Which John Williams score is “not for you”?

[SpotTheDog 68]

Sorry for the strange thread title. I was just thinking about how I’ve never been able to get into E. T. or Close Encounters. There may be others, too. I’d have to think more about it. It’s not that I dislike them, I just don’t “connect” with them.
 

It’s clearly not the time period, because I love all of Star Wars and most of Indy. 
 

And it’s clearly not the lack of an epic franchise, because Schindler’s List is one of the maestro’s best, IMO. 

Are some scores just “not for me”? Should I keep trying?

[benoitjean 106]

I blend in perfectly with all his film and other compositions

JB

[filmmusic 3,222]

Are we talking only of film scores, or his entire music output?

 

If the latter, then most of his concert music is just not for me (as well as his musical, Thomas and the King)

If the former, then among his post-1975 scores (I don't know well the earlier ones) I would say that these are not much for me:

 

1941 (hate the film and I guess that plays a large part)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Saving Private Ryan

The Book Thief

The BFG

The Post

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Star Wars VIII & IX

 

(of course there are some highlights I like in the above scores, but I was talking more as an overall experience)

 

[Bespin Copilot 10,735]

Images, and it’s not that it isn’t good, quite the opposite. It’s just that the subject is a bit too intense for my taste. Schizophrenia or whatever…

[Quintus 6,340]

Heartbeeps and the American attempt to emulate or pay homage to Vaughan Williams in the Warhorse underscore. Lovely original main theme though.

[Bespin Copilot 10,735]

46 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

1941 (hate the film and I guess that plays a large part)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Saving Private Ryan

The Book Thief

The BFG

The Post

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Star Wars VIII & IX

 

 

3 from that list are on my Top 30 Essential scores by JW. 

[Datameister 2,582]

The Book Thief, I'm afraid. Something just inexplicably grates.

[filmmusic 3,222]

31 minutes ago, Bespin Copilot said:

3 from that list are on my Top 30 Essential scores by JW. 

Well, E.T that the OP mentions, is my favorite score ever (from all film composers, not just John Williams).

So, there it is..

[Richard P 5,252]

The BFG

The Post

The Book Thief

Jaws (I genuinely don't understand what is so great about this score, sorry!)

 

Schindler's List has always been a score that I respect, but couldn't be less to my tastes - I find it too serious, too tragic, and not in any way enjoyable to listen to.

[Bespin Copilot 10,735]

Nobody understood The Book Thief. 

[MrJosh 1,192]

There are just a few that don't really speak to me, these come to mind at the moment:

 

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing

Munich (there are some moments I do like, but overall as a full listen-through, it doesn't speak to me)

The Post (this might just be because I haven't spent much time listening to it, I've only played it through twice I think). 

[filmmusic 3,222]

55 minutes ago, Richard P said:

Jaws (I genuinely don't understand what is so great about this score, sorry!)

Yeah, I should have included it too... 

[Bespin Copilot 10,735]

4 minutes ago, MrJosh said:

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing

 

[Holko 12,021]

Out of the more generally beloved ones that I've given multiple chances, Jaws 2 and SPR.

[Mr. Hooper 8,686]

2 hours ago, Bespin Copilot said:

Images, and it’s not that it isn’t good, quite the opposite. It’s just that the subject is a bit too intense for my taste. Schizophrenia or whatever…

But oh, that theme... It's so haunting.

 

1 hour ago, Bespin Copilot said:

Nobody understood The Book Thief. 

 

I listen to it often.

 

Full of deep feeling. Williams really connected to the material.

[MrJosh 1,192]

36 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

But oh, that theme... It's so haunting.

 

That's true, I return to Images specifically for that haunting theme. 

[Badzeee 155]

Far and Away

Home Alone 1 & 2 

[Tom 6,677]

1 hour ago, MrJosh said:

That's true, I return to Images specifically for that haunting theme. 

I think that Blood Moon is a Williams's top 30 piece, though the listening to the whole score is a chore.

[Not Mr. Big 4,955]

Close Encounters.  It's the only classic JW score that just doesn't really come together for me.  I don't care for a lot of the interstitial motifs (the military theme, dies Iraes).  The dissonant stuff is cool aurally and I like the last 15 minutes but I never really get on the film/score's emotional wavelength.

[enderdrag64 1,802]

Raiders of the Lost Ark

I've given it several chances and it just doesn't do much for me, I'm afraid.

