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This is decidely not a random encounter with John Williams' music, but it was a random encounter with...something today: (sadly, it does not use the theme as far in as I got)

"Indy's Great Escape"? Why aren't we fretting about Williams' self-plagiarizing his track titles? One might say he and Elfman are heading for a "Final Confrontation" in that competition...

I have an Apple Music trial. Is this worth my time if I'm not listening on Genuine AirPod$?

It's a programming pun! Let's hope this continues. If he really is retired from film scoring now, watch for lots of performances of "Jim's New Life" and "Linus's New Life" in the next year.

Wow, "Three Million Light Years From Home"! Has that album version ever been played live? Even the live score would have performed "Far From Home/E.T. Alone." And there are differences, right? I love the idea of E.T. getting the suite treatment. "Adventures on Earth" is sublime, but this strikes a blow for variety. Even the Star Wars suite has been switched up a bit of late, with "Obi-Wan" in Chicago and "Solo" at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back, IIRC. But yes, I've got a fever, and the only thing that can make it fall is to hear Skywalker Rise.

Well? Did you ask him about releasing the TROS recording sessions? Clean studio versions of "Grit and Glory" and "Dear Basketball"? Use your time, man!

More pieces from TROS than any other Disney-era film...John Williams' favorite sequel confirmed!

This is great music. It's a love letter to Williams throughout, and then every now and then it turns into a stalker letter. "hEY jOHNNY!!! wHAT WeRE YoU WEariNG WheN yOu WrOtE THE bATTLE OF hOTH??? i'M wearING IT tOoOoOoO!!!!" I've heard SpaceCamp, Yoda's theme, the March of the Resistance, even "I Can Fly Anything" at one point in there. And it runs the gamut from note-for-note melodic similarity to a sort of spiritual, structural paint-by-numbers that's even weirder when it dawns on you. But whatever. The music is gorgeous, and there are lots of cues that are either more original or haven't revealed their provenance to my ear yet.

Haha, not to me, I guess, because I never knew that until today! What's wrong, aside from using Ian McDiarmid on Empire (which I can forgive given the triptych structure of the paintings)?

Agreed. The Durin theme is absolutely knockout dwarf music as well, particularly in its variability (demonstrated ably in the concert suite but also, I'm sure, in the episode cues, which I have yet to fully delve into). This is such score-of-the-year material that I honestly have trouble extricating what I love about the show (which coexists alongside what I hate about it) from what I love about the score (which is just about everything). Has anyone done a roundup of what material is exclusive to the episode albums?

In fairness to Rian Johnson, he shares a long cinematic history and half his DNA with his alternate composer, and Williams was already in Star Wars/Spielberg-exclusive retirement by the time they worked together. I think I heard that Williams pursued the Geisha gig with Marshall (previously Spielberg), so Marshall may not have had access to him later. Howard has actually worked with a murderer's row of great composers (Horner and Zimmer a bit more), so he might just prefer variety. So when's this CD coming out?

Nope! Raiders, too! Unbelievable show, more to say later, but for now, let’s see what the night brings! (Skip to 1:04) 1296547601_OfGritandGlory.m4a

Wait, if "The Duel" is listed above "Sabrina," and Robert Chen is credited below "Sabrina," is it possible that Chen's credit applies to both of those pieces, and we'll get the Mutter arrangement of "The Duel"? This deal is (maybe) getting better all the time! Also, have fun in Chicago, @Erik Woods! My brother and I, who discovered Cinematic Sound thanks to your Tintin premiere and listened to your Williams 80th retrospective together back in 2012, are simultaneously starstruck that you'll be there and humbled that we're three Williams concerts ahead of you. What a program to come in on. Here's to many more!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now let your servant die in peace, O God, for I have seen Your salvation! Wow. Let me count the ways. Obi-Wan live. Fawkes live. Of Freakin' Grit and Flippin' Glory live! Now just hit me with a wordless Dear Basketball encore and I'll spontaneously combust in the upper balcony of Symphony Center.

More cello film arrangements, please. Hey, you know what would sound great on cello (besides everything)? The Love Theme from The Terminal! (As I type this, my iPod just served up Robert Folk's theme from Beastmaster 2, which would also sound great on cello, and which Williams is welcome to arrange if he wants to bring back the "Por Una Cabeza" days while he's at it.)

If adventure has a name, it must be Mr. Chips! 🤣

That's a heck of a teaser! Any way of accessing this in the States?

Oh, gotcha. I grew up before digital and remember that vividly, even the little cue marks in the upper-right corner that used to appear every now and then. Digital has been dominant so long now that I kind of forgot about it! It would be cool to see that again sometime.

Man, is he campaigning for Best Score? This feels, by his standards, like a lot of press.

What does that mean practically, though? Is it mainly of historic interest, or is the difference perceptible to the eye in some way?

I've always been curious about that. What does 35MM offer that's different? I sometimes go to classic film showings at a local theater (privately run ones, not Fathom Events, although I go to those, too), and I have no idea what format they use. Honestly, I was pretty sure I heard the DVD menu music at a showing of It's a Wonderful Life some years ago.

Inside of a month on this now. Where's the program?? Williams recently mused about playing Helena's Theme here, but what else?

Glad someone finally noticed this new favorite phrase. I thought it was just me!

Beneath his dignity for sure, but I'm glad it's happening and I'm watching nonetheless! I love anything that gets Williams' name out there and reminds casual movie fans that this giant is as accomplished (and alive!) as he is. I just wish he was doing Fallon so he'd have to play freeze tag or something. Williams' path through the world of interviews has been an odd one. Remember, he also did Tavis Smiley in 2015 to promote TFA, and that might be the longest interview with him I've seen apart from that radio interview posted to YouTube a couple of years ago from the '80s. He really needs to do a long-form sit-down with whoever is the less perverted successor to Charlie Rose. But then again, the documentary will hopefully scratch that itch.

Oh, no, I saw all that (minus Buffy) and totally agree. But still, maybe unjustly, he's not in the first tier of names I think of when I imagine who Hollywood looks to for superhero movies. If that's changing, great!