James Horner
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We’ve had two James Horner reviews on our site recently. So I thought I’d ask: What are your top 5 Horners?
I think mine are:
1. THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS
2. Avatar
3. Aliens
4. Braveheart
5. TitanicYeah, I know. All very predictable, except maybe no. 1. But I have about 70 Horner scores, and I could mention tons of runner-ups.
Maybe Aliens, Braveheart, Brainstorm, Star Trek II and Willow, Legends of the Fall is nice although a bit very saccharine. Titanic is probably one of my less favorite ones 😉
My list would probably be something like this:
1. Krull
2. Living in the Age of Airplanes
3. Sneakers
4. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
5. AliensWhy Star Trek III and not II, you may wonder, with II being many people’s favorite? Well, I never really liked the main theme from II, for one thing. I always thought it sounded uninspired an forced. I remember being very disappointed with it, after having been spoiled at that point with all the great Williams themes from the first two Star Wars films, as well as Goldsmith’s wonderful Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Of course, Horner’s ST II theme IS used quite a bit in III also, but III has a lot of other material that I think surpasses a lot of what II has to offer: The Klingon action material, and the music for Spock and Vulcan, particularly the Katra Ritual sequence.
Interesting that you have KRULL as no. 1. I’ve had the 2CD forever, but except a track or two, it’s never done anything for me (it’s exasperating; and too much ‘horror’ material). But I’ve recently re-programmed the tracks into the old Southern Cross programme (the short, original one), and have high hopes that this new presentation will lead to a new appreciation of this score.
How could I forget KRULL, that’s a favorite Horner of mine as well. Only know the Southern Cross version.
You’re right, Thor – the KRULL 2CD IS a bit too much to get through in one sitting. I don’t think I’ve ever done that myself! But in appropriate doses, I really enjoy the wonderful energy and vigour in Horner’s writing here. And he was barely 30 at the time!
My taste hasn’t changed that much since 2018, but I’ve grown more and more fond of the calm over the rambunctious action stuff.
Maybe my top 5 would look like this:
1. THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS
2. Apollo 13
3. Legends of the Fall
4. The New World
5. House of CardsOr something.
I really wanted to squeeze more of the calmer, explorative Horners in there, but it would be disingenious. And I had to let go of some teenage favourites (APOLLO 13 and LEGENDS OF THE FALL stay on).
I definitely prefer Horner’s earlier stuff, preferring more the style he had when he first started out over his meandering later scores:
1. Aliens
2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
4. Brainstorm
5. KrullIn 3 days, it will be 10 years since James Horner died.
Would be great if we used this time to reminisce a bit. How did you discover Horner? What’s your general take on his work? How do you rank him among your favourite composers? Do you remember where you were when you got the news about his death? And – of course – more top 5 lists are welcome.
Starting from the end. To be honest I didn’t really hear about Horner’s death when it happened. I might have even only hear about it, when there was a discussion, who will score the Avatar sequel when he is not around anymore.
I first heard about Horner in a radio show that I caught by accident, called “filmharmonic concert”. It seemed to be a one time thing as I permanently tried to find the radio station and the time, but couldn’t find it anymore. That was in the early 80s. And the host told the story, how young Horner sat in front of the door of director Peter Yates to get the gig and how it payed out with a great symphonic score. They played a track and then I wanted the album. I found it within the next Month in the store window of the little cinema in my area.
And this is in that sense spectacular for me as, like I said, the radio show was a one time occasion that I caught by accident. And I spend a lot of time of my youth in that cinema. But that was the only time that they sold soundtrack records.
Next contact with Horner was the TV premiere of Wolfen, which was praised for it’s visual effects. So, I had to see it. There I already recongized a lot of similarities with Krull in the typical Hornerisms. Then I lost a little bit track of him.
Until Aliens. Aliens wasn’t only the greatest movie of the year. I was blasted away by the score. Really loved it.
Later on I loved it less and less, when I found, that almost all elements of the score that I loved also appeard in scores like Gorky Park, Brainstorm, later Patriot Games and many more. Suddenly it wasn’t so special anymore. Then I didn’t pay much attention to his scores anymore, even when I watched the movies.Next touchpoint for me then was Titanic. Not only because Horner’s score was so great, but because sudddenly movie soundtracks were more than before a topic in the media and public discussions.
And then of course Avatar which was a huge disappointment musically. Same for his Magnificient Seven.
