FUCK, there were hints of a good score in there, but it was shit for the most part.
What went wrong?
He got old
He lost his touch
RIP
>>63964374
His score was shit in Attack of the Clones too
You cant improve on perfection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzVBqBosf5w
>>63965354
At least it had ONE memorable theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM_ZWnD40aA
The Force Awakens has none
>>63965354
>Across the Stars
>Love Pledge/The Arena
>shit
It's the recording, largely. Different orchestra, different hall - sounds far too smooth and concert-like.
Also he had a very short time to work on the score compared to the other films. Aaaaand he's 83. I'm hoping he holds on for the next few and they give him enough time to prep a beast of a score, then record it with the London Symphony Orchestra.
All I want is Luke in a climactic battle with Duel of the Fates playing.
>>63964374
Yeah, I thought this was basically /tv/'s only legitimate point about this movie.
>>63965354
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMI5xpdhDaM
>>63965457
kill yourself
>>63965435
The rebel theme is memorable
>>63965528
'no'
Agreed on all counts.
Even the main theme sounded weak
Like a cheap orchestra version
Not one piece of music stood out for me
sound editing
the score is pretty good, kylos theme is dope but you CANT FUCKING HEAR IT
>>63965354
He had a multiple memorable themes there, you typical RLM fanboy
>>63965547
OK. It is to me.
>>63965603
Kylo's theme is nebulous as hell. The whole score is.
Can't even blame his age
Morricone's new score is great and he's old as fuck
>>63965634
>anyone who dislikes shitty panned movies is just a youtuber reviewer fanboy
Sounds way too cautious and without direction. There was a grand total of one theme that almost stood out and it's mediocre as hell.
>>63964374
Yeah, the music was incipid.
There were chords and arrangements that came straight from the OT's music (other than the bits of themes we know), but there was no real narrative feel, it was way too ambient.
But in a way, it fits with the movie : nothing exciting or innovating, just easy audience manipulation to make you believe you're having a good time.
>>63965690
>Morricone's new score is great and he's old as fuck
that's because most of the score from Hateful Eight was music that was rejected from The Thing
>>63965757
Are you saying... It was artificial fun?
Fun is just a buzzword you know.
It's there but the mixing was off
>>63965356
I actually can't listen to that song anymore. Maybe my least favorite score of Williams.
You know the worst part, the best song was used in the trailer, but was never used in the film.
>>63965769
that makes sense
>>63965850
this
>>63965814
not this
>>63964374
I gave it a listen in its own right and I ended up really liking it.
>>63965603
This. The editing and mastering guys should be shot in the face
>>63965769
>trying this hard
March of the Resistance is the only theme to stand out, and it's only because the brass could cut through the the cacophony of other sounds in this movie.
https://youtu.be/ueqKtype7Kk
>>63965721
>>63965634
I liked Attack of the Clones when it wasn't the fucking Across the Stars theme. Memorable yes, but that's because the scene's were gay.
>>63965440
>>63965465
Arena doesn't compare to Dual of Obi/Anny and Darth Maul fight theme.
>BTFO in every way regarding the actual movie, /tv/ turns to the score for any desperate hint of mediocrity
>>63965444
>Different orchestra
This. Why is TFA not wtih London Symphony Orchestra?
He doesn't give a fuck anymore, the only people who give a fuck are the new actors and maybe Mark Hamil. Directors dont give a fuck, Disney doesn't give a fuck, Ford certainly didn't give a fuck.
Get paid and fuck everything else.
>>63964374
I guess he ran out of shit to steal
>>63965678
I think Kylo's theme is a good motif, it's definitely grown in me as I've listened to the OST. Rey's Theme is very solid but has a much more modern feel to it than any other theme we've heard thus far. I trust that both will be expanded upon.
>>63965947
good meme
These were the only really memorable ones t b h
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlu8S3bUQE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LspOKlJ9saY
It's weak because George wasn't there to work with John Williams. George really cared about the score and new the importance and exactly what works for Star Wars.
>>63966028
You know it's true
>>63965886
No you didn't.
>>63966007
Rey's theme is the only good piece in the whole movie.
