The Unofficial JL/JLU Musical Theme Thread

SuperBat

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It's not the Flash theme, but I share your opinion that it sounds familiar. Considering how the JLU theme plays a lot during the fight with the 'Justice Lords', I thought it might be a rearranged version of that.
Bummer, I was hoping it would help me pinpoint his theme. I would've recognized the JLU theme, but maybe it's a theme from some other episode or series. Who knows?

S.C.B said:
And I can't blame you for not hearing the Flash's theme in season two. I only really found out what it sounded like when 'Flash and Substance' aired. After that, it was pretty easy to hear it in earlier episodes.
Really? That makes me feel better. Of course, now that I think about it, nobody knew that Flash even had a theme until b.t. stated it outright. Unfortunately, I haven't seen "Flash and Substance," and I don't own it in any form yet. (Now I want March 20 to come even worse...)

I wonder why they didn't play his theme. If it would've been amped up to the level of whatever it is they played, it would've been a pretty appropriate moment, don't you think? Then again, I wouldn't trade the music that played in the real scene. I absolutely love it. It's sort of like the "Death of Superman" theme from "Hereafter." They're both pretty stirring.

Stu said:
Doesn't it play when The Flash is chasing the van in The Brave And The Bold or did they not use that theme again? It's been a while since I've seen the episode.
Well, according to TB at the beginning of this thread, that is the Flash theme. I can't figure out what else they would've played during the Speed Force scene. It seems unlikely that they would've made up such an awesome piece for just one moment, but I guess it was deserving.
 

Trevor Balena

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Guy, if you wanna know where the Flash's theme is used, just look at the main list in the first post of the thread. It's everywhere when you learn to listen for it.

The music during the Speed Force scene always sounded to me like it was hinting at the Flash theme (as opposed to stating it outright), but it might just be my imagination. All the other instances that I listed in the first post are iron-clad, though.
 

SuperBat

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Guy, if you wanna know where the Flash's theme is used, just look at the main list in the first post of the thread. It's everywhere when you learn to listen for it.
I have listened for it. I'm a little short on "Flash and Substance," and nothing on your list sounds enough like any other for me to hear a theme. Like SCB said, it's a lot easier to hear a theme (whether it's played lightly, briefly, or hardly at all) when you're already familiar with it. GL's theme, Vandal Savage's theme, J'onn's theme... these are all pretty easy to get a handle on. But the Flash's theme isn't.

Trevor Balena said:
The music during the Speed Force scene always sounded to me like it was hinting at the Flash theme (as opposed to stating it outright), but it might just be my imagination.
I assume, then, that you haven't identified it as anything else? Ah well... maybe if there is some significance, someone will find it eventually.
 

Sue

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Nope. The closest she came was the GL/Hawkgirl Love Theme that plays over a lot of important moments, but she never did get her very own theme.

Kind of appropriate, thematically speaking, when you think about it.
That's surpising since she was an important character. I remember a couple of other pieces that could've come close as well: the scene in "Fury" when she first visits Paradise Island, and the other in "Savage Time" when she's about to crash her mace into a war wheel.
 

b.t.

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I wonder why they didn't play his theme. If it would've been amped up to the level of whatever it is they played, it would've been a pretty appropriate moment, don't you think? Then again, I wouldn't trade the music that played in the real scene. I absolutely love it. It's sort of like the "Death of Superman" theme from "Hereafter." They're both pretty stirring.

Well, according to TB at the beginning of this thread, that is the Flash theme. I can't figure out what else they would've played during the Speed Force scene. It seems unlikely that they would've made up such an awesome piece for just one moment, but I guess it was deserving.

actually, mike mc cuistion originally DID score the "speed force" sequence with a revved-up version of the "flash theme", but i didn't like it much...it was fun and exciting, but nothing more than that, kinda "typical"....it wasn't nearly as "grand" or "epic" as the scene called for...basically, the "flash theme" is just too bouncy and light-hearted by its very nature, it has no "gravitas" whatsoever...

i told mike "this isn't about flash being fast or about him being a fun guy...it's about him pushing himself harder than he's ever had to before, doing everything he can to prevent a crazed all-powerful demi-god from destroying all of creation...this is the moment when wally steps up from 'comic relief' to 'a-list Hero' with a capital H"...and that's exactly what he delivered on his second pass...

as for it being "unlikely that they would've made up such an awesome piece for just one moment", well, that's what mike, kris and lolita DO, they try to make EVERY moment as awesome as possible (and knock 'em clear out of the park nine times out of ten)...
 

Crow

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The score makes the scene really go to the next level ala' Superman's speech to Darkseid in Destroyer where Superman's theme plays on a grand scale or when Superman farewells his boy and the Krypton theme plays.

Brainy Lex's gloating over Flash and you hear that dread music and it's really quite 'this is the end of him'; he then breaks free, then runs off. The score actually goes up and down in waves as this is happening, you don't know what to think. But when Brainy Lex turns his head and hears the speed sound effects, and then you see Flash, that cue just grabs you.
 

