1941 (1979)
JOHN WILLIAMS
INSERT REVIEW HERE.
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001) 
JOHN WILLIAMS
A dark and surreal science-fiction fantasy from Steven Spielberg, based on an original story by the late Stanley Kubrick, A.I. follows the fortunes of a young boy named David (Haley Joel Osment). However, David is not like other boys... he is a mecha, a robotic child with computer-generated "feelings", given to married parents Monica and Sam Swinton (Frances O'Connor and Sam Robards), as a replacement for their real son Martin, who is in cryo-stasis with an incurable disease. However, when a cure is found for Martin's disease, David is deemed surplus to requirements, and abandoned. Hooking up with a male prostitute android named Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), David travels the length and breadth of America, avoiding the hunting packs of the "flesh fair", where androids are destroyed for entertainment, in an attempt to locate the "blue fairy" - whom David believes will make him a real boy, and re-unite him with his mother. Aside from the obvious Pinocchio parallels, A.I. is an intriguing story about what it means to be human, and whether humanity and love can exist in an artificial world. Young Osment is superb in the lead role, bringing warmth and pathos to a role which must have been difficult to accomplish, and although it did not set the box office alight, many consider it to be one of Spielberg's most thought-provoking films. Williams's score is fully orchestral, and illustrates the humanity of the piece with warm string themes, counterbalanced by a rampant fugue to accompany David's internal torment. The gossamer light "Monica's Theme" forms the basis of the beautiful song "For Always", while the shattering "Abandoned in the Woods", which accompanies the film's most harrowing scene, has a forward-thrusting sense of motion, and is filled with relentless rolling percussion and am anguished (yet somehow beautiful) string theme.
TRACK LISTING: 1. The Mecha World (6:23), 2. Abandoned in the Woods (3:07), 3. Replicas (5:58), 4. Hide and Seek (3:08), 5. For Always performed by Barbara Bonney (4:42), 6. Cybertronics (3:30), 7. The Moon Rising (4:26), 8. Stored Memories and Monica's Theme (10:56), 9. Where Dreams are Born (4:23), 10. Rouge City (4:56), 11. The Search for the Blue Fairy (6:52), 12. The Reunion (7:45), 13. For Always performed by Lara Fabian and Josh Groban (4:41) [Warner Bros., 70:11].
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (1988)
JOHN WILLIAMS
One of the critical successes of 1998, and the recipient of four Oscar nominations (only Geena Davis won, for Best Supporting Actress), The Accidental Tourist is billed as a slow, leisurely comedy for adults. William Hurt stars as travel writer Macon Leary who, following the death of his son, withdraws into himself - so much so that his long-suffering wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) suggests they split up. William deals with these life-shattering events in the same way he advises travellers to behave in his books: with a minimum of fuss, and with as little emotional scarring as possible. However, thinks change when Macon meets the loud, outgoing Muriel (Davis), whose manic world view inspires Macon to change his life for the better. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, from the book by Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist is a quiet movie which gradually wins over the audience without doing anything showy: the same can be said for John William's score. The Accidental Tourist belongs in the same category as efforts such as Always and Stanley & Iris, being a score which plays soft, emotionally apt themes, with a small orchestra, and at a leisurely pace which slowly draws the listener in. The main theme is the basis for virtually ever cue: passed around, from oboe, to flute, to the string section, in various permutations, and with varying emotional intentions, The Accidental Tourist is one of Williams's most monothematic scores (only the upbeat "Trip to London" breaks the spell). It's worth noting that this score contains one of Williams's most banal cue titles ever: the unforgettable "Fixing the Plumbing on a Rainy Afternoon". Classic.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Main Title (2:33), 2. Macon Alone (4:43), 3. Trip to London (1:54), 4. The Healing Process (5:11), 5. Fixing the Plumbing on a Rainy Afternoon (3:13), 6. A Second Chance (3:10), 7. Wedding Scene (2:49), 8. Back with Sara (4:03), 9. Bedroom Conversation (4:36), 10. Rose and Julian (2:08), 11. A New Beginning (3:26), 12. End Credits (3:10). [Warner Bros., 40:59].
