FSM # 11: There’s a train a-comin’…
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So I was on this two-hour train trip today (job-related trip every Wednesday), listening to the CD’s I had brought with me – Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” and a Jean Michel Jarre techno remix album called “Odyssey Through O2”. Both of these (and especially the first, of course) had that chug-along train rhythm as base. It made me think about film music that served some of the same purpose. There’s always something very entertaining and appealing with film composers trying to emulate the steaming pace of a train through the music.
For example, there’s the energetic main theme from Goldsmith’s THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY. Or the circus train music that Williams composed for INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.
Any other examples?
Another ‘failure’ topic that I somehow thought would be interesting.
Doesn’t have to be whole scores, could be individual tracks too.
The LONELY PLANET series (later renamed GLOBE TREKKER, for some reason) has absolutely brilliant music by Ian Ritchie & co., and a few tracks that have that ‘train’ element going for them. Like “Uzbekistan Express” from the second volume.
Unless I felt like listening to From Russia With Love’s “Zagreb Express” or Ennio’s “L’Ultimo Trento Della Notte” on a loop (which much as I love them I probably wouldn’t), I’d be listening to Steve Reich’s astonishing album DIFFERENT TRAINS.
Sorry, it’s not film music, but it’s great.
Train travels don’t always have to chug along. They can be more elegant too. I’m thinking the MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS films, be it Bennett or Doyle or whatever. Or about 9:50 into the suite from Tiomkin’s STRANGER ON A TRAIN on the Ketcham/Utah Symphony Hitchcock compilation.
Annette Fock’s gorgeous NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON subscribes to this slower, more elegant train pace as well.
I don’t know any film score train stuff off the top of my head, but I’m a fan of the operas of Phillip Glass, which is film-score adjacent, I suppose. Sounds like a train to me.
That’s a good point, Schilkeman. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a train-related film to have that train feeling.
Another great track from the LONELY PLANET scores, “Technotrain/Taj Express”:
Train travels don’t always have to chug along. They can be more elegant too. I’m thinking the MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS films, be it Bennett or Doyle or whatever.
I was as well immediately thinking of that one. You literally hear the train starting to roll.
And the finale of Danny Elfman’s Mission Impossible score is for me associated with a train ride.
No mention yet of Goldsmith’s THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, so let me! 🙂
You actualy did it yourself in the opening post already 😉
Damn!
OK, then let me mention the episode “The Phantom Train of Doom” from THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES, with music by Joel McNeely (doing his best Williams “schtick”….he’s good at it!):
John Powell did a pretty rollicking train cue for the heist scene in SOLO (IMO the best STAR WARS film that is not the original trilogy — enormously underrated!):
It was okay although a little unnecessary as many prequels… The lead actor didn’t fully convince me casting wise. But Powell’s score is good.
John Powell did a pretty rollicking train cue for the heist scene in SOLO (IMO the best STAR WARS film that is not the original trilogy — enormously underrated!):
I wouldn’t call Solo underrated.
But I wish it had a sequel so we would have got another Powell score for it. I love the melodic parts of his thematicmaterial. But he obviously is no John Williams when it comes to action music.
But, who is?I wouldn’t call Solo underrated.
Well, it got a lot of flack. So much so that Disney cancelled the sequel. An absolute shame — would have loved to see that, and maybe more of Ray Park’s Darth Maul as well. In the flesh, not just a hologram.
This entire thread and no one has mentioned Roy Budd’s excellent train music for the opening of GET CARTER? I love this video, where he plays alongside the film:
Oh, indeed, totally forgot that although the track is even called “Main Theme – Carter Takes A train”!
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