Greatest Soundtrack Ever: Lord of the Rings voted Number One. (1 Viewer)

[Agee Bassett]

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Storie...775604,00.html

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Nice quote, Agee. But the writer was referring to Williams' concert pieces (which are not his strength), not his film music.

 

[Terrell]

Randy, your opinion is your opinion. My opinion is my opinion. It's not my job to prove your opinion for you. You're the one that has to do that. After all, you're the one that made those bold statements. But I'll do my best to prove my point.
John Williams
Oscar Nominatios - 41
Academy Awards - 5
Grammy Awards - 17
Golden Globes - 3
Emmy Awards - 2
Bafta Awards - 5
Include many of the most popular, memorable, and highly regarded films scores of all time. Also, numerous gold and platinum albums.
I've done my part. Whether it proves my point that he's a great film composer, who knows. I think we know the answer to that, and I believe there's no doubt about that. But now you've got to prove he's a hack.
By the way, thanks for the note o the Dark Crystal CD Peter.

 

[Tom Ryan]

I think I'll add that Williams is the most Oscar-nominated individual alive.

 

[Agee Bassett]

True. But the poster who requested a quote from a published critic criticizing Williams' music did not specify "only his film work." My hope was that citing one would quell the unfortunate tangent this thread has taken.
Published critics have derode Williams. Other published critics have praised him. As a public figure, there is no reason to doubt the existence of either winds of sentiment from "respected" sources.

 

[Zen Butler]

Wow! I can't prove that John Williams is a hack. I will support by opinion, that he is over-rated. Anyone with even intermediate knowledge of classical (serious) music, can pick the "lifted" themes. "Bombastic" is an understatement.
Whether you agree with the Williams critics or not. It is routed in some form of knowledge of the genre and of classical/serious music. Accept it. We didn't wake up one day and decide to pick on JW. Actually, Randy ,others and myself are not as minority as you think. He is regarded in many classical circles as very mediocre.
Now as for your behavior Randy?
I would , at the minimum, like to see you Williams fans dig deep into:
Ennio Morricone (he is so good it's sick)
Bernard Herrmann
Jerry Goldsmith
better yet, how about some source material?

Whether it proves my point that he's a great film composer, who knows. I think we know the answer to that, and I believe there's no doubt about that.

I'm sorry Terrell, this tiny caption has me confused? You did mention many awards, I'm not sure that proves much. Outstanding composition of information though, thanks

 

[Terrell]

You did mention many awards, I'm not sure that proves much.

Well, I thank you for your respectful reply. I don't know how much it proves. But it does prove a lot more than what Randy has given us. As for the 3 you mentioned, they are great film composers in their own right. But can you honestly tell me they have never borrowed from other pieces of music? As for who I prefer, I'll take Williams over Morricone and Goldsmith. Herrmann is one of the all-time greats, up there or even beyond Williams. But we all have our favorites. Mine are Williams and John Barry.

 

[Steve Christou]

I personally prefer Goldsmith to Williams, but I agree that John Williams is a great film composer NOT a hack, but I think all his best work was done in the 70's and early 80's I'm not a big fan of his 90's stuff.
I loved his music for Jaws, Towering Inferno, Dracula, 1941, Close Encounters, Indiana Jones trilogy, ET, and the original Star Wars trilogy.
I'm a Goldsmith fanboy and could listen to his music all day, he has been composing music for 40 years and still working, The Blue Max, The Omen, Star Trek, Alien, Legend, Wind and the Lion, Patton, Under Fire, Basic Instinct etc etc, all brilliant.

 

[Terrell]

I would agree with that Steve. His 80s and 90s wrok is probably better. It certainly is more recognizeable. Most of his 90's work seems to be more subtle. But I loved his Minority Report, A.I., and AOTC scores.

