I have been walking since my heart attack in 2018. I average around 2 1/2 – 3 hrs of walking a week. During the walk I would listen to a variety of genres of music (mostly soundtracks) and find myself learning by analyzing the orchestration, arrangement and emotion of the music while I’m walking.
Today’s listening session is Danny Elfman’s score “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”
Synopsis
Man-child Pee-wee Herman has his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight and goes on a slapstick adventurous journey across the U.S. searching for it; he encounters an escape convict, a mysterious female truck driver, a wanderlust waitress dreaming of going to Paris and a jealous boyfriend, a train-hopping hobo, biker gang and even goes to the Alamo looking for a basement that does not exist. The turning point for Pee-wee is when he learns that a movie studio has his bike and must travel to Hollywood land to get it and gets chase by the movie studio’s security; his almost successful escape from them comes to a halt to save the animals in a pet shop fire. In a storybook Hollywood fashion ending, the movie studio ends up making a movie based on Pee-wee’s zany adventures.
The Score
Danny Elfman’s cartoonish and dramedy modern approach to this score keeps the audiences entertained. His eclectic orchestrations gives the music a frolicsome sound that blends harmonious to the film. The music can be over the top at times and it can also be whimsical and nostalgic. I hear influences in the music that in some of the chase scenes, it has that same sort of vibe as the old silent film shorts of Charlie Chaplin’s chase scenes; other influences I can hear are old classic sci-fi episodes, crime dramas, and cartoons like Tom & Jerry, An audience participation song “Tequila” in the movie is a great musical representation on how Elfman’s score keeps the audience engaged and entertained.
Listen to Danny Elfman’s score “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”
