What's wrong with me? Is it just a phase? Have I finally "outgrown" John Williams?

[Tom 4,633]

4 hours ago, rough cut said:

I’m not going into a discussion about your daugter’s paintings! You know what I mean!

 

And by the way - reading your two posts together puts a smile on my face. I mean, just look at the analogies you’re making! I get that you are equating JW with “the greats” in your analogy, but by the same analogy your daughter is Taylor Swift, which I’m sure was the last thing you wanted to imply... 

 

Anyhooo,.. all I am saying is: Love what you love, and let others love what they love. It’s ok!

Don't worry, it is not like I have a military or such behind me to prevent people from loving what they want.  If I did, episode VIII would no longer be in the theatres.

 

My daughter is taking piano lessons, so to extend the analogy, yes comparing the noise that she creates to what JW creates could not be more different.  Unless, of course, we are talking about his scherzo for piano.  

[lostinspace 8]

Completely agree with you.. I remember being infatuated with JW output 2002-2005. aged about 15-18 at the time. The listening party for the POA soundtrack was incredible.. I remember not fully understanding it the first time but still recognizing he had huge amount of power in his pencil as my mind was taken to another world with each track. Every track on those soundtracks is a masterpiece. Even Munich is amazing, it is music written and performed with such conviction never sounded autopilot. Thesedays  I still hear magic in JW eg.  Tintin  warhorse, TFA, book thief and recently TLJ but I think it represents the time we live and music just doesn't seem to project melodically the way it could back in 2002.  I also suspect there is a lot of temp tracking going on

 

However, JW is still a master dramatist and can extend huge range and effect from the orchestra, no other film composers really come close. What I mean is violent crescendos, very low & high instruments, delicate and heavy texture. 

 

There is the odd exception. Reys theme sounds like a piece JW really laboured over and it does have much depth. The only think I think it lacks is some originality as parts of it seem to sound like extracts from Jane Eyre.   Kylo Rens music is also a masterpiece.  But much of the rest is pretty advanced autopilot with a lot of notes but not as much meaning. Maybe more listens will cause me to change my opinion.

[Fancyarcher 350]

No, I would say that simply means he doesn't interest as much right now. We all go through that phase, even with our favorite artists. It simply means you've probably grown a bit numb to Williams music to a certain extent. Don't worry, it happens. 

 

Plus Williams is 85. Nobody can be perfect forever. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

4 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

Plus Williams is 85. Nobody can be perfect forever. 

 

Blasphemy!

[Fancyarcher 350]

Nah! Plus being 100% perfect is overrated anyway. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Seems to have worked out alright for me!

[Fancyarcher 350]

How I wish I could say the same. Sigh!

[Josh500 1,615]

18 hours ago, lostinspace said:

Completely agree with you.. I remember being infatuated with JW output 2002-2005. aged about 15-18 at the time. The listening party for the POA soundtrack was incredible.. I remember not fully understanding it the first time but still recognizing he had huge amount of power in his pencil as my mind was taken to another world with each track. Every track on those soundtracks is a masterpiece. Even Munich is amazing, it is music written and performed with such conviction never sounded autopilot. Thesedays  I still hear magic in JW eg.  Tintin  warhorse, TFA, book thief and recently TLJ but I think it represents the time we live and music just doesn't seem to project melodically the way it could back in 2002.  I also suspect there is a lot of temp tracking going on

 

However, JW is still a master dramatist and can extend huge range and effect from the orchestra, no other film composers really come close. What I mean is violent crescendos, very low & high instruments, delicate and heavy texture. 

 

There is the odd exception. Reys theme sounds like a piece JW really laboured over and it does have much depth. The only think I think it lacks is some originality as parts of it seem to sound like extracts from Jane Eyre.   Kylo Rens music is also a masterpiece.  But much of the rest is pretty advanced autopilot with a lot of notes but not as much meaning. Maybe more listens will cause me to change my opinion.

 

I understand what you're saying, but I don't agree with you at all, and it's not what I meant. It's actually the opposite of what I said.

 

My OP was not a criticism of JW's recent output. I was merely lamenting the fact that nowadays I don't seem to be able to get as much enjoyment out of the music (or movies, books, etc) like I used to. That's all. I don't instantly blame the music (or movies, or books, etc.) for this, as some people seem eager to do. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,493]

Josh, face it, dude; you've grown up.

[Tom 4,633]

Too bad Master Obi-Wan manages not to see it.  

[JoeinAR 1,949]

16 hours ago, Stefancos said:

 

Blasphemy!

Says-the guy who never listens to war horse or Lincoln 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Maybe he just doesn't understand John Williams anymore.

[Wojo 2,453]

5 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

Says-the guy who never listens to war horse or Lincoln 

 

I don't either. I haven't enjoyed a non-franchise Williams score since Jurassic Park wasn't a franchise. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

8 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

Says-the guy who never listens to war horse or Lincoln 

 

I listen to War Horse!

[Balahkay 627]

On 12/22/2017 at 6:25 PM, Josh500 said:

Am I the only one who feels this way? Is it due to my advancing age (I'm in my mid-thirties now), and is it just a phase? Kinda like a mid-life crisis, only with music? What's wrong with me?

 

 

Maybe John Williams has outgrown you.  

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

Yeah, JW has become too mature for you.

[Bayesian 1,359]

They say familiarity breeds contempt — maybe it’s just you need some time away from JW to appreciate why you loved his music in the first place.

 

On a related note, I seem to recall reading somewhere that a person’s musical preferences are established in their late teens/early twenties. So if you found JW at that age, you may well always come

back round to him the rest of your life. I sure expect that’ll be the case for me. 

 

Also, as our culture gets shallower and shallower in the years ahead, we who are lucky enough to know how it once was will probably grow to cling to JW’s artistry like a lifejacket. JW writes better music at 85, using pen and paper, than anyone working today with the “benefit” of software, sample libraries, and hordes of assistants. He is a product of four generations ago, when (I believe) people generally simply tried harder at things and thus became better at doing them.