Trailer Project: Coming Soon - Previews of Coming Attractions

John Beal

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 6, 1998
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sonic Images
• ASIN: B00000DCZA
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,370 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Writing music for movie trailers can be an anonymous and thankless job. In usually two minutes or less, musicians must convey enough to seduce potential ticket buyers. For all that labor, they are rarely if ever part of the "official" movie score, which is often finished after the trailer music has orchestrated the advertising campaign. Since the mid 1980s, John Beal has been acclaimed as the world's foremost theatrical and television trailer composer. This two-disc collection of 69 musical cues captures his best moments, with textures that range from synthesizer symphonettes to electronic trance compositions to traditional orchestrations for pitching movies like Heathers, Police Academy, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Though Beal dominates the roster, there are also appearances by Jerry Goldsmith and Tangerine Dream. --Joseph Lanza

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Music FromTrailers, Not Movie Themes!, April 24, 2005

By	Random Proffer "political junkie" (Beverly Hills, California) - See all my reviews

This is a very unique and special CD set.

This is a fascinating award-winning collection of music from the trailers which sell movies. It was an Amazon top-rated soundtrack gift for the holiday season of 1998, and listed as one of Amazon's top-selling soundtrack cds of summer, fall and winter 1998. It won the Film Music Critics Jury Award, The Golden Score award, Scorelogue Readers' Choice award, Moviescore's Most Entertaining Composer Compilation and many more.

Unfortunately, Daniel A. Pulliam (Acworth, GA United States)is not accurate in his statements.

There is no pretense that it is the film scores. While he does have numerous hit television series and many films to his credit, that is not what John Beal does on this CD. This very impressive 2-CD collection gives an overview of an incredible range of musical styles required to sell movies during the 80's and 90's and the liner notes give additional information and confirmation attesting to his talent.

Contrary to Mr. Pulliam's review, John Beal is indeed the composer of all of these recordings for theatrical film trailers and is one of Hollywood's most famous trailer composers. Every studio in Hollywood calls on him to help sell their biggest films. According to his numerous web sites, he's done over 2,000 movie advertising projects and his works include thirty of the top-grossing films of all time. Go to any other movie music site and you'll see confirmation.

Fact: You will not hear the theme from "Police Academy," or the theme from any other movie score. This is an amazing compilation of music from the trailers, not the film scores. It could not be more clearly stated on the front, back and inside liner notes.

Fact: Where there is an actual film title attached to the track, these are exactly as used in the trailer. Where additional changes were made to the music as the trailer went to final release or if they used a different version, they carefully did not include the film title, only hinting at the movie trailer it was written for. This is quite clear.

We may like or dislike the quality of the compositions or recordings without argument. I liked most of these tracks. Some left me disinterested. My personal rating is 5 stars because no one has ever done such a compilation and because it was packaged and presented so well. Two collector CDs packed with unique film music for the price of one. Excellent notes. Excellent sound quality. Not a bad deal.

But to state that the leading composer of trailer music didn't write the movie trailers he's presenting here is clearly inappropriate. It is disappointing to see such misleading comments are allowed to be posted.

For collectors, this is a must-have. For people looking for the current J-Lo "soundtrack" it's probably not!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INCREDIBLE TALENT, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

I just bought the new album EVERGREEN: MUSIC FROM THE FILMS OF BARBRA STREISAND and discovered John Beal, so I searched for some of his other work and found him performing an exquisite suite from X-Files plus a dance mix of La Femme Nikita on THE SNOW FILES and powerful takes on Men In Black and Predator on WATCH THE SKIES, then I discovered him on HEART OF THE OCEAN doing three completely different style tracks and now - FINALLY - I HAVE FOUND HIM PERFORMING HIS OWN COMPOSITIONS. This guy is an amazingly versatile artist. I LOVE THIS 2 CD SET. For the price, you will not find a more interesting collection of film oriented music. I highly recommend this album to anyone who likes the variety and excitement of film previews.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST OF ARTIST!!, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

I've heard this guy on other compilation albums, but this album is the the best I've found of his work. Every possible style of music is here, from pretty and heroic orchestra to the most contemporary house, industrial, world beat and electronic. He has the most range of any of the composers whose work I collect. He should be doing full movie scores, not just movie previews. I hope Hollywood wakes up and realizes he is right under their nose, promoting their own films!!