The Ol' College Try

[GerateWohl 4,396]

5 hours ago, Andy said:

How about Thin Red Line?  Have you heard it?  It has a good reputation and I’m currently force feeding it to myself to decide if I want the LLL CD.  10 tracks in and I’m wondering why the good reputation. 

That is the one with the ticking clock, right? Is for sure a good score, that serves the movie well. I anyway think, that Zimmer is better at that electronic soundscape and sound design thing than at wring orchestral scores. Especially because, there is not really one theme of his (I mean, he hardly writes actual themes) that ever hooked me. I am mostly not a fan of synth scores when it comes to listening to the music on its own.

And, that might be highly subjective, but Zimmer's blockbuster action music, like Gladiator, sound somehow "cheap". Don't know how else to put it. But not that cool underdog cheap like a John Carpenter but golden edge cheap.

 

On the other hand I quite enjoyed his score for The Creator in context.

 

And I must admit, I wasn't really a fan of the Thin Red Line. I found it a mediocre war movie.

[Thor 7,546]

1 hour ago, GerateWohl said:

That is the one with the ticking clock, right? Is for sure a good score, that serves the movie well. I anyway think, that Zimmer is better at that electronic soundscape and sound design thing than at wring orchestral scores. Especially because, there is not really one theme of his (I mean, he hardly writes actual themes) that ever hooked me. I am mostly not a fan of synth scores when it comes to listening to the music on its own.

And, that might be highly subjective, but Zimmer's blockbuster action music, like Gladiator, sound somehow "cheap". Don't know how else to put it. But not that cool underdog cheap like a John Carpenter but golden edge cheap.

 

On the other hand I quite enjoyed his score for The Creator in context.

 

And I must admit, I wasn't really a fan of the movie. I found it a mediocre war movie.

 

That's impressive. With the exception of the CREATOR comment, I found myself disagreeing with basically everything you said here, LOL!

[GerateWohl 4,396]

9 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

That's impressive. With the exception of the CREATOR comment, I found myself disagreeing with basically everything you said here, LOL!

Quel surprise.  

 

Btw., my comment on the movie wasn't related to the movie The Creator (which didn't impress me either) but the Thin Red Line. But I guess, it makes no difference in the disagreement. As a movie critic you MUST love Terrence Malick movies, I guess.

 

[Thor 7,546]

5 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

As a movie critic you MUST love Terrence Malick movies, I guess.

 

Yes. It's in the entry exam.

[GerateWohl 4,396]

7 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

Yes. It's in the entry exam.

I knew it.

[Richard Penna 3,704]

Most of A.I. doesn't do anything for me either. It's too cold and clinical for the most part, except for The Mecha World and Abandoned in the Woods.

 

The highest profile JW score that does nothing for me, full stop, would be Schindler's List. I haven't seen the film and the subject matter is not one I enjoy musically. The many samples and tracks I've heard just don't musically interest me at all.

 

From others, I tried Dune 2 multiple times and failed to get the evocation I got from the first one. Despite all the praises and thematic breakdowns here, I can't get into it.

 

Also I guess Desplat's two Potter scores. I've given multiple listens but outside of a playlist of highlights I really don't find them very interesting. Classic case of a composer approaching from a technically astute writing process, but that doesn't mean it comes out as interesting music.

2 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

I mean, he hardly writes actual themes

 

I can understand a general dislike for his style and varying tastes, but I think ths sort of comment is more reflective of a lack of effort of inclination to listen to a score in more detail to find its themes. A score that comes to mind is The Lone Ranger which aside from the classic theme, has two or three other long-lined themes. Other dramas he's scored have multiple, often long-lined themes.

 

Yes, he's probably more at home with atmospheric, synth-driven scoring, but he's composed memorable themes for most of his projects. It's the same sort of approach that leads to accusations that he doesn't write melodies - I think those proposers just aren't listening to much of his music.

[Trope 530]

15 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

Yes, he's probably more at home with atmospheric, synth-driven scoring, but he's composed memorable themes for most of his projects. It's the same sort of approach that leads to accusations that he doesn't write melodies - I think those proposers just aren't listening to much of his music.

This I agree with.

