I've always loved film music -- I guess since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Yet like guitar instrumentals, film music has always been somewhat marginalised, whilst still managing to retain a firm cult support. Unlike the latter, it's only been in the last ten years or so that those same fans have been presented with a overwhelming choice of often full-length scores. Before then, we had to make do with suites -- compilations from the full-length score; or, even more rarely, a 40 minute vinyl release that was anything but complete. Nowadays nearly every major -- and minor -- film is accompanied by the release of the score on CD (often several versions of it -- for example, the score to Prince of Egypt, for which there are no less than three versions: two discs of songs inspired by the film, one with the original Hans Zimmer score, with songs from the film). Golden-Age classics by the likes of Franz Waxman, Miklos Rosza and Bernard Herrmann are also being re-released and re-recorded by the bucketful. Ironically, nowadays there's actually too much choice.

But why listen to film music in the first place? Surely its only purpose is to accompany the film and not be heard away from it? There's some justification in this argument. Some film music, for instance, is either too bleak or just plain cold to listen to in its own right. Yet some of the best orchestral music (let's not include pop scores here -- sometimes they work but it's still not really film music to me) I've ever heard is to be found in the movies. Some of my most potent childhood memories include hearing the stunning exotic textures and melodic bombast of Bernard Herrmann's scores for films like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts. Or the crushing might of Max Steiner's King Kong (1933) score; or, come to think of it, John Barry's superb music to the 1976 remake. Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed these films in their own right (even King Kong {1976} -- don't tell anyone!); but the music that accompanied them stuck in my memory for years afterwards, and it was only when I was in my 20s that I began to notice that other people loved film music too. A LOT of other people.

Great film music is great music in its own right. If a score supports and enhances a movie then obviously it's done its job. But if you can listen to said score away from the film and still find something to appreciate then it's great music. All too often film music is denigrated, viewed as nothing more than a 'credit onscreen'. Very few reviewers, for instance, mention the score when they review a film; or make reference to its ability to conjure mood and atmosphere. But take away the music and what remains? A lot less than you'd think. Film music crystallises a character's emotions onscreen; it can enliven a dramatic moment or sometimes it can scare the bejesus out of you! True, there are films which work extremely well without music (paradoxically, these include some of my favourites: {almost} music-free films like Rope, The Hill and Deliverance), but when used effectively it can take the celluloid experience to another dimension.

With this in mind, I intend to put various film music-related bits and bobs on this site from time to time. In the meantime please feel free to check out my Bernard Herrmann article. Benny is certainly my favourite film composer; he may even be my favourite composer full-stop. I hope that by reading the piece it may inspire you to try out a score or two. Time to break out of that self-imposed, 'I know what I like and that doesn't include soundtracks' attitude. Come on, you don't know what you're missing!

The Trouble with Benny -- The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann