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Do you enjoy the Force Awakens score?


Gruesome Son of a Bitch

  

106 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you enjoy the Force Awakens score?



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I'm shocked by the criticism of the score. Not just here, but seemingly everywhere. Would we have preferred Hans Zimmer or MIchael Giacchino? A score that sounded like the RCP trailer music?? No, really, people are complaining that the score didn't sound like the trailer music or that the trailer music wasn't on the OST. This actually happened. Jesus H. Christ.

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I must admit I've fallen off most of the threads after they "took off". When it was only me and a couple of others who had seen it, it was more manageable to keep up. This place is so active!

In either case, it's a bit early for me to land on a proper judgement.

First impressions are still a bit on the disappointed side, due to its "whimsical" nature. To me, it sounds like someone approximating a sound he left behind a long time ago, but has no energy or desire to properly get right. It SOUNDS Williams, but it doesn't FEEL Williams (I'll copyright that last sentence).

I guess that's why "Rey's Theme" is the strongest, the theme that is closest to his contemporary stylings (WAR HORSE, THE BOOK THIEF).

But I've only seen the film once, and heard the soundtrack twice. I need more time.

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Seriously?

It's a far more energetic score then Williams' last two ventures into a beloved franchise (ROTS and KOCS).

It isnt as immediately gripping on album as much of his Golden Age stuff is, but that been the case since the mid-90's, with a few rare exceptions.

The exceptional complexity of his music often don't shine through at first and it takes patience and time to slowly unfold these aspects. There is less to latch on to at a first listen.

Modern John Williams music is NOT for the casual, easy listening soundtrack enthusiast!

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Just got back from seeing the film. My first thought is that I'm torn. More call-backs to original themes than I had expected, which was good I suppose. Disappointed with the new themes ... I literally cannot recall one of them. As a kid I left the theater humming the Imperial March, and all the other themes.

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It's a far more energetic score then Williams' last two ventures into a beloved franchise (ROTS and KOCS).

Energy isn't everything! I think ROTS is a vastly superior score for many reasons. I'm not sure how I would put it compared to KOTCS yet. Maybe a bit weaker, or same.

I'm well aware that Williams has developped. That's why I think he's currently stronger with material of a different kind, where he gets to explore more textural things in a less "retrospective" fashion.

But it's great that so many of you don't share my initial skepticism, and embrace this with open arms! As I guessed, reactions to this would be wildly different.

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ROTS is one of his weakest big blockbuster scores. Not by lack of trying, but by lack of having anything substantial to work with. KOCS was stodgy and dull for the most part.

TFA has far more life to it.

Yes the new themes aren't as hummable as the beloved old ones, but that's a criticism that's been leveled at JW since...The Lost World?

He doesn't write like that anymore with only some very rare exceptions. And it's more noticeable in these socalled "retrospective" works where he is required to mix old with new.

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I think ROTS had more to work with in terms of culminating the entire Star Wars saga (at that time). So much of the score has the sound of finality to it. I think JW really wrote it like it was going to be the last Star Wars score he would ever write, and the movie had the right material to support that kind of music. TFA is a new beginning and issues with the score aside, it's not the right film for that kind of epic, culminating, celebration of all things Star Wars with years of story and characters to wrap up that the ROTS score had.

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I think that's one of the reasons why I like it so much. I'm not all that obsessed with "energy".

Don't latch one to one aspect of my opinion in an attempt to ridicule me. Im not disrespectful of your opinion!

Sensitive much?

I was not ridiculing your opinion. I'm saying "energy" isnt' necessarily an aspect that I put in the high seat, like you and others. I veer more towards other aspects.

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Revenge of the Sith has some epic tragic and villainous music. It's fantastic for at least a solid 40 minutes.

The action music is the least of the Prequels. The tragic elegy type stuff feels like it's going though the motions rather then actually portraying drama and loss, and I don't like Battle Of The Heroes.

Sure there is good stuff there, but not enough for me to sustain interest.

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Modern John Williams music is NOT for the casual, easy listening soundtrack enthusiast!

I absolutely agree. "Nothing hummable" seems to be all people care about and well, I kind of get what they mean. A simple, catchy melody can be the easiest connection between the story, its characters and the general audience. And Williams is pretty much known for his mastery in making these connections, so they have expectations.

Williams' writing has definitly gotten more and more refined in the last 15 years and it's not that he isn't as melodic as in the 1970s/80s, but his style has evolved and the themes have a "complex simplistic" quality, as opposed to a simple simplicity..

Don't know if that makes sense...

So in short: I REALLY love that score.

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The reactions to it are pretty extreme.

