Hello and welcome back to the podcast! In this new installment of my "Listening To.." series, I am centered on composer Elliot Goldenthal, one of my favorite film composers of the modern era. You might not immediately recognize his name, but Elliot Goldenthal has contributed music to some of the most notable and popular movies of the last few decades. This includes such diverse titles as ALIEN 3 (1992), INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (1994), HEAT (1995), BATMAN FOREVER (1995), MICHAEL COLLINS (1996) and FRIDA (2002), the latter garnering him the Academy Award for Best Original Score. He showcases an eclectic style and approach ranging from large-scale orchestral music to choral pieces, to jazz, swing and rock, ethnic instrumentation and from very tonal and melodic music to very dissonant and challenging tonalities.

Goldenthal has emerged as a major influential voice in the art form since the 1990's, contributing brilliant and powerful music not only to movies but also live theater, stage musicals and the concert world, the latter in the form of operas, symphonies, ballets and oratorios. In fact, he could be considered primarily a concert composer for whom film is just one slice of his musical pie, so to speak. My primary focus in this episode will be on his incredible score for 1999's TITUS, a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, as directed by Julie Taymor.

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected] 

In this episode, I talk with Jeff Bond, the author of great books such as "The World of The Orville" and "The Music of Star Trek", plus soundtrack album producer who has penned liner notes for hundreds of albums and the editor at Geek Magazine. He's also an all-around favorite among fans in the community. I ask him about his personal history as a fan of music for film and television, then we discuss his recent album projects such as THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD (Jerry Goldsmith, 1975) and the multi-disc sets of music from LAND OF THE GIANTS, LOST IN SPACE and the original STAR TREK. In talking Jerry Goldsmith, we cover his evolving musical style over the course of his expansive career, from those dissonant, challenging early scores to the more lush and tonal efforts of his later years. 

Find many of the albums mentioned in this episode at:

Intrada Records - http://store.intrada.com/

La La Land Records - https://lalalandrecords.com/

Varese Sarabande - https://www.varesesarabande.com/

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected] 

In this episode, I explore the rich, melodic and memorable film music of Hollywood Golden Age composer Franz Waxman. Born in Germany in 1906, Waxman was known by his peers as the consummate musician, having studied music in Berlin while supporting himself by performing and arranging pop music of the day in local cafes. Waxman emigrated from Germany to the United States in the early 1930's, along with many talented artists, and became part of that first generation of brilliant musicians who developed and perfected the art of film scoring, alongside giants such as Max Steiner, Alfred Newman and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. I discuss Waxman's place in the early days of the new art form of music for motion pictures (the famed "Golden Age"), plus its development overall for some context, and his evolving style through the highlights during his career, including REBECCA, SUNSET BOULEVARD, THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS and TARAS BULBA.

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter...

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Feel free to email the show at [email protected] 

In this episode of the podcast, I am adding a new, hopefully recurring, segment called "Now Playing", in which I discuss recent soundtrack album releases, whether from a new movie or a classic film. Featured in this installment is Justin Hurwitz's lyrical score for 2018's FIRST MAN, followed by a new 2-CD complete edition of Arthur B. Rubinstein's classic WARGAMES (1983) and finally a stunning new recording by the Basque National Orchestra of Bernard Herrmann's dark and turbulent music for THE BRIDE WORE BLACK, from 1968. The latter two albums are available from Quartet Records at http://www.quartetrecords.com/. 

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]

In this episode, I welcome back to the podcast Neil S. Bulk, soundtrack album producer and editor, as he graciously shares behind-the-scenes details and stories from the major projects he shepherded last year for various record labels, such as La-La Land Records. I inquire about the expanded album editions of the James Bond epics DIE ANOTHER DAY and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, both with music by David Arnold, in addition to the 3-CD, 30th anniversary release of Michael Kamen's DIE HARD, the expansive set of music from the 1960's sci-fi TV series LAND OF THE GIANTS and the deluxe treatment of Elliot Goldenthal's score for ALIEN 3. Find these albums available at https://lalalandrecords.com/. 

