Aenae 41 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 I consider Nixon to be his best film score and also his best album. Close Encounters of the Third Kind contains Williams's best music in its best two cues, but the album doesn't really work for me as a whole, it is much too long and contains what feels as too much uninteresting filler. For most part CE3K doesn't really get more interesting before the second half of the album. Nixon works much better as an album for me. It still isn't a top favourite of mine by any means, but I do like it. Does anyone else here consider Nixon to be John Williams's best work? How highly would you rank Nixon within Williams's oeuvre? I'm curious if there is someone else here who considers Nixon to be JW's best work or at least ranks it high among all his work. Taikomochi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karelm 2,901 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 I prefer JFK but could be because I liked the film and man a lot more. Perhaps I need to revisit Nixon though as I can't remember anything about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aenae 41 Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 I like much of JFK, but there are parts of JFK that I don't like which is the problem. I don't like the theme parts - the four tracks in which where we hear the theme in a big way and the Arlington track, which is to me screams "please think of Barber's Adagio for Strings". The rest of the score is good though even if we are left with only 17 minutes of music when the parts that I don't like are programmed out. I much prefer Nixon because I find JFK to be a more flawed effort because of what I wrote above. Nixon works as an album for me without me having to take out things. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,452 Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 I rank NIXON highly, although I don't know where - exactly - position-wise. It's not top 10, but could possibly be top 20. "Meeting With Mao" remains one of my alltime favourite JW cues, and part of my "religious sound" playlist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,008 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 On 4/7/2021 at 12:52 AM, Aenae said: I consider Nixon to be his best film score and also his best album. Aww, you hipster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429 Posted April 8, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted April 8, 2021 1960's, the Turbulent Years is to me one of Williams finnest work of the 90's probably because it's quite similar to Across the Stars but in a more dramatic and strong way. Andy, bruce marshall and crumbs 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandor 796 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Born On The Fourth Of July is my favorite Williams score for an Oliver Stone film and I consider it one of the very best scores of Williams oeuvre. Nixon is great as well, although it doesn’t reach the melodic and dramatic heights of BOT4OJ. The Turbulent Years and Growing Up In Whittier stand out the most for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taikomochi 1,136 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 “The Meeting with Mao” has always stuck with me as one of the best uses of Williams’ music ever. Kind of throws water on any discussions that Williams only knows brassy bombast and can’t do dramatic scoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,488 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 It's not his best, but NIXON is a solid 4/5, for me. It's an underrated score, from an underappreciated film. I rank it up there among the 4s, with MINORITY REPORT, CINDERELLA LIBERTY, AND PRISONER OF AZKABAN. On 4/6/2021 at 11:52 PM, Aenae said: For most part CE3K doesn't really get more interesting before the second half of the album. Wha'?! Get thee to a nunnery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Nixon is a pretty good score indeed. Plenty of gravitas. I did not like it too much in the film, but that might be because the film felt heavy and misfocused and did not need any more weight, even of the good kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 5 hours ago, Sandor said: Born On The Fourth Of July is my favorite Williams score for an Oliver Stone film and I consider it one of the very best scores of Williams oeuvre. Nixon is great as well, although it doesn’t reach the melodic and dramatic heights of BOT4OJ. The Turbulent Years and Growing Up In Whittier stand out the most for me. My " problem" with FOURTH is the main theme- albeit gorgeous- is too close to TURANDOT. Stone probably demoed with it , as he did with PLATOON - Adagio for Strings- and JW tried to emulate itm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,008 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 3 minutes ago, bruce marshall said: My " problem" with FOURTH is the main theme- albeit gorgeous- is too close to TURANDOT. Which part of Turandot? Not Nessun Dorma? bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 The theme stats app one.minute seven seconds An orchestral statement begins 2:50 How can.you not.know that?😉 If only Wagner wrote.his later operas in Italian😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisAfonso 186 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 I find this connection a bit far fetched, it's really only three notes in the middle of the phrase, and the gesture/movement of the piece is completely different (Puccini is more static, a grandiose statement, whereas Williams is full of energy and forward drive). Falstaft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Tone deaf😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Blues 65 Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Very unlike anything else in his catalogue. An appropriately dark and brooding score, fitting for a person like Richard Nixon. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,631 Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Like the man himself, the score is unimpeachable. Oh wait... Jay 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuerAzaelis 3 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 The recent "masterpieces" thread made me rediscover this great theme. Great indeed and quite unlike his other works, I think. Bayesian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,367 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 It's not a score I have heard that much, but it's pretty good. The Turbulent Years is one of my favorite JW cues from that era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,452 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 It's a great score through and through. "Meeting With Mao" remains one of my top 10 favourite JW cues, probably, and an example of the religious/pastoral sound of his that I love so much. PuerAzaelis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 It's an excellent, muscular score. For what it's worth, I revisit it more often than many of his better-known scores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuerAzaelis 3 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 5 minutes ago, Thor said: It's a great score through and through. "Meeting With Mao" remains one of my top 10 favourite JW cues, probably, and an example of the religious/pastoral sound of his that I love so much. https://youtu.be/UfVbiMaQ5TM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Mulder 153 Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 Let's talk about how Williams musically describes Nixon almost as Star Wars villain. I have so much fun with this score. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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