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mocc.mp3 It's probably more than a bit incorrect since I have trouble reading the spots that are probably trying to communicate to me the sharp and flat symbols, and I am too tired to play a harmony guessing game atm. One bar of bassline is obscured, so I left it empty.

I think there is not a singular final statement. Williams probably receives more acclaim now, than at any other point in his career. The concerts in Vienna, Berlin and Milan, his collaboration with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the fact that he's still scoring films at 90 (!) years of age, including an Indiana Jones film, are such wonderful moments to witness. I think Williams 'final statement' is that during the last phase of his career, he was regarded as 'a great composer', not just a 'film music composer' and his music and presence was heralded in the epicentres of classical music.

I'll probably finish the season, and that may be it. The visuals just aren't enough of a reason to keep coming back. There were a couple promising things early on...I thought that the portrayal of Elrond (and that early story line) was by far the best part of the show, which surprised me. And the initial stuff with the Dwarves was interesting (though all they did was try to copy PJ's Dwarves, with the comedy turned up to 11). But even that's wearing thin at this point, and that storyline is starting to feel like a Durin family sitcom, with Elrond playing the meddlesome neighbor. It's just boring and lazy. It's a lot more "quest" oriented than I was expecting, and the lead characters are all basically cut from the same mold...the "outsider" who is smarter than everyone else, while everyone surrounding him/her in their culture is an ostrich with their head stuck in the sand. It's just lazy. Every lead character has the same story. And how many Mystery Boxes™ do we have? Who is Meteor Man? Who is Halbrand? Who is Adar? Which one is Sauron? Is one of them Gandalf? What is Celebrimor up to? What's the secret of the sword hilt? Tune in next week to (maybe, but probably not) find out! The overuse of the Mystery Box™ is just another example of lazy, unimaginative writing that plagues so much TV drama. How many Mystery Boxes™ are there in Lord of the Rings? Zero. And the whole "we're not trying to copy the movies even though everything we put on screen says otherwise" just feels insulting, and invites comparisons that don't make the show look good. None of it makes any sense, it's all contrived. Every motivation by the characters only exist to get them to the next scene. Stuff is written because they think it sounds "Tolkien" but it's really just gibberish. "No one walks alone" the Harfoots chant as they leave the old, injured and vulnerable behind to die alone. And what does "The Sea is always right" mean? And the reason we're given the Numenoreans hate the Elves is b/c the Elves are going to steal their jobs? WTF? (so much for the promise of no real-world political allusions) And speaking of analogies, I have to say, I still haven't figured out what the analogy about rocks and ships and stars is supposed to mean. Again, it's just gibberish, and now I think I'm talking myself out of even finishing the season.

They’re just editing down the big 10 minute action set piece into a 2 minute concert suite for the OST

JKMS is playing coy, but these sure look like JW sketches, presumably for Indy 5, so it seems recording is still very much in progress:

I think Where the Shadows Lie is the Rings of Power theme -

2nd Blog https://bearmccreary.com/the-lord-of-the-rings-appendices-part-2/

If you'd have told me when I was a kid that we'd have multiple Star Wars/Star Trek/Marvel/Lord of the Rings series running concurrently when I grew up, I'd have sworn you came from a future in which the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth had been firmly established. Instead, there's just emotions ranging from "that's OK" to passive disinterest to utter loathing.

It's an analogy for watching this show.

I feel like of this weren't SW, very few people would have anything to say about it, positive or negative

With a Bleistift, ja ja.

Wow. Am I the only one who kinda wishes that his longer tracks were broken up into smaller tracks? To me at least, listening to 10 two-minute tracks seems more approachable than one 20-minute track. It’s the same amount of music either way, but I feel like it’s easier to revisit your favorite parts when they’re not buried in one massive track.

I thought that repeating growling ostinato was unique. Oh wait, that was my wife snoring on the couch. This had music?

Lando's not a theme, he's a man

I frankly think it is hella cool. Gives us enormous insight and transparency into how the most expensive TV score ever for the most expensive TV show ever was put together - a straight window to the artistic process.

It's back up for sale at DME! Still limited to 3 per customer. Perhaps it will stick around longer or be restocked again, but I'm not chancing it, so I just placed my order.

I wonder if mom dances like a Greek.

