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| The Small Road To China - My Blog on The China Syndrome http://www.intrada.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2931 |
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| Author: | Allardyce [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | The Small Road To China - My Blog on The China Syndrome |
To Mr. F. & Mr. F. and those interested, I've published a FSM blog about Michael Small's score to The China Syndrome. For your ease and enjoyment, here it is: The Small Road to China Posted By: D.S. Sones on October 8, 2009 - 9:00 PM Generally speaking, I am not one who explores unused or rejected scores. Off the top of my head, I don’t think I own a single soundtrack to an unused score. This is not because I think the music won’t be of quality. Though I appreciate many scores of films I haven’t seen or don’t want to see, the majority of scores that resonate with me are for films that I love. Listening to film music independently is for me very much a re-connection process with the films themselves, perhaps re-experiencing the films in my head, or maybe just experiencing the feelings and reactions that the music provoked. I can’t emotionally connect with unused scores in this manner, especially if I like the films and scores that were the final result. Example: I’m a big fan of Walter Hill’s Last Man Standing and the Ry Cooder music that accompanies it. My brain insists that I don’t cloud how I feel about the film and the final score by visiting the score that was originally intended. I know; what’s the big deal, right? It really isn’t a big deal, but I just don’t seem to gravitate toward unused scores for these reasons, even by composers that I admire. I’m a longtime Goldsmithian, yet I have no interest in hearing his unused scores for Timeline or Alien Nation. I am probably denying myself some good music, and perhaps one day I’ll take the plunge and check ‘em out. But the drive to do so is not present. Then along came the startling discovery of an unused score by Michael Small. Behaving completely out of character, when The China Syndrome soundtrack was announced, I just had to have it, and there was no internal debate on the subject. The reasons for this are unquestionably clear to me… I’m a longtime Smallian ever since I first saw The Star Chamber in 1984 at age 13. I instantly connected with Small’s unique style of orchestration, his ability to musically embody an emotionally dark menace, and the fact that when Michael Small music accompanies a film, that music is the film’s literal backbone. There are some composers whose music dominates the entire mood of a film, even if subtle in doing so. Small is one of those composers. The Star Chamber would not be half as effective without the presence of Small’s music that keeps the film on a steady path and expresses both the inner and outer goings-on within the story. Every time the main theme kicks in, the viewer reacts and instantly gets that sense of foreboding, of doom around the corner, and yet it can take a heroic turn as it does in the final minutes of the film. Consider also one of the most chilling and effective moments from Klute during the final minutes when one character makes a sudden lunge toward another. That jarring burst of music punches you right in the face and provokes a startling reaction much like Hank Mancini accomplished with Wait Until Dark. And don’t even get me started on the brilliance of The Parallax View or the gorgeous and groovy ‘70s Americana in the main title to The Stepford Wives. We'd be here all night! Being a hardcore Smallian, any Michael Small score has instant appeal for me, and because his body of work isn’t as vast as some of his colleagues who have a large library of available music, any release of his work (even unused) is a treasure to be coveted like a bug hunter who finds a rare species of insect and cherishes its rarity. When I heard of Small’s unused score to The China Syndrome, I was genuinely shocked in that I had no idea a score had ever been composed for it. I’m a longtime admirer of the film, and as most of you fellow enthusiasts of the film agree, part of its effectiveness is the very lack of that which we value so much. Even when seeing The China Syndrome as a kid, I remember thinking how perfect it was in every way and how music would have muddied it and, as producer Michael Douglas so succinctly acknowledged, would have turned the dramatic into the melodramatic. Nevertheless, I wanted to hear what Michael Small had created for it, knowing that even though no score belongs with this particular film, his intentions were no doubt noble and the end result had to be something typical of his quality and precision. But still, I can’t bring myself to look at the clips from the film that FSM forum member Mutant has so lovingly put together to show the viewer what might have been. It’s my loss, but I just don’t want to see that film presented any other way than as the director and producers determined was best (and I believe they were 200% correct; no score, regardless of its potential brilliance, was appropriate for this film). When the big day of release came, I was slow on the draw and ended up paying double the price for it, but you won’t hear me complaining about it. Lemme think…$40 for years of enjoyment of a rare and specialized score…yeah I think it’s worth it. It arrived today and I just completed the album’s virgin spin. What’s interesting to me is that, as I’ve listened and absorbed it, I find myself visualizing and re-experiencing the film as usual, yet it’s a completely independent experience. It’s as though I’m listening to one of those Music Inspired by albums. It’s surreal, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, just as I am now on the second spin. As with any score, especially from the ‘70s, this one isn’t going to be suited to everyone’s tastes, even to fellow Smallians like Sir Kimmel who, as much as he wants to, can’t even stand listening to it again. But for me, I had to get a big ole shovel ‘cause I am diggin’ it, mates. It’s quintessential Small in that it captures much of what he was best at. The unnerving, dissonant tones of paranoia, terror and fear are all here. The sense of loneliness is here periodically, perhaps a musical exploration of Jack Lemmon’s character (like the sense of loneliness and troubled hearts that the theme from Klute expresses). The dark and creepy synth plucks, the thunking bass and pile-drived pianos are here, all of it communicating the threatening presence of the [insert evil corporation or life-threatening menace of choice here]. And then there’s another area at which Small excelled, that of groovy, hip and happenin’ ‘70s tunes that provide a total contrast to the blackened textures of the rest of the score. It’s a delightful full-course Small meal, and it's gas-free. What I enjoyed best on this album were the jaunty, synthy and rhythmic news cues (tracks 2 & 5). I tried to visualize newscasts I saw as a little kid in the late ‘70s, and images of stacked hair and bright polyester suits came rushing at me like a train. These tracks are a real kick and are going to get frequent plays in this joint. Lastly, the finale music (track eight) is a time travel excursion loaded with tasty synth-cheese, tambourines and heavy percussion, reminding me of how unique and wonderful ‘70s scores were and are, especially by this composer who is such an iconic musical presence of ‘70s cinema. And how ‘bout those wacky source cues, eh? I’m very pleased that I strayed into atypical behavior and acquired this unused score, though I think this will still be a rare occurrence for me. To FeigelFake (the WoodStein of Film Score Producers) I say, bravo and a thousand thanks for uncovering this treasure and giving us this great gift. I think it’s a notable achievement in Intrada’s history that holds a special place for reasons that are obvious. The fact that you were able to pull it off and share it with us (and make it sound so damn good) is remarkable, and I hope it’s as special a release for you as it is for those of us who love it. There can never be enough Small on disc, so thank you for making him live on and for allowing us to discover new material that we couldn’t possibly have expected to receive. PS: What a great photo of Small in the liner notes; you can almost see the music flowing through him. He looks adrift! DSS (Allardyce) |
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| Author: | Douglass Fake [ Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
| Author: | Allardyce [ Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:37 pm ] |
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