163 replies to this topic

[indy4]

Another way of the asking the question: if you had to get rid of part of your film music collection, and you had an option of either getting rid of just the soundtracks by JW or just the soundtracks by everybody else, what would you pick?

While I am still interested in film music, and I probably will continue to be for the rest of my life, I am definitely more of a JW fan than a film music fan. I can't remember the last time I bought a non-JW release from one of the specialty labels, and the only upcoming film scores I've actively looked forward to have been those by JW. I find myself to be more interested in classical music and musicals than film music.

I'm still always listening for a good piece of music when I watch films, and I don't think I'll ever stop building my film music collection, even after all of JW's material has been released. I like to poke around film music message boards and read about popular opinion and and news. But for some reason it just doesn't interest me as it once did.

Anywho, what about you?

[Faleel]

Sometimes I am more of a JW fan, then I listen to stuff like Star trek 1, 2, 3, and 4, and LOTR and I am more of a Film music fan.

in other words, it changes.

[MSM]

I find it very refreshing to listen to other film composers, and there are periods that i am very into a specific composer, but listening to Williams always feels like coming home.

[Incanus]

I am a John Williams fan first and film music fan second. It was the order in which I was introduced to JW and film music in general.

But the divide between my favourite composer and other film music need not be wide. I love discovering new music, both film and other music, but as MSM said, coming back to John Williams is like coming home. There is something in his music that speaks to me more strongly than any other composer's.

[Luke Skywalker]

Williams. period.

[Quint]

I love great film music and it just happens that Williams is the man behind a great deal of it, which naturally makes me more loyal to him than to his "peers".

[Alexander]

John Williams.

[Incanus]

Surprisingly the vote is heavily in Williams' favour. JWFAN.com is still worth its name.

[Thor]

I like all kinds of of film music from the beginning of time, but Williams happens to be my favourite (along with Elfman, Goldenthal and a few others). So he will be the "last to go" if I were ever to sell my collection. Actually, I've already started to sell off some JW things (mainly C&C issues and other stuff I don't really listen to), but I still need to keep one good representation of each of his compositions.

[BloodBoal]

OK, I'm alone here (for the moment, at least), but I chose the second option. I love Williams, and some of his scores are in my Top 10 of favourite scores from all time, but really, ditch every other composers just for one bald man's work ? Sorry, there is too much great stuff out there for me to choose Williams, even with scores such as Star Wars, Hook, JP, and his (truly) amazing Tintin.

Surprisingly the vote is heavily in Williams' favour. JWFAN.com is still worth its name.

And that's make me wanna puke ! You're all despicable human beings !

[Incanus]

OK, I'm alone here (for the moment, at least), but I chose the second option. I love Williams, and some of his scores are in my Top 10 of favourite scores from all time, but really, ditch every other composers just for one bald man's work ? Sorry, there is too much great stuff out there for me to choose Williams, even with scores such as Star Wars, Hook, JP, and his (truly) amazing Tintin.

Surprisingly the vote is heavily in Williams' favour. JWFAN.com is still worth its name.

And that's make me wanna puke ! You're all despicable human beings !

Thanks! We appreciate your input greatly! Please come again!

Mumble grumble JW hating whippersnapper. Preposterous, ridiculous, outrageous, blasphemous, uppity, good-for-nothing, ingrate. Harrumph, harrumph. And all the support I have given your non-JW related news reports. Grumble, grumble.

[crocodile]

I love great film music and it just happens that Williams is the man behind a great deal of it, which naturally makes me more loyal to him than to his "peers".

Karol - who just realized this is neither option

[king mark]

Option 1 BUT the question is not properly phrased

I am firstly a film music fan, but with Williams as my absolute favorite composer by a LARGE margin. I almost consider him a "goldly entity" in that respect. One we are lucky enough to live in the same era that he's composing music

I would not have become a John Williams fan based on his entire music output. For example I don't think his concert pieces (concertos) would have made me a Williams fan without the film music

And I often feel on this forum some people just see John Williams as another film composer among film composers, not somebody truly special that we are lucky to be listening to music from him

[Quint]

I love great film music and it just happens that Williams is the man behind a great deal of it, which naturally makes me more loyal to him than to his "peers".

Karol - who just realized this is neither option

It makes sense to me...

[crocodile]

No no. I agree with you. Just can't vote.