Another great bit like that was the speech about how they sing to the rock, how it all has a history and value... right after spending hours mindlessly smashing random rocks to bits for no reason.

Planet Earth has some amazing stuff in it, primarily in the first half. Karol

Anyone who thought this joke was about quality is missing the point.

Go to the concert. Have the missus check out the bar during the concerto and enjoy the rest of the concert.

This means you essentially have no standard or boundaries for what you’d consider Star Wars music, meaning you don’t have a definition for Star Wars music beyond ‘music that is in Star Wars and is nebulously good’ I’m on the fence with this kind of thing now but when one side is able to actually explain what Star Wars music is, and the other just has a vague almost anything goes approach, it’s kind of clear to me which side is way more informed and appreciative of Star Wars music

This argument is ridiculous to me in the context of Star Wars. Literally almost every product before this has tried to be that narrow definition of Star Wars and it has lead to creative bankruptcy, and thus is likely extremely off putting for potential creators that aren’t massive fanboys already Now Andor comes along, finally is confident in what it’s trying to do and goes in a completely different approach to everything that came before it, and now people are trying to push it back into the mediocre sludge because it doesn’t have that mass appeal If it’s not something that interests you, that’s great. Wonderful even. Spin-off shows shouldn’t appeal to everyone, they should target niche audiences. You can have your mind-numbing Mandalorians if I can have my Andors

Scott Mendelson at Forbes is one of the few mainstream critics I quite like. What he says in his review here is pretty much what I was saying in this thread a few weeks ago...how many elements that make Star Wars be Star Wars can you take away and it still be Star Wars? What happened to Star Wars being joyous, magical, stirring and, I don't know, fun? Why does everything have to be subversive? Is that what I'm being told to appreciate now? Things I love being "subverted"? I don't know man, if you're looking to Star Wars for gritty realism, lessons on the brutality of war, and having your expectations subverted, it might be time to crack a book.

I'll never forget the Oscars 1982. My Grandmother got me the LP of Raiders of the Lost Ark for Christmas just a few months ago, but I was playing it heavily. I think this was the first time I was aware that an award was even given for scores, and definitely around the time it crystallized for me that John Williams was responsible for the ones I loved. I was watching the telecast, and ready to hear them say that the award would go to John Williams. And Chariots of Fire won. And I went to bed an angry 9 year old. And that was it for the Oscars for me ever since.

Maybe its just... human memory. He has slipped up in numbers in multiple places. He has said both 15 and 17 themes in interviews. He has said both choral music in 6 and 8 languages in interviews. He has said both 6 and 8 weeks for composing themes. The numbers are close enough that he might have a human memory slip here and there. I don't think there is any deliberate misleading going on from him.

So... Based on McCreary's latest blog post - It seems the remaining themes are - 15. The Mystics' Theme 16. The Rings of Power Theme (Where the Shadows Lie) 17. Nolwa Mahtar Only The Mystics' Theme needs to be identified now. All others have been identified.

That piece was performed by the Utah Symphony, btw (as was Call of the Champions on the same album). All the rest of the tracks were done in LA.

Criston Cole is, it seems, overwhelmingly preoccupied with his self-image and perceived reputation and status, as seen through the prism of chivalrous ideals; he's suffering from a bad case of chivalric narcissism, one might say. Joffrey Lonmouth was on the right lines when he diagnosed Cole as being "cuntstruck", except that I'd say that he's not so much in love (or in lust) with Rhaenyra as a person as with the opportunity she provides for elevating his own self-esteem. (His obsession with her puts me in mind of Littlefinger's with Catelyn Tully - though Littlefinger's form of narcissism is obviously quite different from Cole's.) I think that, when questioning him, Alicent is just treading lightly since she is broaching a delicate and potentially dangerous matter, and also taking care to give him the impression that her motives are honourable and not selfish or antagonistic. But to Cole, in his narcissism, the notion that the interview is about something other than himself does not occur, and so he offers up his admission of guilt before being forced to. Alicent is sharp enough to recognise the potentially valuable asset at hand, and to work out how to take advantage of him. Not the whole of the Vale, I think - presumably the Lord Paramount is still an Arryn - just the Royce lands within the Vale. I expect she did see it, and it would be hard to believe that Larys thought he could disguise his real intentions. I think he was just avoiding making blatant allegations and allowing her to read between the lines. Bad healthcare. Mellos is a quack.

