PODCAST

A Score To Settle

Brian McVickar

A Score To Settle is both a podcast and blog about music composed for Film and Television.

music music commentary

All Episodes

97:01

ASTS 056: Guest Neil S. Bulk, soundtrack album...

A Score To Settle ·

2025/10/24

Greetings everyone! No need to adjust the streaming app on your device, this is indeed the podcast returning (briefly) from hiatus - and with two brand new episodes! This is to engage in a lengthy conversation with soundtrack album producer and editor, Neil S. Bulk, about his work on the remastered and expanded editions of selected James Bond soundtrack albums, released by La La Land Records. Since I last spoke with Neil, a fistful of more James Bond titles have received the deluxe treatment. In

01:23:42

ASTS 055: Guest Neil S. Bulk, soundtrack album...

A Score To Settle ·

2024/02/19

Welcome all listeners out there to the new year and also to the inaugural episode of 2024! To launch into this new year, in this episode I am accompanied once more by perennially popular soundtrack album producer and editor Neil S. Bulk, to continue our conversation in recapping his standout projects from the prior year, in this instance 2023. His work can be heard on album releases from the La La Land, Quartet and Varese Sarabande record labels. As always, I appreciate when Neil can spend time to

01:35:34

ASTS 054: Now Playing... ”Barbie”, ”Oppenheimer”,...

A Score To Settle ·

2023/11/20

Welcome back, everyone! To close out 2023, I’m concluding with an episode of the Now Playing sub-series of the podcast to spotlight notable film scores throughout the calendar year. This year provided some surprise blockbusters, such as BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, along with new entries from major franchises like INDIANA JONES, CREED and THE FAST & THE FURIOUS - with memorable music from many. Enjoy music from a cavalcade of composers - John Williams, Lorne Balfe, Christophe Beck and Hans Zimmer,

01:07:16

ASTS 053: TV Goes To The Movies - ”The Transformers”

A Score To Settle ·

2023/08/10

Hello and welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, prepare to be transformed as I continue my mini-series entitled “TV Goes To The Movies” and now explore the music for THE TRANSFORMERS franchise. As before, my focus is musically what was or was not carried over from the television episodes of a particular series to its respective theatrical feature, such as the main TV theme or scoring style.During its near 40 year history, from the original 1984 syndicated cartoon series, to the animated

01:22:49

ASTS 052: TV Goes To The Movies - ”The Man From...

A Score To Settle ·

2023/05/21

Welcome all to the podcast! In this episode, I continue my mini-series entitled "TV Goes To The Movies", a topic in which I intend to explore TV shows that migrated over to the big screen. As expected, my focus is musically what was or was not carried over from the television episodes of a particular series to its respective theatrical feature, such as the main TV theme. This time I open Channel D to examine "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." - a popular spy series which aired on NBC from 1964-1968. Its

01:48:29

ASTS 051: TV Goes To The Movies - ”Mission: Impossible”

A Score To Settle ·

2023/03/27

Hello everyone! With this episode of the podcast, I begin a new sub-series entitled "TV Goes To The Movies", a topic intended to explore TV shows which migrated over to the big screen. In mapping out a potential plan for the podcast this year, I felt motivated to explore this scenario in terms of musically what was and was not carried over from the television episodes of a particular series to its respective theatrical feature. For example, was the TV series' main theme referenced? Was the style

01:25:25

ASTS 050: Guest Neil S. Bulk, soundtrack album...

A Score To Settle ·

2023/02/10

Happy New Year to all listeners out there and welcome to the first new episode of 2023! In this inaugural episode of the new year, I am accompanied by popular soundtrack album producer and editor Neil S. Bulk, in what has become a perennial, (hopefully) entertaining and often “inside baseball” type of discussion. Neil and I recap his standout projects from the prior year, 2022, for the venerable soundtrack record labels La La Land Records, Quartet Records and Varese Sarabande. As always, I

01:17:51

ASTS 049: Now Playing... ”Thor: Love and Thunder”,...

A Score To Settle ·

2022/12/04

Welcome back to the show! In an effort to wrap up 2022, I’m concluding with an episode of the Now Playing sub-series of the podcast. This is following on from the previous Now Playing installment (episode 47) in which I primarily covered the first half of the year, including THE BATMAN and TOP GUN: MAVERICK, with additional notable highlights from late 2021. In this episode, enjoy music from John Williams, Lorne Balfe, Junkie XL, Alexandre Desplat among others! Below are the films and composers

01:35:49

ASTS 048: Listening To... Music for ”Predator” and...

A Score To Settle ·

2022/09/18

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, I present and examine the music composed for the PREDATOR film franchise, from the 1987 original through to the latest installment, PREY, released via the streaming service Hulu in August 2022. My goal is to identify the themes, motifs, instrumentation and approach applied by composer Alan Silvestri (BACK TO THE FUTURE, MOUSE HUNT, THE AVENGERS) to PREDATOR (1987) & PREDATOR 2 (1990) and how this symphonic model was subsequently interpreted in the

01:10:30

ASTS 047: Now Playing... ”The Batman”, ”Death On The...

A Score To Settle ·

2022/06/27

Welcome, everyone, to the next episode of the podcast! In this episode, I revisit a sub-series of the show called "Now Playing", during which I showcase recent soundtrack albums to which I’ve been listening. This can include music for both current film releases and classic scores newly issued on album. Below are the titles (and artists) that I present, mostly from the end of last year and the first half of 2022: VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE - Marco Beltrami ARMY OF THIEVES - Hans Zimmer & Steve

01:38:50

ASTS 046: The Evolving Sound of Science Fiction...

