How do you rate JW's score to Superman?

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

Remember to take sound quality into account when voting.

[Thor 7,458]

SUPERMAN was never in my top 10 of Williams, but it's still a solid "4" score, of course. I have a strong nostalgic relationship to the movie, and the circumstances in which I saw it for the first time (something I rarely remember). It's a good film, the first serious superhero movie with many different 'mini movies' within it. Still, as with STAR WARS, I never understood the obsession with it, with fans constantly fawning over the tiniest of details in score and film.

 

There is only one SUPERMAN soundtrack I will ever own, and that is the original CD. Sound is perfectly fine, and presentation ace. I've sampled all the subsequent ones (I even owned the Rhino 2CD set for a while), but they did more harm than good. So - in order of the poll boxes - my votes were 4, 3, 3, 2 and 2.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

2 minutes ago, Thor said:

SUPERMAN was never in my top 10 of Williams, but it's still a solid "4" score, of course.

 

Same here, but the score to the first act is ace.

[GerateWohl 4,322]

Yeah, there are several pieces in the soundtrack that are really great.

Besides The Empire Strikes Back probably the score with the most brilliant and significant minor themes and pieces.

But the main title march is quite annoying.

And I must confess, I never really liked the movie.

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

24 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

But the main title march is quite annoying.

 

NOOO!

 

24 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

And I must confess, I never really liked the movie.

 

Me neither - it's too cartoonish.

[Holko 9,491]

I don't like the movie either but the score's great!

[crocodile 7,979]

Every single one of them is great really. The producers did wonders with them with whatever was possible at the time. I wouldn't discourage anyone from purchasing the Rhino set as it is readily available at HMV for a very attractive £6.99 price. Good liner notes and very neat packaging. It never sounded bad to me, to be honest. Varese reconstruction is enjoyable too. Having said that, the LLL is clearly superior to all the others.

 

I used to be a fan of the first act of this score and then dismiss the rest. But these days I tend to listen to the whole thing all the way through. 

 

Karol

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

1 hour ago, crocodile said:

I used to be a fan of the first act of this score and then dismiss the rest. But these days I tend to listen to the whole thing all the way through. 

 

I'm not saying that the remainder of the score isn't good, but to me it sounds like JW had less time to do as elaborate writing as he did for the first act.

[crocodile 7,979]

4 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

I'm not saying that the remainder of the score isn't good, but to me it sounds like JW had less time to to as elaborate writing as he did for the first act.

Which is exactly what happened.

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

Just now, crocodile said:

Which is exactly what happened.

 

Karol

 

I know, and it's an intriguing case of what-could-have-been.

[crocodile 7,979]

59 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

I know, and it's an intriguing case of what-could-have-been.

That's true. But we also need to remember the second half of the film is very different in terms of tone and pacing. 

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

2 minutes ago, crocodile said:

That's true. But we also need to remember the second half of the film is very different in terms of tone and pacing. 

 

Karol

 

Of course, but it nonetheless sounds like a (very good) "first draft".

[Bespin 8,472]

The Debney re-recording is in every way essential. For a reason or another I never liked the "color" of the original recording. I mean, it's a top 10 score of William's, but the original recording is not top notch. It serves well the movie, but on album I always felt the sound was cold and dry.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

The Debney re-recording has problems with the instrumental balance, and in some tracks it lacks the energy of the original.

[Holko 9,491]

I listened to his Planet Krypton because of this thread. That was more than enough.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

How would you describe it?

[Holko 9,491]

Weird sounding, very chaotically mixed at the end, weak climax.

 

Or just simply: worse. As expected.

[Quintus 5,399]

Get out 

[Arpy 4,145]

@Thor I know where you stand on OSTs vs C&Cs, but the sound is markedly and undeniably better on the LLL edition. What's more, that edition includes the OST presentation.

 

 

Anyhow,

I adore this score and it's strange to say that because I never warmed to it, but everytime I would return to it, I'd find something great, something I hadn't cared for before. Listening to the remastered set is also a contributing factor; there's a mix of powerful stuff with some airy whimsicality, and for a score written forty years ago, it really holds up and could easily contend with the scores of today.

[Thor 7,458]

Just now, Arpy said:

@Thor I know where you stand on OSTs vs C&Cs, but the sound is markedly and undeniably better on the LLL edition.

 

I know. I'm not denying the sound is better, I just think the ol' Warner is fine the way it is, for my use.

 

Just now, Arpy said:

What's more, that edition includes the OST presentation.

 

Yes, that's great news to those who missed out on that back in the days!

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

The OST is still available for purchase.

[Thor 7,458]

I will never, ever buy a new physical copy (unless my Warner CD becomes outright unplayable, for some reason). But I could possibly replace my iTunes version of SUPERMAN with the LLL OST tracks, due to their improved sound quality. But I wouldn't pay for it, I'd need to investigate promo possibilities from LLL, and then I would probably need to write a review to justify it etc. etc. Too much hassle.

[Edmilson 7,376]

I'm not a fan of the movie either, but the score is great! It's certainly a Williams top 10 for me, maybe top 5.

