Has The BFG grown on you?

[Will 2,215]

22 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Have you heard A.I?  You should hear A.I.  

 

A few cues on YouTube. 

 

I've been meaning to see the film for a while now. I've got two SW movies and EOTS on my viewing list next, but I hope to see A.I. before the end of the year. 

 

And if the complete LLL ever comes back in stock (it says "temporarily out of stock" right now) I'll probably get that.

 

Being new to JW fandom is rather overwhelming! People rave about so many films and scores. I keep telling myself eventually I'll get to all of them but I have a long, long way to go. For most of his scores I've really only heard the concert suites. 

17 hours ago, BloodBoal said:

 

 

There. That's all that needed to be said.

 

You like The BFG? That's fine. You call it fresh? That's inaccurate!

 

I've listened to the entirety of the HPSS score. I've attended a HA live to projection concert and listened to some cues outside of the film. I've listened to some Hook and some E.T. and seen the first half of Hook and all of E.T. recently. I've heard some of COS and POA. 

 

I'm by no means an expert on any of those scores. But, for at least a few of them, I've heard enough to get a general impression of the stylistic tendencies in them. 

 

Certainly, there are many styles in The BFG that were omnipresent in those past scores.

 

But I tend to associate The BFG with a warm, regal, British, stage musical, classical, glowing but slightly meloncholy (I'm not sure what exactly it is) tone. Perhaps that association is not fairly representative of the score as a whole. But what I can say is that, until this point, I have yet to hear a JW work with that tone. 

 

It's likely one exists and I just haven't heard it, given how expansive JW's oeuvre is. 

 

But there could be a basic disagreement here about what exactly counts as fresh and a misunderstanding about what in this score I consider to be fresh. 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

You can ignore all the other raving.  Only A.I matters.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Williams isn't a one-trick pony like Zimmer!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Why a pony?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

American slang?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Oh.

 

I thought it was because you like ponies.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I don't 

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Why?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not manly enough!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

On 02/10/2016 at 8:44 AM, Stefancos said:

Williams isn't a one-trick pony like Zimmer!

 

On 02/10/2016 at 8:53 AM, BloodBoal said:

Why a pony?

 

As Steef says, it's a turn of phrase. It means "capable of doing only one thing".

It's also the title of great, yet very underrated, album, by Paul Simon.

 

Maybe Steef likes watching women smack the pony.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I would have the call the RSPCA if I saw that!

 

[Thor 7,490]

On 2.10.2016 at 3:06 AM, Will said:

Being new to JW fandom is rather overwhelming! People rave about so many films and scores. I keep telling myself eventually I'll get to all of them but I have a long, long way to go. For most of his scores I've really only heard the concert suites. 

 

I envy your youth! Or to be more precise, I envy your virginal entry into JW fandom. So much to discover, so many pleasures ahead, yet so overwhelming, as you say. I remember it well from my own past, especially the early 90s. I'd be delighted to give you a "must-have" list of Wililams works, but I think that if you created a thread about it, it would be more detrimental than beneficial -- at some point, his whole filmography would be listed as 'recommendations'.

[Will 2,215]

16 hours ago, Thor said:

 

I envy your youth! Or to be more precise, I envy your virginal entry into JW fandom. So much to discover, so many pleasures ahead, yet so overwhelming, as you say. I remember it well from my own past, especially the early 90s. I'd be delighted to give you a "must-have" list of Wililams works, but I think that if you created a thread about it, it would be more detrimental than beneficial -- at some point, his whole filmography would be listed as 'recommendations'.

 

I think I'll politely decline the recommendation list -- not because I don't trust your musical knowledge or anything, but simply because, clearly, everyone has different ideas about what they consider the best, as you alluded to. I'll just need to go through each score and find what I personally enjoy. It will be a long process, of course, but an exciting one too. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's a long road, when you're all alone!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

When they draw first blood,

that's just the start of it.

 

[Thor 7,490]

8 hours ago, Will said:

 

I think I'll politely decline the recommendation list -- not because I don't trust your musical knowledge or anything, but simply because, clearly, everyone has different ideas about what they consider the best, as you alluded to. 

 

Exactly. Smart choice! But us ol' veterans will always be here if there are any particular titles you're curious about.

 

[Tom 4,650]

The title of this thread sounds like the plot of some sort of horrifying sequel to the BFG. 

[crocodile 7,999]

Has it grown on me? Nope. A disappointment of the year, not likely to be "dethroned".

 

Karol

[Lewya 360]

Nope. It is one of Williams's weakest scores of the millenium.

[toothless 963]

I voted 3, as I can't fully get into that score. There are some beautiful moments (Overture, Sophie and the BFG, Sophie's nightmare), but there's also too much moments not easy to listen to (Frolic). I mean, it's probably highly sophisticated and that's why I can't really get into it. Right now it's not the type of music i want to listen to. I'm not old enough in terms of liking film music and JW music. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

Grown on me? I haven't heard it, yet 

[Jay 37,336]

What are you waiting for?

