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Incanus

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Images is a strange entry in Williams' canon. I heard it just a couple weeks ago and I was perplexed. This is the kind of music I though Williams had never done (I mean strange and totally weird). The score has a main theme (which is gorgeous but reminds of HP scores for some reason) but besides that it is all creepy and terribly disturbing soundscape, which was evidently the point as the movie describes a mental breakdown of sorts (information from IMDB).

I have yet to listen through the whole album (I could not stomach more than few cues at a time even with the album being so short as it is). Maybe I learn to appreciate it in time.

What are your thoughts on the Images? A masterpiece or just a weird entry in Williams' CV?

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Surelly, the proof that John Williams is able to write anything he wishes.

Personally, this is close to a amsterpiece, at least while thinking of it as film muisc, right along with his other Altman score, The Long Goodbye.

As muisc, outside the film, it probably needed some rearranging -- even if some of the tracks on the LP are already rearrangements.

Williams mentioned in the late 70's that he would like to adapt the score into a Concerto for Percussion, but that never come to happen.

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I am listening to the Images as I type this and I must say it brings to my mind so many Williams scores.

Jaws (more savge string work on several cues), Jane Eyre (Blood Moon, a great fugue like piece), HP PA (the Dementor music with all that creepy strings). I must say the human voices grunting, breathing and moaning as in agony are quite effective and unsettling. Does anyone know what are the strange percussion effects he uses on many cues?

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Does anyone know what are the strange percussion effects he uses on many cues?

Incanus,

I'm not very good at doing links but if you go the DVD section of this site, Ricard has transcribed an interview that should give you some background about the stainless steel sculptures that Stomu Yamashta used. I saw a picture of them in a book once but I can't remember what it was called. :?

Damien

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The sculptures used were made by french sculpture Baschet.

They caled them "Le Sculpture Sonores". There used to be a sit on them here

http://www.baschet.net

but I wasn't able to open now...

They were made of steel and glass, and there were numerous recordings listed on the site, though no reference to Images score.

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I'm not very good at doing links but if you go the DVD section of this site, Ricard has transcribed an interview that should give you some background about the stainless steel sculptures that Stomu Yamashta used.

Here.

Neil

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Thanks for all the information. I read the DVD interview which was very interesting. Williams has done truly something different with Images. He seemed very enthusiastic about the project. I have slowly begun to appreciate the score more.

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Incanus, here is a thread I started about it, though it veers into another territory.

I wonder, too, if a movie will come along for Williams that will allow him to experiment images-style again.

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I wonder, too, if a movie will come along for Williams that will allow him to experiment images-style again.

Surely you realize that this 'freedom to experiment' is long over. Williams would have to quite scoring Hollywood movies.

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

Alex cremers

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Surely you realize that this 'freedom to experiment' is long over. Williams would have to quite scoring Hollywood movies.

It's no Images, but WOTW still shows that Williams can be surprising and innovative. For a summer blockbuster, I'd say it's quite a daring score.

Marian - :)

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Surely you realize that this 'freedom to experiment' is long over. Williams would have to quite scoring Hollywood movies.

It's no Images, but WOTW still shows that Williams can be surprising and innovative. For a summer blockbuster, I'd say it's quite a daring score.

Marian - :)

This music is hardly experimental, Marian. You know the music is experimental from the moment people raise their eyebrows and leave the theatre. Musically, WOTW is pure film music.

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This music is hardly experimental, Marian.

Not for the concert hall, but hardly a usual score for a mainstream blockbuster.

You know the music is experimental from the moment people raise their eyebrows and leave the theatre. Musically, WOTW is pure film music.

I doubt the music drove people out of screenings of POTA or Alien, and as far as mainstream films go, you don't get much more avant-garde than that.

Marian - :)

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I doubt the music drove people out of screenings of POTA or Alien, and as far as mainstream films go, you don't get much more avant-garde than that.

Exactly, but like Images, Planet of The Apes is made during a time when Hollywood wasn't afraid to "experiment" or to stretch its bounderies. Look at both the original and the remake of POTA. Which one is more daring?

Starting late sixties and for the most part of the 70s, Hollywood was more free, it took risks and a new generation of young film makers (the so-called 'Movie Brats') surfaced. The 'New Americ Wave' came to existence. Film and music benefitted greatly from that period.

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

Alex Cremers

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The Goldsmith or the Elfman version? Please distinguish. POTA JG or POTA DE. To quote Monty Python: "Stop that...that's silly!"

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MP rules! :wave:

But seriously, I have never heard the score to Images and would love a copy if anyone is interested in trading. I left a post in the Trading Board forum also, but thought I'd post one here too as it's topical. Please send me a pm if you would like to trade and I'm sure we can find something you'd like in return.

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I'm still trying to get a copy of Images so I thought I'd try e-bay. I found this wonderful rip-off:

He describes this obvious CD-R as "extremely rare" and then says he has 5 for sale. Yeah, right... A real steal at just 25 pounds each! (He's the one doing the stealing I think...)

PS sorry about the full-length link, I don't know how to rename links to give them a shorter title, like "here". If anyone cares to pass on the knowledge I will assimilate it and make full use of it next time I need to post a link. Indeedy.

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I'm still trying to get a copy of Images so I thought I'd try e-bay. I found this wonderful rip-off:

He describes this obvious CD-R as "extremely rare" and then says he has 5 for sale. Yeah, right... A real steal at just 25 pounds each! (He's the one doing the stealing I think...)

PS sorry about the full-length link, I don't know how to rename links to give them a shorter title, like "here". If anyone cares to pass on the knowledge I will assimilate it and make full use of it next time I need to post a link. Indeedy.

There is no such thing as a pressed CD of Images. This one you found was marketed in 2000, and I only got it, for about $25 from SAE, because of the vintage tracks.

Teh score as heard on this CD-R releases was released as a promo LP for the Academy -- this score was Oscar nominated! -- and later booleged also on LP.

If you wish, I can get you the score on mp3 -- just e-mail me.

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  • 3 weeks later...
OMG, I held the LP of 'Images' in my hands today!!! But it was too expensive for me to purchase. Why did they know that it's a rare album? Why?  :)

Alex, when you say too expensive, how expensive do you mean?

100 Euro, Miguel.

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You should have threatened them. You should have grown angry and told them to give you the album or you'll have them shutdown for knowingly selling bootleged material.

Neil

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You should have threatened them.  You should have grown angry and told them to give you the album or you'll have them shutdown for knowingly selling bootleged material.

Neil

Bootleg? Bootleg, you say? Why wasn't I notified? I thought I was looking at the real McCoy! It looked pretty genuine to me, Neil.

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