13 replies to this topic

[SF1_freeze]

Which Top 15 - 20 tracks would you put on a CD / playlist consisting of John Williams best Action Music?




I will start myself. My top 20 in random order would be:

01) "The Asteroid Field" (From The Empire Strikes Back)
02) "The Battle of Hoth" (From The Empire Strikes Back)
03) "The Tide Turns" (From The Phantom Menace)
04) "Tie Fighter Attack" (From Star Wars)
05) "Quidditch, Third Year" (From Prisoner of Azkaban)
06) "The Desert Chase" (From Raiders of the Lost Ark)
07) "Anakin vs Obi-Wan" (From Revenge of the Sith)
08) "Slalom on Mt. Humol" (From Temple of Doom)
09) "Short Round Helps" (From Temple of Doom)
10) "Escape from Venice" (From Last Crusade)
11) "Indy's Very First Adventure" (From Last Crusade)
12) "On the Tank" (From Last Crusade)
13) "The Raptors Appear" (From The Lost World: Jurassic Park)
14) "The Dash Across No Man's Land (Album Version)" (From War Horse)
15) "The Great Shark Chase" (From Jaws)
16) "The Land Race" (From Far and Away)
17) "The Chase Through Corsucant" (From Attack of the Clones)
18) "The Ultimate War - Death of Rufio - The Sword Fight" (From Hook)
19) "The Jungle Chase (Film Version)" (From Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
20) "The Battle of Endor I" (From Return of the Jedi)


I will certainly make future threads on "Best Of" playlists of John Williams "Downbeat Emotional Music", "Upbeat Emotional Music", "Exotic Music", "Source Cues", "Magical Music", "Comedic and Jazz Music" and "Dissonant and Horror Music". Feel free to correct me in my definitions and i welcome suggestions for alternate musical definitions or types of music i simply forgot.
I hope i then can encourage some of you to post your favorites here or in the older threads...

Links to the older CD series threads:
JW CD Series - Part 1 - Dramatic Music

[E.T. & Elliott]

There's too much great Williams (action) music to choose from. Obviously, stuff like the TIE Fighter Attack, Man Against Beast, Desert Chase, Battle in the Snow, Asteroid Field and the entire finales of Jedi, Temple of Doom and Hook would be among my top choices.

[MissPadmé]

The tracktitle compilation reminds me of "The" Bernard Herrmann.!

[SF1_freeze]

The tracktitle compilation reminds me of "The" Bernard Herrmann.!

Maybe all the track titles starting with "The" are instant winners . I'm curious about your favorite JW action track playlist.

[indy4]

- Chase through Coruscant
- General Grevious
- Duel of the Fates
- Indy's First Adventure
- Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra
- TIE Fighter Attack
- Ants!
- Quidditch, Third Year
- Love Pledge and the Arena
- The Hunt
- Battle of the Heroes
- Desert Chase
- The Quidditch Match
- Belly of the Steel Beast
- Mine Car Chase
- The Basket Game
- The Ultimate War
- The Motorcade
- The Land Race
- The Asteroid Field

But I know I'm forgetting some important ones.

[SF1_freeze]

We have at least 30 regular posting members and only one posts a list of their favorite action tracks... what do i miss?

Have the Williams fans magically dissappeared from this board? Don't you have any favourites? It's almost a shame that on a Jw fan board close to no one participates in such a thread

[Ren]

I can't give you a list 25 long.

[SF1_freeze]

Then post a longer one if you have more favorites

[Ren]

Lol. It's the opposite for me

[SF1_freeze]

Judt post your favorites, no matter the number

[Pieter_Boelen]

Here's some of my favourites:

- Sir Francis and the Unicorn
- Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye
- The Land Race
- The Quidditch Match
- The Chess Game
- The Spiders
- Quidditch, Third Year
- The Ultimate War
- Desert Chase
- Over the Himalayas
- Short Round Helps
- The Portuguese Coast, 1938
- Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra
- On the Tank
- Belly of the Steel Beast
- The Jungle Chase (especially Ugh, Vines!)
- Man Against Beast
- T-Rex Rescue & Finale
- The Hunt
- Rescuing Sarah
- Visitor in San Diego
- Ludlow's Demise
- The 1960's: The Turbulent Years
- Theed Palace Escape
- Panaka and the Queen's Protectors
- The Tide Turns
- Duel of the Fates
- Love Pledge/The Arena
- Main Title/The Battle of Coruscant
- Heroes Collide/Duel on Mustafar
- TIE Fighter Attack
- The Battle of Yavin
- The Battle of Hoth
- The Asteroid Field
- The Clash of Lightsabers
- Rescue from Cloud City/Hyperspace
- Sail Barge Assault (including the Alternate)
- The Forest Battle
- No Man's Land
- The Attack on the Car

I tried (and failed) to stick to one track per score. Tried to put some not commonly mentioned ones on there too.

[Alexander]

01 Defending the Homeland (From 1941)
02 Finale (From 1941)
03 The Swashbucklers (From Star Wars)
04 Ben's Death/TIE Fighter Attack (From Star Wars)
05 The Last Battle (From Star Wars)
06 The Battle in the Snow (From The Empire Strikes Back)
07 Hyperspace (From The Empire Strikes Back)
08 The Rolling Ball (From Raiders of the Lost Ark)
09 Pffist Fight (From Raiders of the Lost Ark)
10 Desert Chase (From Raiders of the Lost Ark)
11 The Ewok Battle (From Return of the Jedi)
12 Leia is Wounded/Luke and Vader Duel (From Return of the Jedi)
13 Space Battle (From Return of The Jedi) - otherwise known as "Superstructure Chase"
14 Through the Flames (From Return of the Jedi)
15 Once in a Vial/Through Chinatown (From Temple of Doom)
16 Mine Car Chase (From Temple of Doom)
17 Indy's Escape (From The Last Crusade)
18 Escape from Venice (From The last Crusade)
19 On the Tank (From The Last Crusade)

[ymenard]

I would almost do a 3CD that's made of early (up until his he starts his gothical period, say until Superman or The Fury?) action cues, then another CD up until hmm.. . The Phanton Menace finally a modern Williams action cues.

[Michael]

All right, let's see...

1. Indy's Very First Adventure (From The Last Crusade)
2. The Motorcade (From JFK)
3. Quidditch, Third Year (From Prisoner of Azkaban)
4. The Turbulent Years (From Nixon)
5. Fifty Miles of Desert (From The Eiger Sanction)
6. Sir Francis and the Unicorn (From The Adventures of Tintin)
7. Sierra Leone, 1989 (From Amistad)
8. Rescuing Sarah (From The Lost World)
9. Desert Chase (From Raiders of the Lost Ark)
10. Air Chase (From Black Sunday)
11. The Great Shark Chase (From Jaws)
12. Journey to the Island (From Jurassic Park)
13. The Land Race (From Far and Away)
14. Rescue from Cloud City (From The Empire Strikes Back)
15. The Ultimate War (From Hook)
16. Adventures on Earth (From ET)