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]

Happy New Year and welcome to first episode of 2019 for the podcast! I am opening up with an installment of my "Listening To..." series, this time diving into the music and career of fan favorite composer, Alan Silvestri. From his days performing drums and guitar and arranging songs for rock bands in the 1970's, to his disco-flavored music for the TV series "CHiPs" and then into his long-time collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis (BACK TO THE FUTURE, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, FORREST GUMP), I present samples of his scores that best illustrate his unique style. His music is often melodic, energetic, rhythmic and wears its heart on its sleeve in terms of emotional content. Outside of the Zemeckis film canon, Silvestri composed wonderfully robust scores for action movies such as PREDATOR, comedies, such as SOAPDISH, Westerns (YOUNG GUNS II), animation (THE POLAR EXPRESS) and even showcased all electronic forays like THE DELTA FORCE.  And of course, most recently he's been called into service in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to underscore the adventures of CAPTAIN AMERICA as well as THE AVENGERS.

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]

Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! To close out the year, I am presenting a special holiday-themed installment, focusing on music from theatrical and TV movies about or set around Christmas. While this will of course represent only a small sampling of the many films found in this genre, my selections here span the years from 1938 all the way to the current century and include such popular titles as A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, SCROOGED, HOME ALONE and ELF. Music composed for these films originate from such notable talents as Franz Waxman, Henry Mancini, Danny Elflman and John Williams and from wonderful scores that could really be enjoyed both during the holiday season and throughout the year. 

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]

Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! In this installment I am returning to my focus on that most well-known, renowned and world-famous film composer, John Williams. In Part 1 I charted Williams's career beginning with his TV and early film work in the 1960's and progressed through the 70's, while spotlighting themes and scores that often go unheralded or overlooked. Here in Part 2 I continue on from the 1980's into the current era of his marvelous contributions to cinema, again highlighting often overlooked scores that were composed alongside the popular blockbusters. These include titles such as MONSIGNOR, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, JFK, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET and MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA.   

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]

Happy Halloween and welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! Getting into the spirit of the season, I felt compelled to join the fun and craft a list of my Top 10 favorite horror movie scores. Admittedly, I'm not much of a horror movie fan, however if a favorite composer provided the music (such as Jerry Goldsmith) or the story seemed especially intriguing (such as Clive Barker's NIGHTBREED), then I found myself motivated to take a look and a listen. This list is of course my own personal favorites and not centered around "most popular" or "most successful" titles, so the "slasher" and "torture" sub-categories aren't represented, with no offense to respective fans of those movies. Instead, you will hear music from horror movies about mad scientists, those set in space, on the open sea and even one example that journeys into Hell. I also share some of my own memories of discovering the films and their scores featured on this Top 10 list.

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]

In this episode, I am focusing on the music of the most famous and beloved film composer in the world, John Williams. His richly melodic and developed scores have thrilled and stirred audiences for decades, whether accompanying sharks, space ships, wizards or bullwhips. In charting his career and listening for the hallmarks of his style, I wanted to primarily spotlight music before he achieved the superstardom, as well as other movies concurrent to the popular blockbusters that are perhaps less notable or less well-known to general audiences. My aim is to focus a bit more on the John Williams you might not have heard.  

Here in part one, I talk about his early career in the 1960's including TV series such as LOST IN SPACE and THE TIME TUNNEL and wacky adult comedies like NOT WITH MY WIFE, YOU DON'T. I continue on to his scores from the 1970's, when the variety of projects expanded along with his musical vernacular. This runs the gamut from THE COWBOYS to THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING, THE TOWERING INFERNO and THE FURY, all of which showcase Williams's immense compositional range, something often undervalued, along with his ability to perfectly accompany any cinematic story. 

Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:

• www.facebook.com/ascoretosettle

Email the show at [email protected]