I do really like TLC and KOTCS though

[Andy 7,565]

21 minutes ago, enderdrag64 said:

Raiders of the Lost Ark

[Edmilson 12,244]

Justin is not going to like this, but... Always never connected with me. I find it a bit too meandering, vague and hazy, like something out of a dream. I don't think it's awful or anything, but, like OP said, maybe it's not for me.

 

And the Home Alone scores, I think the only thing I can say I REALLY like is the mischievous theme that opens the first movie. The Setting the Trap cues are cheesy fun though.

 

I heard Family Plot once and thought it was pretty boring, never tried it again.

 

That said, there is something to enjoy in literally every single John Williams score ever written. Even if just a cue or a theme. 

 

So, what I find really hard to connect with is his concert music...

[pete 1,322]

28 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

 

 

That said, there is something to enjoy in literally every single John Williams score ever written. Even if just a cue or a theme. 

 

 

That's what I was going to say.  I very rarely listen to scores from start to finish, I'm more of a cue/individual piece of music person with iTunes full of 100s of various playlists. Of course, I naturally like some scores more than others, but yeah, I find there are little gems in all his scores, even - or especially whacky and zany 60s source music! 

[Rachael Foley 10,032]

5 hours ago, Holko said:

Out of the more generally beloved ones that I've given multiple chances, Jaws 2 and SPR.

Honestly, the only stuff that really hits me is the pretty underwater music, and maybe the end credits.

[Not Mr. Big 4,955]

42 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Justin is not going to like this, but... Always never connected with me. I find it a bit too meandering, vague and hazy, like something out of a dream. I don't think it's awful or anything, but, like OP said, maybe it's not for me.

Always has always felt like a ready-made Filler Entry for Spielberg-Williams.  The VHS cover your brain glazes over in favor of more interesting stuff

Follow Me is fun if short and the last minute addition of Dorinda's Solo Flight theme is better than the love theme.

[Mr. Hooper 8,686]

11 hours ago, The Score Cleaner said:

Honestly, the only stuff that really hits me is the pretty underwater music, and maybe the end credits.

 

The music which accompanies the girl praying is quite achingly beautiful...

 

 

 

[Gurkensalat 383]

There are quite a lot, actually. For every Star Wars, Indy, E.T., Schindlers List, Tintin etc. there are those, that I respect as movie background music, but seldom listen to as pure music, although I try to give them a chance from time to time. And I am talking about major scores since 1975, mainly:

 

Always

Stepmom

The Patriot

Minority Report

War of the Worlds

Munich

The Post

 

[Trope 1,429]

I haven't listened to every single score by the maestro, but there are some that I own that I have genuinely tried to get into repeatedly over the years and they never really appealed to me. It's mainly his older, pre-Jaws works that have a more "generic" 70s sound that doesn't scratch my aesthetic/JW sensibilities.

 

Poseidon Adventure

The Towering Inferno

Earthquake

SpaceCamp (love the main theme and end credits, but the rest doesn't grab me at all)

[Richard P 5,252]

10 hours ago, Andy said:

 

 

Boy are you not gonna like my full list... 

 

Suffice to say that JW's earlier period (or most composers', really) is not for me. Unfortunately this covers most of his classics - Jaws, Superman, CE3K, SW, and... yes... Raiders. If you discount franchises and focus on individual projects, Home Alone is the earliest score that I consciously own as a full album and enjoy.

 

I like ToD in general (not the entire score), and I love LC - those are outliers.

[crumbs 15,934]

I have tried so, so hard to like The Fury but it just never worked for me. Neither OST nor film score.

 

Which is strange because I love the other "dark" JW scores like WOTW, TLW, Dracula, Images, etc.

[tranders65 110]

2 hours ago, Richard P said:

 

Boy are you not gonna like my full list... 

 

Suffice to say that JW's earlier period (or most composers', really) is not for me. Unfortunately this covers most of his classics - Jaws, Superman, CE3K, SW, and... yes... Raiders. If you discount franchises and focus on individual projects, Home Alone is the earliest score that I consciously own as a full album and enjoy.

 

I like ToD in general (not the entire score), and I love LC - those are outliers.

 

Yikes....your definition of "earlier period" and mine do not quite match up  - earlier period of Williams to me would be Daddy-O thru up to maybe The Reivers or so.  Most of those you mentioned are smack dab in his Golden Era 

[GerateWohl 6,473]

In every Williams score there something to like. But...

 

I love John Williams in classical mode.

In romantic mode.

I love John Williams in Avantgarde mode.

I love John Williams in Americana mode.

