Edmilson 7,448 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 One of Spielberg's and JW's least celebrated collaborations, the most desired Matessino expansion by exactly 0 people, Always always (lol) had a bad fame. But is the score actually good? Here's Jon Broxton's review, published today: Quote Many reviews of this score voice how disappointing it is because it fails to adequately capture the excitement and wonderment of flight in any meaningful way, but I would argue that those who do so are missing the point. Always is not a film about that; the breathlessness and excitement of aerial firefighting – while undoubtedly a worthy and important job – is ultimately the cause of so much pain in this film, and the music reflects the emotions of those who are left behind when things go wrong. It doesn’t so much celebrate flight as much as it mourns it. Williams focuses on these emotions – love, sorrow, grief, and ultimately redemption – because the film is a celebration of the human spirit when it overcomes those internal personal obstacles, instead of the more tangible and dangerous ones presented by fires and plane crashes. Despite my personal appreciation for it, I still feel that Always is going to be one of the scores that appeals least to Williams fans, especially those who are more attuned to his bombastic marches, rousing action music, and moments of soaring emotion. As I mentioned, this is a score which requires a degree of patience, and a willingness to sit quietly and fully immerse yourself in the beautiful textures and instrumental combinations that Williams creates. If you do, you will be rewarded with some truly excellent moments of musical emotion that are both subtle and powerful, and prove that Williams is not just a composer who smacks you in the face with endless themes and variations. As a thoughtful rumination on life and love, and what death means for those left behind, Always leaves a positive impression. https://moviemusicuk.us/2020/01/30/always-john-williams/ So, do you think Always deserves to be rediscovered? 1977 and SteveMc 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tydirium 1,167 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Yes, and yes. I recently rediscovered it myself. "Among the Clouds" is a magical track, quickly moving up in the ranks of my favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,075 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinland 360 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 I particularly like(d) one of the later, long cues called "Dorinda's Solo Flight", if I remember correctly. Used to listen to this one a lot. The music is wonderful, the film, well, is a bit weird in the acting department and a remake at that. Hm. Why is Spielberg remaking things (like now)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted January 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Edmilson said: One of Spielberg's and JW's least celebrated collaborations, the most desired Matessino expansion by exactly 0 people, Unlucky Bastard, 1977 and SteveMc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ricardo Mortimer 43 Posted January 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 30, 2020 I want to see Follow Me scene from TFA with Follow Me music from Always. _deleted_, Tydirium and crumbs 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977 1,743 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 It's one of my favourite Williams scores and has been since it's release. Gruesome Son of a Bitch and Tydirium 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellosh 3,418 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 I always thought Stepmom was one of the least cared about scores here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,075 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Not to mention Rosewood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 This score has had a weird evolution for me. My first exposure to it were the two tracks on the FILMWORKS compilation in the mid 90s ("Dorinda's Solo Flight" and "Follow Me"). These tracks are upbeat and/or more theme-driven and I thought the rest of the score was like that too. When I got the soundtrack a couple of years later, I was disappointed to discover that they were, in fact, the only highlights on the album. The rest consisted of country-pop songs and a hundred variations of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". Also, most of the score was very static, exploratory and ambient in nature, and thus very "boring" for my young self. For many years, I considered it my least favourite Williams score. That, however, has changed. As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate this type of calmer, exploratory sounds more. Now I quite like it. I also think the film is underrated; Spielberg really nailed the Victor Fleming-ish romance fantasy he was going for. Joni Wiljami 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joni Wiljami 1,206 Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Few lovely cues, I love Among the Clouds. Brobably the worst big money film ever!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,075 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 That would be Avengers Endgame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I quite liked 'Theme from...' (Sony compilation) and, later, 'Among the Clouds' with its reflective pastoral americana, and especially the big sacral leap midway. The rest is expendable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I was so close to hitting the like button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmmusic 1,829 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Follow me is one of my least favourite Williams cues ever (I really like the original alternate much more). I also love the magic atmosphere that is evoked in Pete in heaven. I'd love to see how is that written in the score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,075 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 The whole score is great as background music on a lazy evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 On 1/30/2020 at 7:22 PM, Edmilson said: Many reviews of this score voice how disappointing it is because it fails to adequately capture the excitement and wonderment of flight in any meaningful way, but I would argue that those who do so are missing the point. Always is not a film about that; the breathlessness and excitement of aerial firefighting – while undoubtedly a worthy and important job – is ultimately the cause of so much pain in this film, and the music reflects the emotions of those who are left behind when things go wrong. It doesn’t so much celebrate flight as much as it mourns it. Williams focuses on these emotions – love, sorrow, grief, and ultimately redemption – because the film is a celebration of the human spirit when it overcomes those internal personal obstacles, instead of the more tangible and dangerous ones presented by fires and plane crashes. Despite my personal appreciation for it, I still feel that Always is going to be one of the scores that appeals least to Williams fans, especially those who are more attuned to his bombastic marches, rousing action music, and moments of soaring emotion. As I mentioned, this is a score which requires a degree of patience, and a willingness to sit quietly and fully immerse yourself in the beautiful textures and instrumental combinations that Williams creates. If you do, you will be rewarded with some truly excellent moments of musical emotion that are both subtle and powerful, and prove that Williams is not just a composer who smacks you in the face with endless themes and variations. As a thoughtful rumination on life and love, and what death means for those left behind, Always leaves a positive impression. Nah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tydirium 1,167 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 The score works well, within the context of the film, and that is the important thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,315 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 On 1/31/2020 at 9:55 PM, filmmusic said: Follow me is one of my least favourite Williams cues ever (I really like the original alternate much more). ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 The OST's for Always and ROTJ are all you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,315 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 I can't imagine needing more than the 46 minutes on the OST but I have no idea how much score was recorded or used in the film. IMO it's pretty telling that the 30th Anniversary came and went without so much as a whisper of an expansion. I think any label would struggle to sell more than 500 copies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmmusic 1,829 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 1 hour ago, crumbs said: ? There is an alternate for this cue which appeared in an unofficial compilation. https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=1099&forumID=1&archive=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,315 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 13 minutes ago, filmmusic said: There is an alternate for this cue which appeared in an unofficial compilation. https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=1099&forumID=1&archive=1 What the? How did that surface, was there a session leak for Always? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmmusic 1,829 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 1 minute ago, crumbs said: What the? How did that surface, was there a session leak for Always? Not that I know of. This was just an isolated incident of a single unreleased track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbs 14,315 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Wonder how they got their hands on it? Do you have a copy? Tydirium 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977 1,743 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 That Follow Me alt has been around for ages. I think I first heard about it in the mid to late 90s. Here is a webpage I saved about 20 years ago BOTFOJ Boots.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinland 360 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 9 minutes ago, JTWfan77 said: That Follow Me alt has been around for ages. I think I first heard about it in the mid to late 90s. Exactly, in the first half of the 90s I for example got a tape (!) from a guy who made me a copy of various rare (no internet back then) stuff during his day work at an airforce base (!!) and I transfered it to minidisc, and that's how it now resides on my shelf. (yes, that Sony MD player with built-in keyboard is still working as are the discs ) 1977 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977 1,743 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Anyone here remember this? https://web.archive.org/web/19981202022828/http://www.classicalrecordings.com/johnwilliams/index.htm Falstaft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 2 hours ago, JTWfan77 said: Anyone here remember this? https://web.archive.org/web/19981202022828/http://www.classicalrecordings.com/johnwilliams/index.htm Not sure what it has to do with ALWAYS, but yes -- I certainly remember that. It was really the best Williams site in the 90s. I wonder what happened to Scott Hanson? 1977 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Various JW scores were bootlegged from 1989-1991, perhaps all from the same source. Last Crusade, Born on the Fourth of July, Always, Botanicus Theme, Hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977 1,743 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 It was where I learned about the bootleg of BOTFOJ that had the alternate of Follow Me - so a tangental post, yes, as I searched on my 2001 CD-ROM backup for evidence of that release based on Crumbs' question. On a more tangental note, I'm thrilled that my 2001 CD-ROM backup still reads without errors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 907 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 I've always been fond of the score although I rarely listen to the whole thing. Among the Clouds, Follow Me, Saying Goodbye, Pete & Dorinda, and Dorinda Solo Flight are my favorites from the CD as well as the suite on the first Williams/Spielberg compilation. Tydirium 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 It's one of those middling Williams scores I don't listen to often like Sabrina or Stepmom 1977 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tydirium 1,167 Posted February 3, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 3, 2020 SABRINA, really? I think SABRINA is up there with the greats. QuartalHarmony, GerateWohl, Joni Wiljami and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamsStarShip2282 308 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 I think its an amazing score. I think being subtle doesn't make it any less worthy. If he did the exact same music for flying every time, he'd be Hans Tydirium and 1977 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 How much unreleased music is there on this score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 The fact that you, a long standing Williams fan, don't actually know this is a good indication on how well regarded this score is. (Of course it isnt) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 3 hours ago, King Mark said: How much unreleased music is there on this score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 How many people smoke in Always? I seem to remember it was a smoker movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,075 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 That's what started the fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 10 minutes ago, Stefancos said: How many people smoke in Always? I seem to remember it was a smoker movie. Al smokes cigars. I can't remember anyone else who smokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Smoke gets in their eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Marc 768 Posted February 3, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 3, 2020 Naïve Old Fart, Not Mr. Big, SteveMc and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 That modulation, at 1:02, is beautiful. Tydirium 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Never saw the film., and I used to never miss a SS movie. Why? Because it was a remake of a horrible film A GUY NAMED JOE. Weird that he didn't keep the WWII setting considering.his filmography. On 2/2/2020 at 2:00 AM, crumbs said: I think any label would struggle to sell more than 500 copies. Well, that means that this site has 502 members. 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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