ALWAYS (1989)
JOHN WILLIAMS
One of Steven Spielberg's few cinematic flops, Always is a remake of the 1943 Spencer Tracy classic "A Guy Named Joe", and stars Richard Dreyfuss as Pete Sandich, a daredevil pilot who specialises in putting out forest fires by flying low over the blaze, and dropping loads of water. Pete is engaged to fellow pilot Dorinda Durston (Holly Hunter), and has good friends in the shape of Ted Baker (Brad Johnson) and Al Yackey (John Goodman). However, after Pete is tragically killed in a flying accident, Dorinda's life seems shattered: except that, with the guidance of the ethereal Hap (Audrey Hepburn, in her final film role), Pete returns from the afterlife as an unseen, unheard ghost. Sensing Dorinda's loss, Pete decides to play the role of "matchmaker from beyond the grave", and foster a relationship between Dorinda and Ted. Despite the quality of the cast, the quality of the crew, and some decent performances, Always failed to set the box-office alight, and the bad blood even spilled over onto Spielberg's faithful composer, John Williams. Williams's score is often overlooked as being somewhat themeless and meandering - I have been guilty of that myself in the past - but Always is actually a delightful effort, if slightly more abstract than other Spielberg score. A score more to do with textures and colours than whistleable melodies, "Among the Clouds" is a gorgeous, impressionistic 8-minute piece which illustrates the majesty and beauty of the skies to great effect, especially through Jim Thatcher's perfect horn solos. Later cues, such as the lovely "Pete in Heaven" and "Dorinda's Solo Flight", tread similar ground, Williams allowing his orchestra to be sound free-flowing and expressive, while others, such as "Follow Me" provide brief bursts of energy. The six songs which open the album are mainly of the country/rock variety, with the one exception being The Platter's sultry rendition of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".
TRACK LISTING: 1. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes performed by J.D. Souther (2:51), 2. Boomerang Love performed by Jimmy Buffett (5:19), 3. Cowboy Man performed by Lyle Lovett (2:51), 4. Give Me Your Heart performed by Denette Hoover and Sherwood Ball (3:54). 5. A Fool In Love performed by Michael Smotherman (4:09), 6. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes performed by The Platters (2:38), 7. Among The Clouds (8:34), 8. Follow Me (1:14), 9. Pete In Heaven (6:41), 10. Saying Goodbye (3:13), 11. Pete and Dorinda (3:18), 12.The Return (2:29), 13. The Rescue Operation (5:14), 14. Seeing Dorinda (3:33), 15. Intimate Conversation (1:26), 16. Promise To Help (2:29), 17. Old Timer's Shack (4:52), 18. Dorinda's Solo Flight (3:16). [MCA, 68:01].
BLACK SUNDAY (1977)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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CINDERELLA LIBERTY (1973)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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CONRACK (1974)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE COWBOYS (1972)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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EARTHQUAKE (1974)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE EIGER SANCTION (1975)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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FAMILY PLOT (1976)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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FITZWILLY (1967)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE FURY (1978)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (1969)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN (1967)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (2001)
JOHN WILLIAMS
The first in a series of five projected movies, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the USA) is based on the massively successful novel by J.K. Rowling, and is directed by Chris Columbus. 11-year old orphan Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is a fairly average kid in an average English town, whose life is suddenly changed forever when he is whisked from the clutches of his mean-spirited Aunt and Uncle and taken to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It seems that young Harry is, in actual fact, a wizard, whose parents (also magical) were murdered by the evil Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard, when he was a baby. The fact that Harry survived Voldemort's attack made him a celebrity in the wizarding world, much to Harry's amusement. And so, armed with this knowledge about his past, Harry embarks on his first term at Hogwarts, unsure of what adventures lie ahead of him. With a supporting cast of heavyweight British thespians including Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt, Julie Walters, and the late Richard Harris, the film was a massive success upon its release, and Warner Brothers green-lighted the filming of all the subsequent books. As a children's fantasy, the film works wonderfully, and as a literary adaptation, is wholly faithful to source material; but other than the spectacle of the visuals and the charming ideas, it is generally a little disappointing: Harry's first term adventures are not the most memorable, and improve during the later books. John William's score, as one would imagine, is full of magic and energy, the centrepiece being the light, lively "Hedwig's Theme", so called for Harry's pet owl, and which features a celeste solo that gradually builds to encompass the whole orchestra. Further leitmotivic elements, for Hogwarts, and for "evil", weave in and out of the score, and are bolstered by several sparkling action sequences (notably "The Quidditch Match"). As with all Williams scores, the orchestral expressiveness and thematic content is superbly high, making this a truly magical piece of music.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Prologue (2:12), 2. Harry's Wondrous World (5:21), 3. The Arrival of Baby Harry (4:25), 4. Visit to the Zoo/Letters from Hogwarts (3:22), 5. Diagon Alley/The Gringotts Vault (4:06), 6. Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters/Journey to Hogwarts (3:14), 7. Entry into the Great Hall/The Banquet (3:42), 8. Mr. Longbottom Flies (3:35), 9. Hogwarts Forever!/The Moving Stairs (3:46), 10. The Norwegian Ridgeback/A Change of Season (2:47), 11. The Quidditch Match (8:28), 12. Christmas at Hogwarts (2:56), 13. The Invisibility Cloak/The Library Scene (3:15), 14. Fluffy's Harp (2:38), 15. In the Devil's Snare/The Flying Keys (2:20), 16. The Chess Game (3:48), 17. The Face of Voldemort (6:10), 18. Leaving Hogwarts (2:13), 19. Hedwig's Theme (5:09). [Warner Sunset, 73:34].
