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Hans Zimmer's Man Of Steel


Jay

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So basically Zimmer wants total encapsulation, and no subtlety whatsoever. At least that came across perfectly well in the score :)

It could have been interesting had he not drowned them in his usual droning brass, and really made the percussion its own thing.

And what the hell is wrong with a solo violin?

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I saw the film last week, and the only thing I really noticed about the score while watching was the 2 note piano theme that kept popping up, and the loud pounding drums for the action scenes. The weird thing was that the drums almost acted like a theme, except that the same theme was used when Superman was doing something good, or the bad guys were doing something bad, or whatever. The score is a lazy mess.

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I agree the score was extremely lazy. And I noticed exactly what you noticed Jason, the only things that I actually noticed and found interesting....were just played over and over and OVER and OVER. It's one thing to have a theme and do variations, but when it's the EXACT same thing every single time you hear it, it gets very lazy. Star Trek used it's main theme a lot in Into Darkness, I heard that...complaint? But the difference with the theme in Star Trek is that, it had a LOT of variations in between the couple that sound quite similar, and plus you know, Giacchino isn't lazy. I don't know, I really don't get what Zimmer was trying to do with the score, I really don't.

Also, yeah, what the hell is wrong with a solo violin (is he forgetting that he utilizing a solo violin in Angels and Demons?)

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I always thought that Savas was pronounced SHAV-ASS, and that Chaac was pronounced SHARK. Oh, well...

I might get rapped in the mouth for this, but...

I rather like "MOS". I have played it twice, now, which is once more than I have played "Lincoln", and twice more than I have played "War Horse".

I have yet to see the film, so I reacting to it as pure music, and all I can say is that it kind of works as a symphonic suite. No, it's not "Superman", and no it's not JW. It is a different score for a different re-telling of the story. After all these years of disliking Zimmer's music, I am now prepared to take his scores on their own merits.

As for Blood's comment about the people being famous for hitting the drums: Jim Keltner, and Vinnie Colaiuta are two of THE greatest percussionists ever to bestride this planet!

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What I meant was, that I react to the score as pure music, and not as supporting the mages of a film. O.k. so maybe it's not a symphony, and it was not composed as a symphony (unlike, say the original Side1 of "TBFB"). It doesn't really sound symphonic, does it, but, to me, it does. To have this opinion, you either have to be wierd, or me. Fortunately I qualify on both counts!

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I rather like "MOS". I have played it twice, now, which is once more than I have played "Lincoln", and twice more than I have played "War Horse".

If I were you, I'd consult a specialist in hearing damage

;)

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I'm listening to the soundtrack right now. I enjoy what I'm hearing, except for the action music. It has this nice New Age vibe which, I think, works. The quieter moments feel like the film should have felt (but didn't) - optimistic and hopeful. Not sure what's supposed to be so special about those circle drum sessions, though.

Karol

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There is an amusing note in the booklet, where this one guy states Zimmer is the most daring artist in the world and that he's willing to risk everything in pursuit of the new form. Well, something like that but not as bloated. And then... in the last paragraphs he points out how he's almost more focused on production, as opposed to writing. Unintentionally apt comment.

Karol

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No, he (Peter Asher) says Zimmer is the only person on this planet to take such risk... and succeed.

So I guess you know know nothing, Joseph of Not Arizona. )

Karol

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The action music is literally just loud wallpaper, it meshes with the sound effects. It doesn't compliment the images or synch with key moments of suspense and whatnot, it's just there, being noisy.

I can't imagine it ever making for an interesting or enjoyable listen in its own right.

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The quiet parts, which make for more than half of the album, are pleasant, actually. The album for the most part feels like this track - it is the final cut on the disc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUq5leMN7eo

Karol

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The action music is literally just loud wallpaper, it meshes with the sound effects. It doesn't compliment the images or synch with key moments of suspense and whatnot, it's just there, being noisy.

I can't imagine it ever making for an interesting or enjoyable listen in its own right.

It doesn't.

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The quiet parts, which make for more than half of the album, are pleasant, actually. The album for the most part feels like this track - it is the final cut on the disc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUq5leMN7eo

Karol

The quieter drama stuff I actually like during the movie. I'm gonna listen to this later.

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Most of the stuff I'm talking about sounds like something between Thomas Newman small town drama, Vangelis-like synths and Gladiator-like New Age.

Karol

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That's pretty much what I think. Vangelis does come to mind, particularly in terms of the instrumentation. Zimmer's own Thelma and Louise is in there somewhere as well, which I like.

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The whole drum circle jarg is just a load of spinning bull. Some guys whack their drums together for a bit and Hans reckons he's innovating.

It's really not about the famous drummers performing at all, but about how percussion is recorded and utilized in the score. In the film you can't hear it at all because, like you said, it's mixed as wallpaper music. Listen to the album, and Zimmer isn't the one saying he's innovating anything. Everyone else is.

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But if it hasn't translated at all into the film as underscore then they're patently wrong. These guys must have thought they were just recording some new concept album; not the score to a film.

If you want to hear proper examples of genuine innovation in music for film you would be better off listening to Vangelis, Glass or Morricone. Skip Hans and his Drum Beats Vol. 1 CD.

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So Ben Burtt's chopped up JW prequel scores are the final authority on what that music was?

Like I said before, it has nothing to do with the drummers. It's about the recording, and when the music is mixed so low under the sound effects you don't even hear the nuances in the movie. Just listen to the album for fuck's sake. Again, I never said anything about innovation, it's just a different take on utilizing percussion in film scores.

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Koray, I'm a film-centric listener of their scores. The hows and whys are completely secondary to me. I don't need to listen to this album nor any other to know what I like and why. It either works for the movie (and I) or it doesn't.

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I'm not telling you what to like or how to judge a film score, I'm telling you that the drum circle isn't a load of bull and that Zimmer never called himself an innovator. Just saying that sound editors and mixers are more responsible for the final film presentation of the music than the composer.

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I'm not telling you what to like or how to judge a film score, I'm telling you that the drum circle isn't a load of bull and that Zimmer

Sorry, but when Zimmer repeatedly bangs his own drum about his "drum circle" (:rimshot:) in the weeks before release in EVERY interview given, I can't help it if I interpret that as a sort of false innovation now can I. Hans bigged that shit right up he did.

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So you wouldn't talk about this new way of recording percussion you came up with in interviews? Again, it's the same thing as Giacchino or anyone else talking up their amazing orchestra and how great the players were.

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The question is whether or not Hans delivered an innovative, or fresh sound in his score as blatantly vaunted by himself. He didn't.

The score is extremely boring on CD.

Chaac doesn't seem to enjoy a whole lot of things, I noticed.

Karol

He really enjoys moaning about stuff he doesn't enjoy.

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