Soundtrack A Scene

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Edit: Morthoron, your taste in music is quite, how should i say, Irish. :-)

Hmmm...well, considering the area where I live has a high population of families descended from Irish immigrants, it makes sense. You see, if one were a working musician (as I was for a couple decades), one was either in a rock band, blues band or an Irish band. Seeing as many bars that had rock bands playing have since gotten rid of music altogether, or worse have gone over to country music or karaoke *makes a sign warding off the evil eye*, I tended to play Irish music or blues (considering those markets generally never change formats); therefore, my career (or rather, a hobby that payed for all my musical toys and Guinness) was lengthened proportionately, as rock music is usually a young man's game (unless one has the leathery, almost embalmed, countennace of a Keith Richards).

So the first part of may musical odyssey was playing progressive rock and blues (Floyd, Beatles, Led Zep, Tull, Neil Young, Allman Brothers, Queen, etc.), the last half has been acoustic and folk driven (Waterboys, Pogues, Clancy Brothers, the Young Dubliners, Great Big Sea, and Tull and Neil Young still). Their is a violence inherent in traditional Irish music that lends itself to rock influences (as listening to the Pogues, The Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly makes clearly evident), and I gravitate towards that feeling. A friend once said, "I don't know why you bother using an acoustic guitar, you play like you're banging a Fender anyway." Of course this is an exaggeration...sort of.

[skip spence]

True, scrolling up I see there's quite a lot of progressive rock in there as well. I must be a priviledge working as a musician and playing live music even if it's 'only' at a pub rock level. It is indeed sad that so few bars have live bands these days (in Sweden there are none that do really). Even though I was born in the dying years of the 70's most of my favourite music is from that century (and the previous one) and I'm a big fan of many bands from that time from many different genres like rock, soul, reggae, even country. If I had to pick one I'd go for the heavy bluesbased rock a la Stones though.

To stay a little bit on topic I like your selection for Bilbo's birthday party.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by skip spence

To stay a little bit on topic I like your selection for Bilbo's birthday party.

Yes, although I enjoyed Howard Shore's score (and appreciate the immense amount of work he put into it), I think I would have preferred a minimalist approach to the music, with less reliance on orchestra and more on the instrumentation present in the story. But that's just me and my personal interpretation.***

***Disclaimer: Neither Howard Shore nor his orchestra were harmed in the making of this post.

P.S. How about Floyd's Wish You Were Here for the scene where Frodo orders Sam to leave, or maybe at the point where they are about to die in the lava ouside Mount Doom:

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Yes, although I enjoyed Howard Shore's score (and appreciate the immense amount of work he put into it), I think I would have preferred a minimalist approach to the music, with less reliance on orchestra and more on the instrumentation present in the story. But that's just me and my personal interpretation.

I enjoyed the score as well but I wouldn't say it was great. No, it was good, not great. Many Hollywood blockbusters have featured some unforgettable classical music (the Star Wars-series for example, with the Imperial March as the stand-out piece) but the LotR's OST will not be remembered for very long I'm afraid. And I'm sorry all you Enya-fans out there but to me she is the epitome of all that music should not be: ingratiating, bland and over-produced. Not that I'm seriously suggesting that Johnny Thunders should have been chosen instead, although that would have been fun.

Originally Posted by Morthoron

P.S. How about Floyd's Wish You Were Here for the scene where Frodo orders Sam to leave, or maybe at the point where they are about to die in the lava ouside Mount Doom:

Not a bad choice that although I think that undoubtedly great song suffers somewhat from over-exposure.