Can we thank David Newman (is there thanking here?)? by chrisisall

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Can we thank David Newman (is there thanking here?)?

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Thursday, December 29, 2005 13:15
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:11 PM

Of course we all wanted Greg Edmonson to score Serenity, but Dave got the (seemingly thankless) job, and I, for one, think he did a fantastic one with it, him not bein' Greg, and all.
If he tried to flat out copy Greg, he would have failed miserably, and he must have known that. But he tried to incorporate some of Greg's western warble into his take, along with hints of great western tunes throughout movie history.
I thank him for his efforts, and have come to really like his work on Serenity.
It's hard, bein' the new guy.
And Greg's work will always be there in Firefly.

Is there thanking here?

Buddah-like (hopefully) Chrisisall, with his plastic rocket

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:26 PM

OOKAMIKAWAHARA

Just a quick response here. Suren add Thanks and a good job to Dave. I bought both cds and like them although personally I would say Greg's is a little bit more to my taste. Anyways Dave did a wonderful job and hope that his talents are brought in on many more projects and movies. The only thing I would ask is for more a East Asian flavor in the music and also a little bit more of the fiddle/Irish added in. Anyways thanks again and hope everyone enjoys the musical talent that has been brought in for the verse.
mata, Ookami yori

Here's to the new haven seen the White Elephant!!! and to the old vets still holden this here gorram picket line !!!!

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:26 PM

KANGER33

I agree! I think the Serenity score is fantastic! I was pretty upset when I heard Universal didn't want Greg to do it, but David did a fantastic job. I love the entire soundtrack, but I can't get enough of the Serenity theme. Guh. Wonderful.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:28 PM

SAMEERTIA

Yes, we can thank David Newman for taking on a rather thankless job.

That violin gently easing in as we see Serenity for the first time, that sudden swelling of the chords as River makes her run down the corridor... those are moments of music that stick hard.

My favorite is that really light guitar piece that opens the repair sequence at the end. Again, classical western meets something a little bit different.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:44 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by SameErtia:
My favorite is that really light guitar piece that opens the repair sequence at the end. Again, classical western meets something a little bit different.

Yep. There were even tears.

Mine.

Chrisisall

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 8:59 PM

WHITEFALL

I have to disagree I'm afraid... I think the music was my least favorite part of the movie (though that doesnt really say too much). Yes, there were good times, many of them, and in fact, I would say that Mr Newman came through for us in every critical moment.... but....

While the opening shots of Serenity was lovely, the slow chello, i hated, absolutely HATED the lively, super-happy, cords when they first enter the atmosphere... two beats in particular, where the music jumps to such a high tone as to be... perky. And that irks me every single time i watch the movie. While it is banjo/guitar style like the firefly theme, and it flows to give you a sense of 'we're going somewhere, doing something', it always feels to happy, and i'm afraid I can't forgive for those little moments where I should have been immersed in the effects and the actors, and all I heard was the music. That, and another thing I can't forgive is that Greg far, far, far outstripped Newman on the funeral score, when greg did it for a minor character, making it the most beautiful thing ever, and a funeral for wash and book was... empty.

No, I couldn't have done a better job, but... perkyness and "The Message" > "The BDM" are just wrong imo.

Thanks for reading this far. :)

I survived a day in Whitefall and all I got was this lousy signature!

Terrifying Space Monkey of Destiny

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 9:17 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Whitefall:
Greg far, far, far outstripped Newman on the funeral score, when greg did it for a minor character, making it the most beautiful thing ever, and a funeral for wash and book was... empty.

You are obviously a musical type person, and well versed in, well...music.
I agree that Greg's score on FF was truly Demi-God-like (not a joke), but Dave did a man's job, and a fine one at that. Jerry Goldsmith himself would be hard pressed to come up with better.
Greg is just on a different level, a one studio execs can't see, due to his artistry. Gorram bankability rules.
I just wanted to thank Newman for his talent and attention to this particular project, which I believe is his best work to date.

Chrisisall, a soundtrack nut

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 9:40 PM

WHITEFALL

I was about to say 'oh, i'm not a music-y sorta person'.... but then, well, I sing, I'm big on musicals, i guess I am a music-y sorta guy... sorta.

But Chris you do have a point, Greg's work is real artistry, and Newman's... is a good score. So perhaps I was a bit harsh, (but then, I had just watched 9 hours of Joss goodness... the Buffy s5 "The Body"-"Tough Love"+"The Body" Commentary by Whedon, from Netflix, then later, Serenity DVD came, so, the whole movie, special features, then the movie+commentary...) though I still find those... well, I can't definitively difine what a chord even is, but... those lines where the score jumps up before descending into the next, darker tune.... they'll always bug me, because I felt that they stood out at random, something a score shouldnt do.

I survived a day in Whitefall and all I got was this lousy signature!

Terrifying Space Monkey of Destiny

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:22 PM

CHRISISALL

If a tear or two wells up during the last moments of The Message, then you're a musical-type. Greg is a bona-fide instrumental genius. Nathan as much as said so in FF comentary.
David Newman had so little time to get up to speed, and he came up with greatness, IMHO.
We can only ask for the best a person can give, and Newman gave it.

Thanks, Dave, it seems from your score, that you're a fan, too.

Chrisisa frustrated musician in another life

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Thursday, December 29, 2005 9:32 AM

CYBERSNARK

My praise and thanks to him as well; he did his best, whatever else we might say.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Thursday, December 29, 2005 10:07 AM

CLIOMUSE

I'd like to thank both David Newman and Greg Edmonson for their musical contributions to the 'verse. Their styles are different, just as the show and the movie were different. They both brought me to tears. But, before we go composer bashing, I think we are all forgetting that Joss was very, very specific about the music for Serenity, as he was about everything else. He writes extensively about music in the Visual Companion and in one telephone interview is in the midst of taking apart the Apple that Universal lent him to score the movie. This doesn't mean we have to agree with all his artistic choices, but we shouldn't forget that David Newman wasn't composing in a vacuum, 'cause that would make it really hard to hear what you were playing.

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Thursday, December 29, 2005 10:23 AM

CHRISISALL

Every time I see Serenity some new little chord or melody makes it's way to me, it really is an excellent score.

Chrisisall, playin' his cello

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Thursday, December 29, 2005 1:15 PM

PAYNE

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Every time I see Serenity some new little chord or melody makes it's way to me, it really is an excellent score.

Chrisisall, playin' his cello

I absolutely agree. The Firefly score will always be my favorite of the two, but little moments in Serenity keep hitting me now that I have the DVD. Something about that score speaks to my violinist's love of folksy orchestra. If there is such a thing.

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