Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard "Gladiator" (OST) (2000)

Gladiator (soundtrack)

release date: Apr. 25, 2000

format: digital (35 x File, FLAC) (20th Anniversary Edition, 2020 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]

producer: Klaus Badelt, Hans Zimmer, Ridley Scott

label: Universal Music Classics - nationality: Germany / Australia

Track highlights: 3. "The Battle" - 5. "Sorrow" - 6. "To Zuccabar" - 9. "The Might of Rome" - 15. "Elysium" - 17. "Now We Are Free" - *19. "Now We Are Free (Juba's Mix)" - *25. "Rome Is the Light" - *35. "Now We Are Free (Maximus Mix)"

*2020 Anniversary Edition

Soundtrack to a Ridley Scott directed epic drama starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Richard Harris, and Oliver Reed (who passed away 1 year before the film premiered). The soundtrack is like the film an acclaimed work in its own rights, and all music here is credited Zimmer & Gerrard in collaboration and with Gavin Greenaway conducting [The London] Lyndhurst Orchestra.

The original soundtrack runs for just over one hour and counts the first 17 tracks - the remaining 18 tracks have been added to the 20th Anniversary Edition; however already in 2001 the soundtrack was released in this version as a 2-disc CD edition for the European market doubling its running time.

The music is held in a classic (heavily) orchestrated frame. The music is pompous but quite fitting to the likewise dramatic imagery side of the film. At times I notice a strong influence from Morricone and some inspiration from Richard Wagner but then aren't all great composers inspired by others? What really works on a higher level here, is that themes and styles go hand in hand with the images and the story, and yet as a standalone piece of work, this soundtrack still works quite nicely; although, I prefer the more progressive compositions and especially those featuring Gerrard's enigmatic vocal performances.

Gladiator (OST) is one of those rare soundtracks where everything is in sublime synergy. I may prefer more experimental and subtle soundtracks but this is one to cherish.

[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

[ Hans Zimmer on the making of the soundtrack ]

Nils Frahm "All Melody" (2018)

All Melody
release date: Jan. 26, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Nils Frahm
label: Erased Tapes - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 2. "Sunson" - 3. "A Place" - 5. "Human Range" - 6. "Forever Changeless" - 7. "All Melody" (live) - 8. "#2" - 11. "Kaleidoscope"

9th studio album by Nils Frahm, who has released albums on independent English label Erased Tapes since 2009. This is modern classical and minimalism fusioned with electronic, and perhaps with the addition of ambient, although, that may be an integral part of the aforementioned styles combined. It's difficult to label as either part of an experimental electronic genre, or rather think of it as avant-garde within the classical sphere. It's really transgressing the idea of fixed music genres as belonging to either popular music or classical, almost in a "wave versus particle" theory - this is really both depending on perspective.
It's simplistic, and at times truly minimalist but also built using melodic harmonies in a very organic way. And there's an ever-present sensation of ambience, which makes me think of a modern version of Jean-Michel Jarre - at least when thinking of his earliest works - just without traditional synths.
Previously, I have seen Frahm as an artist who makes music that requires ones full attention, but with All Melody he has moved into the hemisphere of popular music where manifestations may be listened to with randomised attention, so to speak. And speaking of manifestations - Frahm was musical composer to the fabulous Julian Rosefeldt film "Manifesto" (2015) featuring Cate Blanchett, in which she brilliantly plays a dozen different characters, and the music plays its very own prominent part.
Perhaps there's some need of sharpened attention when listening to All Melody but that doesn't mean you necessarily need to put on a pair of headphones to absorb the message; however, you may very well do just that and thereby extend your experience. I come to think of Philip Glass - the seemingly repetitious intervals that you meet along the way in most of the compositions here, but also Jarre and a sense of ethereal spaciousness.
Sometimes listening to this album makes me imagine watching an imaginary Godfrey Reggio sequel to "Powaqqatsi" where you're exposed to unexpected lifeforms seen from the flight of a drone, through the eyes of a seagull, or through the lenses of an underwater camera following a herd of dolphins to a secret place in the outskirts of Atlantis.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Drowned in Sound 5 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "Short Stories for Pauline" (2012)

Short Stories for Pauline
release date: Jun. 18, 2012
format: cd (fbn 36)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "At First Sight" - 2. "Duet" - 3. "College" - 4. "Invitations" - 5. "Destroy, She Said" - 6. "Model" - 7. "Journeys by Vespa" - 8. "Take Some Time Out" - 9. "A Silence" - 10. "Mirror A" - 11. "Cocktail" - 12. "Telephone Call" - 13. "Mirror B" - 14. "A Room in Southport"