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004)
JOHN WILLIAMS
The third instalment of the series based on the smash-hit novels by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban finds Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to face a whole new set of dangers. The convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from the dreaded Azkaban prison and seems to be making a beeline for Hogwarts – and Harry. But what secret past links Harry to Sirius? With a new director (Alfonso Cuarón), new cast members (Oldman, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, and Michael Gambon replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore), and scary new ideas (notably the evil Dementors, the guards from Azkaban who look like deadlier versions of the Ghost of Christmas Past), combining with familiar faces from the previous two films, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is nothing if not ambitious. The tone is darker and much more sinister, and the attitudes are more mature, but while some of the new developments are not wholly successful, the same cannot be said of the score. After relinquishing some of his scoring duties to William Ross on the second Potter movie, The Chamber of Secrets, in 2002, Williams is firmly back at the helm this time around – and it shows. While the well-loved themes for Harry Potter, Hogwarts and the others remain intact, Prisoner of Azkaban still introduces a wealth of excellent new material: a blustery horn waltz for Harry’s horrible Aunt Marge; zany action material, complete with whistles and bells, for Harry’s wild ride on “The Knight Bus”; a Macbeth-inspired choral piece (“Double Trouble”) that sounds more like Danny Elfman at his most devilish than anything from Williams’s past; three or four thunderous action cues (notably “The Whomping Willow” and “Quiddich Third Year) ”which derive directly from the modernistic style heard in Minority Report and his recent Star Wars scores; a heartbreakingly beautiful, Renaissance-inspired flute melody (“Window to the Past”) for Harry’s memories of his parents; and, best of all, a soaring orchestral theme for the noble hippogriff Buckbeak. By far the best of the three Potter scores to date, it is one of 2004’s few must-have albums.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme) (1:38), 2. Aunt Marge's Waltz (2:15), 3. The Knight Bus (2:52), 4. Apparition on the Train (2:15), 5. Double Trouble (1:37), 6. Buckbeak's Flight (2:08), 7. A Window to the Past (3:54), 8. The Whomping Willow and the Snowball Fight (2:22), 9. Secrets of the Castle (2:32), 10. The Portrait Gallery (2:05), 11. Hagrid the Professor (1:59), 12. Monster Books and Boggarts! (2:26), 13. Quidditch, Third Year (3:47), 14. Lupin's Transformation and Chasing Scabbers (3:01), 15. The Patronus Light (1:12), 16. The Werewolf Scene (4:25), 17. Saving Buckbeak (6:39), 18. Forward to Time Past (2:33), 19. The Dementor's Converge (3:12), 20. Finale (3:24), 21. Mischief Managed! (12:10) [Atlantic Records, 68:36).
HEARTBEEPS (1981)
JOHN WILLIAMS
A much maligned science-fiction comedy directed by Allan Arkush, and one of the few big screen roles written for the late, lamented Andy Kaufman, Heartbeeps is - in a nutshell - a story about two robots in love. Kaufman stars as Val, a domestic robot working for a family in the future, who develops feelings for a robotic co-worker named Aqua (Broadway star Bernadette Peters). Val and Aqua elope, and plan to start a robotic family - but the company that built them doesn't want their technology to be discovered, and send the dreaded Crimebuster robots after them. Despite an Academy Award nomination for Stan Winston's outlandish makeup, Heartbeeps is virtually forgotten today, consigned to the annals of history as "an Andy Kaufman project", and little else. The fact that John Williams scored it is equally peculiar: of all the movies Williams scored post-Star Wars, Heartbeeps is probably one of the most obscure, and certainly one of the biggest financial flops. The score is also rather unfairly maligned and, despite relying heavily on dated-sounding 80s synthesisers, is nevertheless a charming piece. His "Main Title" emerges from a synthesised beginning into a lovely orchestral overture, while the menacing Crimebuster theme, which occurs in several tracks, could almost be viewed as a skewed cousin to the Imperial March, featuring as it does a repetitive synth-percussion ostinato, and a memorably ominous motif which gradually builds in pace and tempo as the cues progress. Much of the rest of the score is made up of an unusual brand of John Williams electronic and orchestral silliness, with the synth elements becoming increasingly (and intentionally) cheesier. The problem is that it's so difficult to dislike this score - despite being fore-armed with the knowledge of what the score sounds like, Williams's enthusiasm and fondness for the projects makes Heartbeeps an infuriatingly entertaining album. After being a highly sought-after collectable for many years, Varése re-released Heartbeeps as part of their CD club series in 2001.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Main Title (3:10), 2. Beautiful, Isn't It? (4:25), 3. Thunderstorm (0:39), 4. Seeing the Rainbow (1:09), 5. Projected Trip (1:43), 6. Sneaking Out (0:35), 7. Val's First Drive (2:43), 8. Crimebuster (3:25), 9. Phil is Born (1:50), 10. In the Woods (2:00), 11. Come Phil! (0:52), 12. It's a Camel (2:27), 13. The Love Scene (2:04), 14. Crimebuster Follows (2:24), 15. Crimebuster Breaks Up Party (1:05), 16. Domestic Spat (1:38), 17. The Junkyard (1:57), 18. Raccoon Chasing (0:41), 19. Crimebuster's Shadow (0:34), 20. To the Factory (1:49), 21. Val and Phil (4:22), 22. Catskill Rests (1:04), 23. Going to Sleep (3:30), 24. Domestic Bliss (1:18), 25. Crimebuster Always Gets His Man (1:56), 26. End Credits (4:12). [Varése Sarabande, 54:19].