I think I may be in the same boat if this show hadn't come at the perfect time where I'd just seen continuous failures attempting to capture that feel that I'm like 'finally something that isn't trying to do what all the other shows are trying to do, and that it's actually doing that different thing quite well'

I heard that for the first time just now and I'd definitely be amongst its supporters. It's repetitive but it keeps changing and building. Wouldn't say it's one of the finest cues ever written or anything, but it's nice.

In reality, I'm not sure it would be very politick to ask an American composer to write something for a British monarch given that the UK has a range of fine composers. However, agree that a Walton-esque ceremonial would be right in his ballpark, but then I expect he wouldn't actually want to write a pastiche Walton work - fine for the finale of a little space movie (joking) but not where he'd be writing for a similar occasion that Walton's originals were written. I'm glad someone mentioned the James MacMillan piece at the funeral as I thought it was wonderful and really stood out. I've never really got into the Holst/Vaughan Williams/Elgar choral tradition, a lot of it just kinda sounds generically liturgical/hymnal, without being especially memorable. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely stuff, but just a bit, I dunno, samey?! The MacMillan stood out as it had a much more through dramatic arc and was appreciably different to the rest without being anything that would offend every living head of state (approx) at a funeral. The Judith Weir work was nice but a bit underwhelming - I don't appear to have any music by her, as Master of the King's Music, maybe I should check her music out?!

With all these accolades, it sounds like the Tinker Bell scores are worth a blind buy. The samples sounded good, too. Just ordered the first two along with Muppets Most Wanted.

I was expecting a little more to happen in the wedding scene given the tension they establish. The knight killing the guy was violent and unexpected but the way the scene was paced led me to believe that something more planned and concrete would happen (as opposed to a random outburst of violence)

Even worse, they play Rogue One.

I liked the scene with the two Jaffa cakes.

...you have to stop yourself air conducting Test Drive from HTTYD. In the office.

Episodes 1 - 3 Well..... I don't think that was great. I thought episodes 1 & 2 were kind of a chore to sit through. There was nothing that made me go "That's cool" or "I know where this is going". I get that it were more set-up episodes, but I didn't care for them. I looked on my phone quite a few times in the first 2 episodes, which is not a good sign, because I never do that wile I'm watching something. I didn't care for the flashback scenes. With them only speaking a language that no one understands, it was hard to pay attention or care for any of it. The 3rd episode fortunately was a lot better. I thought from the moment Skarsgard & Luna were in the scene together it got interesting. There was more clarity in where the story was going and I was more invested. The whole sequence with them escaping was the best part of the 3 episodes. I liked the clanging from the villagers to intimidate and the way they hooked the ship so that the Imperials thought they were being attacked from 2 sides. The cast is fine. The standout, for me, was Fiona Shaw. She did a lot with the little she was in it and I hope this was not all we see of her. Great actress! Stellan Skarsgard also made a good impression. The series got more interesting when his character entered, and that's in part to his charisma. Diego Luna is fine. To me he feels like the exact same person as in Rogue One and I thought this series was about how he got to that point. But there are 9 episodes to go, so who knows what happens. Adria Arjona was fine. Kyle Stoller was annoying, but that's more his character than his acting. Alex Ferns' character can die. What a jerk. As for Britell's music. I really like Britell's scores. Succession and Cruella are incredible. And Don't Look Up & Vice I also like a lot. But I don't know what this was. I thought it was boring and unispired, I'm sorry to say. There's lot's of droning, almost no orchestra or themes to latch onto. I hated the music at the end of the 2nd episode with the drumming (what the hell was that). The best music was the final cue of the 3rd episode, when I could actually hear an orchestra. I won't blame this on Britell more on the showrunner(s), because he's a very competent composer, but I hope there is more inspired music in the remaining 9 episodes. I was really looking forward to this series and score. But if the whole series is like this, I'm going to be disappointed. We didn't even get a glimpse of Monn Mothma or the Senate. I'll watch it, but as of now, I'm going to lower my expectations a lot.

