Do you *really* think Williams' SW PREQUEL Trilogy is as good as Shore's LOTR?

[Ricard 2,245]

A recent poll showed that 63% of members prefer Williams' Star Wars OT scores over Shore's LOTR Trilogy, while 37% of them favorite the latter or rank them both equally.

Let's see now how the near-contemporary prequel trilogy measures up against the power of the Ring...

Vote and discuss!

[crocodile 8,000]

That's a really difficult choice. I do like prequels, but not nearly enough to make them immune to criticism. Shore's trilogy is great and certainly hit the spot with listeners in this new millennium. Prequels are really impressive in their highlights, Shore does impress more as a whole. Not sure.

Karol

[KK 3,307]

Williams' prequels are very good scores, but its occasional failings puts it a couple steps below the very well-crafted whole that is LotR. On top of that Shore's trilogy just does a lot more for me than Williams new one does.

[indy4 155]

I'm tempted to vote for the prequels, as I return to them more often and enjoy listening to them more. But LotR gets some major points for it's unity. So it's a tie!

[Faleel 5,346]

Number 1

I almost voted number 3.

[crocodile 8,000]

Number 1

I almost voted number 3.

Same, but I still might change my mind.

Karol

[Faleel 5,346]

With polls its often hard for me to choose between certain scores, as usually there are things I like and dislike about each of the choices.

[Quintus 5,399]

The Phantom Menace was the Maestro delivering on the hype and the score is vintage Williams, but Shore's ambitious LotR trilogy wiped the floor with Williams's eventual completed efforts on the SW prequels overall.

[crocodile 8,000]

How does his Harry Potter music rank among those two franchises?

Karol

[Faleel 5,346]

How does his Harry Potter music rank among those two franchises?

Karol

If I recall correctly, Quintus has no interest in HP.

I could be wrong though.

[Quintus 5,399]

It was an open question.

[crocodile 8,000]

It was. But that means I'm also asking you, petal.

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm not particularly interested in the Harry Potter trilogy of scores, but I do like the odd certain cue from them. I did buy the Philosopher's Stone's OST.

People here absolutely love and raved about Harry's Wonderous World, but I don't like it at all.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I think The Phantom Menace is easily better than any of the LOTR scores but the prequel trilogy on whole isn't nearly as cohesive as LOTR. Each of the prequel scores are more entertaining the LOTR scores in their stand-alone form.

It's a close call, but I'm going with the prequels, mostly because of their entertainment value.

[Quintus 5,399]

This poll is really going to anger KM :evilface:

[indy4 155]

I should say, I'm very pleased with this poll/list renaissance.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

How does his Harry Potter music rank among those two franchises?

Karol

Better than the prequels, lesser than LOTR.

[crocodile 8,000]

I concur.

I feel almost bad for not voting otherwise. There is so much good stuff in the prequels - Coruscant chase, The Arena, Duel of the Fates, funeral music, love theme, Anakin's theme... But in terms of structure they kind of disappointed me, they seem scattered around. And structure is everything in a series like this.

Karol

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

A vote for one doesn't equal a vote against the other, no reason to feel bad. You can have two good things and still feel one is better.

Don't buy the JWFan logic that you either love everything from Williams above all else, or you're not a True Fan.

[KK 3,307]

You know what we do to the un-True Fans...

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Go on! Make a martyr of me. Then you'll see!

[crocodile 8,000]

We are sinners! We are filthy!

Karol

[KK 3,307]

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I would say Shore's scores are obviously more cohesive and tightly woven in their thematic density, but I simply find Williams's scores (for all their flaws) more entertaining and diverse. I revisit them much more often. Shore's LOTR is a bit too Wagnerian and harmonically conservative for my tastes.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not gonna bitch about it.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

but I'm not gonna bitch about it.

You're probably even more in the minority because of that!

[crocodile 8,000]

What's there to bitch about? Minorities are hip!

Karol

[Gnome in Plaid 219]

Hmmm... the high points of the prequels (particularly Revenge of the Sith's best moments) blow LOTR out of the water on a technical level, but I still had to go with option 3 for the latter's unity of vision.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I'm not one of those 'bigger picture' sort of people.

[Romão 2,274]

I admire the LOTR scores in terms of their overall structure and inner architecture, but in purely musical terms, I find them to be largely uniteresting.

The prequels get my vote

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Hmmm... the high points of the prequels (particularly Revenge of the Sith's best moments) blow LOTR out of the water on a technical level, but I still had to go with option 3 for the latter's unity of vision.

There's something plasticy and unconvincing about even ROTS's high points... the films themselves surely tarnish the prequel scores a bit for me. But that's an essential part of a film score: the film, and the way the two interact. As I said in the last thread, before it was locked, the SW scores may reach greater technical peaks, but that can't save them from their inherently inferior source material, which does fetter the potential for emotional impact, masterful as the music may be in its own right.

