The Best of Film Works: 20 Years of Soundtrack Music [SOUNDTRACK]

John Zorn (Performer), Bill Frisell (Performer), Bill Laswell (Performer), Chris Wood (Performer), David Hofstra (Performer), Greg Cohen (Performer), Kermit Driscoll (Performer), Mark Dresser (Performer), Melvin Gibbs (Performer), Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (Performer), Trevor Dunn (Performer), Erik Friedlander (Performer), Maxine Neuman (Performer), Chris Speed (Performer), John Zorn (Composer), Anton Fier (Performer), Bobby Previte (Performer), Joey Baron (Performer), Kenny Wollesen (Performer), Sim Cain (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Bill Laswell, Chris Wood, David Hofstra, et al.
• Composer: John Zorn
• Audio CD (August 23, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Tzadik
• ASIN: B000A0GPJU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #322,404 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview of Zorn's soundtrack compositions., October 24, 2005

By	Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Over the past twenty years or so, John Zorn has built up an enormous library of composition for film, released on sixteen CDs (cleverly titled "Filmworks I", "Filmworks II", and so on...) on his Tzadik record label. For a neophyte, this can be a bit much to tackle, as such, this album, "Filmworks Anthology: 20 Years of Soundtrack Music" has been released to provide an overview of Zorn's soundtrack composition.

As an overview of Zorn's work, this succeeds well. It also appears that another goal was to represent every volume, as at least one piece is drawn from each (volumes VI and VIII get two cuts, I and XII get three, and III and VII get four). Just about everything in Zorn's diverse catalog of film soundtracks is covered-- movies, documentaries, pornography, cartoons and commercials (certainly none I've seen!) are all represented with a suitably diverse array of pieces, from gamelan to string trios to surf rock, Zorn pretty much covers a wide array of sounds and moods-- if nothing else, the diversity of these 28 tracks is a testament to his vast skills to compose in virtually any environment. I could make a few arguments about what cuts I would have picked, but by-and-large, the compilation is a rather good and thorough overview, and the cast of performers is immense, with virtually all key players in the downtown scene involved to some extent or another.

Another notable point about this release is the artwork-- packed in a digipack with a pair of photos of Zorn (one from '86, one from '05) and stills from the various pieces littered throughout the liner notes, it certainly looks great. And speaking of the liner notes, Zorn offers a superb essay on film soundtrack composition and appreciations by musicians Marc Ribot, Anthony Coleman, Jamie Saft and Cyro Baptista (all of whom appear to some extent or another on the music) are included.

I've got currently about half of the filmworks series and I found value in this overview. Several of the individual pieces hold together far better than this recording does, but it certainly does a great job providing an impression of Zorn's diverse film scoring career.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Curious about Zorn?, October 22, 2005

By	Catfood03 (in front of my computer typing reviews) - See all my reviews

Considering myself a casual fan of John Zorn I have been at times either annoyingly put off or enthusiastically engaged with the diversity of his music. Admittedly, It can be daunting for a Zorn novice to find a suitable entry point in which to begin navigating through the extremities of his musical output. This new collection, which pulls material from the sixteen releases (thus far) of his FILMWORKS series, is everything the curious could want in a well-rounded introduction.

The selections chosen for this disc make for an exhilarating listening experience from start to finish as the focus jumps from one musical genre to the next, from cartoon scores to punk rock to jazz and surf music. Most selections early on clock in at under 4 minutes, with many others zipping by under just one. All these various styles meld together so effortlessly that it's impressive it all comes from a single creative mind.

The packaging is also deserving of mention, as the CD is housed in a fold-out digipack case with two booklets attached inside. In one of these booklets Zorn describes his methods and self-imposed rules in creating music for film (as well as for dealing with snoopy film directors). The other booklet features short essays by a few of Zorn's collaborators on what the creative sessions were like. There are also many photos from the films the music accompanies. (So far the only films I've seen with Zorn's scores are "Trembling Before G-D" and "Protocols of Zion".)

Favorite tracks: "Surfing Samba", "Arsenal Dance Mix", "Shanghai", "Main Title (Invitation to a Suicide)"
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

2.0 out of 5 stars Not my cup of tea., November 11, 2008

By	Dr. Joseph T. Page Jr. (Waldenbuch, Germany) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This music, which I'm sure will appeal to some, left me disappointed. I can only speak for myself, but this collection strikes me as dissonant and disjointed. I love movie scores which generally serve to inspire and/or promote emotion. But, if that's what you are looking for, I do not believe you will find those qualities in this CD. I'm sure Mr. Zorn is a gifted composer...but his work is not a style which I would embrace.