I typically do not like to do top ten lists. I enjoy reading them though because I often learn about new books, movies, or music. However, to create one, this means that I have to rank things in order (who can pick why someone really is the best?). So instead I will just bring to your attention some of my favorite soundtracks.
After 2011 and 2012, this last year was a bleak one for soundtracks. While there may have been quite a few great movies out, the music to match was uneventful. However, the year was not without a few stellar additions to my collection
Again, I won't rank them in order as that would create preferential system.
Stellar Music Scores that you must go buy NOW
Oblivion - M83/Anthony Gonzalez (and You and The Night) - This really gets the award for sexiest music score of the year. When paired with the movie's incredible visuals and complex love story, the music really carried Oblivion along. Listen to StarWaves on a date night with your lover and I think you will understand the idea of passion encapsulated by music. M83 follows up late in the year with You and The Night. I haven't seen the movie but was instantly in love with the soundtrack and purchased Un noveau soleil (A New Sun) which has seen frequent play on my playlists. Not quite as sexy as Oblivion, it resonates with a more dark, sad tone.
Thor The Dark World - Brian Tyler - I don't normally buy Marvel movie soundtracks as whole albums. Sometimes I will pick up a single or a track played during a battle sequence. I find that Marvel has done little of interest with music and much of it seems to be controlled by the repetitive Marvel battle theme (which sounds a bit too patriotic for melodic listening). But in assigning Brian Tyler to this soundtrack, they left their future in good hands. He was nearly able to escape the control of Marvel in Iron Man 3 and fully able to with The Dark World. Every track is operatic and tone setting. The movie producers use the music perfectly inside the movie and nothing seems chopped up or underused. Looking for inspiration for writing your next novel? This is the soundtrack for you! It's amazing.
Man of Steel - Hans Zimmer - this man never fails to amaze me with his range. Yes, just when you think, oh he's just doing another Superhero movie, he hits you with Man of Steel which is vastly different than his compositions for Batman and then different again from his Pirates saga. Mr. Zimmer brings the tone of Superman's triumph of will into his music. If you want some powerful motivational pieces, this soundtrack will tug at your heartstrings and even bring you to tears. I use it while running to remind myself that I can succeed. My only complaint about this soundtrack was that it was extremely underused in the movie. I realize that we don't want the soundtrack to overshadow the movie itself but the story is so much in the music when I finally did see the movie (long after it was released on DVD and after I had listened to the soundtrack since it's release) I couldn't believe that it was chopped up and underwhelmed by the producers (shameful).
The Hunger Games music saga. I waited the whole year for this and this is what I received (and it wasn't Christmas).
Catching Fire Various artists - I was leery of this soundtrack. I avoid the concept of "various artists" with a passion. I find that it is often a Hollywood gimmick to get their latest and most favorite pop stars on an album and get the teenagers to buy. While this certainly might be the case with Catching Fire, the music is very good. It hasn't yet reached my heavy rotation stage yet but I have a feeling that certain songs will especially the remake of the Tears for Fears song by Lorde that is one of my all time favorite songs and her remake is phenomenal.
Catching Fire music score - James Newton Howard - Major disappointment here. While I like the music score to this movie, I understand there were issues with the new music director and Mr. Howard (perhaps those are just rumors). As in most second movies, they have taken the first movie's original themes and recycled them for later use. There are a few stand alone tracks like Katniss but I had expected more. This was a big disappointment. My hope is that they bring on some new music talent (like they did with Alexandre Desplat in the Harry Potter movie franchise) and add some exceptional music scores to finish out the series.
The surprise in all of the Hunger Games, Catching Fire music saga was the release of the beautiful and moving music used in the trailers. It is very rare to be able to get your hands on the music used in the trailers even though there's some fantastic songs. Just before the movie was release, press releases revealed that the group T.T.L composed the music in the trailer, called Beyond the Fire. It is now in my frequent rotation both the short trailer version and the extended version. I wish that more movies would capitalize on this trend. I've heard some awesome pieces of original music in trailers.
The H.G. music project - this independently produced soundtrack isn't perfect but who cares! It's actually an incredibly produced piece of work by the duo of Edward Underhill and Matt Dukaty. If you haven't heard of it or them, please go check them out. Their alternative soundtracks to Hunger Games and, late in 2012, Catching Fire are very beautiful tributes to the books. I count them in my 2013 listing because their soundtrack to Catching Fire was new to me in 2013. I am eagerly awaiting their Mockingjay soundtrack which their website says is due in 2013.
Outstanding New-to-Me artist
Dickon Hinchcliffe for Shadow Dancer (actually done in 2012) and Out of the Furnace
Here are two soundtracks that are evocative of the quieter emotional parts of life. Maybe you aren't always looking for action or wanting to feel like you are in an opera. Perhaps you just need to reflect or snuggle quietly with a loved one. I have a feeling you need Mr. Hinchcliffe to design the music to your life (or at least I might).
Pieces of Greatness
I can't buy whole soundtracks all the time (I would spend a fortune). Sometimes I buy the best tracks and go back and get the rest later (if that's possible - a soundtrack is often meant to go together from track to track). These are a few pieces that have found it into my heavy rotation.
Captain Phillips - Henry Jackman - I bought three tracks of this soundtrack, Second Attack, Safe Now, and Maersk Alabama. They are full of movement and action but original sounding. I have them in my heavy rotation and feel that they are often so separate from the movie that I don't think of them as part of it.
World War Z - Marco Beltrami - The Lane Family is such a beautiful piece of music. You get the sense of this delightful and loving family in their daily lives before chaos rules. I also purchased Wales and The Salvation Gates. There is very little 'actiony' about these themes. They are also not very 'horror' movie. I often consider buying the rest of the tracks but when I go back, I feel as though I culled the best from this soundtrack.
Soundtracks from Television and Games
Disappointing this year was the lack of music from the television arena. Previous years had brought out incredible soundtracks from Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Looking back over my yearly purchases, I realized that I only bought a few tracks from the Game Thrones soundtrack and not even from season 3. I also bought the Longmire soundtrack - the theme and a few more songs used in episodes. I had thought that television might be on the cusp of a few amazing changes for soundtrack junkies like myself but they seem to have stalled.
I didn't buy any game music this year at all which seems odd since there were quite a few game music releases. But none of them really captured my interest. Being a big fan of some of the Halo music remixes, I have been hopeful that they would follow that trend and bring out some music remixes to Assassins Creed. I checked out the music to Assassin's Creed Black Flag but just felt that it was too piratey even though it had been done by Brian Tyler (who says Piratey anyway). Perhaps a remix by club artists might add a fresh outlook on it.
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