HEIDI (1968)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK (1992)
JOHN WILLIAMS
A swift sequel to the smash-hit 1990 comedy, Home Alone 2 finds young troublemaker Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) off on vacation to Florida with his parents for Christmas - but by some airport mix-up, finds himself separates once again and fending for himself in the Big Apple. Checking into the most expensive hotel he can find, using his father's credit card, Kevin befriends a kindly toy shop owner (Eddie Bracken) and a homeless "pigeon lady" (Brenda Fricker), but finds his yuletide under threat from his old enemies Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), who have recently escaped from jail and want to make Kevin pay for what he put them through... Basically, Home Alone 2 is a carbon-copy of the original movie, with all the pratfalls, sadistic slapstick, and wintery warmth and schmaltz that made the original so successful. Director Chris Columbus concentrates on entertaining the eight year olds, but forgets to add any surreptitious humour for the adult, thereby making Home Alone 2 a less satisfying movie than the original. There are only so many times you can set fire to Joe Pesci's head before it becomes monotonous, you know? Seemingly as uninspired by the movie as everyone else, John Williams's score is little more than a re-worked version of his score for the first movie, with recapitulations of the festive main theme, the lovely "Somewhere In My Memory" melody, the classically-inspired chase music, and the mickey-mouse slapstick action cues that accompany Pesci and Stern's systematic humiliation at the hands of a ten-year-old. A couple of cues' notably "Reunion in New York", do offer a tantalising glimpse of lovely new theme Williams wrote for the New York setting, while lyricist Leslie Bricusse contributes more original lyrics this time around, for the glowing song "Christmas Star". A few seasonal favourites pad out the running time. The original 63-minute Fox album is now long out-of-print; Varése Sarabande released an expanded 100-minute 2-CD set in late 2002.
TRACK LISTING [Original Fox Album]: • 1. Somewhere in my Memory (3:49), 2. Home Alone Suite (2:01), 3. We Overslept Again (2:46), 4. Christmas Star (3:18), 5. Arrival in New York (1:41), 6. Plaza Hotel/Duncan's Toy Store (3:45), 7. Concierge/Race to the Room (2:04), 8. Star of Bethlehem (3:28), 9. The Thieves Return (4:35), 10. Appearance of the Pigeon Lady (3:19), 11. Christmas Music Suite (5:02), 12. Into the Park (3:49), 13. Haunted Brownstone (3:01), 14. Christmas Star (Reprise)/Setting the Trap (4:17), 15. To the Plaza Presto (3:22), 16. Reunion at Rockefeller Center (2:36), 17. Kevin's Booby Traps (3:41), 18. Finale (3:55), 19. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas (2:51) [Fox, 63:31].
HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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IMAGES (1972)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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JAWS (1975)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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JAWS 2 (1978)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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JFK (1991)
JOHN WILLIAMS
Oliver Stone's personal obsession with conspiracies in US politics continued in JFK, his 1991 film starring Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison, a New Orleans district attorney who, in the wake of John F. Kennedy's assassination, discovers that there is more to the terrible events that occurred in Dallas in 1963 than the Government revealed. Taking it upon himself to investigate the official FBI story, Garrison finds himself and his family under increasing threat as he delves deeper into the mystery. With a supporting cast that included Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald, and with major roles for Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Walter Matthau and John Candy, JFK was nothing if not prestigious, and despite Stone's continued accusations and seeming "obsession" with the corruptness of the American government, the film was nominated eight Oscars, including Best Picture, winning for cinematography and editing. One of the losers on the night was John Williams, whose original score could best be described as sparse. Built around a simple, noble theme for the assassinated president (heard on solo trumpet in "Prologue", and in solo piano in "Theme from JFK"), Williams is content to let his music remain quiet and understated until "Arlington", when he uses his orchestra in a way that would have made Samuel Barber proud. The driving "The Conspirators" underscores the paranoia and fear as the alleged multiple shooters are unveiled by Garrison, while other cues ("The Motorcade") are much more tense and dissonant than one would anticipate.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Prologue (4:00), 2. The Motorcade (5:14), 3. Drummer's Salute (2:55), 4. Theme from JFK (2:23), 5. Eternal Father Strong to Save traditional (1:19), 6. Garrison's Obsession (2:33), 7. On The Sunny Side of the Street performed by Sidney Bechet (4:23), 8. The Conspirators (4:04), 9. The Death of David Ferrie (2:47), 10. Maybe September performed by Tony Bennett (4:03) 11. Garrison Family Theme (2:14), 12. Ode to Buckwheat performed by Brent Lewis (3:53), 13. El Watusi performed by Ray Barretto (2:41), 14. The Witnesses (2:46), 15. Concerto No.2 for Horn and Orchestra K417:1 Allegro Maestoso written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (6:29), 16. Arlington (6:29), 17. Finale (3:14), 18. Theme from JFK (2:23) [Elektra, 64:08].
