Tag Archives: Sony Classical

The R-rated “Deadpool 2” score

According to the Sony Classical label which released it, the soundtrack album for Deadpool 2 is the first score soundtrack in history to be released with a “parental advisory” warning on its front cover. That alone was reason enough to check out the movie, the score and the album, and composer Tyler Bates was kind enough to spend a few minutes talking, and laughing, about it for this story in Variety. Bates, perhaps best known for his Guardians of the Galaxy scores, invited director David Leitch to pen a few profane lyrics — entirely appropriate for the endlessly irreverent comic-book hero — for a Hollywood choir to sing.

Spielberg / Williams: The Ultimate Collection

I am delighted to report that composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg asked me to pen the notes for the third volume in their Sony Classical series of “Spielberg-Williams Collaboration” albums, released today (March 17, 2017). It’s a newly recorded collection of themes and suites from their past two decades of filmmaking, eight of which were nominated for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards (including such masterworks as Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, Munich, War Horse and Lincoln). And when Sony Classical decided to make it a 3-CD package — including the two earlier albums — they then requested a new introduction to all three discs. It was an honor to be chosen and I hope that my words will help to illuminate just how special this 43-year collaboration has been, both for film and in American music.