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John Powell kicks ass


Morlock

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I've long anticipated Solo will get a lot of responses like this:

"It's a good score, but of course it is! Williams wrote the Solo theme!"

 

"It's a good score, because of course it is! Powell had more time than Giacchino! It's not fair!" 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 26.4.2018 at 10:52 AM, PrayodiBA said:

'Chicken Run' Sequel in Works at Aardman (Exclusive)

 

A reunion perhaps? Much-awaited of that

Ah man. As much as I'd love another JP/HGW score, I was hoping that Aardman would finally do another Wallace & Gromit feature film.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Tracklist for Hubris:

 

The Prize Is Still Mine (14:29)

A Prussian Requiem - I. Introduction To Moltke - II. The March (4:50)

A Prussian Requiem - III. Beware The Bear (2:06)

A Prussian Requiem - IV. We, The Glorious Dead - V. Easy (6:27)

A Prussian Requiem - VI. The Papers Of Peace - VII. Let The Rails Roll - VIII. Victory Is Ours (9:32)

A Prussian Requiem - IX. My Reasoning (3:32)

A Prussian Requiem - X. The Gift (9:51)

Requiem Addendum (7:26)

 

http://www.hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=1639

 

another hour of Powell's music will face to face with Giacchino's Fallen Kingdom

 

 

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6 hours ago, PrayodiBA said:

Tracklist for Hubris:

 

The Prize Is Still Mine (14:29)

A Prussian Requiem - I. Introduction To Moltke - II. The March (4:50)

A Prussian Requiem - III. Beware The Bear (2:06)

A Prussian Requiem - IV. We, The Glorious Dead - V. Easy (6:27)

A Prussian Requiem - VI. The Papers Of Peace - VII. Let The Rails Roll - VIII. Victory Is Ours (9:32)

A Prussian Requiem - IX. My Reasoning (3:32)

A Prussian Requiem - X. The Gift (9:51)

Requiem Addendum (7:26)

 

http://www.hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=1639

 

another hour of Powell's music will face to face with Giacchino's Fallen Kingdom

 

 

Or Hubris and Fallen Kingdom can be friends! They can team up to battle a psychotic mutant hybrid!

8 minutes ago, Muad'Dib said:

 

I'm pretty sure this is the greatest video on Youtube right now.

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What I noticed on Solo is how dense but not chaotic the action writing is. I'll compare it to my very limited experience of Zanelli's Pirates 5 (it may be wrong, I only sampled a few tracks and never bothered to listen to the whole thing), another blockbuster franchise score from an RCP-background composer picking up from a popular master who made their respective franchises what they are. The orchestrations in Pirates 5 are dense, but not clear. Every section of the orchestra does something different, but they're all trying to overpower each other and it turns out to be a sonic mess, sometimes even just noise. What I listened to (not much) sounded more like generic trailer fodder compared to Zimmer's more simplistic, but overall much more involving and "epic" orchestrations. Whereas with Powell's Solo, a cue like Corellia Chase is very dense, once again every section of the orchestra doing something completely different at times, but it's much more clear and balanced. It may even be just the mixing, but you can make out every section, what they do, and it's still coherent and pleasant, they compliment and enhance each other instead of overpowering to try and sound epic, give way to the other at times so different parts come to the front, ending up being much better overall.

 

And if one of these scores has annoying, overpowering percussion, it's not Solo :P 

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I almost fell off my chair the first time I heard those drums kick in at around 0:40.

 

9 hours ago, Holko said:

And if one of these scores has annoying, overpowering percussion, it's not Solo :P

 

The thing about Powell's percussion is that it's constantly changing to fit with what the orchestra is playing and what the music requires. If those numpties who complain about "generic RCP drum loops" only LISTENED to the drum track with any attention they would find that it isn't as generic as they might assume. In fact, it's rare to find the same drum rhythm being played in adjacent measures. It's fine if heavy percussion in orchestral tracks isn't your thing, but let's not call it "generic RCP" now shall we...

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9 hours ago, Holko said:

 Zanelli's Pirates 5,an RCP-background composer picking up from a popular master who made their respective franchises what they are.

So Zanelli picking up from Zanelli? ;)

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Just now, Disco Stu said:

 And if anyone ever wants to make a snide or disparaging comment about the assistant/additional composer system, just watch this acceptance speech of one of Powell's former employees to see how important it is in the modern age, after the disappearance of robust studio music departments 

 

I always compare it to the old renaissance painting masters - they had a studio where they accepted orders, the master (like Verrocio, for example) drew the guidelines, did some parts and finishing touches, and his apprentices did a lot of the work to learn their master's techniques. Obviously it's not a 1:1 comparison but similar I think.

 

And of course there's the story of Verrochio giving up painting because his young pupil Leonardo did a much better angel than him, so it wasn't THAT limiting of a system.

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The key thing to remember is that film music is a business before an art, and the fact that many of the old guard were seemingly solitary artistes doesn't change that.  If you expect everyone to have Williams, Morricone, or Shore levels of autonomy (and even they have people of course), you're bound to be disappointed and crushed like learning Santa isn't real.  But it's just business, not some shady underhanded sweatshop operation.  Although there are one or two composers who I feel are unethical and slimy in their actual use of ghostwriters and generally weird setups.  At the same time, there are orchestrators and other music staffers who spread nasty rumors and sneering mockery of former - or even current - employers.  In short, the whole thing sucks and if you don't work in it, just enjoy the product and don't worry about all this shit.  

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John Williams is the very bestest composer of all times because he writes all the music all by himself, and then he performs it all by himself. He plays every single instrument. AT THE SAME TIME.

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14 minutes ago, TGP said:

The key thing to remember is that film music is a business before an art, and the fact that many of the old guard were seemingly solitary artistes doesn't change that.  If you expect everyone to have Williams, Morricone, or Shore levels of autonomy (and even they have people of course), you're bound to be disappointed and crushed like learning Santa isn't real.  But it's just business, not some shady underhanded sweatshop operation.  Although there are one or two composers who I feel are unethical and slimy in their actual use of ghostwriters and generally weird setups.  At the same time, there are orchestrators and other music staffers who spread nasty rumors and sneering mockery of former - or even current - employers.  In short, the whole thing sucks and if you don't work in it, just enjoy the product and don't worry about all this shit.  

Williams himself admitted as much during his speech at the BMI awards. No one learns on their own. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The first track of the album is pretty gorgeous!

 

Especially this part forward, Hancock's-death-and-transfiguration feel!

 

That kind of orchestral feel is pretty much Trademark Powell. No other composers have the ability to replicate it

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If Giacchino's JW wears you out I can only fear what would listening to Rozsa or North, at the top of their compositional "hubris", do to you. ;)

 

Now...could we please get a lossless/physical release?

 

Karol

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Nah, Giacchino doesn't. The emotional highs of top-shelf Powell does that to me!

Giacchino's just fun here and there and that's all I ask of him, while Powell over here knocks my socks off.

 

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