I see a trend of it being praised the most by those who enjoy his non-film concert works the most on this board

I have mitigated feelings about it, but for now it ranks below all the Prequel scores (I love RotS). I also like Crystal Skull better too I think. I don't hear anything that comes close to the complete Jungle Chase in there

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Yeah, the reactions are all over the place -- from wild, unadulterated praise to indifference to mild disappointment to out-right bashing. As expected, I would guess.

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Yeah, the reactions are all over the place -- from wild, unadulterated praise to indifference to mild disappointment to out-right bashing. As expected, I would guess.

To be able to craft a piece of art, that evokes so many diverse reactions is a pretty remarkable achievement by Mr. Williams in itself, I guess

I love the score and I don't listen to his concert output all that much.

Also, reactions are hardly extreme. People either think its OK, but a bit underwelming, or they love it.

Only among filmmusic fans, other SWfans (non trolls just fans) seemto find it rather weak from what I have read online

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I think some of the cues have the vibe of his concert works, like Music for Brass...etc..


I can see Williams put a lot of work into it and it's definitely NOT autopilot

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I think many people want it to sound more 80's then it does.

It's a typically modern JW score. Closer to the Prequels then the OT overall, but with a bit more heart

Don't forget the lighter more adventurous tone.

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Usually theres more cues I want to play on repeat endlessly. Even Book Thief had some

Also it doesn't have that big JW moment like the end of Plowing from War Horse. Jedi Steps kind of tries to get there but stops short

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I think there is a general consensus that it is a good score, not the best Star Wars score, lacks easily hummable themes, and takes many listens to appreciate.

For me, the only knocks I have against the score heard in the film is the lack of great action cues, too many uses of the force theme, and some out of place flourishes.

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Yeah, the action cues in the first half of the score are weaker than the Grevious material in Sith (the weakest part of that score)

I voted "not sure yet" until I see the film

IF I am obsessed with the complete score and finding unreleased cues in videogames, then it will equal RotS, AotC and IJKOTCS

Right now it is on par with Tintin in my books

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I don't know why people say Rey's melodies aren't hummable or memorable. I love that kind of writing.

I wanted, like... more diverse themes, but that might have to do with the film in part, I don't know.

The score is enjoyable as hell. It made me realize too that I barely listen to the prequels...

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Me too.

To be fair, I'm guilty of imagining way too many things about the score before listening to it.

The OST is better than the Crystal Skull OST but if I have to go with what Jay says that might be simply because that OST was poorly assembled.

The Tintin motif would fit in this score. I don't know why I keep thinking that. Like there's that bit in I Can Fly Anything that makes me think that.

The Resistance theme still sounds like villain music to me. But that might be the general war/military vibe of it.

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Yeah, the action cues in the first half of the score are weaker than the Grevious material in Sith (the weakest part of that score)

I voted "not sure yet" until I see the film

IF I am obsessed with the complete score and finding unreleased cues in videogames, then it will equal RotS, AotC and IJKOTCS

Right now it is on par with Tintin in my books

While I kind of agree with the Tintin comparison, I think the thematic material for Rey, Kylo Ren, and the Resistance give this score more depth than the Tintin score. That score I find to be kind of mindless fun without any emotional material.

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Me too.

To be fair, I'm guilty of imagining way too many things about the score before listening to it.

Thats a problem many Williams fans have, especially when it comes to sequel scores of stuff he scored in his Golden Age.

He doesn't write like that anymore! Let it go and enjoy what we have in its proper context.

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I think it echoes what I really think about it instead of forcing myself to like it of falsely convince myself it's a masterpiece

Well you convinced yourself KOCS is a masterpiece, and ROTS. Both are inferior to this one

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Me too.

To be fair, I'm guilty of imagining way too many things about the score before listening to it.

Thats a problem many Williams fans have, especially when it comes to sequel scores of stuff he scored in his Golden Age.

He doesn't write like that anymore! Let it go and enjoy what we have in its proper context.

No no that's not it. I entirely expected the sound of Tintin and War Horse, and I said that several times before I think. Hell, I wanted that because they're awesome. I meant I imagined more diversity and extremes in tone and thematic writing. Not that it would sound 'old'.

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I'm also disappointed by the renditions of the old themes in this score, none of them are specially inspired (Han and the Princess for example)

The force theme in Farewell and the Trip is good though (by the way that's one of my favorite tracks)

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I'm also disappointed by the renditions of the old themes in this score, none of them are specially inspired (Han and the Princess for example)

The force theme in Farewell and the Trip is good though (by the way that's one of my favorite tracks)

I've read this criticism of the Han and the Princess material a lot but I don't get it. The music works really, really well for those scenes and is very fitting. I feel like JW made exactly the right decision with those scenes and people hoping for something bigger or more creative aren't considering that those scenes are very quiet and can't support that kind of music.

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