> A Prussian Requiem (2016) - *****

Needless to say, this is a six-star work, except we do need a consistent scale

That snobbishness about film music confuses me when it doesn't irritate me. I have never heard a good explanation for why it's so inferior to classical music. As a 90th birthday article on John Williams put it, "he's so much smarter than his critics." Good music is good music and deserves respect. I imagine I will get no arguments on that statement here! (The Boston Pops hissing at a Williams concert piece? I need more info on this!)

I was hyped for years for this work, as Powell announced he was working on this when I was *really* becoming a fan(atic) of his. I was like, no way could it live up, and then it smashed expectations. It's amazing how it both sounds nothing like his film music and yet is saturated in his mannerisms. My head exploded when I first heard it, and I remain floored at the pathos and anger he injected at the willful failure of a few childish men to prevent one of the cruelest and most pointless wars in recent history.

"But why wasn't I there?" (the Facebook post Powell made talking about what happened that night) is a beautiful, bitter, calm meditation on the numbness and rawness of fresh grief, and it hit like a piledriver. Titling the album Hubris is just such a genius move as well. I could gush on and on, but I'll leave off with a "yup!" to your amazing analysis!

(That WWII being impossible to defend as a pacifist quote, is that supposed to be WWI?)

> Hans Zimmer Live (2016) - ****½

Most of these transfer well to album, though I recall some odd choices in arrangement and piece choices (but of course, I can't think up any examples off the top of my head). Overall a fun album, and I am inclined to cringe at the sheer self-indulgence and aggrandation of the Zimmer Brand through the spectacle... and yet, he's the one real rock star composer right now, and this is still kinda subdued compared to some pop and rock acts! (If you want cringey self-indulgence, Denis DeYoung's insistence on Kilroy Was Here being a stage show has you covered!) As you put it, it seems like he's having fun, and if people are interested, then why not!

(Wait, if he's on tour, and his two usual suspects add'l music composers are on tour with him, then who's writing the scores?!