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View Full Version : Flippyshark's Vinyl Vault - THE SHINING


flippyshark
02-18-2005, 11:52 AM
Here's another record review for all you licorice pizza junkies. I got this one last week - a rare disc that commands high prices on eBay. My comments will touch on matters related to the Tower of Terror here, so you theme park cats should dig.

THE SHINING - Original Soundtrack
Various Artists
Released by Warner Brothers Records in 1980
Never released on CD

When I first worked at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror here in Florida (this was back around '95 or so) I used to get a lot of guests telling me that the Hollywood Tower Hotel reminded them a lot of THE SHINING. It doesn't seem like such an obvious comparison. The Hollywood Tower Hotel is run down, moldering and in semi-ruin. The Overlook Hotel of THE SHINING is squeaky clean, neat and orderly, and not remotely similar architecturally. I surmise that what our Guests are responding to is the 30's music that wafts its way through the queue and the lobby, playing in a distant echo-ey way which is agreeably creepy. The same effect is used a couple of times in THE SHINING, as music by Ray Noble or Henry Hall drifts down empty corridors and beckons Jack Nicolson's character to enter his own time-skewed dimension. (I'll get back to the Tower later in this review. Stay tuned.)

Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING has managed to slowly earn its way into the pantheon of great horror movies, but it was not universally admired when it appeared in 1980. Author Stephen King was disappointed with the adaptation of his novel, finding the film slick but hollow. Critics considered Jack Nicholson's performance over the top and hammy, noting that instead of depicting a man's slow descent into madness, Nicholson seemed unbalanced and ready to snap from frame one.

It's hard to argue with these criticisms, but THE SHINING is a movie that stuck with audiences over the long haul. It's long, slow Steadicam moves through the halls of the Overlook Hotel are fascinating, impossible to look away from. The slow unfolding of its simple story allows us to take long, unflinching looks at a family coming apart at the seams, and the dialogue is memorable and quotable. ("I'm not gonna hurt you, Wendy. I'm just gonna bash your head in.") Finally, Nicholson's performance, though hardly subtle, is enormously entertaining.

The film's atmosphere of foreboding and tension owes largely to the effective use of music. Moog pioneer Wendy Carlos was hired to create a soundtrack for the film, but only two of her pieces made the final cut. As had happened with 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, Kubrick fell in love with the temp tracks he had used while editing. So, the majority of the film's music comes from the repertoire of 20th century avant-garde composers.

As almost every track on the album credits a different record company, I must presume that clearance issues are what has prevented this release from seeing its way to CD. Many of the tracks can be obtained elsewhere, and enterprising fans have created pseudo-soundtracks for the grey market. The two Wendy Carlos tracks remain stubbornly unavailable in the digital realm. (On her own website, Carlos admits that this is out of her hands - Warners owns the rights to those tracks and until they see fit to put them out, she can't do a thing about it.)

Here's a quick run-down on each track:

"Main Title" Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind - This is an electronic version of the famous "dies irae" melody used by Berlioz in his "Symphonie Fantastique." You have heard this tune in lots of old horror movies. Carlos makes it seem new again as her low, brassy moog notes are complemented by echoing cries and vocal trills provided by Rachel Elkind. It's a great mood setter, and perfectly suits the opening helicopter tracking shots of a car winding its way along a mountain road. Great stuff, and the track on the album goes on longer than the version heard in the film.

"Rocky Mountains" - Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind - This is the only other Carlos piece that made it in. You can hear it as Jack first drives his family to their new home. Long held tones create a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. There isn't much melody, just a series of sliding elecronic tones on top of a nervous tremolo. The vinyl album is the only way to hear this piece without dialogue playing over it.

"Lontano" - Gyorgy Ligeti - Hungarian composer Ligeti's atmospheric "Kyrie eleison" provided a kind of "music of the spheres" in 2001. This piece is similarly ethereal, as each instrument of the orchestra simply plays long, extended tones. Ligeti boasted that with this piece, he had finally composed music "without melody or rhythm." Nevertheless, the sound is very pretty and mystical, though likely to make some listeners tense. I haven't been able to find a cd recording of this.

"Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta - 3rd movement" - Bela Bartok - This highly regarded piece, known by the amusing abbreviation Moose Pack, gets a real workout in the film, indeed, many long scenes were edited to fit it's rhythms. There is a stretch where the strings build slowly to an agitated crescendo, and then there is an abrupt crash of sound. More than once, this is used in the movie to follow a long take and then cut away at a moment of high tension, sometimes to a black title card. ("TUESDAY") You can easily find this piece on cd. The movie uses the version by Herbert Van Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Okay, Tower fans, this next one is interesting.

"Utrenja" (excerpt) - Krzytsof Penderecki - Set the needle down on side two of this record, and you will be attacked by a sudden and brutal rapid-fire staccato of percussion. (This opening worked in essence as the "shock" sound effect of the movie, most memorably employed when one character meets the business end of an axe.) This is Utrenja, a musical interpretation of the burial and ressurection of Christ. The choir hisses, shouts and chants as trombones wail out an air raid siren of anguish. This is not music for quiet contemplation. This is music that confronts and pounds you into submission.

I spent a lot of time listening to this piece way back in the 80's, before foolishly giving away my previous copy of the album. I've seen the movie many many times, so this piece of rhythmic noise is one I am very familiar with. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it plays on the Tower of Terror!

