This post won’t be as polished as my actual odyssey posts were/are/will be. Just a heads up.

As a recap, here’s all of the scores in the Soulsborne lineage, and what I would rank them out of five stars.

Demons Souls (2009) - * Avoid at all costs
Dark Souls (2011) - ***1/2 Might be fun
Dark Souls II (2014) - *** Might be fun
Bloodborne (2014/15) - ***** In my top 50 favorite scores ever
Dark Souls III (2015) - **** Would recommend
Sekiro (2019) - *** Might be fun
Demons Souls (2020) - ***** Fantastic
Elden Ring (2022) - ** Would not recommend

While the lows of this franchise get worryingly low at times, the highs are so astronomical that it’s easy to forgive occasional missteps. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this series, and I hope you enjoyed reading. Maybe you’ll even seek out some of these scores for yourself; you know which ones I’d recommend

Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey, and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

(Message edited on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:20 p.m.)

> This post won’t be as polished as my actual odyssey posts were/are/will
> be. Just a heads up.

> As a recap, here’s all of the scores in the Soulsborne lineage, and what I
> would rank them out of five stars.

> Demons Souls (2009) - * Avoid at all costs
> Dark Souls (2011) - ***1/2 Might be fun
> Dark Souls II (2014) - *** Might be fun
> Bloodborne (2014/15) - ***** In my top 50 favorite scores ever
> Dark Souls III (2015) - **** Would recommend
> Sekiro (2019) - *** Might be fun
> Demons Souls (2020) - ***** Fantastic
> Elden Ring (2022) - ** Would not recommend

> While the lows of this franchise get worryingly low at times, the highs
> are so astronomical that it’s easy to forgive occasional missteps. I
> thoroughly enjoyed doing this series, and I hope you enjoyed reading.
> Maybe you’ll even seek out some of these scores for yourself; you know
> which ones I’d recommend

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey,
> and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton
> Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under
> their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the
> two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

JNH fo sho! He has TONS of 90’s scores in particular that absolutely no one ever talks about, whereas most Giacchino scores I feel have been discussed and analyzed a lot.

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey, and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

My vote is for James Newton Howard.

> This post won’t be as polished as my actual odyssey posts were/are/will
> be. Just a heads up.

> As a recap, here’s all of the scores in the Soulsborne lineage, and what I
> would rank them out of five stars.

> Demons Souls (2009) - * Avoid at all costs
> Dark Souls (2011) - ***1/2 Might be fun
> Dark Souls II (2014) - *** Might be fun
> Bloodborne (2014/15) - ***** In my top 50 favorite scores ever
> Dark Souls III (2015) - **** Would recommend
> Sekiro (2019) - *** Might be fun
> Demons Souls (2020) - ***** Fantastic
> Elden Ring (2022) - ** Would not recommend

> While the lows of this franchise get worryingly low at times, the highs
> are so astronomical that it’s easy to forgive occasional missteps. I
> thoroughly enjoyed doing this series, and I hope you enjoyed reading.
> Maybe you’ll even seek out some of these scores for yourself; you know
> which ones I’d recommend

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey,
> and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton
> Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under
> their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the
> two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

As a die hard Giacchino fan, I would recommend him, first composer I ever heard on album and he has a very big discography, its why I call him the modern Jerry Goldsmith and if you haven't heard Jupiter Ascending you are in for a treat.

> if you haven't heard Jupiter Ascending you are in for a treat.
Oh, I'm very familiar with that one. Listened to "Mutiny on the Bounty Hunter" earlier today

> Oh, I'm very familiar with that one. Listened to 'Mutiny on the Bounty
> Hunter' earlier today

Yes, its such a great score, still my favourite from him, when Michael scores a space opera, he takes the opera part very literally.

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey,
> and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton
> Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under
> their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the
> two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

I vote Giacchino because no matter what you end up saying, people will get upset and it'll be very funny to me. 🍿🍿

> I vote Giacchino because no matter what you end up saying, people will get
> upset and it'll be very funny to me. 🍿🍿

Why did it take me this long to realize you’re our community chaotician

> Why did it take me this long to realize you’re our community chaotician

1. I usually hid the chaos in my troll accounts.
2. I said at the beginning of the year that my goal was to be less serious on here, so my efforts may be paying off.

> I vote Giacchino because no matter what you end up saying, people will get
> upset and it'll be very funny to me. 🍿🍿

I feel attacked.

> I feel attacked.

QED!

> QED!

I played right into his hands.

