Free As A Bird - An Article about the Music Video

We all know and love The Beatles (and if you don't, get the heck off my blog! just kiddin you don't have to read this), they are considered to be the greatest band of all time. We all know the iconic songs, the iconic looks, and the iconic images of their album covers. You know what's even more awesome? The music video for the 1995 single "Free As A Bird", where there are numerous Beatles references to keep even the most avid of Beatles fans on their toes!

The song itself is considered to be the second-to-last Beatles song ever, as it was released with the Beatles Anthology along with another single "Real Love". Both of these songs, however, technically aren't Beatles songs. As the band had broken up after "Abbey Road" (because "Abbey Road" was recorded AFTER "Let it Be", even though it was released first.), these two songs were simply demos by John Lennon during his solo career. Tragically, Lennon was murdered in 1980. And yet, these two tracks were released in the mid 90s? While recording the Beatles Anthology, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr got together with John's wife Yoko Ono and got a hold of these demos that John had never finished. The remaining Beatles took them and finished them together, creating the final two Beatles songs ever.

The music video for "Free As A Bird" itself is one of the most engaging music videos I've ever seen, and like I said above, there are numerous references to Beatles songs that are enjoyable to look for. Here is the link to the video itself:

It starts right off the bat. Here's what I saw in the video in order:

1. OLD BROWN SHOE - Next to the child portrait of John (the last one they show of the boy wearing a hat) appears to be a little shoe. This could be a reference to the "Let it Be" single "Old Brown Shoe".
2. RAIN - People are shown walking in the rain, and none of them have umbrellas or "don't mind" the rain. It's also worth noting that video footage taken from the Penny Lane music video is used here.
3. BABY'S IN BLACK - In the Cavern Club, a woman who seems to be wearing a black veil is seen in the crowd.
4. MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER - Honestly, I've never actually seen this one, but I've been told by multiple sources that as the video leaves the Cavern Club, there is a store sign that says "Maxwell's Silver Hammers" on it.
5. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER - A sign on a gate says "Strawberry Field". It's not "Fields", but still the reference is obvious.
6. I AM THE WALRUS - A van with the company title "EGG Co."
7. PENNY LANE - A nurse is selling poppies from a tray, a direct line from the song.
8. POLYTHENE PAM - A Woman wearing a leather jacket comes out of a store. I'm told it's supposed to be Polythene Pam, but it went over my head the first several times.
9. HELP! - Polythene Pam passes by a help wanted sign that simply says "HELP!"
10. WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD - John and Yoko are seen making out in a car.
11. BIRTHDAY - A bakery has a birthday cake in their front window.
12. WHEN I'M SIXTY-FOUR - The birthday cake has the number six on the left side, and the number four on the right.
13. IT'S ALL TOO MUCH - I may be reading into this too much, but there is a line in "It's All Too Much" that goes "All the world is birthday cake/ So take a piece but not too much".
14. DOCTOR ROBERT - A sign on a wall that George is shown walking up to says "Dr. Robert"
15. A DAY IN THE LIFE - A car wreck is shown. Could also be a reference to "Revolution 9", as a car crash is supposedly heard in somewhere in that track.
16. I AM THE WALRUS - Police are standing in a row next to the car crash.
17. HELTER SKELTER - A large carnival slide (a Helter Skelter) is shown.
18. BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. KITE! A kite is seen flying in the sky.
19. SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW - A woman is briefly seen going into a house through a window.
20. PIGGIES - Children running around wearing pig masks.
21. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Large yellow flowers (though probably not cellophane and none are green) are towering over a fence and above the children's heads.
22. HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN - This one goes by so fast, if you blink you will miss it, but as the video zooms into a window, you can briefly seen a lizard on it ("...like a lizard on a window pane")
23. PAPERBACK WRITER - A guy at a typewriter with paperback books around him.
24. ONE AFTER 909 - The clock behind the Paperback Writer guy is at 9:10
25. SAVOY TRUFFLES - A box of truffles is on a coffee table (barely noticeable) next to some green apples, which are an obvious reference to Apple Records.
26. FIXING A HOLE - A man on a roof is fixing a hole.
27. YELLOW SUBMARINE - A Blue Meanie pops out of the hole.
28. HEY BULLDOG - A person is walking a dog (possibly a pit bull dog?) I might be wrong on this one.
29. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - A taxi that seems to be covered in newspaper print drives up to a house.
30. REVOLUTION - Two people are carrying a portrait of Chairman Mao across the street.
31. MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - The bus can be seen passing by in the background.
32. YELLOW SUBMARINE - The Blue Meanie pops out of a manhole again.
33. BUNGALOW BILL - A man in safari attire and carrying a gun walks by, followed by an elephant.
34. SGT. PEPPER - Numerous people in a banquet hall (?) are people seen on the album cover. Also, the drum is shown prominently.
35. HERE COMES THE SUN - The video goes up suddenly and the sun blots out the video temporarily.
36. ELEANOR RIGBY - A tombstone is shown with the name Eleanor Rigby, as a priest walks away.
37. MARTHA MY DEAR - Paul McCartney's dog (Martha, after whom the song was named) runs across the graveyard.
38. THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - A long and winding road is shown in the distance.
39. THE FOOL ON THE HILL - Paul McCartney is shown dancing (directly from the scene in "Magical Mystery Tour").
40. SHE'S LEAVING HOME - A young lady with a suitcase walking alone down the road.
41. LOVELY RITA - A Meter Maid is seen walking down Abbey Road.

