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The Best Zimmer Score Vs. The Worst Williams Score


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Is Hans Zimmer's Best Score Better Than John Williams' Worst Score?  

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    • Yes
      38
    • No
      24


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Tell me what is considered some of Zimmer's best scores (max. 3), and what is Williams's worst. His old ones shouldn't count by the way I suppose? (Since they are subject to cultural and historical contexts which offer no comparison to Zimmer's era.)

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Well, for me the Best Zimmer score is either The Lion King or Hannibal, whereas the worst Williams score is something very difficult to determine. But I guess there are JW scores that aren't as good as The Lion King or Hannibal, so I voted yes.

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Let's jump to logic. Logically, regarding the status and profile of both composers, Williams's worst score should be worse than Zimmer's best. So: YES.

On the other hand, if you take this poll figuratively, metaphorically, which I do, and compare, let's say Zimmer's overall best scores to Williams's overall worst scores of the same period... So: NO.

It's not his synths, it's his crappy writing most of the time.

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The synths help alot believe me :P

One thing is sure, in quantity, Zimmer wins.

(That's what happens when you got a cloning facility in the planet Mediaventures.

Now those are the 'attack of the clowns' :P )

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Tell me what is considered some of Zimmer's best scores (max. 3), and what is Williams's worst. His old ones shouldn't count by the way I suppose? (Since they are subject to cultural and historical contexts which offer no comparison to Zimmer's era.)

Why shouldn't his old ones count? We're talking the man's compositions here. That's like excluding Jane Eyre from a Williams list.

His best are debatable of course, but among the ones often mentioned- Crimson Tide, Hannibal and Backdraft are probably the most mentioned ones.

On the other hand, if you take this poll figuratively, metaphorically, which I do, and compare, let's say Zimmer's overall best scores to Williams's overall worst scores of the same period... So: NO.

Nixon, Sabrina and Sleepers are all better than Crimson Tide?

Morlock- would certainly choose Williams over Zimmer for any score any day of the week, but can't imagine Williams scored The Rock, Crimson Tide, Driving Miss Daisy, Backdraft or Black Hawk Down working better.

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Sabrina as Williams worst? Aw heck no!

If most agree that the Patriot is, then I might still say no. But I don't own a Zimmer score. I know he's written some good tunes, and I'll admit that I'm not really familiar with what are considered his best scores, but the man's synths sometimes just make me want to :P .

Kendal Ozzel - who hasn't heard John Goldfarb... yet

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Tell me what is considered some of Zimmer's best scores (max. 3), and what is Williams's worst. His old ones shouldn't count by the way I suppose? (Since they are subject to cultural and historical contexts which offer no comparison to Zimmer's era.)

Why shouldn't his old ones count? We're talking the man's compositions here. That's like excluding Jane Eyre from a Williams list.

Because you could debunk a few of them for their contemporariness (pop material etc.) - which wouldn't be fair since of course Zimmer doesn't have that "dated" scores.

His best are debatable of course, but among the ones often mentioned- Crimson Tide, Hannibal and Backdraft are probably the most mentioned ones.

 

On the other hand, if you take this poll figuratively, metaphorically, which I do, and compare, let's say Zimmer's overall best scores to Williams's overall worst scores of the same period... So: NO.

Nixon, Sabrina and Sleepers are all better than Crimson Tide?

No, they're better than Zimmer's three best scores, e.g. Crimson Tide, Hannibal and Backdraft (though I'd replace the awful Hannibal by The Lion King). By the way, I don't think you've got an argument on Nixon and Sabrina, but that's my own taste etc. (And even Sleepers works rather well, in my opinion - a sort of follow-up to Presumed Innocent.) There's something to say for The Patriot though, but that's just one score.

In the end, de gustibus etc.

And Zimmer's best scores don't top Williams's worst.

:P

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I really like both of the guys alot.

Of course Zimmers Best is better then Williams worst.

As much as I love Williams he does not have that urban industrial sound like zimmer or james newton howard. But fantasy is no comparing.

Yet Zimmers voice is quite zimmer - Williams seems to be a big huge blend of many things.

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Because you could debunk a few of them for their contemporariness (pop material etc.) - which wouldn't be fair since of course Zimmer doesn't have that "dated" scores.

Zimmer may not have any 1960s or '70s scores, but he probably has more scores that could be considered "dated" than Williams does.

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i won't answer because like i have said there's room in my life for everybody...i like zimmer and i like williams, there's no competition, as long as their work moves me that's all that matters to me...best and worst is something too ambiguous to classify...

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Zimmer's best score beats out many of Williams score.

Justin - Who thinks this poll is foolish and is probably in the most biased place it could possibly be.