Karol

[Quint]

Oh I see what you mean now.

[Incanus]

It has to be said, indy4's question is black and white, one or the other. There is no much room to manoeuvre. And not a slightest bit provocative.

[Marian Schedenig]

I'm primarily a fan of good music. A considerable part of that happens to be film music, and some of that (and some of the other part, too) happens to be by Williams. But if I had to sort out my collection, just as some things by Williams and Goldsmith would be the last to go, so would plenty of non-film music discs.

[Richard Penna]

OK, I'm alone here (for the moment, at least), but I chose the second option. I love Williams, and some of his scores are in my Top 10 of favourite scores from all time, but really, ditch every other composers just for one bald man's work ? Sorry, there is too much great stuff out there for me to choose Williams, even with scores such as Star Wars, Hook, JP, and his (truly) amazing Tintin.

You're not alone now.

Without hesitation I'd choose option 22. I'm overwhelmingly a film music fan. With my current listening habits, if someone came and deleted my Williams folder, frankly it might take me a week to realise.

[Incanus]

And there is inherently something titillating in putting people these questions of absolute favourites or "what if you had to choose" scenarios. They do bring about a lot of interesting discussion on invidual tastes and ways people measure the worth of music or a single musician or a composer or artist or art for that matter.

I am horrible at making favourite lists since I can't decide on an absolute value of e.g. the best Williams score, one over some other score, since there is such a breadth and variety with individual strengths and weakenesses in his ouvre. But I can say that JW is by far the most influential of film composers or musicians when it comes to my life. His music sparked my interest and introduced me to film music but also to a lot of other things as well, literature, art, films etc. It is this that makes him most unique and my favourite composer. It can't just be boiled down to music in the end even though it is the main factor of course. Years and years of what to my ears is the most unfailingly beautiful, powerful and meaningful music that speaks to me most clearly and profoundly is what sets him apart from others.

[Chaac]

I'm a fan of film music, but JW introduced me to it and he's my favourite composer.

[Hlao-roo]

I prefer Michael Giacchino over every film composer combined. Williams' music is OK sometimes when I don't feel like listening to good music.

[crocodile]

I prefer Michael Giacchino over every film composer combined. Williams' music is OK sometimes when I don't feel like listening to good music.

Yeah and at people like Tyler Bates and Jablonsky have some decency and don't rape classical music the way Williams does.

Karol

[Hlao-roo]

I prefer Michael Giacchino over every film composer combined. Williams' music is OK sometimes when I don't feel like listening to good music.

Yeah and at people like Tyler Bates and Jablonsky have some decency adn don't rape classical music the way Williams does.

Karol

Absolutely not. They caress it gently and affectionately.

[Incanus]

Thank you gentlemen, for that lovely pair of mental images.

And John Williams is the best + infinity with a lock on top. Sorry no contest here.

[Hlao-roo]

Thank you gentlemen, for that lovely pair of mental images.

A lovely pair, to be sure.

[Mark Olivarez]

I don't think the questions are worded correctly but if I had a choice of only keeping my Williams scores compared to all of my other film scores, I'd chose the latter.


Williams is my favorite but there are plenty of film scores to make up for his absence.

[Hlao-roo]

Williams is my favorite but there are plenty of film scores to make up for his absence.

If only the same could be said about Yao Ming.

[Koray Savas]

The thread title question is a better one. The actual poll is quite extreme in the options.

John Williams?

Or Michael Giacchino, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, John Powell, Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat, and Thomas Newman?

The answer is obvious IMO.

[Datameister]

I find it very refreshing to listen to other film composers, and there are periods that i am very into a specific composer, but listening to Williams always feels like coming home.

I am a John Williams fan first and film music fan second. It was the order in which I was introduced to JW and film music in general.

But the divide between my favourite composer and other film music need not be wide. I love discovering new music, both film and other music, but as MSM said, coming back to John Williams is like coming home. There is something in his music that speaks to me more strongly than any other composer's.

I love great film music and it just happens that Williams is the man behind a great deal of it, which naturally makes me more loyal to him than to his "peers".