Wow. In the book you already have focus, a clear world with loveable characters and stakes, a clear POV you follow as it discovers that world so it expands for the both if you, others soon joining them before separating, to give them a clear setup, and the main motivating story has already begun and just takes some time to truly kick into gear. What you have in RoP is a mess of many characters, most with zero relation to each other other than having seen MM and maybe possibly thinking they'll share a villain in the future sometime maybe not sure probably, they almost all share the same basic generic setup (different thinking person wanting more somewhat oppressed by their environment), nothing has really happened yet in most of their storylines beside basic setup, just generic filler and manufactured conflicts to make the audience think something did, and they're all generic cliche domestic small characters and plots as opposed to Tolkien's larger than life mythology, and either insufferably annoying or painfully bland and boring.

I'm trying to imagine a universe where Tony Gilroy got so excited hearing this title theme on piano that he called Kathleen Kennedy right away and said "We have a theme!". Oh wait, that's our universe.

You know, it just struck me: people like to make those equivalances but this show feels neither like The Hobbit nor The Lord of the Rings. You know what it feels like? Tolkien. Not as in his writings, as in the biopic from 2019. By which I mean to say is that it feels like 20-century-set drama smeared with a Medieval paintjob: so many of the situations are just so...mundane: a young girl is bullied, a person reprimands his friend for missing his wedding, a father is upset with his children's career choices, a son flunks his college applications, a woman makes "mole-tail stew" (?) for her husband. Its just so...domestic! Its like in Tolkien, where he'd bicker with his friends, have a falling-out with his girlfriend, fails an exam, etc... Now, that's perfectly fine for a biopic, just like its perfectly fine in some of the 20th and 21st-century-set shows that some of these writers worked on like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, but for a faux-Medieval epic? I mean, the movies had situations that were personal but except Sam having his eye on Rosie, they were never this mundane and prosaic. The irony is actually that those domestic scenes are better than those parts of The Rings of Power that do go for the rarefied "end of the world" feeling like all the Galadriel stuff and certainly the Tirharad malarky, again a little bit like the World War I framing device was the clumsiest part of Tolkien.

Meh. My opinion is about what you'd expect it to be. The pure spectacle, while it does (mostly) look great, can't make up for the atrocious writing (I mean, stunningly bad), inane plotting and weak characters. What they've done to Galadriel in particular is character and plot malpractice. But none of it is particularly good. I mean, I knew from the start the show wasn't going to be Tolkien...and I'm not even judging it from a "lore" standpoint...but what's surprised me a little is that it doesn't even really hold up that well on its own as generic fantasy. The spectacle of the whole thing worked well enough as a kind of shock and awe factor in the first couple episodes, but isn't enough to make for compelling week to week viewing, in my judgement. It's just hard to work up enthusiasm to write about something that's so uninteresting beyond the fact that it's so pervasively uninteresting.

It remains what it always was: a 'sentimental favourite'. The repetitions of the main theme really grate on this 65 minute version. My favourite stuff in this score since 1993: the fanfare in 'Take Us Out' or its longer version, 'Tryouts'. These are really standouts no other composer could have nailed as well.

You instinctively know which "Main Title" or "The Hunt" someone is taking about.

I think I found it more interesting than enjoyable. Some of the sampled breathy stuff reminded me of Ennio Morricone's weirder efforts and I have to admit that those don't do a huge amount for me. For all the people having expectations for The Fabelmans or whatever, my expectations for this were somewhere between Arnold's Stepford Wives, Desplat at his quirkier end and things like Promising Young Woman (by JP's assistant composer - or however you want to term it - Anthony Willis), but it was a whole lot weirder and less engaging than any of that. The final 8 minute action cue is pretty great, but the rest was far more sporadically engaging. It could just be me, but if I'm terrible for having double standards when it comes to soundtracks. If this was by a composer I either didn't know or was broadly indifferent towards, I can honestly say that I would probably have given up after a few tracks, but because it was JP, I persevered to the end. I mean, I'm glad I did and I will try and give it another couple of spins (in a way that I doubt I'd have bothered had it been by anyone else!) but I think it'll go down as something of an outlier in his opus.

... and it's a good job that they don't. Jerry could/should have picked up at least 5 Oscars™ in his career. Instead, he got a measly 1. Oh, the humanity!

I believe this video hasn't been posted yet?

I actually had to recreate some of the sfx from the rips myself when listening to Azkaban the first time.

I love the fanfare for the centaur creature in The Dark Forest. Sounds like it could find a home in TPM.