 

Everything else, I don’t, and that’s okay!

[GerateWohl 4,396]

That leaves you cold?

 

And this??

51 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I can understand a general dislike for his style and varying tastes, but I think ths sort of comment is more reflective of a lack of effort of inclination to listen to a score in more detail to find its themes.

 

 

I can't deny that. It’s probably true. But if I hear repeatedly music by a composer, that leaves me cold or that I even dislike, then my ambition to dig deeper is quite low.

One may claim, if I haven't explored everything in more detail, then I shouldn't judge on the work. On the other hand, I am not claiming, that my opinion was some kind of objective wisdom. It isn't. It is just my personal opinion, taste and preference. 

Never was a fan of Janis Joplin. Or Mike Oldfield. But I am sure, if I really digged deep into their musical work, I could find a lot enriching musical quality, that I missed so far. But there is so much music, that I like better. So, why spend the effort? To become some kind of expert? Not my goal.

 

[Richard Penna 3,704]

1 hour ago, GerateWohl said:

That leaves you cold?

 

Yep - I don't find either of those tracks interesting.

 

1 hour ago, GerateWohl said:

I can't deny that. It’s probably true. But if I hear repeatedly music by a composer, that leaves me cold or that I even dislike, then my ambition to dig deeper is quite low.

One may claim, if I haven't explored everything in more detail, then I shouldn't judge on the work. On the other hand, I am not claiming, that my opinion was some kind of objective wisdom. It isn't. It is just my personal opinion, taste and preference. 

Never was a fan of Janis Joplin. Or Mike Oldfield. But I am sure, if I really digged deep into their musical work, I could find a lot enriching musical quality, that I missed so far. But there is so much music, that I like better. So, why spend the effort? To become some kind of expert? Not my goal.

 

Absolutely - agree 100%.

 

The difference between your stance and some others' is some deciding that not only is that score or composer not worth your time and study, but that no one else is allowed to positively discuss the work without constant reminders that someone doesn't like the score.

 

As an example of themes that may not be evident on first listen to the album are in the sadly officially unreleased end credits from The Lone Ranger. The first one starts where I started this video, and the second a minute in. Both are lone-lined, memorable themes, but if you only listened to the first track of the album and gave up (and you're fully justified in doing that) you'll never hear and appreciate them. I know I'm not hearing probably hundreds of memorable themes because I don't find the surrounding score to my tastes.

 

 

[GerateWohl 4,396]

41 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

As an example of themes that may not be evident on first listen to the album are in the sadly officially unreleased end credits from The Lone Ranger. The first one starts where I started this video, and the second a minute in. Both are lone-lined, memorable themes, but if you only listened to the first track of the album and gave up (and you're fully justified in doing that) you'll never hear and appreciate them. I know I'm not hearing probably hundreds of memorable themes because I don't find the surrounding score to my tastes.

Yes, there are composers, that I like primarily for their great themes, like Elmer Bernstein, John Powell or Joe Hisaishi. And there are others, that I like for their way of musical textures, motivic development, variety, poliphony, counterpointing, harmonization, rhythm etc. like Danny Elfman, Don Davis, Dario Marianelli, Franz Waxman.

There are few, who seem to have it all. John Williams is for me one of them. Hans Zimmer wins for me on none of these fields. But as I said, that's just me. But the Lone Ranger theme in that video is really nice. Thank you for the hint.

[Groovygoth666 681]

While it might not be considered a great score, it's been highly praised here and honestly as much as I give it the ol' college try it just doesn't click. And that's the score for TROS, even in its OST-FYC combined form the music does nothing for me. No matter how many times I listen to it I get nothing from it. And I don't think it's a case of my feelings about the film coloring how I feel about the score. While I don't like TLJ there are plenty of things I do enjoy about the score and can get something from it. But with TROS the music is just blah to me. 

[Corellian2019 386]

On 19/04/2024 at 1:38 AM, Trope said:

"Airfield - Bell Flashback" (aka "Light" on the OST) is one of the most beautiful and tender pieces Hans has written. And I say all this as someone who still hasn't seen the film.

 

That cue was what convinced me that TTRL was probably his best work