Cerebral Cortex

Thanks Ricard.  Absolutely love this site.  Thank you for providing such a wonderful service for us John Williams fans. - Rob

In 2005 I started hanging out on a Harry Potter forum with many active members from around the world and all sorts of off-topic discussion. Potter seemed like it was pretty tangential but that place whittled down pretty fast after the last book in 2007...by the last movie in 2011 I had moved over to a private forum with about 10 friends. It still exists, last post there was in November. I don't really visit there anymore but I do keep in touch with one person pretty regularly via text. She hasn't gotten around to Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts by the way.
 
The reality is that we are all different people from different places at different stages of our lives, with not actually that many (any?) common interests between the entire lot of us except for an enormous amount of passion for this site's namesake. Even our interests in film music differ wildly aside from the old or dead guys. Some of us hardly even follow current film music at all aside from Williams and not all of us buy every LLL set or compilation that comes out.
 
The one thing that ties all of us together is the promise of new John Williams music. I think we are all much more willing to tolerate those who we have nothing else in common with -- even when those disagreements get aggressive -- because in the back of our minds we know that person is here for John Williams. That's what is sort of beautiful about it.
 
When there is no more new John Williams music, it'll be different. There's only so much we can really say all at once about his existing output. Even now we've run in circles repeating discussions. There are groups of people here who actually do have much in common with each other and have formed real lasting friendships and those will continue, but who's to say that it will remain on this board instead of a free private forum where they don't have to be anonymous? Would they always continue airing their opinions and grievances on a public forum under an avatar and screenname? I dunno. There might not be enough donations after awhile to keep this thing going, but maybe the site will take a new shape and flourish. That would be nice to see. Most of us will eventually splinter off, move on to other communities and interests.
 
Just how it goes...how many people did you keep in touch with after graduating school when there was suddenly no reason for you to go back and see those people in that building every day? But you still remember many of those people from your class. I think it's okay.

Jerry Goldsmith is dead now for over 12 years and his works are still regularily discussed. That's because he's a genius and his timeless works are still being discovered by new fans to broaden his fandom. Another reason is this tons of expansions that have been released over the last years and the fans' urge to get more of these expansions.
 
John Williams is a genius as well, so there will always be something to talk about. Moreover, once he does not compose any more (whatever the reason will be), there will still be loads of expansions which are even more wanted than Jerry's.
 
So - yes, this community will last long after John Williams!

Of course it will go on, what a silly question.  Discussing his upcoming scores and concerts is only one small aspect of discussing his entire body of work, one is only one small aspect of all things discussed here anyway.
 
/thread

I hope so. I aim to discuss obscure Williams from yesteryear throughout my own lifespan.

My mature and well-thought-out response.

Well, exactly. It's the same thing that started the "M. Night Shyamalan is the new Steven Spielberg" trend after The Sixth Sense. Eventually these guys either carve out their own identity or they fade away. But there's never been a "new _______" who stayed that way and left any sort of legacy.
 
The kinda weird issue with Giacchino is that he was dubbed "the new John Williams" 15-20 years ago as an up-and-comer and we're still hearing about it even though he's an established 50 year old professional and a quite successful one....I mean, it's kinda condescending to him too at this point, but he's brought it on himself by riding on the back of so much retro stuff and inviting comparisons to so many great composers. First Barry, then Jerry, Jerry again, Johnny, Johnny again. Fuck's sake, he can never be anything but "the new John Williams" if this is how he's gonna spend the rest of his career. I doubt he really wants that either.
 
When it comes to Star Wars specifically, I don't know why there has to be a "next John Williams" anyway when there is no such talk of a "next George Lucas." The whole excitement right now should be in opening up the playground. Williams's role in Star Wars, like Lucas's, is completely singular, so how could anybody hope to replicate it? Why is there this assumption that just because Williams has had sole authorship over the music up to this point (because duh!) that the franchise is obliged to go to a new permanent boy king? "The passing of the baton!"  It's so arbitrary.
 
I get that right now it's mostly just fretting about the potential need for a sub on Episode 9 (although judging by a lot of comments I've seen, most people seem to think Williams is Mozart at the end of Amadeus, dictating from his sick bed) but just the idea that there has to be a new "official" Star Wars guy simply because John Williams is that for his own damn creation? That's pretty boring. Giacchino is not that special, neither is Desplat, nor JNH, nor anybody else who might take a crack. Nobody is going to be able to just pick up wherever Williams leaves off. They are ALL starting from scratch in their own voice, and really less than that because his shadow looms so large. The truly successful ones will find a way to escape being perceived as the new John Williams because their work will contribute something vital on its own terms, rendering the label irrelevant. Good luck to them.

My mature and well-thought-out response.

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

I actually think it was written just so that the writer could use the master and apprentice line. Probably was really proud of that one. 

I watched the documentary several days ago. I really loved it. Sure it told all the same old stories, but they do always add a couple little details that I hadn't heard before. Plus I just love seeing JW and Spielberg rave about one another. Perhaps because it's a departure from all the cynicism of politics and such. Just so optimistic, joyful, and wonderful to see two vibrant personalities like that together, having a good time.
 
I love the sense of place Bouzareau establishes right from the start with the opening shots of Royce Hall. It's really the next best thing to actually being there for those two days. It's so rare to get this much high quality video of JW conducting.
 
Perhaps my only complaint would be that I wish we'd gotten to see him conduct longer bits of the works. However, I'm still very glad we got this and I thought it was very well produced. Didn't want it to end!
 
In terms of the CDs, I've heard assorted bits of the first two in the past but never owned them, so I'm listening to them straight through right now. I'd never ever heard Always, for example, so it was good I was introduced to that, and there were several other scores that I had barely heard that I'm getting re-introduced to. It's great. A mix between discovery and a lovely walk down memory lane of some of my early JW favorites.
 
A moment I really fell in love with while listening was this (among others in the piece!), from a piece I don't believe I'd ever heard before:
 
 
Talk about kickass! 
 
(actually, this is Williams, right? - I did notice that some excerpts used aren't him, such as the Rakes of Mallow and Hooray for Hollywood)
 
I love "The Adventures of Mutt" by the way. So fun and energetic, even at this album's tempo. 

I think you should create a new thread about the vibraphonist.

We should never mention Djiatchino again, I agree. 

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

I actually think it was written just so that the writer could use the master and apprentice line. Probably was really proud of that one. 

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

The idea that Giacchino is the successor to Williams is an inane one that I wish would stop being entertained. That's not a jab at Giacchino, I like him. He certainly has his moments. But to whimsically treat Williams as an individual whose quantity and quality of work can be easily replaced by just about anybody not only diminishes his legacy but also is a blatant disregard for what makes Williams unique. Williams is Williams. There is no replacement, just as only Goldsmith could do Goldsmith, or only Horner could do Horner. That's why we love them, they truly stand on their own. To treat something as vastly intricate and complex as music composition as being nothing more than a matter of interchangeable parts is reductive at best and a disservice to somebody like Williams at worst.

After a tight race and a final judging by the festival, we were very happy to recieve the award yesterday evening.
 
Thanks to everyone who voted!
 

To link a video, the forum's interface allows you to just copy and paste the URL and it will do the hard work embedding it for ya! And, I agree, it is indeed a great arrangement. This particular one was discussed briefly in this thread. Nothing conclusive was reached, as far as I can tell. Welcome to the forums, Lacoq. 
 
 

Only happens a few times a year, but I quite enjoy cracking open a vintage bottle of red, reclining in my comfy lounge chair, then blasting Lapti Nek at full volume out my windows.
 
Judging by the resulting crowds, the neighbours are big fans as well!