ANYWAY, last night was the big season finale for Roswell and it contained a devastating scene that merely came off as isn't-that-a-shame. And I think the music had a lot to do with it. Both of these shows pretty much rely on modern pop that WB can hawk prior to next week's previews and to me this is the zenith of crass commercialism in the television/film industry. On the other hand, what music is appropriate to underscore today's explosive generation? I mean a pop score seemed to work well for The Breakfast Club which wasn't that long ago. And I've always enjoyed Rosenman's standard approach to Rebel Without A Cause from much longer ago.

There is something different to me, though, about these 2 WB shows and it's embodied in an element that is certainly contemporary and one of extreme internal combustion: they're almost all children of divorce. Pleasantville them ain't. So now we go back to the music. I'm not bothered by the pop songs, per se, except that they're mostly lousy pop songs performed by lousy-sounding pop singers. And what little underscoring there is is mostly vapid and empty.

Coincidentally, I recently read Roth's story. I like it when Brenda's brother asks Neil whether Neil's preference is for Mantovani or Kostelanetz.

In regards to the actual use of pop music, or whatnot, I think one of the best uses of a "pop" song I've seen on T.V. this season was in an episode of the now (sadly) defunct "Freaks and Geeks." They used Billy Joel's "Rosalinda's Eyes," and for the scene, it worked REALLY well. Oh, and it seemed to me there was one scene in "Roswell" that I thought made good use of a song. Don't remember the scene or the song, but I remember it working.

quote:

---

As for the music, I found it generic sounding in a mid-to-late 60s TV-ish way ("Love, American Style"?).

---

Well, D-UH!

There is a sung refrain at the end: "You were so good to me." When I heard that, it made me think of a girl that I once mistreated. And it made me feel terribly guilty. Which is only right.

Memo to Howard: Look for a movie called LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS. It contains my all-time favorite piece of music. It's a flute tune called "I Am You, You Are Me, We Are One" by Fred Karlin.

Anyway, just wanted to mention this,
Shaun

Wow. I had no idea he was behind Love American Style & that "sound." Good to know I still retain that wild & crazy film music ear.

Lazlo: I can "hear" the famous theme from Lovers And Other Strangers as I type. Has a "Greek" sound & beat, no? I think I used to mix it up with that famous theme from A Man And A Woman. They used to play them a lot on easy listening stations when I was growing up.

Shaun: Looking forward to YOUR first "Fact or Fiction?" piece.

*********************************************