> I played right into his hands.

Kernels are already in the microwave...

> I feel attacked.

The thread you have in mind was far too long for you to be taking this personally.

> The thread you have in mind was far too long for you to be taking this
> personally.

I believe I was at the forefront of the fatigue movement, and I ask that you kindly not go back and prove it.

> While the lows of this franchise get worryingly low at times, the highs are so astronomical that it’s easy to forgive occasional missteps. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this series, and I hope you enjoyed reading. Maybe you’ll even seek out some of these scores for yourself; you know which ones I’d recommend

It's been a fun read (apologies for not engaging with more of your posts) and an insightful one since it's a music niche I know jack about.

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey, and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

I'm voting JNH - solely because he's the only composer who's written a replacement score for a movie directed by the person he was dating at the time.

> It's been a fun read (apologies for not engaging with more of your posts)
> and an insightful one since it's a music niche I know jack about.

> I'm voting JNH - solely because he's the only composer who's written a
> replacement score for a movie directed by the person he was dating at the
> time.

I need the full story!

> I need the full story!

Prince of Tides!

John Barry and Barbra Streisand couldn't get on the same page.

Howard and Babs were linked publicly as an item in 1991 - which was the year the movie came out.

I believe it's a chicken or the egg situation. I'm not sure whether they were dating at the time or if the movie led to their (relatively) brief relationship.

I'm also reminded of what John Powell once said about work-life balance. 'James Newton Howard, 9 to 5 he can get it done, but he’s had about four wives.'

> Demons Souls (2009) - * Avoid at all costs
> Dark Souls (2011) - ***1/2 Might be fun
> Dark Souls II (2014) - *** Might be fun
> Bloodborne (2014/15) - ***** In my top 50 favorite scores ever
> Dark Souls III (2015) - **** Would recommend
> Sekiro (2019) - *** Might be fun
> Demons Souls (2020) - ***** Fantastic
> Elden Ring (2022) - ** Would not recommend

I might have to check out some of those. I've only heard Elden Ring for sure and while it had some great moments... good grief was the album presentation horribly arranged and far too long.

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey,
> and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton
> Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under
> their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the
> two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

Hmm, two good choices and honestly I'd say either one. Giacchino you're probably more familiar with if you watch Hollywood movies from the past decade or so while JNH is more in-and-out of the mainstream and has some really fantastic works under his belt.

So, if you want to dig into some good "old stuff" I'd say Howard.

> This post won’t be as polished as my actual odyssey posts were/are/will
> be. Just a heads up.

> As a recap, here’s all of the scores in the Soulsborne lineage, and what I
> would rank them out of five stars.

> Demons Souls (2009) - * Avoid at all costs
> Dark Souls (2011) - ***1/2 Might be fun
> Dark Souls II (2014) - *** Might be fun
> Bloodborne (2014/15) - ***** In my top 50 favorite scores ever
> Dark Souls III (2015) - **** Would recommend
> Sekiro (2019) - *** Might be fun
> Demons Souls (2020) - ***** Fantastic
> Elden Ring (2022) - ** Would not recommend

> While the lows of this franchise get worryingly low at times, the highs
> are so astronomical that it’s easy to forgive occasional missteps. I
> thoroughly enjoyed doing this series, and I hope you enjoyed reading.
> Maybe you’ll even seek out some of these scores for yourself; you know
> which ones I’d recommend

I've never listened to any of these outside of a few cues, so looking forward to starting with Bloodborne and the Demon's Souls remake.

> Moving on to my next odyssey. I want to do a composer specific odyssey,
> and I am debating between choosing Michael Giacchino and James Newton
> Howard. Both are solid composers with some truly fantastic music under
> their belts, and I would love to check them out. Let me know which of the
> two you’d most enjoy a deep dive into their career!

Howard!

> I've never listened to any of these outside of a few cues, so looking
> forward to starting with Bloodborne and the Demon's Souls remake.
I really hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Just be sure to have some Tylenol on standby, it's a lot.

(Message edited on Friday, April 21, 2023, at 6:13 a.m.)

Again, thanks for sharing this series with us. I really enjoyed it.

I'm gonna vote for Giacchino. He is one of my favorite modern era composers. But if you are going to explore his work, make sure you listen to his "Medal of Honor" scores, or a couple folks around here will be enraged that you ignored "his best work". I don't necessarily agree with that sentiment - but it is strongly felt by a couple folks around here and wouldn't want you to feel that heat of the angry Giacchino fans... at least not right out of the gate.