Brian Eno Hates John Williams

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

Apparently that was the case originally, but most of his score got rejected.

[Romão 2,274]

Really? Never heard that before. Is any of it available?

 

Hiring Toto seems like a very De Laurentis thing to do

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

2 hours ago, Romão said:

Really? Never heard that before. Is any of it available?

 

I don't think so, and I'm afraid to say I don't remember where I read it. But it isn't so illogical considering Toto was doing the full score, why would they bring in Eno for a piece that it's barely used? 

 

Quote

Hiring Toto seems like a very De Laurentis thing to do

 

Maybe, seems they could have gone with either Eno or Moroder as well. But Toto really delivered a damn fine soundtrack in my opinion, I find it weird they didn't do any more. 

[Thor 7,478]

12 hours ago, Muad'Dib said:

Maybe, seems they could have gone with either Eno or Moroder as well. But Toto really delivered a damn fine soundtrack in my opinion, I find it weird they didn't do any more. 

 

Well, some of the Toto members have gone on to do film or tv music (including Joseph, John Williams' son). Most of the DUNE music was done by Toto dad Marty Paich anyway. But yeah -- would have been interesting to hear more scores by them. DUNE is wonderful!

As for the topic at hand, I'm not sure why it was dredged up again (slow day at work?), but my opinion still stands -- Eno is a fantastic composer and musician, and whatever he thinks of John Williams is not something I take personally.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

54 minutes ago, Thor said:

As for the topic at hand, I'm not sure why it was dredged up again

 

I am an agent of chaos.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

You had to pull newer members like myself down into the muck.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

I do none of that myself!  I merely provide the opportunity for people to do it to themselves... but you emerged unscathed and are to be commended!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I motion that we rename JWFan to The Dead Marshes

 

Jay's not looking too good these days....

[Loert 2,510]

OK, at the risk of being drawn into the muck...

 

The thing is, here's Brian Eno stating that he wants to avoid the "John Williams" effect, which can be summed up as being when an orchestral piece sounds "inevitable". So he wants to avoid that kind of inevitability with his music.

 

Yet John Williams has stated multiple times in interviews that the hardest part of his work is writing music which sounds inevitable and feels like an unreplaceable part of the film...

 

So this whole thing just seems redundant to me.

 

Anyway, moving on.  *goes back to listening to the horribly inevitable-sounding "Dream Country" from The BFG*

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Eno is something of a musical ascetic. It's this extremism (using the term loosely) that can make his ambient work especially so interesting.  It's hardly surprising to me that someone like that has an aversion to traditional orchestral music that Williams has mastered.

 

So, to me, Eno's dislike of Williams' music is a natural side effect of what I find so interesting about Eno in the first place!

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

7 minutes ago, loert said:

 

 

The thing is, here's Brian Eno stating that he wants to avoid the "John Williams" effect, which can be summed up as being when an orchestral piece sounds "inevitable". So he wants to avoid that kind of inevitability with his music.

 

Yet John Williams has stated multiple times in interviews that the hardest part of his work is writing music which sounds inevitable and feels like an unreplaceable part of the film...

 

So this whole thing just seems redundant to me.

 

 

Williams wants this effect and puts a lot of effort into it, and Eno finds this effect at odds with his own sensibilities, what's redundant about that?  It's simply a clash of musical ideologies.

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

59 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

I am an agent of chaos.

 

 

[Loert 2,510]

58 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

 

Williams wants this effect and puts a lot of effort into it, and Eno finds this effect at odds with his own sensibilities, what's redundant about that?  It's simply a clash of musical ideologies.

 

It's interesting to hear what musicians think of other musicians and their music of course. But it's a bit like saying "I don't like techno music because it's got lots of synths in it". It's a moot point which won't help Williams get better in any way! I'm just saying, I find it nothing to ponder about as a fan of Williams. But it's still interesting to hear what Eno thinks about Williams anyway, as it brings us closer to his taste and sensibilities.

 

For the record I'm not totally familiar with Brian Eno though I have heard some of his music before and liked it quite a bit.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

I see, just wasn't sure what you were getting at.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

4 hours ago, loert said:

Anyway, moving on.  *goes back to listening to the horribly inevitable-sounding "Dream Country" from The BFG*

 

I like you.

 

5 hours ago, Thor said:

As for the topic at hand, I'm not sure why it was dredged up again (slow day at work?), but my opinion still stands -- Eno is a fantastic composer and musician, and whatever he thinks of John Williams is not something I take personally.

 

Mediocre composer, decent musician. And that doesn't give you a right to mock other composers, albeit different.

 

Almost like some people here (no names)which like to call themselves composer or musicians mocking pretty good musician, shame on you.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

2 hours ago, SafeUnderHill said:

What is interesting about his music? I'm open to delving into his work, but that 'Prophecy theme' sounded to me like someone improvising with synths on their computer. Also, what about it makes it a theme? The texture? Is there some sort of melodic line?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

No. That is why You FAIL. SUH is right.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

At least in his ambient work, the lack of melody is sort of the point. It's about the texture, the mood.  You're allowed to only fitfully engage, it's not music that necessarily requires your attention 100%. Music as wallpaper I believe is a phrase Eno has used before. It can be very pleasantly meditative.  You might as well start at the beginning, Music for Airports, if you're actually interested:

 

But anyway, my love of Eno comes from his pop records. I find his ambient pieces fascinating, but I wouldn't call them among my favorite albums or anything.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

3 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

At least in his ambient work, the lack of melody is sort of the point. It's about the texture, the mood.  You're allowed to only fitfully engage, it's not music that necessarily requires your attention 100%. Music as wallpaper I believe is a phrase Eno has used before.  You might as well start at the beginning, Music for Airports, if you're actually interested:

 

But anyway, my love of Eno comes from his pop records. I find his ambient pieces fascinating, but I wouldn't call them among my favorite albums or anything.

 

Oh this Airport music is brilliant. It is so much better than those annoying flutes in BFG.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Hornist, you can claim to not be serious, but within that non-seriousness, you're quite a hypocrite.

 

 

4 hours ago, SafeUnderHill said:

Another what?

 

Person making somewhat uninformed and sweeping dismissals.

 

 

1 hour ago, hornist said:

No. That is why You FAIL. SUH is right.

 

No. That is WHY you faiL.  Sharky is right.

[publicist 4,643]

3 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Hornist, you can claim to not be serious, but within that non-seriousness, you're quite a hypocrite.

 

He's JWFan's very own Trump.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Thor 7,478]

32 minutes ago, SafeUnderHill said:

Just realised where I'd heard about Eno from - scored The Lovely Bones.

 

That's your first encounter with Eno's music? I mean, it's a fine score and everything, but he's only, like, a legend in ambient electronic music.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Jay 37,323]

I never heard of Brian Eno until this thread was created.

[A24 4,327]

I have found a new avatar for you, Jay.

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

3 hours ago, Jay said:

I never heard of Brian Eno until this thread was created.

 

The name was vaguely familiar to me. But ditto.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Cremers will get you too!  Look out!

[Thor 7,478]

You people have been living under a rock!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Or we just have different interests then you. You reckon thats a possibility Thor?

 

1 hour ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Cremers will get you too!  Look out!

 

I fear no Belgian!

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

8 hours ago, Jay said:

I never heard of Brian Eno until this thread was created.

 

4 hours ago, Stefancos said:

 

The name was vaguely familiar to me. But ditto.

 

Yes.

 

Surprisingly I haven't liked anything this man has done ( didn't know his involvement.). I love my ear.

 

I'm going to spend my next 50 years again without his output.

 

greetings

 

[Arpy 4,145]

Brian Eno is entitled to his banal opinions, as I'm entitled to my opinion that I've never liked anything he has composed and that I wouldn't take his opinions as anything to write home about on the subject of John Williams' film scoring. 

 

[Thor 7,478]

What a place this is....

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Seriously Thor. This is a forum dedicated to a film composer and film music in general. You really expect a musician like Brian Eno to be common knowledge here? Why would you?

[KK 3,307]

Brian Eno's popularity crosses many music circles, including film music. I'm a little surprised too that so few here know of him.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

But do you condemn us for it, like Thor?

[Thor 7,478]

Condemn? What are you smoking?

 

Like KK, I'm just surprised that such a musical legend is largely unknown in a forum that is supposed to be musically aware. If you go to a prog rock forum, you expect the discussion to center around that genre, but also expect people to know who Bob Dylan is.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

46 minutes ago, Thor said:

If you go to a prog rock forum, you expect the discussion to center around that genre, but also expect people to know who Bob Dylan is.

 

Sure, but they fall under the broad umbrella of pop music. Film score fandom is a hermetic world sadly, with FSM and filmtracks typifying the worst of it. JWFan used to be like that, but it's changed somewhat over the last 5 years I've been here.

 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Strength and honor.  

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

On 03/08/2014 at 9:37 AM, filmmusic said:

First time I hear about Brian Eno.

I confused him at first with Bryan Ferry ( ), but no, I don't know him...

Can anyone who knows him point out the highlight of his music, his "Jaws" or "Star Wars" sort of speak, to listen to it?

edit: oh, it seems he wrote that music I like from that documentary.

 

 

Ooh! It's the music heard at the end of TRAFFIC.

I like that. 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

How can anyone say no to this man?!

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

He was great in Roxy Music, but, honestly: some bloke who played in a band 43 years ago, versus the (arguably) greatest film composer who has lived...ever.

Can Mr. Eno imagine the sound of several hundred million people laughing at him?

 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

I think it's more likely that he can imagine several hundred million people listening to his music, and a handful of fanatics laughing at him for no reason at all. 

[A24 4,327]

8 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Seriously Thor. This is a forum dedicated to a film composer and film music in general. You really expect a musician like Brian Eno to be common knowledge here? Why would you?

 

You only know film music and a few famous radio hits of the '80s but people like Richard and Thor have a bigger knowledge and wider taste in music. Classical, film music or pop ... good music is good music.

 

 

PS: maybe the TheWhiteRider should be added to the short list of people with broad taste

 

 

Cheers!

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

2 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Strength and honor.  

 

Synth and honour!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

Could somebody please post a 5-second clip of Genarro saying "thank you"?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

3 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

PS: maybe the TheWhiteRider should be added to the short list of people with broad taste

 

What about me?!

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

We mortals are but filters and noise.  Filters and noise!