Brilliant and every other supurlative you can think of.
CaptKneemo@Aol.com | California | 08/04/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Danny Elfman is the god of music, as far as I'm concerned. Even if you're not an Elfman fan, this album will still satisfy you. It was great hearing some of his earlier work, as well as songs I never knew he was responsible for. This album covers just about every range of music Elfman can do, from dark heroics in Batman, goofy fun in Hot to Trot, childish glee in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and many others. It was also great to hear the Midnight Run songs in which Elfman got to combine his rock genius with his genius with an orchestra for a truly unique sound. This covers only a few of Elfman's greatest songs, but they are some of the tops, especially Back to School. Well worth the buy."
This is THE music.....
Allen W. Nyhuis | Indianapolis, IN USA | 02/01/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Great collection of the music of Danny Elfman. He's a really gifted composer; for proof, buy this album.The CD gets kicking with the theme from Pee Wee's Big Adventure, which arguably contains Elfman's catchiest music. Then you've got some great themes from Batman, Dick Tracy, and Beetlejuice (which is, as Elfman says, a "roller coaster ride"). The next one is beautiful, which is the theme to Nightbreed. From what I've heard, the movie stinks. But the soundtrack is one of my favorites on this CD and truly sounds like it belongs in a film like Titanic or some big blockbuster. The rest of the album are various odds and ends from different projects Elfman's been involved in, from The Simpsons to Sam Raimi's Darkman, from his bro's Forbidden Zone to Tales from the Crypt. It all ends off with the theme from Scrooged, which is actually pretty haunting.A great buy. Really shows off Elfman's diverse talents in making movie music. He's one of my favorite composers composing today."
Super
elf | ireland | 04/17/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What a great CD. Danny's music is so original and inventive. this CD contains his pre 90's quirky, gothic music. it's all very well written and beautifully orchestrated. batman and darkman contain some really excellent long, dark, gothic cues that really take u away from reality. in my opinion no one, apart from howard shore, is as inventive and original as danny in the world of filmmusic. he far surpasses the repetitive works of williams or horner. buy this, and volume two, and keep supporting one of the greatest film composers of all time.ohh...and buy fellowship of the ring and two towers by howard shore....amazing work!"
Elfman's opus
Michael J. Mazza | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 06/28/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Danny Elfman emerged as one of the film and TV world's most exciting composers in the late 80s and early 90s. "Music For a Darkened Theatre: Film and Television Music Volume 1" is an anthology of some of his most memorable compositions from that period. Elfman's work ranges from the playful ("Pee Wee's Big Adventure") to the majestic ("Batman") to the ethereal ("Nightbreed") to the goofy ("Back to School"). Especially enjoyable is "Nightbreed," with its inventive use of ethnic-sounding instruments and choir. His TV work on this disc includes the theme music for "The Simpsons," a masterpiece of energetic silliness. Other noteworthy selections include his music for the film "Wisdom," which contains interesting percussion effects.Special mention should be made of Shirley Walker, who actually conducted many of these compositions. This CD is an excellent selection for fans of film and television music."