23rd studio album release by The Durutti Column issued on Factory Benelux and produced by Vini Reilly. It's hard to fit in the category of new material as all tracks are from what was an abandoned album that Reilly worked on back in 1983, and which could/should have been his fourth studio album with the same title as here, and therefore it carries the original production number fbn36. Instead, Factory Records, or i.e. manager Tony Wilson, persuaded Reilly to work on what became the neo-classical Without Mercy (1984). That album only consists of two tracks but one will find that the tracks contain themes and pieces that has been incorporated from various tracks on this, the abandoned album. Some of the tracks have previously been released on a compilation album titled Lips That Would Kiss (1991), also by Factory Benelux.
[ official release info, see here ]
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "A Paean to Wilson" (2010)

A Paean to Wilson
release date: Jan. 24, 2010
format: digital (2-disc)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Keir Stewart, Bruce Mitchell
label: Kooky Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Or Are You Just a Technician" - 2. "Chant" - 3. "Quatro" - 4. "Requiem" - 5. "Stuki" - 6. "Along Came Poppy" (4 / 5) - 7. "Brother" - 8. "Duet With Piano" - 9. "Darkness Here" - 10. "Catos Revisited" (4 / 5) - 11. "The Truth" - 12. "How Unbelievable"

21st studio album by The Durutti Column follows the 19th studio album Treatise on the Steppenwolf Soundtrack, a soundtrack album released on LTM Recordings (Aug. 2008) and of course the most recent release: the 20th studio album Love in the Time of Recession (2009) issued on Artful Records.
A Paen... is dedicated Tony Wilson (Anthony Wilson) co-founder of Factory Records and Reilly's friend and manager who passed away in 2007. Here, Reilly covers almost all of his vast stylistic repertoire playing post-punk, art rock, experimental rock, acoustic rock, dream pop, ambient, electronic, jazz, modern classical, shoegaze... and without making it a mishmash of styles. It's so incorporated in Reilly's expressiveness that it works even for this, an instrumental dedication. The album is released with a bonus disc called Heaven Sent (It Was Called Digital. It Was Heaven Sent), originally released as a standalone digital download ep only in 2005, thus making it a mere gift than an integral part or an extension to the actual album.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "Without Mercy" (1984)

Without Mercy
release date: Oct. 1984
format: vinyl (fact 84) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Anthony Wilson and Michael Johnson
label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Without Mercy I" (4,5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Without Mercy II" (3,5 / 5)

4th studio album by The Durutti Column. Reilly released an album titled Amigos em Portugal before this one, however, that album was only distributed in Portugal and not on Factory Records like this and all of his official albums, which in my mind makes this his fourth studio album. As far as I know, this is his first album to have Tony Wilson producing and / or working with Reilly on an album release. Wilson was Reilly's manager from the formation of The Durutti Column until Wilson's death in 2007. 

Allegedly, Reilly has disregarded this album and only did it to please Wilson, who tempted Reilly to be more artistically original and persuaded him to do an album with classical instrumentation.

The album is a further step into experimental art rock and what I see as modern classical. I purchased the vinyl album upon its release, and both found it sorely beautiful, lamenting, agonisingly melancholic AND at the same time I found it difficult to obtain for a teenager's taste for dirty punk rock and more standardised post-punk expressions. I have never ceased to enjoy this album, and for every decade, I have come to enjoy it a little bit more. Today, I see it as a masterpiece where Reilly showcases his many talents, as guitarist, pianist, and composer of complex modern music, and not only on the border to classical music but on the borders of musical expressiveness. 'Cause how does this fit in, in the time bubble of contemporary manifestations of music, regardless styles and genre? It doesn't. It's so damn unique and to the vast masses, simply unknown. So far.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars (users reviews: 4,5 / 5) ]

Eva Dahlgren "Jag vill se min älskade komma från det vilda" (1995)

Jag vill se min älskade komma från det vilda
release date: 1995
format: cd (STAT 52)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: Eva Dahlgren, Anders Hillborg
label: The Record Station / BMG - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "Stenmannen" - 3. "När en vild röd ros slår ut doftar hela skogen" - 8. "Innan kärleken kom" - 9. "Vild i min mun"

9th studio album by Eva Dahlgren is more of a collaboration work with classical composer and conductor (Per) Anders Hillborg. The album consists of 9 compositions all co-written by Dahlgren and Hillborg - with Dahlgren primarily contributing with lyrics and vocal for music composed by Hillborg. The music is performed by Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester ['Symphony Orchestre of the Swedish National Radio'], thus making this a rather different album by Dahlgren. Stylistically, it's not entirely chamber pop, which one might expect. There's simply too little traditional pop / rock elements present. It's more in a the genre of classical crossover, resembling the music by Sarah Brightman, and with clear links to modern musical, I think. The album gave her the Grammis prize 'Årets artist' ['Best artist of the year'] in 1995 for the album. It's interesting, however; I don't find it among her better albums.
One year after this release, Dahlgren officially spoke about her homosexuality, and she registered in full partnership with the Swedish designer and former model, Efva Attling, and in 2009 the two married.

