John Williams Appreciation Thread

panthro · 6 Sep 2010 at 14:25

Everyone knows him from all the great scores he's written for many films; to me he's one of the great modern composers. Shear brilliance in all his work. Apart from Star Wars (obviously

) the Back To The Future theme has to be my favourite, turn it up.....

Grandmaster Fap! · 6 Sep 2010 at 14:40

Genius, my faves are Indiana Jones and Jaws, the latter being an exercise in terrifying you with music alone!

Metatron · 6 Sep 2010 at 14:43

Pretty much the greatest film composer of all time IMO. Genius.

Jono · 6 Sep 2010 at 14:49

But Back to the Future was by Alan Silvestri :confused:

Cosimo · 6 Sep 2010 at 14:52

Two of my favourites:

panthro · 6 Sep 2010 at 15:08

Jono said:
But Back to the Future was by Alan Silvestri

Really? Why do I have it on a John Williams CD? LOL!

Anyway, heres another classic:

Fortyseven · 6 Sep 2010 at 15:30

Superman is the best theme he has done IMO.
However, the best superhero theme is Batman by Danny Elfman.

Back to the Future music was indeed done by Alan Silvestri.

ruffneck · 6 Sep 2010 at 15:34

nands · 6 Sep 2010 at 15:50

I was at a Proms type thing in a park a few years back (dragged along) but it was mega as the finale was a John Williams medely with the full orchestra going for it and fireworks. It was breathtaking! SO much better than I would have imagined when listened to live!

Jono · 6 Sep 2010 at 16:06

I have to say I love JW.
Went to see Star Wars in Concert or whatever it was called. Brilliant stuff. I love most of his work. Schindler's list, Shaving Ryan's Privates, Jurassic Park, Hook...

And all the other stuff he's done. He's certainly not overrated, but I can almost always tell when something's his...
I do love Danny Elfman, Klaus Badelt, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, Yann Tiersen, Michael Nyman, Alan Silvestri etc....

Von Smallhausen · 6 Sep 2010 at 16:25

Qui Gon / Pado Wan Kenobi v Darth Maul

/close thread.

Dear me, I would sell my other half for a double bladed lightsaber.

Vonhelmet · 6 Sep 2010 at 16:44

Von Smallhausen said:
Dear me, I would sell my other half for a double bladed lightsaber.

I heard she said the same thing, aiii.

Curunen · 6 Sep 2010 at 16:51

Duel of the Fates = best part of episode 1; in fact, the one redeeming feature.

Edit: LOL at 1:23 - Qui-Gon elbow + backfist.

SourChipmunk · 6 Sep 2010 at 17:47

In for appreciation purposes.

I remember reading somewhere that writing the 5 notes unique to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was one of the most difficult things he had to do.

edit: and trivia about that scene:

Tuba player Jim Self is the "musical voice" of the mother-ship in the climatic scene when the big ship comes down on Devils Tower. Steven Spielberg and John Williams chose the tuba as the voice of the mother-ship because the difficulty of playing the instrument added a human characteristic to the aliens.

edit: and the full theme (1977)

SexyGreyFox · 6 Sep 2010 at 18:57

lee32uk · 6 Sep 2010 at 20:03

dmpoole said:

Think you got the wrong John Williams

Chojin · 6 Sep 2010 at 20:07

I was introduced to his Seven Years in Tibet score recently, it's very good.

GeezerButler · 6 Sep 2010 at 20:33

Don't forget Schindler's List either - brilliant theme.

SexyGreyFox · 6 Sep 2010 at 20:45

lee32uk said:
Think you got the wrong John Williams

No I didn't

lee32uk · 6 Sep 2010 at 22:01

dmpoole said:
No I didn't

John Williams the guitarist is not the same person as John Williams the composer