A Score To Settle ·

2022/04/24

Hello again and welcome back to the podcast! In this somewhat "super-sized" installment of my multi-part trek through the music of Science Fiction cinema, I attempt to close out the decade of the 1980's. The previous installment in this series focused on titles from the years 1980-82. Here, I cover the remaining years of the decade with examples of the competing and sometimes collaborative film music trends - pop & electronic and orchestral. The 80’s were a peak time of musical surprises,

01:11:15

ASTS 045: Guest Neil S. Bulk, soundtrack album...

A Score To Settle ·

2022/02/06

Welcome to the next new episode! I am pleased to be joined once more by soundtrack album producer and editor, Neil S. Bulk. As heard in previous years, which long-time listeners may recall, I’ve invited Neil back to reflect on his notable projects from the prior year, in this case 2021, for the various soundtrack record labels such as La La Land Records and Varese Sarabande. Topics range from work continuing during lockdown, rescores, film score presentations vs original albums and guessing as to

01:33:33

ASTS 044: The Evolving Sound of Science Fiction...

A Score To Settle ·

2022/01/17

Welcome to 2022, everyone! In this first episode of the year, my multi-part journey into the music of Science Fiction cinema and its evolving soundscape through the decades continues. We’re now crossing over into the 1980’s, following on from the seismic shift in film scoring which occurred with the unexpected arrival of STAR WARS in 1977 and its John Williams-penned symphonic score, hearkening back to the sounds of the classical Hollywood era. This symphonic shadow loomed large over Sci-Fi

01:31:04

ASTS 043: The Evolving Sound of Science Fiction...

A Score To Settle ·

2021/10/17

Greetings everyone! In this new episode of the podcast, my sonic journey through the music for Science Fiction cinema through the decades continues, by closing out the 1970's. This will focus on titles from the 1977-1979 years, and more specifically STAR WARS and the ripples created by that seismic shift of its musical score composed by John Williams. The electronic and avant garde sounds of the genre heard during the early Seventies found themselves supplanted by the return of those of the Golden

01:02:00

ASTS 042: The Evolving Sound of Science Fiction...

A Score To Settle ·

2021/08/22

Hi again everybody! In this episode of the podcast, my multi-part deep dive into the malleable soundscape of Science Fiction cinema continues, with the focus today being the 1970’s. Well, to be more specific, this episode focuses on the first half of the 1970's. It was a period when the sweeping symphonic sound of the Golden Age had briefly faded, mostly supplanted by either pop inflected scores and songs, tracked in classical works or experimental, often electronic tones. Sci-fi film

01:31:24

ASTS 041: The Evolving Sound of Science Fiction...

A Score To Settle ·

2021/07/18

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode I continue on to the next chapter of a multi-part deep dive, into the evolving music of Science Fiction cinema through the decades, with my focus today being the 1960’s. Thus far, we’ve journeyed through the 1950’s scores which were brimming with electric violins, theremins, Novachords, jarring stinger chords and harsh onslaughts of brass and percussion. Now, as we advance into the 1960's, we'll hear sumptuous symphonic scores for THE TIME MACHINE

01:09:25

ASTS 040: The Evolving Sound of Science Fiction...

A Score To Settle ·

2021/06/06

Beginning with this episode (the 40th!) of the podcast, I plan to present a multi-part analysis into a specific cinematic genre, that being the music of science fiction through the years. The 1950's is often considered the initial Golden Age of Science Fiction, when the genre showcased its own distinctiveness onscreen and gained notoriety in part due to films such as THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955) and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956). Music from this decade's

29:57

ASTS 039: Composer Benji Merrison ("SAS: Red Notice")

A Score To Settle ·

2021/05/02

Hello again, everyone! On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by the brilliantly skilled composer Benji Merrison. Benji is based in London and has provided music across a wide spectrum of media, from TV to film, documentaries and art installations. His background includes both formal music schooling as well as music production and engineering. Some of Benji Merrison's previous projects include TV series for BBC 1 such as FORCES OF NATURE, DYNASTIES and GREEN PLANET. Today, I have welcomed him

29:09

ASTS 038: Composer Matthew Head ("Robin Roberts...

A Score To Settle ·

2021/04/11

Welcome back to the podcast! Marvelously proficient composer, arranger and songwriter Matthew Head joins me on this episode to discuss his background and diverse career. Matthew's soundtracks have garnered Grammy, Emmy, Peabody and NAACP awards and nominations, all while working from his home in Marietta, Georgia. His notable projects include TV series such as GREENLEAF (on OWN), Boomerang (on BET), THE FAMILY and P-VALLEY. Here I talk with Matthew about composing and arranging score and songs for

39:02

ASTS 037: Composer Grant Fonda ("The House That Rob...

A Score To Settle ·

2021/03/14

Hello all! In this new episode of the podcast, I am joined by the wonderfully innovative composer Grant Fonda. Grant has contributed music to various multi-media projects, including notable documentaries such as THE DATING PROJECT and the award-winning DOWN THE FENCE, and is graciously taking time to talk about his score for the new documentary feature film entitled THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT, which premiered in February 2021. THE HOUSE THAT ROB BUILT was directed by Jonathan Cipiti and Megan

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