The Durutti Column "Another Setting" (1983)

Another Setting
release date: Aug. 1983
format: digital (fact 74)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Chris Nagle and Vini Reilly
label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Prayer" - 2. "Response" - 3. "Bordeaux" - 4. "For a Western" - 5. "The Beggar" - 6. "Francesca" - 7. "Smile in the Crowd" - 8. "You've Heard It Before" - 9. "Dream of a Child" - 10. "Second Family" - 11. "Spent Time"

3rd studio album by The Durutti Column. The style on the two first album was dark and mellow, reflecting the close connection to the post-punk environment, but this release shows another side to Reilly's many talents. Here, one hears an apparent ambient style, a noticeable jazz-element, and also a clear bond to modern classical compositions.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Gabriel Yared "37°2 Le matin (Betty Blue)" (OST) (1986)

37°2 Le matin (Betty Blue) (soundtrack)
release date: 1986
format: vinyl (V2396)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Gabriel Yared, Georges Rodi
label: Virgin Records - nationality: Lebanon

Soundtrack album composed, arranged and directed by Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared who has composed music to several major French movies during the 1980s. The film "37°2 Le matin" has become more commonly known as "Betty Blue", and is directed by French director Jean Jacques Beineix.

Zbigniew Preisner "La double vie de Véronique" (OST) (1991)

La double vie de Véronique (soundtrack)
release date: 1991
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

"Weronika"

Original Soundtrack album made for the brilliant movie "La double vie de Véronique" (1991) directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. Preisner (aka Zbigniew Antoni Kowalsk) has worked with Kieślowski on several feature films including "Blind Chance", "Dekalog" (TV-series and feature film), and the trilogy "Trois couleurs: Bleu", "Trois couleurs: Blanc", "Trois couleurs: Rouge".
This is my favourite Kieślowski film and one of Preisner's best soundtracks (I know many consider the 1st of his Trois Couleurs' films the best but I think it's too cheesy with way too heavy symbolism, and Presiners' score seems too close to this earlier work, and it lacks complexity). Preisner is a modern classical composer mostly making music for films.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

[ film trailer ] [ extract ]

Jan Garbarek "All Those Born With Wings" (1987)

All Those Born With Wings
release date: Feb. 1, 1987
format: cd (ECM 1324)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Manfred Eicher
label: ECM Records - nationality: Norway

Tracklist: 1. "1st Piece" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "2nd Piece" (4 / 5) - *3. "3rd Piece" (4 / 5) - 4. "4th Piece" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "5th Piece" (4 / 5) - 6. "6th Piece" (3 / 5)
* In Memory of Andrej Tarkowskij

Studio album by Jan Garbarek, as always, produced by Manfred Eicher. The album is quite original in that Garbarek is only musician on the album, which is to say he plays (uncredited) all instruments including saxophones, keyboards, guitar, percussion, voice and other.
The album was the very first full album I ever listen to with Garbarek, and perhaps therefore it's still among my favourite Garbarek albums. As said, it's also one of his more experimental studio releases. Some tracks could be labelled modern classical, others as ambient or new age but the overall style is one of contemporary jazz fusion or free jazz, which sometimes drifts too far into what sounds as mere improvisations, but here the compositions predominantly stay on a fixed course.

Vangelis "Blade Runner" (OST) (1994)

Blade Runner (soundtrack)

release date: 1994
format: cd (2013 remaster) / vinyl (2015 reissue - gatefold)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Vangelis
label: Audio Fidelity - nationality: Greece

Original soundtrack by Vangelis for the film "Blade Runner" (1982) by Ridley Scott. An orchestral adaptation of the soundtrack by New American Orchestra was the only official soundtrack released alongside the film premiere and Vangelis was unable / not allowed to release his score until '94.
Although, new age and Vangelis is really not my preferred kind of music, I admit that this is so much better than the official soundtrack from '82. In fact, this is like listening to something otherworldly and entirely different. I also recall my huge disappointment after purchasing what I thought was the soundtrack to "Blade Runner" back in the early '80's, but somehow I still accepted that it was the music from the film, despite the fact that my experience and recollection from the movie theatre had left me with quite a different sensation. Vangelis didn't have the rights to release an album with his original music used in the film until '94 because Warner Bros. owned the rights, and the company was entitled to decide in what form the music should be released. The 1994 album by Vangelis is in sync with the imagery and universe of the film, although, some tracks are not included in the actual film but had been composed by Vangelis for the film.
Highly recommended.

