monoceros blogsAt the age of 55, film music composer Michael Kamen has died after suffering from multiple sclerosis for several years, although his death is believed to be caused by a heart attack. In the 1970s, Kamen served as musical director for David Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" tour, and then began writing film scores. Most will recognize the films whose music Kamen created - the Lethal Weapon series, the Die Hard series, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Mr. Holland's Opus, and X-Men, among some 80 films and TV shows.
My favorite Kamen work is the score for HBO series Band of Brothers. I initially bought the soundtrack for Lin Kiat, knowing how much he enjoyed the series. But after I gave it a few listens, and watched the series myself, I made a copy of it so I could listen to the opening and closing themes on repeat. One of my choice tracks is the music played when Lieutenant Winters rides the subway in Paris. Kamen composed some of the most moving pieces of music ever for a war-themed series, or movie, for that matter.
Go here and here for reports on Michael Kamen's death.
Visit Michael Kamen's official website here and learn more about his music.
Go here to sample Kamen's music for Band of Brothers.
Go here for my over-enthusiastic entry on Band of Brothers. I thoroughly recommend that anyone who hasn't seen the series should do so. The acting, directing, and score all come together to create a very successful work based on Stephen E. Ambrose's book.