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Is John Wiliams overworking of late?


King Mark

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I dunno,like Jerry Goldsmith a few years back,Williams is cranking out scores like never before.And the result is like Goldsmith,2002 has been a disapointments,AOTC and Minority Report are mediocre at best,now we can expect a half baked Harry Potter 2 score and he's already writing something else.

K.M.

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Actually, he did crank out scores before:

4 in 1997 (not counting SW Special Editions)

5 in 1973

5 in 1966

4 in 1974

and 4 in 2002

Those were very good years.

Me - who wonders if JW scores are like wine and have a vintage.

By the way, the 4 in 2002 is accounted for because Spielberg did 2 films this year, so the more work he does, the more work Williams does!

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We don't know yet what the Harry Potter 2 c.d. will say.Music by whasiname,Themes by John Williams?

K.M.Who can see another Jurassic Park 3 coming.

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Actually, he did crank out scores before:

4 in 1997 (not counting SW Special Editions)

5 in 1973

5 in 1966

4 in 1974

and 4 in 2002

Those were very good years.

!

Not years that spawned masterpieces.

K.M.

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If John were overworked, then he would have written the entire score to the Chamber of Secrets, so no I don't think he is overworked.

Joe

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If John were overworked, then he would have written the entire score to the Chamber of Secrets, so no I don't think he is overworked.

Joe

That's just the point,if he didn't write the whole score to Chamber of Secret,he was most likely out of time thus has too many assingments at the same time.Personally I would have liked him to score HP2 entirely than do that Catch me if you Can thing,which only by the title I expect a boring score.

K.M.

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Not years that spawned masterpieces.

I disagree. 1997 had some good scores, including Amistad, The Lost World, and Seven Years in Tibet (which is excellent). As for 2002, I personally enjoyed the SW Score, even if it was butchered on the CD.

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Not years that spawned masterpieces.

I disagree. 1997 had some good scores, .

I never said the scores Williams composed in 1997 were not good,they were just not too memorable.

K.M.

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I disagree. 1997 had some good scores, including Amistad, The Lost World, and Seven Years in Tibet (which is excellent). As for 2002, I personally enjoyed the SW Score, even if it was butchered on the CD.

What about Rosewood? That's a real masterpiece!

Marian - who thinks that Rosewood is horribly underrated.

:music: Compilation of old TV Themes

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Marc's point was that 1997 was not a year of absolute masterpieces (yes, only in his opinion); I agree with him entirely. Having said that, I don't believe Williams has ever had a more successful year than 1997.

As I've said before, he began this year auspiciously with "Call of the Champions" and the debut of a fine collection of cello works with Yo-Yo Ma, but he hasn't come through with his film works.

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Marian - who thinks that Rosewood is horribly underrated.

jump1 :jump: yipee beerchug

That's the best thing I've heard all month -- OK, we're only four days into the month, but......"Rosewood" will unfortunately never get the appreciation it deserved. I actually fell in love with this score quicker than I did for "Amistad," which I still enjoy.

Jeff -- who is out to convert all the "Rosewood" haters

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That's the best thing I've heard all month

Well, in only four days.....

I also like Rosewood. It went unnoticed in the GREAT year of Amistad, Lost World, Star Wars re-release and Seven Years in Tibet.

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The Star wars Re-Release were the only GREAT things in 1997,unless you really like gospell and love Rosewood.

K.M.

per12.gifBLASPHEMER!!!!!!!

wut27.gif

Amistad MASTERPIECE (it's in my top 10)

Seven Years in Tibet MASTERPIECE (in my top 20)

The Lost World MASTERPIECE (even better than the first one, in my top 15)

Rosewood (really good, in my top 40.....)

And no, I don't like gospel. But Rosewood is not only gospel.

wut33.gif

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I haven't heard Rosewood, but I will take your word that it is good. As for the others, Seven Years is my favorite 1997 piece.

Me - who is arranging Seven Years for solo Viola and orchestra :jump:

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Me - who is arranging Seven Years for solo Viola and orchestra :jump:

I arranged it for piano, but only the half of the main theme, 'cause I began to bore.....

Yours has to be fantastic. Good luck.

And Rosewood...well, it's not a perfect score, and sometimes you fed up with those chorus (oh, glory, oh, glory, allelujah.......), but I like it, the only instrumental parts above all.

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The gospel songs in Rosewood are great, but there's much more. I particularly love the amazing guitar writing.

Marian - who thinks Rosewood and Lost World are Williams' best '97 scores.

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2002 is the year of the "mature" John Williams, the post-modern John Williams. Listen to Call of the Champions, and you'll understand.

Attack of the Clones is an amazing score but it's 1) a failure on screen because of Lucas and 2) it's a failure on CD because there's probably so much expandable material left.

Minority Report is full of leitmotiv, and full of strings. I can see how people can dislike it, but it's really a different score.

It's all about "getting" his new style, I guess. It took me a while also, but it clicked when I pseudo-analysed the Harry Potter action cues. His structure all makes sense now, but it's really 10x times more complicated then before. I wonder just how he's able to do all that!!!

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Guitar....eh.....

Please, help me. I want to do a poll with the best pieces with guitar. I have two:

Trio-The Meeting from Jane Eyre

The Days Between from Stepmom

And, as you have said:

Trouble in Town (for example) from Rosewood

Please, only write the titles, don't make any commentary, you will do it in my poll.