JOHN GOLDFARB PLEASE COME HOME (1965)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING (1973)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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MIDWAY (1976)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE MISSOURI BREAKS (1976)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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MONSIGNOR (1982)
JOHN WILLIAMS
A religious drama based on the novel by Jack Alain Leger, and directed by Frank Perry, Monsignor stars Christopher Reeve as Father Flaherty, an ambitious and power hungry Catholic priest who, through a combination of lies, deceit, treachery and murder, works his way into the inner sanctum of the Vatican during World War II. Along the way, he seduces and corrupts an innocent young nun, Sister Clara (Geneviève Bujold) - an oversight with eventually proves to be Flaherty's undoing. The second movie with a John Williams score to flop at the box office in the early 80s (the other being Heartbeeps), Monsignor's lack of financial success left it as the most recent Williams scores NOT to receive a proper CD soundtrack release. Despite a wholly un-deserved Razzie nomination for Worst Score, Monsignor is actually a thoroughly entertaining piece which sees the composer, on the whole, in 'sweeping theme' mode. The main theme is a superb trumpet-led piece which, as many of his pieces do, develops from a solo into a large-scale orchestral tour-de-force which gets bigger and more emotional as it goes on. Later cues contain some wonderful standalone elements, notably "Reunion in Italy" (a marvellously constructed scherzo) and "Gloria" (a liturgical combination of pipe organ and choir full of power and reverence), while others contain superb recapitulations of the main theme. Monsignor was released on the Casablanca label as an LP at the time of release, but has only ever seen light of day on CD as a bootleg, coupled with Williams's score for The Missouri Breaks. One can only hope someone sees fit to rectify this situation soon.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Theme (3:24), 2. Reunion in Italy (1:32), 3. Forgotten Vows (4:10), 4. The Meeting in Sicily (3:52), 5. Audience with the Holy Father (3:40), 6. Gloria (5:10), 7. Monsignor (2:10), 8. Appolim's Decision (3:12), 9. Santoni's Compassion (4:57), 10. At the Forum (5:15) [Casablanca, 37:22].
NOT WITH MY WIFE, YOU DON'T (1966)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE PAPER CHASE (1973)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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PENELOPE (1966)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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PRESUMED INNOCENT (1990)
JOHN WILLIAMS
An adult thriller directed by Alan J. Pakula, based on the best-selling novel by Scott Turow, Presumed Innocent starred Harrison Ford in a role which he would come to play more and more frequently: that of a man on the run. Ford plays Rusty Sabich, a wealthy and successful prosecuting attorney whose life is turned upside down when it is revealed that he has been having an affair with a beautiful colleague, Caroline Polhemus (Greta Scacchi) - and that he is the prime suspect in her murder. Protesting his innocence, Ford embarks on a quest to find out the identity of the real killer - and discovers a lot more about Caroline's dark past than he anticipated. With great supporting performances from Bonnie Bedelia (as Ford's spurned wife), Brian Dennehy, John Spencer and Raul Julia, and one of those "revelation" endings, Presumed Innocent was one of the best films of its type for the period, and paved the way for a multitude of other erotic/courtroom thrillers - most of which failed to live up to the high stand set by Presumed Innocent. Working with Pakula for the only time in his career, John Williams responded to the dark and troubled nature of the film by writing one his few synth-dominated scores, anchoring it with a truly wonderful central theme which pits his synthesisers against a tinkling piano in a piece which is both sensual and erotic, but with an underlying sense of dread. The underscore itself is less interesting, remaining rather understated and tense, but wholly appropriate for the film. "Love Scene" sees Williams re-arranging his theme into a large, rhapsodic, almost orgasmic variation, and is one of the score's definite highlights.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Presumed Innocent (4:10), 2. Remembering Carolyn (2:17), 3. Family Life (1:30), 4. Love Scene (4:06), 5. The B File (3:28), 6. The Bedroom Scene (4:20), 7. Carolyn's Office (3:24), 8. Leon Talks (1:59), 9. Rusty Accused (2:07), 10. Case Dismissed (1:53), 11. The Boat Scene (2:15), 12. The Basement Scene (2:55), 13. Barbara's Confession (5:17), 14. End Credits (4:03) [Varése Sarabande, 43:27].