I love John Williams in jazz mode.

 

I don't like Williams in pop music mode like most of Heartbeeps, large areas of his desaster scores or the montage from Home Alone. 

 

Exception: I like the pop mode in his 60s comedy scores.

[Xander Harris 9,577]

3 hours ago, Trope said:

I haven't listened to every single score by the maestro, but there are some that I own that I have genuinely tried to get into repeatedly over the years and they never really appealed to me. It's mainly his older, pre-Jaws works that have a more "generic" 70s sound that doesn't scratch my aesthetic/JW sensibilities.

 

Poseidon Adventure

The Towering Inferno

Earthquake

I feel this way about portions of Towering Inferno and Earthquake which are incredibly dated and embarrassing, but if you extract the traditional orchestral stuff, it’s great. They require a lot of whittling down.

[Damien F 2,009]

War of the Worlds. Aside from The Intersection Scene, there is little that makes me return to that score.

 

 

[Dr. Rick 1,373]

I know a lot of folks consider it a "masterpiece", but A.I. is my top contender here.  

 

Other scores would be Missouri Breaks, Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, Reivers (love the main theme though).

[Mr. Hooper 8,686]

2 hours ago, crumbs said:

I have tried so, so hard to like The Fury but it just never worked for me. Neither OST nor film score.

 

Which is strange because I love the other "dark" JW scores like WOTW, TLW, Dracula, Images, etc.

Not even the main theme?

[Jurassic Shark 16,373]

Stepmom. 

[Mr. Hooper 8,686]

1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Stepmom. 

I confess that I could've bought it for $1, but couldn't pull the trigger. 

[Jurassic Shark 16,373]

1 minute ago, Mr. Hooper said:

I confess that I could've bought it for $1, but couldn't pull the trigger. 

 

Brother. 

[Tom 6,677]

2 hours ago, crumbs said:

I have tried so, so hard to like The Fury but it just never worked for me. Neither OST nor film score.

 

Which is strange because I love the other "dark" JW scores like WOTW, TLW, Dracula, Images, etc.

Well, you at least have to like this moment:

 

 

[Mr. Hooper 8,686]

8 minutes ago, Tom said:

Well, you at least have to like this moment:

 

 

It's always creeped me out. The photo montage here doesn't help. lol

[A. A. Ron 2,476]

I'm surprised by most of the answers here and feel that many of you should be punished for heresy. These are the only correct answers:

 

The Poseidon Adventure

Earthquake

The Missouri Breaks

Cinderella Liberty

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing

Midway

The Sugarland Express

Nixon

The Post

 

And of course most if not all of John's early comedies.

[Tom 6,677]

23 minutes ago, Mr. Hooper said:

It's always creeped me out. The photo montage here doesn't help. lol

I love that after all the bizarre carnival organ, it ends with a classic late 70s Williams full orchestra finale. 

[filmmusic 3,222]

8 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

Midway

Ooh, I forgot about this. Yes, add this as a companion to 1941, that is not for me..

[Andy 7,565]

My God you all have terrible taste. 

[filmmusic 3,222]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

My God you all have terrible taste. 

And what is your opinion on this matter, to see your taste too? 

 

[Richard P 5,252]

18 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

I'm surprised by most of the answers here and feel that many of you should be punished for heresy. These are the only correct answers:

 

That's the spirit!

 

I don't think we've ever had one of these threads and not had a dozen members (myself included, of course) stoned for blasphemy. Sort of tradition.

[Andy 7,565]

Well it’s easy to say his concert works work less for me than his film and media works. But that’s a cop out. It’s also easy to pick an early work like John Goldfarb or something, but again, we’re more speaking to scores other enjoy but for whatever reason don’t click for me. 
 

In that case, twist my arm I’ll say Poseidon Adventure is a bit detached and adrift (maybe that’s the point?) But as a listening experience it is neither thrilling nor adventuresome as the poster would imply. 
 

Cinderella Liberty I will admit I don’t come back to much. 

[Bespin Copilot 10,735]

As you know, times are tough, and due to budget constraints the moderators have to let a few members go by the end of the month. Thank you for creating this discussion thread... it will help guide their choices.

 

Thank you and… good luck! 

[Quintus 6,340]

13 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Justin is not going to like this, but... Always never connected with me. I find it a bit too meandering, vague and hazy, like something out of a dream. I don't think it's awful or anything, but, like OP said, maybe it's not for me.

 

I can't stand it. Full sugar John Williams is bad for you.