 There may be a ton more, and I dealt mainly with just the song lyric references. There are other references to The Beatles as persons themselves, such as an old man with a sitar (a reference to George and his interest in Indian culture). All in all, a really awesome video. An oldie nowadays, but always a goodie. I mean, in the words of Paul McCartney "It's the Bloody Beatles!"

Soundtrack Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack (special edition)

 As a huge fan of both Howard Shore’s scores for The Lord of the Rings film series and of movie soundtracks in general, the score for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was easily the most anticipated soundtrack of 2012 for me. I remember the day they announced that Howard Shore would be returning to score The Hobbit, and while I didn’t have much doubt going into it that Shore wouldn’t do it, I was still relieved. His masterful work for LOTR has my bid for best movie score of all time, and my expectations for The Hobbit were set extremely high.

                The soundtrack for the Hobbit was released on December 11^th, 2012 –one day before the film was released in theaters – in two different ways: A two-disc soundtrack and a two-disc special extended edition. The track listing of the album (I use the Extended version) stands thusly:

1.        My Dear Frodo (8:03)

2.        Old Friends (5:00) Extended

3.        An Unexpected Party (4:08)

4.        Blunt The Knives (1:01) Exclusive Bonus Track - Based on text by JRR Tolkien

5.        Axe or Sword? (5:59)

6.        Misty Mountains (1:42) Based on text by JRR Tolkien

7.        The Adventure Begins (2:04)

8.        The World Is Ahead (2:19)

9.        An Ancient Enemy (4:56)

10.     Radagast The Brown (6:37) Extended

11.     The Trollshaws (2:03) Exclusive Bonus Track

12.     Roast Mutton (4:56) Extended

13.     The Hill of Sorcery (3:50)

14.     Warg-Scouts (3:02)

Disc 2

1.        The Hidden Valley (2:49)

2.        Moon Runes (3:39) Extended

3.        The Defiler (1:14)

4.        The White Council (9:40) Extended

5.        Over Hill (3:42)

6.        A Thunder Battle (3:54)

7.        Under Hill (1:54)

8.        Riddles in the Dark (5:21)

9.        Brass Buttons (7:37)

10.     Out of the Frying Pan (5:55)

11.     A Good Omen (5:45)

12.     Song of the Lonely Mountain (6:00) Extended

13.     Dreaming of Bag End (1:56)

14.     A Very Respectable Hobbit (1:20) Exclusive Bonus Track

15.     Erebor (1:19) Exclusive Bonus Track

16.     The Dwarf Lords (2:01) Exclusive Bonus Track

17.     The Edge of the Wild (3:34) Exclusive Bonus Track

 

The overall scale of the score is toned down somewhat from the epic sensation that was Lord of the Rings, but this is fitting for the story of The Hobbit, which was not as large as LOTR. It captures more of the simple charm of the story, rather than the grandeur of the world. This is at complete contrast against the aggressive battle themes brought on by the story’s new lead villain, Azog the Defiler. While not in the book apart from a mention, Azog’s music is highly different from the rest of this score, but fits right in when compared to the big LOTR picture. It was also a nice change when some of the original songs that JRR Tolkien wrote in his novel were incorporated into the score, including the song “That’s What Bilbo Baggins Hates” (called “Blunt the Knives” on this soundtrack) and Thorin’s ballad for The Lonely Mountain (called “Misty Mountains” on this soundtrack).

 Several themes from Lord of the Rings are brought back for the score, and it feels very natural hearing them again. The familiar themes for Hobbiton and The Shire are introduced in the beginning, as well as the themes for Rivendell, Galadriel, Sméagol, Gollum, Mordor, and (of course) The One Ring. Also present throughout the score are other familiar melodies from The Fellowship of the Ring, including several passages from the early Bag End scenes when Gandalf first arrives for Bilbo’s birthday party, and Dwarven melodies first heard in the Mines of Moria. Missing from The Hobbit score, however, is the well-known theme for The Fellowship. This makes sense I guess, because this story obviously happens long before the events in The Fellowship of the Ring. There were two moments in the film when themes from LOTR are heard in out-of-context moments, and both of them are near the end of the film. First, when the Dwarf Company is stuck in the trees by the Wargs and the Goblins, The theme for the Nazgul is played when Thorin stands up to confront Azog, and secondly at the very end (spoilers) when Thorin embraces Bilbo, saying how wrong he has judged his courage. In this instance, the theme for the race of Men, as heard in Return of the King, is heard. Interestingly enough, both of these moments are on the soundtrack album, but feature cues other than those heard in the film.