THE RARE BREED (1966)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE REIVERS (1969)
JOHN WILLIAMS
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THE RIVER (1984)
JOHN WILLIAMS
One of the smaller Hollywood films Mel Gibson made before he hit the heights of Lethal Weapon in 1987, The River is a story of a farming community struggling to survive. Directed by Mark Rydell, it stars Gibson as proud agriculturist Tom Garvey who, along with his wife Mae (Sissy Spacek), is beginning to find his way of life increasingly difficult. A nearby river has flooded, destroying several neighbouring farms, and making his land difficult to tend; with the resulting smaller crop, the bank is calling time on the Garvey's debts; and the local power authority (led by a sinister Scott Glenn) wants to buy the Garvey's farm and flood the land for a massive hydro-electric project. The film is firmly in the camp of the troubled farmer, romanticising the fast-disappearing ideal of the American farmer, and portraying 'big business' as a faceless, heartless bureaucrat. Despite the simplistic view take by Robert Dillon's story, The River remains a potent drama, anchored by powerful central performances, beautiful cinematography, and an engaging Oscar-nominated score by John Williams. Returning to the lively country sound he adopted in scores such as The Reivers and The Cowboys, Williams score for The River has a modern, upbeat sound, led as usual by the orchestra, but given a definite kick by guitars and a drum kit. Much of the score is actually something of a throwback: the "Love Theme", rather than reaching large orchestral heights, revisits the jazzy textures of The Eiger Sanction, with a soulful trumpet refrain, while the expressive "The Pony Ride" features some truly superb guitar harmonies, precursors to the music he would later write for Rosewood and Stepmom. Other cues carry the stamp of Copland and Bernstein, invoking a feeling of traditional Americana, but still containing William's symphonic sensibility.
TRACK LISTING: 1. The River (4:26), 2. Growing Up (2:51), 3. The Pony Ride (3:14), 4. Love Theme from The River (4:52), 5. The Ancestral Home (4:26), 6. Rain Clouds Gather (2:07), 7. From Farm to Factory (2:41), 8. Back From Town (3:37), 9. Tractor Scene (2:17), 10. A Family Meeting (2:33), 11. Young Friends Farewell (2:37). [Varése Sarabande, 37:12].
ROSEWOOD (1997)
JOHN WILLIAMS
Based on a horrific true story, director John Singleton's Rosewood is a harrowing account of racism and mob mentality at its worst. Set in 1920s Florida, it stars Ving Rhames as Mann, a black drifter who finds himself in the town of Rosewood, a white-dominated place where racial tension simmers at near-boiling point. When Mann is wrongly accused of raping a white woman, the entire white population rounds on the black community, sparking off a local war which threatens to tear the town apart. With the black locals literally running for their lives, only a white shopkeeper (Jon Voight) stands between Mann and the lynch mob. With a supporting cast of African American actors including Don Cheadle, Esther Rolle and Akosua Busia, Rosewood was lauded by critics, but was a commercial failure - instead of building on a career which began with films like Boyz 'N the Hood and Higher Learning, Singleton was reduced to directing 2 Fast 2 Furious just six years layer. In many ways, Rosewood was the "dry run" for Williams's score for The Patriot a few years later, as the two scores share very similar orchestrations, instrumentation, and even chord progressions and thematic fragments. Written as a replacement for Wynton Marsalis's original score, Williams makes Gospel vocals, solo performances by guitars and harmonicas, and some surprisingly vicious action music the order of the day. The original Negro spiritual, "Look Down Lord" and "Light My Way" are real highlights, featuring the rich vocal performance of Shirley Caesar, while the devilish "The Hounds of Summer" sees Williams getting as powerfully dissonant as he ever gets. The opening cue, "Rosewood" stands as a memorable concert piece of one of the most unexpectedly excellent departures in recent years.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Rosewood (3:33), 2. Look Down Lord (2:12), 3. The Hounds of Summer (1:49), 4. Healing (4:10), 5. Light My Way (3:42), 6. Trouble in Town (3:16), 7. Aunt Sara's Death (3:18), 8. After the Fire (3:38), 9. The Town of Summer (2:36), 10. The Town Burns (4:21), 11. Scrappie and Mann Bond (4:14), 12. The Freedom Train (1:52), 13. False Accusation (3:18), 14. Mann at Rosewood (3:14), 15. Finale (4:12) [Sony Classical, 49:32].