In the past two years I was discovering then a lot of his scores after following some discussions around him on JWFan. In the meantime I have a very little collection of his scores. If I needed to select my five favourits I would probably list A Beautiful Mind, Casper, Braveheart, Iris, Aliens. In no particular order.
Ouch on AVATAR, which I think is one of the best things he ever wrote.
But interesting origin story. I can’t remember how I got into Horner. I do remember where I was when he died, though. An SMS ticked in while I was still in bed, just about to get up in the morning. It was from a Norwegian acquaintance, who gave me a heads-up. I got up quickly, checked the news/messageboards, and there it was. I was shocked, still the most shocking composer death I can recall.
The AVATAR score for me was kind of THE LION KING in space, full of that ethnic Kitsch that I dislike so much. Only thing missing were the Elton John songs.
The rest of the score was fine.The AVATAR score for me was kind of THE LION KING in space, full of that ethnic Kitsch that I dislike so much.
Let’s not forget the large amounts of traditional, orchestral action music. But yes, the “ethnic kitch” element is where our roads diverge. Can’t get enough of that.
In 3 days, it will be 10 years since James Horner died.
Would be great if we used this time to reminisce a bit.
OK, I indulge you.
How did you discover Horner?
It was a two punch in the early 1980s. I saw WOLFEN (on VHS with a few friends) and was very impressed with the music by this for me “new” name. A friend of mine had just bought the LP for STAR TREK II (a movie I’d soon see in the theater), which was also composed by this “James Horner” guy. I thought both scores were very good. The music was exciting, fresh… Horner had a clear, distinct voice.
So I had to get STAR TREK II, and I also got soon after BRAINSTORM and GORKY PARK (on LP.) I looked for WOLFEN, but could not find it (that was before the Internet could have told me that no such soundtrack release existed then).What’s your general take on his work?
I very much like his work. Horner is an interesting case; no other film composer I know has been accused more of recycling his own material or “lifting” from others, yet, and that is the decisive factor for me, his music always sounds like Horner. He incorporates elements and makes them his own. Famous example: WILLOW. Did he “lift” or “steal” from Schumann’s Symphony No. 3? I don’t know, fact is, there is definitely a melodic similarity. However, I didn’t even notice that before the Internet years ago pointed it out. Despite the fact that I knew of course Schumann’s symphony. Because the way he used the material, it sounds like Horner, not like Schumann. I have no trouble with composers recycling material, melodies or whatever, from others or themselves. Classical composers do this all the time. Does the opening of ALIENS sound like Khachaturian Adagio from Gayaneh was incorporated? Sure, but does ALIENS sound like Gayaneh? No, not at all. And even the way Horner used the Adagio puts quite a spin on it… the percussion and echoplex makes it sound dark and threatening.
How do you rank him among your favourite composers?
I’m not big on “ranking”… he is definitely a favorite composer of mine. When he started out, I was very excited about his music. In later years, he became more mellow and “romantic”, I think I tend to prefer some of his more aggressive, or experimental stuff, though I certainly admit that I love the epic sweep he brought to LEGENDS OF THE FALL and BRAVEHEART… two more favorites of mine. ALIENS is for me one of my favorite Horner scores, it’s a bit like a musical nightmare.
Do you remember where you were when you got the news about his death?
Yes, I remember very well where I was and what I did. I was in my car on my way to work. I just turned on the news on the radio when they said something about a plane crash and that James Horner may have been in that plane. It was really like in the movies…. you turn on the radio and it immediately starts spouting the important news you are interested in. I didn’t catch the beginning of the news, so I thought: “What? Plane crash? James Horner?” At first I thought he may have been a passenger in a commercial flight. Then over the day I realized the sad news that James Horner had died in a plane crash. Was a sad day, I always enjoyed his music.
And – of course – more top 5 lists are welcome.
Did one. Could do another one. 🙂
I don’t know his output well enough to set up a list of top scores, nor am I into making lists, but I recently bought Star Trek 2 and 3 and look forward to checking those out.
Maybe worth mentioning, that I found Horner’s concert work tha I listened to rather boring.
I think, the only Horner score left that I would aim to get (at a reasonable price) would be Brainstorm.
What I have
Krull (Expanded)
Aliens (Deluxe)
Willow
Casper
Braveheart
Legends of the Fall
Sneakers
Patriot Games
Clear and Present Danger
Glory
Windtalkers
A Beautiful Mind
Iris
Titanic
The Mask of Zorro
The Legend of ZorroAnd some for me there seems to be nothing essential missing.