"Blade Runner" (1982)

Blade Runner (soundtrack)
release date: 1982
format: vinyl
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]
producer: Jack Elliott
label: WEA / Full Moon - nationality: USA

Official soundtrack by New American Orchestra to the Ridley Scott movie "Blade Runner" (1982). 'Official', yes; however, it is NOT the original soundtrack (OST) recording, but to confuse things, it was produced, released and promoted as the official album from the film. The original soundtrack wasn't released until 1994 and is (rightfully) credited Greek artist Vangelis. This, the orchestral adaptation released in '82 is without the actual Vangelis score from the film and basically only consists of an adaptation of the original music.
The "Love Theme" track (feat. Dick Morrisey on sax) is a stunning track and THE musical highlight of the album. The rest here is a bit too much jazz-inspired new age music for orchestra, which is something I don't really appreciate all that much.
The original soundtrack by Vangelis is on the other hand something entirely different.

Not recommended.

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Ryuichi Sakamoto "BTTB" (1998)

BTTB
release date: Nov. 26, 1998
format: cd (1999 international issue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Ryuichi Sakamoto
label: Sony Classical - nationality: Japan

Tracklist: 1. "Energy Flow" - 2. "Put Your Hands Up - Piano Version" - 3. "Railroad Man - Piano Version" - 4. "Opus" (4 / 5) - 5. "Sonatine" (4 / 5) - 6. "Intermezzo" (live) - 7. "Lorenz and Watson" (4 / 5) - 8. "Choral No. 1" - 9. "Choral No. 2" - 10. "Bachata" - 11. "Chanson" - 12. "Prelude" - 13. "Uetax" - 14. "Aqua" - 15. "Tong Poo" (live) - 16. "Reversing"

Studio album by Ryuichi Sakamoto released in 1998, originally in Japan only. An international release was issued in 1999, however the tracklist is not the same on these, in fact they nearly appear as two different releases sharing the same title, which btw. is shortened for 'Back To The Basics'. The two releases share 12 tracks and have four tracks that differ.
Anyway, this the international version is truly fine. Sakamoto has often played with a clear classical touch but on this he goes all the way, releasing a pure solo piano album with Satie-inspired prolonged music which makes it near impressionist classical compositions.
I'm quite fond of this one.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

"Here's to You" - Ennio Morricone (live)

Ennio Morricone
"Sacco e Vanzetti" (OST) (1971)
[from the movie by Giuliano Montaldo]

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Philip Glass "Powaqqatsi" (OST) (1988)

Powaqqatsi (soundtrack)
release date: 1988
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

"Serra Pelada"

A Philip Glass soundtrack to the great movie "Powaqqatsi" by Godfrey Reggio.

Frank Zappa "Lumpy Gravy" (1968)

Lumpy Gravy
release date: May 13, 1968
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Tracklist: A) 1. "Lumpy Gravy I" - - B) 1. "Lumpy Gravy II"

A two-track solo release by Frank Zappa recorded Feb. 1967 (his first solo work after producing Absolutely Free). The album was originally released on Capitol Records as an 8-track album. A lawsuit followed as Zappa had a signed contract with Verve Records (owned by MGM), although, the contract didn't say anything about Zappa conducting others, as he claimed with this album. The music is almost entirely a modern classical experiment of musique concrete inspired by the works of John Cage. This is the altered Verve Records version released as two tracks (virtually one long track) only divided by an A and B-side. Zappa has re-edited this version again later on, which has been released in 1984 on Zappa's own label, Barking Pumpkin.

Ryuichi Sakamoto "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" (OST) (1983)

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (soundtrack)
release date: May 1, 1983
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Ryuichi Sakamoto
label: London Records - nationality: Japan

Track highlights: 1. "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" - 19. "Forbidden Colours" (feat. David Sylvian)

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto for the movie directed by Nagisa Ôshima, starring David Bowie, Tom Conti, Takeshi Kitano, AND Ryuichi Sakamoto from '83. The international fame of the movie also brought much attention to its soundtrack composer, and the title track has become a modern classical composition. Most of the tracks are a mixture of traditional Japanese music, modern classical, and experimental art pop and synthpop.
"Forbidden Colours" features Sakamoto's friend and former Japan (the band) vocalist, David Sylvian in one of only a few compositions with lyrics written by Sakamoto, who won the BAFTA Award for best film music in 1983 for the soundtrack.
I enjoy the above two tracks but the album as such is a difficult one, as its primary strength is to underline the action of the film, and therefore becomes no less than a piece of avant-garde or modern classical missing the dimension of images.

The album has been released with various front covers.

   

   

   

   

   

Jocelyn Pook "Flood" (1999)

Jocelyn Pook
Flood (1999)

[track is featured in "Eyes Wide Shut" by Stanley Kubrick]

"Masked Ball (1999 Extended Mix)"

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