 

[Tom Ryan]

I think there's some confusion here. What's being debated is not Williams' position in the classical pantheon, but rather his role as a writer of FILM music. I wouldn't presume to place Williams alongside any truly famous and/or revered classical composer outside the film world, but in his own realm he's at the top of the game.

 

[Terrell]

Neither was I. I'm not silly enough to place Williams up there with Beethoven, Mozart, etc. I was strictly talking film composing.

 

[Zen Butler]

I agree, enough JW bashing/praising and back to the subject but one note Terrell

But it does prove a lot more than what Randy has given us

He did state many reasons why he thought JW a hack, Holst, Dvorak, Beethoven etc. Whether any of you agree or not...
My main complaint with the list was Ennio Morricone's only mention is The Mission. Although I love this score, it is far from his best. Randy, I'm sure you can help here, for you love and know Morricone.
Now on to my tiny forte Vangelis , kudos for the Blade Runner mention and I hesistantly agree with Chariots of Fire ..here comes that over-rated thing again. I feel Vangelis' The Bounty far superior to Chariots of Fire and darn near Blade Runner, which I feel can do no wrong.
I commend the listeners for acknowledging a very misunderstood, eerie, electronic composer as Vangelis , I don't feel so alone now.
I'm feeling the love again in this thread

 

[Steve Christou]

Vangelis score for Blade Runner was one of the most brilliantly unique scores for any film ever, I cannot imagine that movie with any other music.

 

[Evan Case]

My favorite Vangelis might actually be 1492: The Conquest of Paradise (particularly the choral sections).
I have no problem with Chariots being on the list, however. Great film though it is (and I personally rate it very highly), I can't help but think that it's Oscar success was in great part due to the indelibly iconic marriage of Vangelis' main theme to the slow-motion imagery of runners on the shore.
Evan

 

[kevin_asai]

I am glad that LoTR: FoTR is voted as the best soundtrack. I love the soundtrack very much :b

 

[andrew markworthy]

Um, Andrew, I feel bad now because I'm not sure you were in on my joke.

Seth, America has never quite grasped the British capacity for sarcasm, has it? Actually, I was going to say 'you love me, you really love me', but thought that might be a bit OTT.

 

[mark_d]

Uh oh...
The problem is the text based medium - not nationality.
Put me in the pro-Williams camp. I've never heard him say "I borrowed a bit from so-and-so and whatshisname to come up with this anthem" but I've also never heard him say "This is 100% my own work devoid of any outside influences". Is the difference between homage and hack acknowledgement?
At the end of the day, what makes a great score is not how well it plays on it's own, it's how well it integrates with and enhances the film it's attached to.
Also, does bombastic = bad? I don't think so. There's good and bad attempts at rousing, "in your face" themes, just as there's good and bad attempts at subtlety.
And it's all down do taste anyway. Artistic quality cannot be proved, only consensus gathered. From my point of view, no-one has better taste than me, just different. Because I'm me.
IMO
And thus I've helped descend another thread into the crapper of the "prove your opinion" argument.
:p)
Mark

 

[Larry Sutliff]

Not one score listed is by Bernard Herrmann, Franz Waxman or Max Steiner? I like all of the scores listed, but it's way too skewed towards newer films.

 

[Steve Christou]

What about James Horner? Isn't he the one that pilfers bits and pieces from his past scores? Parts of his Star Trek II score has popped into nearly all his scores, and parts of STII had been borrowed from his earlier work Wolfen. Star Trek III had bits of his Battle Beyond the Stars. Cocoon had bits from Star Trek III and on and on...

But don't get me wrong, Horner is an excellent composer, he has done some memorable scores, Glory, Apollo 13, Braveheart etc etc, but he does enjoy nicking pieces of his own work (and others), the opening notes of Jerry Goldsmith's Patton makes an appearance in Wolfen and Aliens...

 

[Robert Crawford]

Some of you, need to cool your jets and quit going back and forth with personal swipes about individual opinions. If you can't discuss this listing in a respectful manner then stop posting to this thread.
Crawdaddy