^^^ QFT. In the beginning, I was purely a Williams fan - specifically, a Star Wars fan. That was all I'd been exposed to. Then I became aware of his work beyond the saga, and then I became aware of other composers, and although I enjoy the work of many composers now, Williams still remains my favorite, and I absolutely know what you mean about coming home. His musical language has taken root in my psyche and there's no way it's ever coming out. For whatever reason, it just feels like it's the way music ought to be. Other composers can provide a glorious breath of fresh air, but if I had to choose between ditching only Williams' music and ditching everyone else's, I wouldn't have a hard time deciding.

I prefer Michael Giacchino over every film composer combined. Williams' music is OK sometimes when I don't feel like listening to good music.

[indy4]

It has to be said, indy4's question is black and white, one or the other. There is no much room to manoeuvre. And not a slightest bit provocative.

I thought about giving the middle option of "I like them both equally" or something like that, but I realized that would become a sanctuary for pansies who can't summon the courage to make a decision .



The poll stays!

[MSM]

I find it very refreshing to listen to other film composers, and there are periods that i am very into a specific composer, but listening to Williams always feels like coming home.

I am a John Williams fan first and film music fan second. It was the order in which I was introduced to JW and film music in general.

But the divide between my favourite composer and other film music need not be wide. I love discovering new music, both film and other music, but as MSM said, coming back to John Williams is like coming home. There is something in his music that speaks to me more strongly than any other composer's.

I love great film music and it just happens that Williams is the man behind a great deal of it, which naturally makes me more loyal to him than to his "peers".

^^^ QFT. In the beginning, I was purely a Williams fan - specifically, a Star Wars fan. That was all I'd been exposed to. Then I became aware of his work beyond the saga, and then I became aware of other composers, and although I enjoy the work of many composers now, Williams still remains my favorite, and I absolutely know what you mean about coming home. His musical language has taken root in my psyche and there's no way it's ever coming out. For whatever reason, it just feels like it's the way music ought to be. Other composers can provide a glorious breath of fresh air, but if I had to choose between ditching only Williams' music and ditching everyone else's, I wouldn't have a hard time deciding.

Good to see there are still kindred minds around.

[king mark]

The thread title question is a better one. The actual poll is quite extreme in the options.

John Williams?

Or Michael Giacchino, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, John Powell, Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat, and Thomas Newman?

The answer is obvious IMO.

The problem is, Koray, you really think Giacchino and some of those other guys have equal or superior composing skills than Williams. A bit like Blumenkhol

I listen to plenty of other stuff , but I do have a problem when some proclaim the music of Lost is equal or superior to anything Williams has ever composed.

[Chaac]

Try another list then: Bernard Herrmann, Miklós Rósza, Alex North, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, Max Steiner, John Barry, Basil Poledouris, Alfred Newman, Danny Elfman, etc etc

[Stefancos]

I listened to some Lost music conducted by gia himself live in concert, and it was pretty dull.

And that was the best of it! (or else why would he have chosen to conduct that)

[king mark]

it's good with a few outstanding highlights.The suspense and "scary" music is extremely repetitive

i think that is a realistic assessment of it

[Chaac]

I listened to some Lost music conducted by gia himself live in concert, and it was pretty dull.

And that was the best of it! (or else why would he have chosen to conduct that)

I thought it was amazing. Gave me some major goosebumps.

Some of his music "makes more sense" live.

[Datameister]

I listened to some Lost music conducted by gia himself live in concert, and it was pretty dull.

And that was the best of it! (or else why would he have chosen to conduct that)

I listened to some LOST music conducted by Giacchino himself live in concert, and it was pretty amazing.

[gkgyver]

That's really not a fair question.

Being a John Williams fan doesn't mean you are a film music fan. It means you stand above them.

[Mark Olivarez]

The thread title question is a better one. The actual poll is quite extreme in the options.

John Williams?

Or Michael Giacchino, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, John Powell, Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat, and Thomas Newman?

The answer is obvious IMO.

The problem is, Koray, you really think Giacchino and some of those other guys have equal or superior composing skills than Williams. A bit like Blumenkhol

I listen to plenty of other stuff , but I do have a problem when some proclaim the music of Lost is equal or superior to anything Williams has ever composed.

I'd say the "problem" is your narrow mindedness and ignorance when it comes to anything not composed by Williams.

I listened to some Lost music conducted by gia himself live in concert, and it was pretty dull.

And that was the best of it! (or else why would he have chosen to conduct that)

I listened to some LOST music conducted by Giacchino himself live in concert, and it was pretty amazing.