The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick [Original Score]

by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Overview

Composition and production duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have developed quite a body of work since their award-winning score for David Fincher's The Social Network in 2010. Since then, their vigorous work ethic has amounted to a mixed bag consisting of theatrical films and documentaries such as Fisher Stevens and Leonardo DiCaprio's climate change doc Before the Flood. 2017 has seen quite a prolific output of work from the duo, with one of their many efforts intriguingly going to Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's expansive documentary series The Vietnam War. In the series itself, Reznor and Ross' score exists as more than just something to shine a light upon emotion at certain moments. It interweaves the storytelling with definitive classics of the era (such as Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Ohio" or the Beatles' "Let It Be") and situates itself in moments that remind the listener that it was filmed in the present day. The score as a whole is largely made up of soft and foreboding sound palettes that have been touched upon by the Reznor camp before (most notably on Nine Inch Nails' 2002 mini-album Still and the score for 2011's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). However, aspects of this soundtrack have been meticulously reassessed and reinvented to accompany such honest and visceral storytelling. The album changes and morphs as it complements different moments. Tracks such as "Less Likely" and "A World Away" are composed of soft, reverbed piano melodies awash with bleak, rumbling ambience and dissonant static, while tracks such as "What Comes Back" and "Strangers in Lockstep" consist of more erratic tempos that are punctuated with overdriven and delayed guitar, synthesized bass, and pulsating electro beats, suitably highlighting more aggressive moments. The Vietnam War is yet another example of the extent of Reznor and Ross' talents and how well they manage to apply their skills to different projects. Whether it be a NIN record, a full-length motion picture, or a culturally significant documentary, there's no denying that the duo accomplish what they set out to do with powerful results. ~ Rob Wacey

Product Details

Release Date:	09/15/2017
Label:	Ume
UPC:	0602557775310

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Vietnam War~Less Likely
2. The Vietnam War~Four Enclosed Walls
3. The Vietnam War~The Forever Rain
4. The Vietnam War~Remnants
5. The Vietnam War~Other Ways to Get to the Same Place
6. The Vietnam War~Torn Polaroid
7. The Vietnam War~Before Dawn
8. The Vietnam War~What Comes Back
9. The Vietnam War~Justified Response
10. The Vietnam War~Counting Ticks

Disc 2

11. The Vietnam War~A World Away
12. The Vietnam War~The Right Things
13. The Vietnam War~Passing the point
14. The Vietnam War~Strangers In Lockstep
15. The Vietnam War~Before and After Faith
16. The Vietnam War~The Same Dream
17. The Vietnam War~Haunted

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Trent Reznor   Primary Artist
Atticus Ross   Primary Artist
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Atticus Ross   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Chris Bellman   Mastering
Chris Holmes   Engineer
Jun Murakawa   Engineer
Jeff Fura   Project Coordinator
Howard Kim   Design
Tom Baker   Mastering
Monique McGuffin Newman   Production Manager
John Crawford   Art Direction
Dustin Mosley   Engineer
Corey Holms   Design
Chris Richardson   Engineer
Jeremy Sponder   Product Manager
Trent Reznor   Producer,Composer,Mixing,Arranger