

Michael Giacchino - Lost Season 5
Highlights:
  1. 0:55 - There's that Lost cello.
  2. This pretty stuff actually ends pretty - instead of some trombone "BWAAAAAH" coming out of nowhere.
  3. Bonus: ZZ Top's "La Grange" came on next alphabetically.  So, yeah, there's that.

K is for... "Kala And Kerchak"

David Newman - Tarzan
Highlights:
  1. Gets moving at 0:55 and really gets intense at 1:25.
  2. 2:00 - French hoooooorn.

J Is For... "Jabba The HutT"

John Williams - The Star Wars Trilogy (Utah Symphony)
Highlights:
  1. Tuba.
  2. Tuba.
  3. Piccolo.
  4. Tuba.

I is For... "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow"

Dick Burnett or Cameron O'Mackin (depends where you read) - O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Highlights:
  1. I know, I know... it isn't a score.  But the music is the background of this movie.
  2. This trailer was perfect - made me fall in love with the movie right away.  And this song was the main reason.
  3. "And stay out of the Woolworth!"

H Is For... "Hagrid The Professor"

John Williams - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Highlights:
  1. 0:00-0:30 - Double reeds and trombone.
  2. 0:30-end Woodwinds and organ.

G Is For... "Gabriel's Oboe"

Ennio Morricone - The Mission
Highlight:
  1. Beautiful oboe playing is beautiful.

F Is For... "Face Dancer"

Brian Tyler - Children of Dune
Highlights:
  1. I know nothing of this movie/mini-series/show?
  2. I own it because some of it was used in Star Trek '09 trailers.
  3. But, I came across this track tonight and it was strangely enchanting.  So here it is.
  4. P.S.  What is a Face Dancer?

E Is For... "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - Flying"

John Williams - from "Williams on Williams"
Highlights
  1. No explanation needed.  I do enjoy this album's version the most - check it out.

D Is For... "D'Artagnan (Galliard & Air)"

Michael Kamen - The Three Muskateers
Highlights:
  1. 0:00 - Timpani!!!!
  2. 0:00-0:50 - Rivals the Prince of Thieves, but with a Baroque flourish.
  3. 2:12-2:20 - Rarely have I rewound and re-listened to an 8 second clip as often as this one.

C Is For... "C.L.U."

Daft Punk - Tron Legacy
Highlights:
  1. 0:00-1:00 - Anticipation, anticipation, anticipation...
  2. 2:06 - Boom, the bad guy is in the building!

B Is For... "Ba'Ku Village"

Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: Insurrection
Highlights:
  1. Goldsmith is the one good part of this forgettable 42 minute episode stretched into a feature film.
  2. 0:50 - Very nice theme for the boring villagers from the boring planet.
  3. 3:45 - Go Data!

A is For... "Abduction And The Final Battle At the Gallows"

Michael Kamen - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Highlights:
  1. 0:00-4:20 - Four minutes of anxiety.
  2. 4:20-end - Hey, I'm Michael Kamen and I write fantastic music.  Enjoy my French horns.
So that's what I found on my trip down alphabetical memory lane.  Remember, this isn't some list of the greatest tracks starting with each letter.  I dare you to try that.  See how long it takes and let me know things turn out.  (If the nursing home lets you have a phone call.)

I'll wait another year and then put together another list.  Sound good?  In the meantime, watch out - that bully is about to push you into your locker.  Oh, and Jenny told me that Sarah does NOT like you "that way."
I was the most popular kid in school.
But you probably guessed that since I own this website.

@FILMSCOREFANS

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