To say that John Williams is overrated is a daring thing. I dont think its hard to see that he is probably by far the most talented composer in the buisness, speaking in a musical sense. But, i also think this is his main problem. I often find that Williams scores seem to be too involved and complicated (too classical if you will), and this is why (at least it seems to me) that a select audiance find his music so hard to swallow. Personaly i think a more simple approach works better (Zimmer, Horner etc) because more people can relate to a more themeatic and less invloved piece than to a heavily involved classical peice thats become hugely familiar amongst Williams' scores. I also think composers like Zimmer are able to create emotion better, and to get the point across far more powerfuly because they dont mess around with "twidly bits" that play no real part in the music , or the job its meant to be doing. I find that Williams best scores are those which have a far simpler and heavly based theme (Jurassic Park for example).
So to finish, i think Williams is without a doubt a genious, but i also think he would benifit from the example of Zimmer, Horner and Thomas Newman and concentrate more on getting the message across in the music than composing a symphony.

While I will concede that the likes of Zimmer and Horner are more accessible to the "average" score fan, I must disagree that they are more effective at writing emotional music or "getting the point across." Both of them, for example, have a tendency to use precisely the same sort of music for different movies, scenes, etc. Zimmer, for example, almost NEVER varies themes to reflect a scene, while Horner, as we know all too well, tends to use the same phrases and themes over and over and over. Sure, a simpler approach CAN work better, but I find that music of Zimmer's sort often misses the particular nuances of a film that Williams's regularly captures.

> To say that John Williams is overrated is a daring thing. I dont think its
> hard to see that he is probably by far the most talented composer in the
> buisness, speaking in a musical sense. But, i also think this is his main
> problem. I often find that Williams scores seem to be too involved and
> complicated (too classical if you will), and this is why (at least it
> seems to me) that a select audiance find his music so hard to swallow.
> Personaly i think a more simple approach works better (Zimmer, Horner etc)
> because more people can relate to a more themeatic and less invloved piece
> than to a heavily involved classical peice thats become hugely familiar
> amongst Williams' scores. I also think composers like Zimmer are able to
> create emotion better, and to get the point across far more powerfuly
> because they dont mess around with "twidly bits" that play no
> real part in the music , or the job its meant to be doing. I find that
> Williams best scores are those which have a far simpler and heavly based
> theme (Jurassic Park for example).
So to finish, i think Williams is
> without a doubt a genious, but i also think he would benifit from the
> example of Zimmer, Horner and Thomas Newman and concentrate more on
> getting the message across in the music than composing a symphony.

Williams is not the only composer in Hollywood, but is, without a doubt, the best, no matter how you look at it. Saving private ryan, nixon, jfk were nominated because they were great scores. Saying Nioxn is the worst music you ever heard is just plain exageration. The 1960's: The Turbulent Years, the Miami Convention...all great tracks.

One thing, some gladiator tracks not only sound the same as the Rock, but the final portion of track 9 and some parts of track 13 are a clear rip-off of WAgner's Gotterdamerung. Stealing from one of his country's simbols, now that's bit more serious than stealing from yourself.

Finally that someone understand that Williams is not the only one. I have to say again that I also like a few Williams music. Like THE PATRIOT, JURASSIC PARK, all the STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES. I only hate when people saying that everyone in Hollywood try to copy Williams music and he is the king, the only one etc, etc. Williams can also miss. For example NIXON, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, SABRINA, JFK. Because he is a composer like the others and sometimes he can also make horrible music. Yes it is true. I don't know why did the Academy nominated the films above. NIXON is the worst music I have ever heard. And I wont stop this until a Williams fan will tell me that I'm a bit right. Williams is just a composer whit good and also bad musics. And I also hope that you guys will be in peace.

Thank you.

> Finally that someone understand that Williams is not the only one. I have
> to say again that I also like a few Williams music. Like THE PATRIOT,
> JURASSIC PARK, all the STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES. I only hate when
> people saying that everyone in Hollywood try to copy Williams music and he
> is the king, the only one etc, etc. Williams can also miss. For example
> NIXON, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, SABRINA, JFK. Because he is a composer like
> the others and sometimes he can also make horrible music. Yes it is true.
> I don't know why did the Academy nominated the films above. NIXON is the
> worst music I have ever heard. And I wont stop this until a Williams fan
> will tell me that I'm a bit right. Williams is just a composer whit good
> and also bad musics. And I also hope that you guys will be in peace.

> Thank you.

You've got a bit right.I adore Williams' music to the films you've mentioned in a capital letters, I must say the most.They work grand in the theater and on a CD, but what would be a film such as Ryan, JFK or Nixon without his complicated, classical influence and dark mood. Those scores were nominated because the films were so American, patriotic, were also very good and the Academy always nominate score if the movie is nominated, or at least epic.So IMO the scores for Nixon and JFK are helpful in theater although hard to listen on CD. In last 5-7 years Williams' works are very complicated and - I think that this is a simple way of every great artist, who seeks some new ways in his art.And I have no doubt Williams is in his proffesion a true, grand artist. By the way I like very much the choir, he used in Nixon and for example in Rosewood- very adult and serious, the choir in Hymn of the Fallen is a brand diffrent topic to talk about(grandios).This a diffrent Williams- a bit older and experienced, even in SW:TPM he used some dark elements, altough the music was a pure fun. If I'm not in mistake he is a only one in bussiness( besides the classical composers, often working for film), who in that way put a claasical touch in his works.

Cheers

I think that John Williams was the only film composer who aproached simple music fans, like pop, rock and others to classical music.
I know many friends of mine that started to buy classical music cds of composeres like Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Tchaikovsky, etc, just because of Indiana Jones', Star Wars', Jurassic Park's and Superman's scores.
Now they are more classical music fans then movie soundtrack's.
And I am very glad because was John Williams who made them enjoy the real music.

> I think that John Williams was the only film composer who aproached simple
> music fans, like pop, rock and others to classical music.
I know many
> friends of mine that started to buy classical music cds of composeres like
> Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Tchaikovsky, etc, just because of Indiana
> Jones', Star Wars', Jurassic Park's and Superman's scores.
Now they
> are more classical music fans then movie soundtrack's.
And I am very
> glad because was John Williams who made them enjoy the real music.
:)

And I know a girl who became a film music lover after haering HANS ZIMMER and JERRY GOLDSMITH. And I mean a lot from them. I also have to tell you that the girl was a hardcore lover.
So both of our letters means nothing only one thing: any one could be a film music lover.

I know many
Now they
And I am very
:)

> And I know a girl who became a film music lover after haering HANS ZIMMER
> and JERRY GOLDSMITH. And I mean a lot from them. I also have to tell you
> that the girl was a hardcore lover.
So both of our letters means
> nothing only one thing: any one could be a film music lover.

I think that that girl became a film music lover because Hans Zimmer was a pop star. But that´s not important. If you ask a classical music lover what is the movie soundtrack theme that he likes, he will problaby responde that is one of John Williams´. I can accept that some people would respond Hans Zimmer or even Jerry Goldsmith, but without a doubt that is a great minority.
I gave an example of classical music because classical music is the real music, but I could gave an example of pop, jazz, rock, hardcore, metal, etc, etc, music lovers.
Compliments.