"The only way you can become worse as a writer is by not writing," - Me.
Usually, I'm a bit wary of this new territory that Adam is venturing into, but this month, I felt every bit as confident that this month's score would be just as fan-freaking-tastic as the previous month's.
I'm sad to say that I wasn't entirely right this month.
However, a little disclaimer. If Adam Young decided to move to Idaho and farm potatoes until he died, I'd support it. If he decided to do anything, I'd most likely back it up. So that means I am sticking with this project, and will still 100% listen to it, but that doesn't mean I don't have some problems with it.
Following my problems and formal review will still be a track-by-track description/review.
Now something that's different about this score - and I think is one of it's problems - is that it doesn't feel like a cohesive piece. The tracks don't make a story arc the way that the Apollo, RMS, or Spirit do. I mean, heck, they're beautiful and amazing to listen to, but, for me, they do not evoke the same feelings that the others do. They seem to lack something that ties them together. The way that the songs are structured, they seem to have their own story in them, have a rising action, climax and denouement, while they are not building toward anything. The difference here, is that in the three previous scores, each track build the tension or conflict more and more, until you were burning for the climax of the event being portrayed. This, however, didn't feel as cohesive and building toward an ultimate goal here.
While the songs perfectly display the setting of the score - the Himalayan mountains - with "frozen, wind burned, sun-bleached instrumentals that become more and more tattered and torn as you listen to them", they do not convey the mental and physical strife or the struggles and the life-threatening danger that would have come with the territory, and then coming in hard with a climax of heart-soaring glory. I feel that Adam stayed on the safe side, here, where he could have gone to dark and daring places with this. The story took a backseat in this score, and I'm not very impressed.
I think this is because I couldn't picture any of it in my head. With all three of the previous ones, the songs pulled you in and crafted you into a lonely astronaut, a doomed aristocrat, a brave pilot. You could see this being a background music to a movie, a story. However, I could never feel the emotions or picture the scenery around me as the brave men climbed to the top of the world, which, I find, is an utter disappointment.
Enough with that. If you couldn't tell, this month's score is about The Ascent of Everest, when in May 1953 two men were the first to reach the 29,029 foot summit.
You can listen to The Ascent of Everest for yourself here.
I'm sad to say that I wasn't entirely right this month.
However, a little disclaimer. If Adam Young decided to move to Idaho and farm potatoes until he died, I'd support it. If he decided to do anything, I'd most likely back it up. So that means I am sticking with this project, and will still 100% listen to it, but that doesn't mean I don't have some problems with it.
Following my problems and formal review will still be a track-by-track description/review.
Now something that's different about this score - and I think is one of it's problems - is that it doesn't feel like a cohesive piece. The tracks don't make a story arc the way that the Apollo, RMS, or Spirit do. I mean, heck, they're beautiful and amazing to listen to, but, for me, they do not evoke the same feelings that the others do. They seem to lack something that ties them together. The way that the songs are structured, they seem to have their own story in them, have a rising action, climax and denouement, while they are not building toward anything. The difference here, is that in the three previous scores, each track build the tension or conflict more and more, until you were burning for the climax of the event being portrayed. This, however, didn't feel as cohesive and building toward an ultimate goal here.
While the songs perfectly display the setting of the score - the Himalayan mountains - with "frozen, wind burned, sun-bleached instrumentals that become more and more tattered and torn as you listen to them", they do not convey the mental and physical strife or the struggles and the life-threatening danger that would have come with the territory, and then coming in hard with a climax of heart-soaring glory. I feel that Adam stayed on the safe side, here, where he could have gone to dark and daring places with this. The story took a backseat in this score, and I'm not very impressed.
I think this is because I couldn't picture any of it in my head. With all three of the previous ones, the songs pulled you in and crafted you into a lonely astronaut, a doomed aristocrat, a brave pilot. You could see this being a background music to a movie, a story. However, I could never feel the emotions or picture the scenery around me as the brave men climbed to the top of the world, which, I find, is an utter disappointment.
Enough with that. If you couldn't tell, this month's score is about The Ascent of Everest, when in May 1953 two men were the first to reach the 29,029 foot summit.
You can listen to The Ascent of Everest for yourself here.
1. Base Camp
Eerily cold, this track is a beautiful start with humbling and intimidating horns and synths.
Eerily cold, this track is a beautiful start with humbling and intimidating horns and synths.
2. Khumbu Icefall
Gritty and stellar, Khumbu Icefall is a track with crunching synths that reflects the sojourn across the ice.
Gritty and stellar, Khumbu Icefall is a track with crunching synths that reflects the sojourn across the ice.
3. Western Cwm
Captivating strings and pounding guitars build to a stunning conclusion about the lonely, cold valley.
Captivating strings and pounding guitars build to a stunning conclusion about the lonely, cold valley.
4. Lhotse Face
This track is layered deeply with electronic sounds and guitar, which build up to be an awe-inspiring, glorious track of impending triumph.
This track is layered deeply with electronic sounds and guitar, which build up to be an awe-inspiring, glorious track of impending triumph.
5. South Col
Persevering with heavy electric guitars, this track makes it real to the listeners that we're almost there.
Persevering with heavy electric guitars, this track makes it real to the listeners that we're almost there.
6. The Hillary Step
Epic and enthralling with intense strings and deep bass lines, this track builds with intensity to marvel the beauty of the snow-capped mountains.
Epic and enthralling with intense strings and deep bass lines, this track builds with intensity to marvel the beauty of the snow-capped mountains.
7. The Summit
Herculean and viciously triumphant, the closing track bursts with epic guitar for a stunning and joyful conclusion.
Do I hate this score? No. Is it my favorite? No. Do I think it has some problems? Yes. Is it still beautiful music? Yes.
And that is all, friends.
~The WordShaker
Herculean and viciously triumphant, the closing track bursts with epic guitar for a stunning and joyful conclusion.
Do I hate this score? No. Is it my favorite? No. Do I think it has some problems? Yes. Is it still beautiful music? Yes.
And that is all, friends.
~The WordShaker
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