2001 dawn of man and space station docking with Alex North

2001 dawn of man and space station docking sequence with Alex North's rejected film score.
These seems seem to have been heavily edited since North scored them, so I took some of the music from Dragonslayer.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Alex
• North
• 2001
• kubrick
• space
• odyssey

[OffDWallNotDRack]

I think this score works just fine, it's a good score, but it's a product of it's era, and that's where the real problem is. 2001 is a movie that transcends time and space; literally, so you need a score that is equally universal. The final product is truly timeless, which is why the movie still holds up today, and isn't just cast aside as an old movie.

[mornnb]

@OffDWallNotDRack Eh? This is probably the most atypical score of any 1960s movie you will find. Infact it sounds more like 1980s classical music than it sounds like 1960s film music, the Docking sequence.

[RogueRotting360]

@mornnb Which 80s classical music would you say it sounds like?

[mornnb]

@RogueRotting360 The docking music, sounds like contemporary minimalism, like for example John Adams.

[mornnb]

@RogueRotting360 The docking music, sounds like contemporary minimalism, for example John Adams.

[thebbcamerican]

I know the docking sequence is all North, but what other segments are from Dragonslayer?

[mornnb]

North reused docking sequence music in Dragonslayer, and as this scene is longer than the one North originally scored...

[chopinunbound]

Thanks. I've been curious about what North's score would have like in the movie. Looks like Kubrick made the right choice.

[madlutist]

Well, there's a reason Kubrick decided to drop North's score. Depressing as it might be for North.

It's too involved for Kubrick. He tended to like music that didn't interact too directly with what was going on, which is why preexisting piece worked so well.

All of Kubrick's films use almost entirely preexisting pieces for the scores. I get the feeling he liked the dissociative effect... an effect which is probably part of the reason he's as famous as he is.

[RogueRotting360]

@mornnb Yes, but the harmonies are pure North. Extended chords derived from jazz. Could almost be the introduction or interlude of a 50s or early 60s pop song.

[TheGojira84]

@jatroup12 Uh this actually was the original score technically.

[mzhivago925]

I don't think that the music for the dawn of man fits with the scene or is even good (although I did like Alex North's score for Spartacus) but am I the only one who thinks that the music for the docking sequence is better than the blue danube? The only reason that so many people think that the blue danube works better is because they can't imagine 2001 another way. If Kubrick had used North's music people wouldn't be complaining and saying that he should have used classical music.

[jatroup12]

Not knocking you attempt at creativity, but with all due respect, I think you just painted over the Mona Lisa. Original score, timeless, classic, spot on.

[BillyIsATwat23]

@chopinunbound

But remember this isn't necessarily how it would have looked/sounded if Kubrick had kept the North's score (which, incidentally, as a stand alone CD is a very interesting piece of work), it is an approximation made by a fan 40 years after the event.

We will never get to see/hear a true North 2001 so we can not make judgments as to if the movie would have suffered/been improved by it...