Of course, that's irrelevant if you are a slave to nostalgia/SW fanboyism, or if your thinking on JWFan polls bears similarity to the thinking of folks who just check the name of anyone in their preferred political party when they go to vote without actually knowing anything about them.

[Kühni 485]

.

[Datameister 2,042]

I would say Shore's scores are obviously more cohesive and tightly woven in their thematic density, but I simply find Williams's scores (for all their flaws) more entertaining and diverse. I revisit them much more often. Shore's LOTR is a bit too Wagnerian and harmonically conservative for my tastes.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not gonna bitch about it.

I admire the LOTR scores in terms of their overall structure and inner architecture, but in purely musical terms, I find them to be largely uniteresting.

The prequels get my vote

These about sum up my thoughts. I have great respect for all the thought that went into LOTR, but I'd rather listen to the prequel scores.

[King Mark 3,631]

Yeah,Williams SW prequel scores still trump LotR for me

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I wonder what JW is thinking in this moment as he's applauding Shore's win for Fellowship...

Probably wishing for a cinematic vehicle for his music of the calibre of Tolkien's work!

I'm tempted to share the thoughts on this subject of a composer who is fairly respected here... but I don't want to cause any heart attacks or in any case speak on someone else's behalf.

[Arpy 4,145]

I am first and foremost a Williams Devotee, but as far a the scores go, Shore's Rings is so beautifully woven that I have to say that they are the better film scores. I love, LOVE Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith though. Even considering the films were quite poor, my best memories from those films are because of the music and those scenes work only because of Williams saving them from the bad dialogue.

[King Mark 3,631]

He would have deserved it for HP 1

[Arpy 4,145]

I'm just thankful to have been around for Shore and Williams to give us what they have!

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Indeed!

But bin that kind of talk. This is a place of divisiveness and competition, for some reason!

[Arpy 4,145]

I would say Shore's scores are obviously more cohesive and tightly woven in their thematic density, but I simply find Williams's scores (for all their flaws) more entertaining and diverse. I revisit them much more often. Shore's LOTR is a bit too Wagnerian and harmonically conservative for my tastes.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm not gonna bitch about it.

I think this is how i feel sometimes. Rings can be daunting to listen to. Williams has more accessible moments.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

I'm tempted to share the thoughts on this subject of a composer who is fairly respected here... but I don't want to cause any heart attacks...

Ah, go on! We'll all brace ourselves!

[Arpy 4,145]

I make my family endure film music on car journeys and it's clear which one they'd prefer. if I play something amazing like Theoden Rides Forth, after the first minute or two they beg for the Superman March!

Jurassic Park is another family favourite along with Potter and Doctor Who.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

if I play something amazing like Theoden Rides Forth, after the first minute or two they beg for the Superman March!

I'll never be able to watch the charge from Helm's Deep the same way ever again...

[Jay 37,346]

I should say, I'm very pleased with this poll/list renaissance.

Me too. We need Josh500 and Pieter back

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

if I play something amazing like Theoden Rides Forth, after the first minute or two they beg for the Superman March!

I'll never be able to watch the charge from Helm's Deep the same way ever again...

Do you *really* think John Williams' Superman March is better than Howard Shore's Theoden Rides Forth?

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

That's the next poll. And then Ringwraiths vs. Jaws.

Edit: Actually, for the latter, forget the poll. That's a movie pitch.

[Arpy 4,145]

if I play something amazing like Theoden Rides Forth, after the first minute or two they beg for the Superman March!

I'll never be able to watch the charge from Helm's Deep the same way ever again...

Do you *really* think John Williams' Superman March is better than Howard Shore's Theoden Rides Forth?

I don't, my family does. I think it's just the main themes they like and nothing much else, but when they've been with rock and pop for so long, the ol' verse, chorus, verse thing becomes the norm for them.They like Concerning Hobbits though.

That's the next poll. And then Ringwraiths vs. Jaws.

Edit: Actually, for the latter, forget the poll. That's a movie pitch.

You see the hoods of the Ringwraiths jutting out of the water instead of a shark fin.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

"Smile you son of a b ", says Jaws.

I make my family endure film music on car journeys...

Never play the Superman March in a moving vehicle! You mustn't embolden the driver. Théoden Rides Forth is an even worse safety hazard. If you want to listen to Howard Shore music on the road, pick something more soothing like Crash.

[KK 3,307]

THIS is what people should be blasting on the road!

[Arpy 4,145]

I should really play the last minute of A Spell of Concealment with that weird brass chaotic bit!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Might it not be more appropriate to poll the prequels against the Hobbit trilogy after the next movie comes out?

By the way, have I ever mentioned that Tolkien is soooooo borrrrring?!