Customer Reviews

Film Works II: Music For An Untitled Film By Walter Hill

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I must admit that this is one of my personal Zorn favorites. Using the didjerido as if it's a common instrument provides for a uniform theme througout this album. Highlights include "the Arsenal [dance mix]". This song just rocks. This is one Zorn album you must obtain and appreciate. The great thing about Zorn is, is that you can buy about 10 albums and possess all the music you'll need in your lifetime...this is one of those albums...

There is LOTS of material on this disc; much of it is dark and brooding, and some of it is quite violent and disturbing. It's the moodiest of the filmworks discs and the most cohesive, since all fifty or so cuts on it were recorded for one film. There are some absolutely brilliant cuts on it, the didjeridu and the jaw harp and other favorite odd instruments are well-used, and, as always, the musicianship is top-notch. If you prefer the cartoonier aspects of Zorn, then I'd pass on this one, but if you're a fan -- this is well worth owning. By the way, I heard a rumor on the wind that this was intended as a soundtrack for Hill's film TRESPASS, but was rejected, in favor of the usual Ry Cooder stuff. That could be hooey, tho'.

Not one of my favorite Zorn records. There are nice moments, and the CD has a nice spare, quiet sound, but hardly ever gets beyond that, which is the big fault. Zorn's style doesn't lend itself to much development, and there is no solid focus at the core of the CD to maintain much interest through an hour or so of this short, whispy bits. The ultimate effect is one of boredom. Any other film music CD of his would be preferable and display the same style that is both over and underdone here.

Walter Hill rejected Elmer Bernstein's original score for his movie Last Man Standing. It was a great score with wonderful themes. He also rejected 3 different scores by James Horner for his movie Streets of Fire. Both these films were eventually scored by Ry Cooder. And in 1992 he kicked out John Zorn's score for his movie Trespass in favor for Cooder again.

A wise choice if there ever was one as Zorn's score is virtually non-existent. This CD is basically 5 minutes of silence with the slightest of sound calling itself a 'score'. Come on! I thought Zorn was a heavy Jazz musician. What's the deal with this score of nothingness?

And why oh why does he think a didgeridoo is appropriate for a film set in an abandoned East St. Louis factory? It's not set in the Austrailian outback! I did appreciate the banjos during the treasure map cue but the next track and every after that is an average of 50 seconds of silence.

Cooder's new score emulates Zorn's (a couple of his beats remain in the film) but gave it a bit more life despite being rather themeless and grungy. His 'King of the Street' theme was brilliance however. And without Walter Hill firing John Zorn it would never have happened.

An absolutely rotten piece of 'music' if there ever was one. And I don't know what the Amazon staff member was listening to, but the Two Interiors cue sounds NOTHING like John Williams' score to Star Wars.

Never, ever, ever buy for any reason, morbid curiousity or not. It's a complete waste of money.

"Film Works II" is the soundtrack to "an untitled film by Walter Hill". It must have been one bizarre movie, because even for Zorn, this is an intensely difficult soundtrack. Using an odd band of percussion (Cyro Baptista and Jim Pugliese), keyboards (Anthony Coleman), harp (Carol Emanuel), didjerido (Andy Haas), guitar or banjo (Marc Ribot) and turntables (David Shea), Zorn builds a dark and moody performance.

Mixing minimalism with funky, driven rhythms, this soundtrack whips towards a frenzy but never quite seems to reach-- the didjerido is central to the performance, providing a bleak counterpoint dialog throughout the performance to the largely percussive framework provided by Baptista and Pugliese, whether in a minimalist vein ("Intro"), a deeply funky groove ("King James") or darkly mixing with percussion ("Pigeons"). These all swirl around the "Arsenal" theme-- a driven percussion statement that once it appears is reprised over and over again throughout the performance in an almost maddening fashion.

Curiously enough, this is the only volume in Zorn's soundtrack series that doesn't include his comments on the music.

Invariably, this one isn't going to win any converts to Zorn, but for those of us already indoctrinated, this is a worthwhile purchase.