[mrbellamy 6,276]

I wouldn't say it's grown on me so much as I just accept it for what it is. It has a lot of little highlights that I really like, a few I love, but I was certainly hoping for something I would find more broadly satisfying. Not something I'll feel the need to go back to much anymore, but it's still one of the better scores of a kinda meh year so far.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

To answer the question posited by the thread title:

 

No.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

It's William's worst score 

[mrbellamy 6,276]

Jon William's?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

It's worse than everything.

[Jonesy 55]

In my humble opinion, The BFG is a wonderful score.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Seconded!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

I have anal leave, next week. I'll listen to it, then.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Anal leave?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

On 04/10/2016 at 3:24 AM, Will said:

 

I think I'll politely decline the recommendation list -- not because I don't trust your musical knowledge or anything, but simply because, clearly, everyone has different ideas about what they consider the best, as you alluded to. I'll just need to go through each score and find what I personally enjoy. It will be a long process, of course, but an exciting one too. 

 

Quite right, Will. Fuck what everyone recommends, and listen to CE3K.

[Will 2,215]

On 10/5/2016 at 10:19 AM, toothless said:

I voted 3, as I can't fully get into that score. There are some beautiful moments (Overture, Sophie and the BFG, Sophie's nightmare), but there's also too much moments not easy to listen to (Frolic). I mean, it's probably highly sophisticated and that's why I can't really get into it. Right now it's not the type of music i want to listen to. I'm not old enough in terms of liking film music and JW music. 

 

You don't like "Frolic"?! 

[TheUlyssesian 2,476]

On 10/3/2016 at 10:24 PM, Will said:

 

I think I'll politely decline the recommendation list -- not because I don't trust your musical knowledge or anything, but simply because, clearly, everyone has different ideas about what they consider the best, as you alluded to. I'll just need to go through each score and find what I personally enjoy. It will be a long process, of course, but an exciting one too. 

 

 

I'll just say this, I didn't follow the discussion in the thread about you discovering Williams or whatever but I'll say this, remember these are film scores and make sure you know the work in the context of the film too. That's sometimes the only way it will have the story-telling and emotional impact. 

 

E.T.'s finale on some days could move me to tears. Sometimes remembering the music itself will move me. And that is because of the memory associated with the music. 

 

So always also atleast once get to know the score IN THE FILM. Once you have it in your mind, the music will always be there to listen to and enjoy.

 

(The above is not true for all scores but for many scores. )

[Will 2,215]

14 minutes ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

 

I'll just say this, I didn't follow the discussion in the thread about you discovering Williams or whatever but I'll say this, remember these are film scores and make sure you know the work in the context of the film too. That's sometimes the only way it will have the story-telling and emotional impact. 

 

E.T.'s finale on some days could move me to tears. Sometimes remembering the music itself will move me. And that is because of the memory associated with the music. 

 

So always also atleast once get to know the score IN THE FILM. Once you have it in your mind, the music will always be there to listen to and enjoy.

 

(The above is not true for all scores but for many scores. )

 

Yes, I agree 100%. Often I am too lazy to seek out a film or I don't have the time, but I most certainly agree that when I see a film it improves my listening experience and emotional connection to the music drastically. Like in the case of The BFG. I didn't particularly enjoy the film or score when I watched the film in the theater on July 1, but I now very much enjoy the score and I play scenes in my head while listening and my opinion of both the film and score has really improved. 

[toothless 963]

8 hours ago, Will said:

 

You don't like "Frolic"?! 

 

It's more that it's not the type of music I want to listen to 

 

EDIT : Oh well, were you being sarcastic ? 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

On 10/7/2016 at 8:07 PM, TheUlyssesian said:

 

 

E.T.'s finale on some days could move me to tears. Sometimes remembering the music itself will move me. And that is because of the memory associated with the music. 

 

 

This hits close to home.

 

Same, my friend. Same.

[Will 2,215]

On 10/8/2016 at 8:24 PM, Disco Stu said:

 

This hits close to home.

 

Same, my friend. Same.

 

Yeah, I'm seeing E.T. live-to-projection next month for my birthday and I'm sure I'll have chills all through that final chase/departure. 

 

One particularly great bit is below. There was a time a few years ago when I would listen to this bit over and over and over again. It's so beautiful:

 

 

On 10/8/2016 at 3:32 AM, toothless said:

 

It's more that it's not the type of music I want to listen to 

 

EDIT : Oh well, were you being sarcastic ? 

 

No, not sarcastic. 

 

I just figured it was one of the more "accessible" pieces on the album. But of course everyone can have their own musical tastes, not judging you. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

I wonder if JW is sick of conducting his own music, all the time? Does he ever wake up, the day after some plebeian, lowest-common-denominator 

Hollywood Bowl thing, and say: "If I ever have to conduct that ET shit again, I'll kill myself"?

[Tom 4,650]

would it be an different for Rush? 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

...or any other band, or artist for that matter.