SABRINA (1995)
JOHN WILLIAMS
A remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 original, with Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond replacing Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina is a romantic comedy about falling in love with the wrong woman. Linus Larrabee (Ford) is wealthy, aloof, workaholic, and a bachelor. His brother David (Greg Kinnear) lives life to the full, enjoying his wealth, and enjoying the companionship of some of the world's most beautiful women even more. Into their midst comes Sabrina Fairchild (Ormond), who grew up on the Larrabee estate as the chauffeur's daughter, but who has now returned from schooling in Paris a sophisticated, and beautiful woman. Having been in unrequited love with David since childhood, Sabrina suddenly finds herself the subject of David's affections... but as she spends more and more time with the Larrabees instead of working for them, Sabrina becomes increasingly attracted to the awkward, unsociable Linus. Director Sidney Pollack gets a lot out of his cast, with Ford surprisingly successful at portraying a socially inept workaholic who gradually "loosens up" with the help of a good woman. For the score, John Williams returned briefly to the light-jazz style that served him so well pre-Star Wars, and penned a score which has more in common with George Gershwin and Irving Berlin than the orchestral epics. Scored mainly for piano and light orchestra, Williams's keyboard solos sparkle with life and romance, building at times to almost rhapsodic beauty, notably in the "Theme from Sabrina". However, Williams's underscore is less interesting, content instead to gently underplay the romance with soft orchestral wanderings, which only really kick into life during one of the comedy sequences ("Nantucket Visit"), or in the emotional finale ("Sabrina's Return to Paris"). "The Party Sequence" is a delightful orchestral suite of a number of Golden Age melodies, while "Moonlight", the movie's original song, features lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, a strong vocal performance by Sting, and was nominated for an Oscar.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Theme from Sabrina (4:30), 2. Moonlight performed by Sting (5:20), 3. Linus' New Life (2:45), 4. Growing Up in Paris (3:02), 5. In the Moonlight (Instrumental) (2:59), 6. Sabrina Remembers/La Vie en Rose (1:42), 7. Sabrina Comes Home (4:14), 8. Nantucket Visit (2:31), 9. The Party Sequence (10:53), 10. Sabrina and Linus Date (2:40), 11. How Can I Remember? performed by Michael Dees (2:50), 12. Sabrina's Return to Paris (2:22), 13. Theme from Sabrina (Reprise) (5:23). [A&M Records, 51:31].
THE TERMINAL (2004)
JOHN WILLIAMS
Inspired by the true story of Merhan Nasseri, an Iranian exile who spent ten years stranded in the arrivals hall of Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, The Terminal is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski, a man travelling from the (fictional) east European nation of Krakhozia to JFK Airport in New York. En-route, his country is involved in a governmental coup, and effectively ceases to exist, rendering all his paperwork null and void and effectively leaving him nationless, Unable to leave the airport, and unable to return home, Viktor establishes himself as a permanent resident at Gate 34 – much to the annoyance of airport chief Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci). However, love and luck blossoms in the most unlikely of places, and it its not long before the good-natured Viktor catches the eye of beautiful stewardess Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta Jones). As odd as it may sound, Williams main theme for The Terminal plays like a cross between Rachel Portman at her most bouncy, the jazzy sentiments of last year’s Catch Me If You Can, and a “happy” version of his own score for Schindler’s List, replete with dancing woodwinds and a swirling string section that affects East European rhythms, but places them in an optimistically western setting. Solo performances for clarinet and accordion provide a great deal of the thematic core, and the gentle playfulness of the melody makes a welcome change from the huge histrionics of Harry Potter and Star Wars. Other cues are anchored by sweet-natured, low-key orchestral textures that recall earlier Williams scores such as Stepmom, Always, and Stanley and Iris, while in other cues Williams reaches the romantic heights he has not attempted to reach since Sabrina. Strings, jazz piano, and moody woodwinds are the order of the day and, although The Terminal may be an inconsequential work in the bigger scheme of things, it is nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding album.
TRACK LISTING: 1. The Tale of Viktor Navorski (4:12), 2. Dinner with Amelia (8:02), 3. A Legend is Born (3:16), 4. Viktor and his Friends (4:43), 5. The Fountain Scene (5:33), 6. The Wedding of Officer Torres (5:01), 7. Jazz Autographs (3:45), 8. Refusing to Escape (3:01), 9. Krakozhia National Anthem and Homesickness (1:49), 10. Looking for Work (3:17), 11. Gupta's Deliverance (3:18), 12. Finding Coins and Learning to Read (4:02), 13. Destiny/Cannelloni/The Tale of Viktor Navorski Reprise (5:05), 14. A Happy Navorski Ending (2:47) [Decca/Universal 58:20].
THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974)
JOHN WILLIAMS
INSERT REVIEW HERE.
VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967)
JOHN WILLIAMS
INSERT REVIEW HERE.
THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (1987)
JOHN WILLIAMS
One of Jack Nicholson's best roles of the 1980s, The Witches of Eastwick is a comedy-horror based on the novel by John Updike, and directed by George Miller. Three single would-be witches in the small town of Eastwick - Alex (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) - use their limited powers to conjure up their dream man, and are shocked to discover that their spell works! Enter Daryl Van Horn (Nicholson), rich, charismatic, charming, and (literally) the devil incarnate. As, one by one, the witches fall under Daryl's romantic spell, only the reclusive Felicia (Veronica Cartwright) discovers the truth about Daryl's identity, and decides that he needs to be stopped before the entire town has succumbed to Daryl's evil power. A box-office success, critical darling, and the recipient of two Academy Award nominations, The Witches of Eastwick has become something of a cult classic as the years have passed - as has John Williams's original score. A devilish, delightful work, Williams endows his score with a danse macabre theme as its centrepiece - "The Dance of the Witches" which bounces and whirls on its merry way, replete with dancing fiddles and lofty woodwinds, and is actually closer to something Danny Elfman might have written in his more playful moments. One of the highlights is certainly "The Ballroom Scene", a cue which was replaced by Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" in the final cut of the film, but which is presented in its entirety on CD, builds from a delicate piano melody into a magical orchestral rhapsody. The two 'seductions' try to mask Daryl's demonic nature with intentional romance overkill, while the finale (as Daryl is finally unmasked by the townsfolk) is a collision of thematic fragments and Williams-style orchestral carnage, a action music and dissonance, with "The Destruction of Daryl" a definite highlight. The reason for this score's cult status is due to the fact that the original Warner Brothers CD is arguably the most collectable Williams record of recent years; it vanished from shelves almost immediately after release, and now commands large prices in the secondary market.
TRACK LISTING: 1. The Township of Eastwick (2:47), 2. The Dance of the Witches (4:57), 3. Maleticio (3:20), 4. The Seduction of Alex (2:40), 5. Daryl's Secrets (3:55), 6. The Seducion of Suki/The Ballroom Scene (7:05), 7. Daryl Arrives (2:35), 8. The Tennis Game (2:52), 9. Have Another Cherry (3:25), 10. Daryl Rejected (3:03), 11. The Ride Home (3:22), 12. The Destruction of Daryl (5:39), 13. The Children's Carousel (1:54), 14. End Credits (The Dance of the Witches Reprise) (4:57).
YES GIORGIO (1982)
JOHN WILLIAMS and MICHAEL J. LEWIS
The acting debut of world-famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, Yes Giorgio was sadly panned by critics as a prime example why certain performers should remain on stage and not venture into the world of cinema. Based on the novel by Anne Piper and directed by the great Franklin J. Schaffner, Pavarotti stars as Giorgio Fini, a world-famous opera singer who loses his voice during a tour of America. Visiting throat specialist Faye Kennedy (Kathryn Fuller), Giorgio finds himself falling in love with the beautiful doctor, and wondering whether his career is more important than his lacklustre personal life. Despite handsome production values, and Pavarotti's spine-tinglingly wonderful vocal performances, Yes Giorgio was sadly let down by the Italian giant's acting, and a shockingly a wooden screenplay. It attracted far too many critical maulings, and Pavarotti never headlined a film again (although, in retrospect, his career hardly suffered as a result!) Musically, Yes Giorgio excels, as one would expect. A bit of a mixed bag of styles, Yes Giorgio combines classical Italian opera by the likes of Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti, an original score by Welsh composer Michael J. Lewis, and various versions of a melody by Williams called "If I Were In Love", which appears both as an instrumental and as a song with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. An operatic, attractive melody, Williams's song was subsequently nominated for an Oscar, while Lewis's score is steeped in Italianate culture, and fills the moments between the opera performances effortlessly. Sadly, the soundtrack CD for Yes Giorgio has been out of print for some time.
TRACK LISTING: 1. If We Were In Love, 2. Overture, 3. Santa Lucia/Main Titles, 4. Mattinata written by Ruggerio Leoncavallo/Party in the Napa Valley, 5. Tarantella/Private Concert for Sister Theresa, 6. O Sole Mio by Eduardo Di Capula, 7. Una Furtiva Lagrima from L'Elisir d'Amore, by Gaetano Donizetti, 8. La Donna E Mobile from Rigoletto, by Giuseppe Verdi, 9. Ave Maria by Franz Schubert, 10. I Left My Heart In San Francisco/Did I Remember/Giorgio's Bedroom, 11. Cielo E Mar from La Gioconda, by Amilcare Ponchiella, 12. Ballet Music from Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi, 13. Donna Non Vidi Mai from Manon Lescaut, by Giacomo Puccini/Triumph at the Metropolitan Opera, 14. Excerpts from Turandot/Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini, 15. If We Were In Love (Instrumental). [Decca, 53:36].
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