[1977 1,743]

Love the movie, love the score, all of it. 

 

RSNO brass flubs are too much to bear, but at the time it was the only way to get Jonathan's Death and Helicopter Rescue. To the Lair tempo is unfortunately way too slow but the players probably wouldn't have coped with anything faster.

 

I always wondered about the ending of Leaving Home on the V/S, where the original has those timpani hits, the re-recording has a big brass statement. Wonder how that happened?

[Jay 37,271]

The Debney re-recording follows the sheet music created at the time, basically how JW originally envisioned everything before actually getting in the room and hearing it all performed and making changes.  

[Bespin 8,472]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

The McNeely re-recording follows the sheet music created at the time, basically how JW originally envisioned everything before actually getting in the room and hearing it all performed and making changes.  

 

McNeely?

[Jay 37,271]

Typo fixed

[Tom 4,632]

I think all of it is super, man.   

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

1 hour ago, JTWfan77 said:

it was the only way to get Jonathan's Death

 

You really wanted him dead, didn't you?

[rough cut 1,714]

Superman is my all-time bestest score for of all time and it’s the best, so for this poll... I won’t even look at the results.

 

Otherwise, I’d have a massive drop in my faith in mankind unless it’s unanimously 10/10. 😂

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

12 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Remember to take sound quality into account when voting.

I hear what you're saying, JS, but I don't give a rat's ass about sound quality. The original 2 LP set wasn't too hot, sonically, but I love - and I genuinely mean love - this score. A great score is a great score, whatever the sound quality.

5 stars. It deserves absolutely nothing less!

[mstrox 6,637]

4s all the way down for me.  Superman is long and repetitive.  The OST had so-so sound, and I may otherwise have given it a 5.

 

I give Superman an 8 out of 10, and it kicks ass.

 

If judging the first half of the score alone, perfection.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

42 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

I hear what you're saying, JS, but I don't give a rat's ass about sound quality.

 

I don't like the sound quality of that.

 

42 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

A great score is a great score, whatever the sound quality.

 

Yes, but I asked you to rate the presentation: the whole package, from what's included to sequencing to sound quality.

 

39 minutes ago, mstrox said:

4s all the way down for me.  Superman is long and repetitive.  The OST had so-so sound, and I may otherwise have given it a 5.

 

I give Superman an 8 out of 10, and it kicks ass.

 

If judging the first half of the score alone, perfection.

 

You're the voice of reason, Mike!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

9 hours ago, mstrox said:

Superman is long and repetitive. 

                   

[Amer 2,078]

If I were to choose ONE soundtrack above all. It would be this. Period.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

Well said, brother. It doesn't quite reach the dizzy heights of CE3K, but its definitely my all-time #2 JW score.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

19 hours ago, mstrox said:

4s all the way down for me. Superman is long and repetitive.

This!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

                  

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

And boring!

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

Oh, I agree.

[Bespin 8,472]

I'm a programmer, I can teach you how to add a script that will automatically delete all the threads containing the word "rate"!

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

I give that idea zero rating.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,490]

Yeah? Well, I give you a sphincter factor of 9.5.

 

Don't mess with the the Bes!

[QuartalHarmony 541]

It's brilliant, no argument. I have a soft spot for the film, not least because it was the first film I ever saw at the age of about 5. I barely remember seeing it, but Christopher Reeve and John Williams just made Superman for me, and still do (you can very definitely keep your Cavills and your Rouths). Sure, the film loses its way a little bit towards the end, but with all the craziness between Donner and the Salkinds, it's astonishing what was achieved. The Richard Donner cut improves matters considerably, it must be said.

 

I've already posted a number of my thoughts on the score elsewhere in this forum so I won't repeat them here, but I do fervently believe Williams was at or very near his peak with this score, and the LSO were just on fire.

 

Mark

[Jay 37,271]

12 minutes ago, QuartalHarmony said:

It's brilliant, no argument. I have a soft spot for the film, not least because it was the first film I ever saw at the age of about 5. I barely remember seeing it, but Christopher Reeve and John Williams just made Superman for me, and still do (you can very definitely keep your Cavills and your Rouths). Sure, the film loses its way a little bit towards the end, but with all the craziness between Donner and the Salkinds, it's astonishing what was achieved. The Richard Donner cut improves matters considerably, it must be said.

 

That was a new cut of Superman II, not I

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

No wonder it felt different!

[QuartalHarmony 541]

Actually, I was referring to the version released in 2000 with extra Brando footage etc. I've just checked my Blu-ray box set, and it calls it the Expanded Edition. You're right that the description of The Donner Cut is only for SII, at least according to my box set. In my defence, IIRC, Donner was heavily involved in the 2000 cut of SI, which is probably why I called it the Donner cut.

 

Anyway, hopefully we're all on the same page now...

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

On 10/20/2020 at 11:55 AM, GerateWohl said:

But the march of the villains is quite annoying.

 

Fixed!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

1978 theatrical version > 2000 extended edition.

[GerateWohl 4,322]

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Fixed!

The 3rd day anniversary special edition of my comment.