1941

[Guest]

This was probably the first John Williams score that turned me onto him, believe it or not... It has everything- great military marches, soaring and melodic themes of flight, edge of your seat and in your face action cues, great dance numbers, and themes you actually end up whistling as you walk out of the theater... and I can't believe this score is never mentioned here at John Williams Central! If there is a Williams score that is begging for an appropriate release(besides Temple of Doom, of course...) it is this! I was a kid when this film came out, and it had such an impact on me- larger then life, at the time... and the music...

Nobody can write a "Prologue" like John Williams... perhaps my favorite piece from the score, this is such a perfect lead-in to the film and score and draws you in. He is a master at setting the mood and this quiet treatment of the 1941 theme is awesome.

I have a boot which I think is the isolated score from the laserdisc... and the sound could be better. I also have the Bay Cities soundtrack- which is good, but missing SO MUCH terrific music as heard in the film. Next to Bernstein's STRIPES score, this ranks as one of the best military marches ever written, in my book....

How about some thoughts people! Lets resurrect this forgotten score and talk about it!

John F

[Lurker 5]

This is indeed a wonderful score. Some of Williams' most beautiful music is in this film. A full CD would be nice, but for now you can get the DVD which has the full score isolated. Between that and the Bay Cities CD, you should be able to have the whole thing.

Neil

[jsawruk 0]

The march is fun.

[RomanticStrings 10]

What does an isolated score do? Can you play it on a CD player, or can you open it with a DVD-ROM?

~Conor

[Lurker 5]

What does an isolated score do?

It's the music to the movie, usually played during the film without dialogue and effects mixed in. Any editing done to the score to get it to conform to the final edit or the director's wishes are carried over.

Can you play it on a CD player

No.

can you open it with a DVD-ROM?

I don't know.

Neil

[King Mark 3,625]

You can acess the score only on the menu of the DVD.Of course since the cues are seperated in the movie,they are too on the iso track.The best way is to record them together with a cdr burner.Crusher made a theral 2 c.d. boot using ALL the music of the DVD(there is truckloads),alternates on the Bay Cities c.d. and Concert arrrangements on Boston Pops albums.Pretty neat.

K.M.who likes this score too...very upbeat and fun too.

[Morn 8]

There is ways to extract the audio track with a DVD-Rom straight out of the files on the DVD.

[Figo 2]

Don't forget that this score was composed right in the heart of Williams' string of masterpieces, which include not only the ubiquitous "Jaws" and "Star Wars," but the once-ubiquitous "CE3K" and "Superman," and a short while later, "Empire," "Raiders," and "E.T." Others will also cite "The Fury," "Monsignor," and "Dracula." Any way you slice it, the Force is with "1941." It has one of the greatest themes, military or otherwise, in Williams' canon. I love the Sousa-like brilliance. In fact, Williams manages to out-Sousa Sousa! So busy, and yet so perfect. I don't know if you know it or not, but Spielberg himself actually plays one of the clarinets in the trio section. The original soundtrack (with explosions) is in all ways superior to the watery Pops re-recordings.

The film itself needed a good shot in the arm. So many heavy-handed attempts at slapstick become tiresome after a while, and it's even worse in the expanded-for-video cut, which actually changes the focus of the entire film. No longer is it such an ensemble picture, not that it matters one way or another. It's just long. The score didn't exactly save it, but it made it more bearable. The Belushi scenes at least manage to break the tedium. Too bad about Belushi. He was a natural.

There's also a flying motif that always reminds me of the last movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, in character if nothing else. And Williams re-visits Benny Goodman territory with "Swing Swing Swing." "1941" is absolutely essential to any Williams collection. If you like "Raiders" and "Superman," by all means HUNT IT DOWN!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Figo, thanks for mentioning Swing, Swing, Swing. This is a brilliant big band piece. Definetly unlike anything your likely to hear on most John Williams cds. Just purely fun. Unfortunately most here dismiss it as nothing special.

[BigKenLittle 6]

Figo, thanks for mentioning Swing, Swing, Swing.  This is a brilliant big band piece.  Definetly unlike anything your likely to hear on most John Williams cds.  Just purely fun.  Unfortunately most here dismiss it as nothing special.

8O Are you serious, Joe?... This is one of my all time favourite pieces of music... I recorded it on to many a Jazz compilation cassette and will do so again, now that I have a CD burner... It's frightening that this Jazz classic does not get the respect of the rest of Williams' masterpieces :sneaky2:

Big Ken: who is finger poppin' at work to his first compilation cd

Frank Sinatra, The Way You Look Tonight... Ella Fitzgerald is next 8O

[JoeinAR 1,949]

8O Are you serious, Joe?...

yes, although I never think of it as jazz, since I have always been taught that swing is a unique style of music in itself. I just wish that I could dance properly to it.

Joe, who will have to listen to it tonight when he gets home.

[bruckhorn 105]

There's also a flying motif that always reminds me of the last movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, in character if nothing else.

Hmmm. Must listen to Beethoven's Fifth (Sym) and 1941 back to back.

Bruckhorn, who was once told to marry a girl, who when told that she was going to hear Beethoven's Fifth, replied "Symphony or Piano Concerto?" (I'm still single and looking for that girl.)

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

I love that score too.

-Chris, Who listens to his complete 2 CD set all the time...