Thanks.

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The Star wars Re-Release were the only GREAT things in 1997,unless you really like gospell and love Rosewood.

K.M.

OK, now I have to disagree with you...the only thing that wasn't "GREAT" about '97 was his song cycle, "Seven for Luck."

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Seven Years in Tibet is oen of the finest scores JW has ever writen, IMHO. It's, for me, one of the top 5 scores of the 90's.

AOTC and MR are both fantastic scores. And Across the Sean's theme are fantastic themes.

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It's all about "getting" his new style, I guess.  !!!

I knew it! I'm dumb! banghead

His structure all makes sense now, but it's really 10x times more complicated then before.  I wonder just how he's able to do all that!!!

So how come I find it 10 times more simple (and in some cases, 10 times worse). I wonder just how he's able to do all that!!! :(

Ricard - Who after almost 30 years of listening to John's music, thinks he knows how to appreciate his scores. But wait... perhaps he's wrong! :)

I don't think so LOL

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Marian - who thinks that Rosewood is horribly underrated.

jump1 :) yipee beerchug

That's the best thing I've heard all month -- OK, we're only four days into the month, but......"Rosewood" will unfortunately never get the appreciation it deserved. I actually fell in love with this score quicker than I did for "Amistad," which I still enjoy.

Jeff -- who is out to convert all the "Rosewood" haters

Rosewood is Williams worst score in 20 years.

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The Star wars Re-Release were the only GREAT things in 1997,unless you really like gospell and love Rosewood.

K.M.

OK, now I have to disagree with you...the only thing that wasn't "GREAT" about '97 was his song cycle, "Seven for Luck."

You are mad. That is a good song cycle.

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Marian - who thinks that Rosewood is horribly underrated.

jump1 :thumbup: yipee beerchug

That's the best thing I've heard all month -- OK, we're only four days into the month, but......"Rosewood" will unfortunately never get the appreciation it deserved. I actually fell in love with this score quicker than I did for "Amistad," which I still enjoy.

Jeff -- who is out to convert all the "Rosewood" haters

Rosewood is Williams worst score in 20 years.

No, but Minority Report and Attack of the Clones are Williams's worst since Always.

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Marian - who thinks that Rosewood is horribly underrated.

jump1 :) yipee beerchug

That's the best thing I've heard all month -- OK, we're only four days into the month, but......"Rosewood" will unfortunately never get the appreciation it deserved. I actually fell in love with this score quicker than I did for "Amistad," which I still enjoy.

Jeff -- who is out to convert all the "Rosewood" haters

Rosewood is Williams worst score in 20 years.

No, but Minority Report and Attack of the Clones are Williams's worst since Always.

ALWAYS: The best use of piano in a Williams score.

ALWAYS: The best subdued Williams music.

ALWAYS: The most underrated Williams work.

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ALWAYS: The best use of piano in a Williams score.

ALWAYS: The best subdued Williams music.

ALWAYS: The most underrated Williams work.

:) i thought i was the only one who felt that way :(

actually, i don't agree with the best use of piano. i think Presumed Innocent has the best use of piano in a Williams score and is also one of his best subdued and most underrated works. along with Always of course.

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i also think Minority Report is a great score, despite the repeated string motif from Lost World in AGE

I haven't listened to it yet. I will see the film next month, and I don't want to listen anything of the score. Well, I downloaded the main theme (great), and I feel I will like the entire soundtrack.

So next month I will buy the score. Then I will give my opinion.

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Don't edit your posts, please, Tpigeon.

Presumed Innocent: I like it. But I think there the piano is the main instrument, in Always is only an accompaniment. So each one is the best in their functions.

Many people say that PI is very repetitive. But I enjoy it very much. Everytime.

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the point is, i really love Always. people around here trash it a lot so i was enthused to see someone who moreorless shares my feelings on it.

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Oh, yes, I agree with you.

And I have noticed that I agree with you in many topics. Also happy.

Always is, simply, superb.

It's easy to deny it. But it's difficult to say how good it is.

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So how come I find it 10 times more simple (and in some cases, 10 times worse). I wonder just how he's able to do all that!!! :(

Ricard - Who after almost 30 years of listening to John's music, thinks he knows how to appreciate his scores. But wait... perhaps he's wrong! :)  

I don't think so LOL

:biglaugh:

Ricard and Figo seem to be merging into the same person.

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Overworking?? Hes put out just 2 scores so far this year. Not 5.

Thats not that much!

Besides with HP he is really only doing 2 1/2.

However, he is aldo going to be working on that "Catch Me If You Can" flik.

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KM, I also wish he did the whole of Harry Potter 2 and left Catch me if you Can.... Oh well

However, I like some of AOTC. I think the chase through corruscant is fantastic and not simple witing at all... where does anyone get off saying that is simple. The rhythms alone and the use of percussion are fantastic.

Oh, and I love Always!!!!!!!!!

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The chase music is awful IMO. Stupid drum beat mixed with electric guitar?? That sucks!

I can understand you not liking the electric guitar, but that drum beat that you refer to is far from stupid. It is characteristic of Williams' rhythmic writing AND it reminds me of Drumming by Reich. And what about the rest of the orchestra? You make it sound like the score was done by a rock band :angry:

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