 There are plenty of new themes established in the new film as well, and they fit right in with the themes from LOTR. First off is a new theme for the Company of Dwarves, and their mission to reclaim their homeland from Smaug the Dragon. This theme is the melody for the songs “Misty Mountains” and “Song of the Lonely Mountain”. “Misty Mountains” features lyrics straight from the text of Tolkien’s book. There are two other Dwarven themes added in this movie as well, including a theme for Thorin and a theme for Erebor. Gandalf is also given a theme for this movie, which can be heard several times in the soundtrack, as well as Radagast. Smaug the Dragon and Azog the Pale Orc are also have new evil themes as the film’s two main antagonists.

 But then there is Bilbo. He has quite a unique musical presence in this score. Several melodies play through his character, including two returning themes from LOTR (those being the themes for Hobbiton and the theme for Frodo/The Shire). Bilbo also gets a new melody that pertains to him alone, and is highly similar to the Shire theme. There is also a new theme that plays through Bilbo’s struggle to adapt to the Dwarves’ lifestyle way outside of his comfort zone. These Bilbo-centered themes all compliment each other nicely.

 Overall, this soundtrack, while not quite as sweeping and epic as any of the Lord of the Rings scores, is a very excellent soundtrack to compliment LOTR. I personally can’t wait for the next two movies and soundtracks to come out. Until then, the road goes ever on.

The Ultra-Mega Film Score Collection (UPDATED)

Everyone who knows me knows I love movie scores. It was really the first genre of music that I really got into, long before I got into the good oldies like The Beatles or David Bowie (my other favorite music). I have been collecting film scores for years now, and I finally finished an ultimate compilation album. This 75-track long compilation contains samples from all my favorite movies, and a few niceties thrown in. I mixed the tracks up in random order, and here they are:

 

1. The Breaking of the Fellowship (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
2. Theme from Back to the Future
3. Star Wars Main Title
4. Star Trek Suite
5. Prologue from (Thor)
6. Themes from Jaws
7. Yellow Submarine Suite
8. Time (Inception)
9. Selections from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
10. Suite (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl)
11. A Bug's Life
12. The Lost World (The Lost World: Jurassic Park)
13. Lily's Theme (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)
14. Suite (Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan)
15. Harry in Winter (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
16. Themes from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
17. The Dragon Warrior Rises (Kung Fu Panda)
18. Page 47 (National Treasure: Book of Secrets)
19. Les Miserables End Credits Suite
20. Across the Stars (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones)
21. Prime (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)
22. Main Theme (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1)
23. I Am Iron Man (Iron Man 2)
24. Finding Nemo Suite
25. Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
26. Only The Beginning (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe)
27. The King's Speech
28. Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
29. Storybook Love (The Princess Bride)
30. Call of the Crystal (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
31. Duel of the Fates (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)
32. Theme from Jurassic Park
33. The House (Home Alone)
34. Once Upon A Time (Shrek)
35. To Infinity and Beyond (Toy Story)
36. Parade of the Slave Children/Short Round's Theme (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
37. Up Is Down/Drink Up Me Hearties (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End)
38. Brachiosaurus on the Bank (Jurassic Park III)
39. Driving with the Top Down (Iron Man)
40. Themes from The Wizard of Oz
41. Gettysburg Main Title
42. Rose (Titanic)
43. National Treasure Suite
44. Forrest Gump Suite
45. Opening Titles (Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
46. Chicken Run Main Title
47. Eragon Theme
48. Discombobulate (Sherlock Holmes)
49. Main Title/Thru the Planet (Lost in Space)
50. The Hobbit Suite (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
51. The Raiders March (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
52. Super 8
53. A Window to the Past (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
54. Luke and Leia (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi)
55. The Hunger Games Medley
56. The Avengers
57. Excerpts from Batman Begins
58. Theme from Back to the Future Part II
59. The White Tree (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)
60. The Cleaner (Toy Story)
61. All Is Revealed (Shrek 2)
62. Sentinel Prime (Transformers: Dark of the Moon)
63. Prince Caspian Suite (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian)
64. Flying Theme (E.T. The Extra Terrestrial)
65. Theme from Schindler's List
66. Piano Suite (Secondhand Lions)
67. Battle of the Heroes (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)
68. Theme from Shrek the Third
69. Samwise the Brave (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
70. Captain America Theme (Captain America: The First Avengers)
71. The All-Spark/Bumblebee (Transformers)
72. Suite from Star Trek VIII: First Contact
73. Spider-Man Medley
74. The Dark Knight Medley
75. Dumbledore's Army (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
76. The Imperial March (Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back)
77. The Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
78. Monsters Inc.
79. Introduction (Edward Scissorhands)
80. Alice's Theme (Alice in Wonderland)
81. Hedwig's Theme (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
82. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Main Titles