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I second Alex on Sleepers. Zimmer hasn't demonstrated the same ability to get past his triadic or modal ditties in favor of chromatic harmonies or non-key related passing tones. Basically, this means Williams' music is more intertesting to my ears than Zimmer's. ALthough I really dislike The Patriot. And I do like Thin Red Line.

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Muppet Treasure Island beats out Hook methinks

Youthinks wrooong!!

I agree that MTI is a very good score, IMO one of Zimmer's best, but nowhere near as good as Hook. In fact, the first time I heard the prologue of Hook I thought it sounded a lot like the MTI main title. Of course, that was after I'd watched MTI at least thirty times a year and suddenly bought the Hook CD on impulse (at the time harry Potter was my most prized possession, and I heard it sounded like this one). Well, to put a pointless story short, I thought Williams ripped off Zimmer until I learnt Hook came after MTI.

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Sleepers is also a damn fine score. More and more people see it as an overlooked gem, a real sleeper.

I agree.

Muppet Treasure Island beats out Hook methinks

I disagree. Though Zimmer's 'Main Title' is IMO one of the best ever, a fantastic pirate theme, but the rest of it is only good when sticking to that theme.

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Here, for the fans!

www.hans-zimmer.com

Hans has already signed to do Tripoli (2007), a epic adventure from Ridley Scott with Keanu Reeves and Ben Kingsley. But why didn't Ridley hire Zimmer for his Kingdom Of Heaven (2005), a film about the 12th Century Crusades with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson, which is now being scored by Harry Gregson-Williams? And who is Harry Gregson-Williams?! And why is Scott doing so many epic adventures?!

----------------

Alex Cremers

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And who is Harry Gregson-Williams?!

Apparently, he's the hottest composer in Hollywood.

But why didn't Ridley hire Zimmer for his Kingdom Of Heaven (2005), a film about the 12th Century Crusades with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson, which is now being scored by Harry Gregson-Williams?

I think you hire MV, not any specific composer. That explains Bruckheimer's composers (Has he had a single movie since the 80's NOT scored by MV?). While Tony Scott seems to like Zimmer, he doesn't mind Gregson-Williams or Rabin stepping in. Joel Shitmaker seems to favor Gregson-Williams. Gore Verbinski has given in, originaly going for MV for Mouse Hunt, but then making a brave choice and leaving the Dreamworks based MV in favor of Silvestri- but Bruckheimer getting rid of Silvestri on PoTC officialy clinched it for Verbinski. Both his Ring and PoTC movies are MV.

John Woo tried out Horner for Windtalkers, but just couldn't stand being away from MV, who did his two previous movies. Powell's back.

I don't think this Scott - Gregson-Williams deal is a big thing. I bet Hans spoke to Ridley and just said, "I'm busy, let Harry do it". And based on his fantastic, un-MV, Sinbad score, I'm expecting big stuff from anything Gregson-Williams.

I personaly think that although the Rifkin thing may have officialy broken up MV, Zimmer still has his core group- Powel, Badelt, Gregson-Williams, Glennie-Smith and Rabin, MV's backbone.

Morlock- who never realized how much of a soap opera MV was

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Zimmer and Mallick: The facts.

1993, Zimmer copies the main theme of Terrence Mallick's movie Badlands for his score to True Romance.

1998, Zimmer and MV scored Terrence Mallick's The Thin Red Line.

2005, Zimmer will score Terrence Mallick's new film called The New World.

Or, how a copyist becomes the house composer of a director with "Kubrickal" proportions.

----------------

Alex Cremers

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Zimmer's best is (as far as I know) The Rock.

Williams worst is Nixon.

I'd rather listen to The Rock than to Nixon, although I don't know if the music is really better.

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for me, the thin red line is stunning...

i think ridley made a good choice as zimmer probably wans't available, i own quite a few scores by harry gregson-williams, on his own, and some of his collaborations with john powell...i like his work...thanks for the heads up on that....

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Zimmer's best is (as far as I know) The Rock.

Williams worst is Nixon.

Both of those statements are wrong. You might want to consider revising your post. :wave:

Justin

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Zimmer's best is (as far as I know) The Rock.

It's my favorite.

Williams worst is Nixon.

I disagree. Two fantastic, classic Williams tracks in that one- "The 1960's: The Turbulent Years" and "The Meeting With Mao", which is one of Williams' most threatening, most foreboding cues. Also "Growing up in Whittier" is another of Williams lovely, bucolic, family cues (Like The Garrison Theme from JFK).

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Here, for the fans!

www.hans-zimmer.com

Hans has already signed to do Tripoli (2007), a epic adventure from Ridley Scott with Keanu Reeves and Ben Kingsley. But why didn't Ridley hire Zimmer for his Kingdom Of Heaven (2005), a film about the 12th Century Crusades with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson, which is now being scored by Harry Gregson-Williams? And who is Harry Gregson-Williams?! And why is Scott doing so many epic adventures?!