About the Star Trek scores, I am not a fan of Horner’s main theme, neither of Goldsmith’s I must confess. Still I have all the Goldsmith albums. And I hardly listen. Somehow, ìn my youth I used to be a huge science fiction fan and watched everything that I could get. And after all I would call the Star Trek movies from the 80s and 90s the least interesting of it all, including the music. With the exception of First Contact. That one I liked, movie and music.
Anyway, even though Horner’s Star Trek scores didn’t manage to wake my interest, I am curious on your impression from them, Sigbjørn.
By the way, I never considered Horner good at sequel scores to his own scores because these are even more repetetive than his usual scores. But Clear and Present Danger is a noble exception in my view.
I do like Horner’s Star Trek (and Goldsmith’s theme ;-)) but I find his Star Trek 2 (I have the Retrograde/FSM edition) superior to Star Trek 3 (only know the old album).
Horner’s STAR TREK II score is on CD a more exciting, interesting score than STAR TREK III if you only have the original album of III.
My view of III changed when I got the expanded edition. Whereas STAR TREK II was a great album in any incarnation, (I think it’s even better expanded, but it’s just the same a bit fleshed out), the OST of III shortchanged the score. In the expanded edition, it becomes a worthy counterpart. I like them about the same, perhaps even with a slight edge for STAR TREK III.Anyway, even though Horner’s Star Trek scores didn’t manage to wake my interest, I am curious on your impression from them, Sigbjørn.
Well, after reading your “glowing” review I’ll probably keep them shrinkwrapped. 😉
STAR TREK musics was da SHIT back in my formative years, as the kids say. Alas, I’ve grown somewhat tired of it over the years. But I do love the more elegiac approach in III.
I see that Lukas Kendall has planned a Kickstarter for three early James Horner TV scores. Which ones, we do not know yet:
https://www.lukaskendall.com/post/pre-announcing-our-next-kickstarter
But count me intrigued!
Yes. Exciting news indeed. Some lovely tender, low-key early Horner music to explore there (BETWEEN FRIENDS, A PIANO FOR MRS CIMONO, SURVIVING) and with Leigh Phillips/Czech Orch involved, I imagine it reaching its goal.
Regarding the original thread question, I discovered Horner quite early, as I was really starting to delve deeper into movie scores, having been introduced by John Williams via JAWS, STAR WARS, CE3K, SUPERMAN etc and then Jerry Goldsmith with ST-TMP and ALIEN.
I’d recently seen BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS and MONSTER (aka HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP) in the cinema and bought the LPs based on the exciting new voice/pastiche music I’d heard in the films.
Seeing (and hearing) things like THE HAND, WOLFEN, DEADLY BLESSING only added to my growing love of his music. ST2, GORKY PARK, KRULL, BRAINSTORM had me grabbing everything I could by him on LP and lamenting the stuff I couldn’t (48HRS, SOMETHING WICKED, TESTAMENT, DRESSER, NATTY GANN etc).
I like that his voice was singular and unique, despite his constant cribbing and re-use. You either love it or you don’t.
He’s right up there in my Top 3, always behind Williams but about level with Jerry Goldsmith in overall love of his music (and more so with my growing disdain for JG in his latter/post 90s years and awful synth use from time to time).
I was in the shower, getting ready for work, when Classic FM played a piece by him and the announcer stated that was in tribute to James Horner, who had died in a light aircraft accident in California.
I was gutted!! Put me in a downer mood all day.
The shock aspect made it worse than the likes of Goldsmith, Barry, Bernstein etc. Like Kamen and Poledouris, he was still young and appeared to have so many great years before him for music writing.
Picking a Top 5 in nigh impossible and subject to change from day to day, BUT…right now, in THIS moment, I would grab WOLFEN, KRULL, TESTAMENT, PROJECT X and GLORY (or MIGHTY JOE YOUNG).Yes. Exciting news indeed. Some lovely tender, low-key early Horner music to explore there (BETWEEN FRIENDS, A PIANO FOR MRS CIMONO, SURVIVING) and with Leigh Phillips/Czech Orch involved, I imagine it reaching its goal.
Nice, had not seem the news yet! Interesting for sure and with Leigh Phillips on board what can go wrong. Not familiar (= never heard of) with the works suggested on the FSM thread.
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