After crossing the "fifth dimension" (you know, the thing you Californians don't have at your Tower...) a line of white light appears vertically in front of the vehicle, and a set of "starfield doors" whoosh open. Just as this occurs, you can hear the opening attack of Utrenja emanating from just beyond the doors. It's over very quickly, but it's definitely there. (I've only been on the CA Tower once, and I don't recall having heard this noise there, though I wasn't listening for it.)

Utrenja can be purchased on cd, if you are brave enough.

"The Awakening of Jacob"
"De Natura Sonoris No.2" - both by Krzytof Penderecki - Side 2 continues as a kind of Penderecki sampler, but these pieces do not constitute the same kind of aural assault as Utrenja. They do, however, offer an amazing trip for the adventurous. These are early Penderecki compositions, and they seem as forward-thinking and revolutionary now as they must have back in the 1950's and 60's. He really pushed the bounds of what kind of sounds an orchestra could make. This bold aesthetic combined with his deeply humanistic philosophy and commitment to political freedoms make him one of the most important composers still living. These pieces are easily obtainable on cd.

"Home" Henry Hall and the Gleneagles Hotel Band - The soundtrack ends with just one of several 30's big band hits heard in the film. "Home" does not play over the end credits of the movie, but instead is heard from a distance when Jack is having his discussion with Grady, the previous caretaker, in the bathroom.

This arrangment is lovely, with a sweet violin solo break and a nicely romantic feel. I can't find it on the several Henry Hall cd's that are sold via the internet.

You may want to locate the old-time tune that actually does play over the end credits. This is "Midnight, The Stars and You" performed by Ray Noble and his band, with vocals by Al Bowlly. I managed to snag a cd that included this, so I added it to the "Shining" folder on my iPod. Also highly recommended.

I nabbed this album for forty bucks. It was in good shape and the bright yellow cover was in good condition. I thought about reselling it once I had ripped the tracks onto my computer, but now I'm not so sure. I really like having this in my collection.

Thanks for reading. REDRUM!!

mousepod
02-18-2005, 12:11 PM
Another great review! I remember that Utrenja really scared the crap out of me when I saw the movie as a teenager (just like Night on Bald Mountain did when I first saw Fantasia).

I'd dispute your statement that the criticisms of the film are "hard to argue." In fact, the more I see the movie, the more I like it. I'd point anyone interested to "Kubrick: Inside a Film Artist's Maze" by Thomas Allen Nelson for an interpretation of Kubrick's The Shining that is fascinating, and even if incorrect or overblown at times, makes for a revisiting of the film in a different light.

BTW, your reviews have sent me running to my sadly neglected but unwieldly vinyl collection in my basement, looking for vinyl-only releases to share with the board. Thank you for that.

flippyshark
02-18-2005, 12:39 PM
I've had my eye on that Kubrick book for a while. I should check it out.

Yes, please do add your own vinyl-only reports. It may give me some more treeasures to hunt down.

innerSpaceman
02-18-2005, 06:44 PM
Wow. I have loved the music featured in The Shining since forever.


I MUST GET THE L.P.!!!

HTHBellcaptain
02-18-2005, 09:40 PM
THE SHINING - Original Soundtrack


Don't you mean the "Shinning?" Do you want us to get sued.

Gn2Dlnd
02-19-2005, 03:01 AM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/gn2dlnd/shinning_big.jpg (http://www.stephenkingshortmovies.com/)

Gn2Dlnd
02-20-2005, 03:36 AM
Click on the Homer.

Not Afraid
09-22-2005, 07:10 PM
I'm bumping this up for those of us who are going to see the "Shining" at the Cemetery this weekend. Fascinating pre-screening reading.

Boss Radio
09-22-2005, 11:12 PM
Mr. Shark,

Am thoroghly impressed with the attention to thought and detail you give to each track in your review.

Bravo!

innerSpaceman
09-24-2005, 01:50 PM
I'm just as jealous of flippyshark now as I was when I first read this in february.


And what a great read in prep for tonight's show! Thanks, NA!

mistyisjafo
09-24-2005, 07:29 PM
Click on the Homer.

Wow, thank you for that link. There are some short story movies there that I've been searching for! :snap: :snap:

As for the Shining, I've got to say it's one of my personal favorites. Stephen King was very disappointed in the Kubrick version because he felt that the movie didn't really tell the entire story. When Steve finally got to do his own "remake" on tv, I'd have to say that tho the tv version is much more accurate to the book the original Kubrick version was just plain BETTER. You just can't get over Jack Nicolson's over the top but extremely scary "Jack".

Anyways, thanks for the review. Nice work!

Not Afraid
09-25-2005, 01:03 AM
I have to say that, refreshing my mind about the soundtrack before seeing the film again made the experience even more enjoyable. Thank you D!!!!!

There's also a part where the music - a repeated key somewhere on the higher range of the piano - was very similar to music used in Eyes Wide Shut. Chris spotted this (or the equivelent done with ears) and I have to agree. I also saw, for the first time, some other surprising similarities between the two films. Good stuff all around!

CoasterMatt
09-25-2005, 10:45 AM
Another great Kubrick film to compare the Shining with, is Full Metal Jacket...

flippyshark
09-25-2005, 06:09 PM
Thanks, everyone, for all the kind words.

Here is a COOL UPDATE -

In my review, I noted that the Wendy Carlos tracks from the album had never been released on CD, but this has now changed. There are two CDs full of unreleased film music from Carlos, including all of the music she produced for THE SHINING, used and unused. (It is spread over two different CD releases.) These also include unused tracks from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

Check it out at her home page (http://www.wendycarlos.com/discs.html)