----------------

Alex Cremers

Im 100% sure the action cues will sound more or less like ever.

Luke, who thinks the only good thing about MV is that for example, in the Lion King 2, Zimmer is not scoring, but it sounds 100% like him...

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Williams worst is Nixon.

I disagree. Two fantastic' date=' classic Williams tracks in that one- "The 1960's: The Turbulent Years" and "The Meeting With Mao", which is one of Williams' most threatening, most foreboding cues. Also "Growing up in Whittier" is another of Williams lovely, bucolic, family cues (Like The Garrison Theme from [i']JFK).

I didn't say it doesn't have good music, but only that the overall sountrack is one of his least interesting efforts. I mean, there has to be one 'worst soundtrack by John Williams', I think it's this one. Which one did you have in mind?

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I didn't say it doesn't have good music, but only that the overall sountrack is one of his least interesting efforts. I mean, there has to be one 'worst soundtrack by John Williams', I think it's this one. Which one did you have in mind?

I personaly can't stand Sabrina. But Always is JW's dullest score. Barely listened to it once.

For those people that voted. How many Zimmer scores have you acctually heard outside the film?

No sense in arguing with them, if they vote 'no' in this poll, I'm pretty sure nothing they'll ever hear will convince them otherwise. Strong-minded people, these JWFanners. If they can say that John Godfarb, Please Come Home or Always are better than The Lion King or Crimson Tide, they're pretty much hopeless in this regard.

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 I personaly can't stand Sabrina. But Always is JW's dullest score. Barely listened to it once.

"Dull" is a desciption mainly used by MTV/action lovers. Always has a few good tracks. 'Amongst the Clouds' is really beautifully written music. It has some very nice solo parts.

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"Dull" is a desciption mainly used by MTV/action lovers.

That's unfair. I am not an MTV/action lover. I honestly did not find the music listenable or interesting.

Always has a few good tracks. 'Amongst the Clouds' is really beautifully written music. It has some very nice solo parts.

I haven't given up on it, nor on any JW score. I just recently began loving Accidental Tourist.

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I haven't given up on it, nor on any JW score. I just recently began loving Accidental Tourist.

Good. You've taken your first step into a bigger world.

If they can say that John Godfarb, Please Come Home or Always are better than The Lion King or Crimson Tide, they're pretty much hopeless in this regard.

This is why I mentioned that no older scores should be taken into account.

I don't think you have got an argument, except with The Patriot. I'm indeed inclined to say - in fact, I am saying - that Lion King is better than The Patriot, although sound and theme would return in later Zimmer scores - the man's work is generic Zimmer, so to speak - but so is Williams's score. My point isn't that there isn't one Zimmer score that is better than Williams's worst, it's that his overall better scores (his top scores) don't beat Williams's worst scores, as a body of work.

Zimmer's best is (as far as I know) The Rock.

It's my favorite.

Yeah, especially 'The Chase' rocks!

8O

By the way, if you tell anyone you're into film music, you'll get an answer something like: 'Hey, do you have The Rock? Cool music, dude!'

For those people that voted. How many Zimmer scores have you acctually heard outside the film?

Enough.

By the way, I still consider Zimmer the best of the MediaVentures composers (Powell excluded - and I'm not that familiar with Harry) - he can actually write good stuff; it's the trend he started that sickens me. And if you ask me, and compare him to Horner, it's Zimmer who's the real lazy one.

All the best!

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Good. You've taken your first step into a bigger world.

That's one uninformed and condescending comment.

Yeah, especially 'The Chase' rocks!

8O

By the way, if you tell anyone you're into film music, you'll get an answer something like: 'Hey, do you have The Rock? Cool music, dude!'

It's a great and accessible score, turned on many die hard Goldsmith and Williams fans to film music.

And the Media Ventures phenomenon is a whole other discussion. Just in short- I think the for all the crappy action movies, MV is a good thing. It's when it dabbles in the big leagues that it can be troublesome (and I stress can be).

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Good. You've taken your first step into a bigger world.

That's one uninformed and condescending comment.

I was obviously joking.

 And the Media Ventures phenomenon is a whole other discussion. Just in short- I think the for all the crappy action movies, MV is a good thing. It's when it dabbles in the big leagues that it can be troublesome (and I stress can be).

I agree. I've got nothing against The Rock, a good score, fitting the movie. Although I consider even those crappy action movie scores a loss, how many crappy movies didn't Goldsmith score? And Broughton, the man's out of work so to speak: I'd be happy if he got an assignment, be it a crappy action movie. (Of course, I'd prefer a better film.) But the amount of MV scores in the big leagues is getting troublesome though.

Lotman

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I'm sorry. I didn't get the reference. I haven't watched Star Wars in a long time (though I just spent much more than I thuoght I would to obtain one without ANH).

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