SuperBat

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actually, mike mc cuistion originally DID score the "speed force" sequence with a revved-up version of the "flash theme", but i didn't like it much...it was fun and exciting, but nothing more than that, kinda "typical"....it wasn't nearly as "grand" or "epic" as the scene called for...basically, the "flash theme" is just too bouncy and light-hearted by its very nature, it has no "gravitas" whatsoever...

i told mike "this isn't about flash being fast or about him being a fun guy...it's about him pushing himself harder than he's ever had to before, doing everything he can to prevent a crazed all-powerful demi-god from destroying all of creation...this is the moment when wally steps up from 'comic relief' to 'a-list Hero' with a capital H"...and that's exactly what he delivered on his second pass...

as for it being "unlikely that they would've made up such an awesome piece for just one moment", well, that's what mike, kris and lolita DO, they try to make EVERY moment as awesome as possible (and knock 'em clear out of the park nine times out of ten)...
See, that's what I have managed to gather about the Flash's theme, but I was almost sure I'd read somewhere that it was his theme played during the Speed Force sequence. I had no reason to believe it one way or the other, and I'm not even sure now that I read it. (Someone else on the web could've just been wrong, since that's hardly an uncommon thing. ;) )

Given what you said about the Flash's theme, I can totally understand your point. The score that did play was a much better move than using a lighthearted theme just for old time's sake. And as you said, there was much more of an emotional impact there with a grander score. Heck, y'all could've played Superman's theme during his funeral, but you decided to take the initiative to create a new theme that made the episode twice as moving. So to go out of your way to come up with something as epic as the Speed Force scene was a nice move.

Crow said:
The score makes the scene really go to the next level ala' Superman's speech to Darkseid in Destroyer where Superman's theme plays on a grand scale or when Superman farewells his boy and the Krypton theme plays.

Brainy Lex's gloating over Flash and you hear that dread music and it's really quite 'this is the end of him'; he then breaks free, then runs off. The score actually goes up and down in waves as this is happening, you don't know what to think. But when Brainy Lex turns his head and hears the speed sound effects, and then you see Flash, that cue just grabs you.
Those are two of the greatest moments in JLU. :D In fact, you're making me want to watch them right now...
 

S.C.B

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Just re-watching my JLU DVD set (I love being able to say that), and I think I heard J'onn's theme in 'Divided We Fall' when he is telling the League that Flash is still alive.
 

SaBaWoJuLe

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Character themes

On Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, while Superman & Batman kept their themes from the previous shows, did any of the other Leaguers like Wonder Woman, Flash, or Hawkgirl get their own themes on the show?
 

BCVM22

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On Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, while Superman & Batman kept their themes from the previous shows, did any of the other Leaguers like Wonder Woman, Flash, or Hawkgirl get their own themes on the show?

Wonder Woman and Green Lantern had very distinctive musical stings of their own throughout JL/JLU. I first recall hearing Wonder Woman's in The Terror Beyond Pt. 2, during the fight between Wonder Woman and Aquaman, specifically midway through the fight as Wonder Woman is hovering over Aquaman and smirking down at him. It's heard a few more times throughout JL and JLU.

Lantern's is heard quite frequently, just about anytime John appears and does something heroic. It's clearly audible in, among other places, Starcrossed, right after the infamous "Kiss my axe" line during John's battle with Hro Talak. I believe a softer version of the sting originated in S:TAS, In Brightest Day.

Flash did have a theme based loosely on the theme from the Flash live-action series in the early 90s, but it can be difficult to pick out. A good example can be found at the beginning of The Brave and the Bold Pt. 1, as Flash is running through the streets of Central City; a clearly audible guitar riff plays as he does so, but I find it difficult to pick out a pattern or theme to it.

Green Arrow had a sting of his own as well; it made its first appearance in Initiation, as he saves the driver of the truck as it falls off the bridge. He also sings it on his own as he boards Devil Ray's submarine in To Another Shore. :D
 

Mr. Mxyzptlk

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I printed the entirety of the first post out and have used it while watching the show to learn each of the characters' themes. It's probably the best resource.
 
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SaBaWoJuLe

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I went to the other thread and I got my answer. Is there a way to get the music, just it without the character's voices nor any sounds but the music?
 

BCVM22

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I went to the other thread and I got my answer. Is there a way to get the music, just it without the character's voices nor any sounds but the music?

Fans have been clamoring for straight releases of the background music for years. If such existed, you'd see it somewhere.
 

John Cage

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Hi there.

Been a while since my last post but I caught "Shadow of the Hawk" on YTV Friday night and was pleasantly surprised by how cool Hawkman's theme was. I just popped in the DVD and it's a really nice bit of music, particularly when he's flying through the collapsing ruins.

And the little bit that plays at the end of the episode when Hawkman tells Shayera "I've waited thousands of years for us to find each other. I can wait a little longer" is beautiful, really just perfect. I started thinking about how B.T mentioned that Hawkman is a stalker, true, but he genuinely loves Shayera, and that moment really captured that. It's just a really great bit, and I'm surprised it never really "struck" me when I saw the episode previously.

Man, I really wish they'd just put the DCAU soundtrack out already.

Have a good day.
John Cage
 

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