>>63966055
>He said that working with J. J. Abrams was similar to the process he went through with George Lucas in the earlier films.[9]
>>63966068
I know the movie is shit all the way around.
Terminator: Genysis tier.
>>63966122
>what is a contractual obligation
>>63966092
You don't even know me edgelord
>>63966007
Reys theme has great potential to grow with that character.
>inb4 she has no growing left to do
Didn't he have less time to work on the score than he usually does?
>>63966163
au contrair mona me
>>63966184
she has no growing left to do
>>63965883
If you don't think the recording had a massive impact on how this score sounds in light of every other Star Wars soundtrack, you should:
a) listen to the other recordings again
Then
b) reconsider your stance.
>>63966322
I know it can have an impact but that doesn't exuse the fact that the score was poorly written.
>>63966378
What made it so poorly written?
>implying the prequels scores weren't overdone
>implying this wasn't a perfect balance
I want prequel babbies to leave
Shit score for shit movie.
>>63966092
Not even him but I like the score after a few listens as well. It's not Empire Strikes Back by a long shot, though. Williams is past his prime.
You know there's more than simply "loving" or "hating" a score, right? You can just like it, too.
>>63966414
>new themes were nebulous
>over reliance on old themes
>didn't emotional invest you in the narrative
>>63966466
It's shit by Williams standards though.
>>63966422
A perfect balance of what?
Mediocrity and senility?
>>63965810
You had fun watching this movie ?
Everything was so fast paced, you can't get an emotionnal grip on anything...
I really felt like the music was just here to keep you from thinking about anything else, like some cardboard background covering the back of a scene.
In the OT, every bit of every piece of score John Williams has written is memorable, and by just listening to it you have a better appreciation of what's going on, because of its a narratve value. Plus, in '77 it was some kind of novelty to write an orchestral score for a "sci-fi" movie. We're used to it now, every blockbuster has orchestral music, there is no more impact.
Incipid music pulls you out of a Star Wars movie.
>inb4 you must be fun at parties
>>63965690
People do age differently, you understand that right?
>>63964374
>MUH JOHN WILLIAMS SUCKS
This meme sucks.
Fucking listen to the individual soundtracks, the music is top-tier. The person to blame is Abrams for integrating it so poorly into the film, absolutely pathetic. Even Lucas was better than that
>>63966676
yeah whoever did the sound mixing needs to be fired.
hopefully the blu ray has better mixing
>>63966521
There's a lot of similarities to the ANH score, tbhfamilia (which makes obvious sense when you consider the movie being half-rehash). It's certainly not fantastic like ANH, and sounds on the whole like a simplified version of the former if anything.
Still doesn't make it a shit score. Just not amazing.
Williams has been going downhill for a long time. It's funny, even though I thought the Episode I score was somewhat mediocre when the movie first came out, 16 years later I can actually appreciate it a lot more, compared to the meandering junk Williams produces now.
>>63966676
>the music is top-tier.
you're are fucking delusional
>>63965690
Jerry Goldsmith was doing great work right up til the end, too. Although Williams is 8 years older than he was when he died.
>>63966920
>Jerry Goldsmith
The Nemesis score was fucking great.
>>63966676
describe "top-tier" music
i can :
music that helps the audience understanding the traits of a character along with the acting and presence of the actor :
Leia's theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtkuZbcZORE
The emperor's theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H26Hdv3i0U
music that helps the audience understanding the real weight of an idea :
The force theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZ9kQ1h-ZY
The Imperial March
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8
narrative scoring :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzwF8YaIjUw
for what John Williams has produced for the other star wars, TFA was weak
>>63965931
Agreed, and that's basically just a worse, less catchy version of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtP5lSQgll8
CREATIVITY CANNOT FLOW IN A CORPORATE TICK-BOX ENVIRONMENT
GEORGE LUCAS > JJ ABRAMS
>>63966676
It's middling by Williams standards. But it's so soft and synth-ish, powerless in the mix. The brass never pierce or blast like they should - the trombones in particular are just pathetic compared to the OT. Wtf. Didn't Ben Burtt mix the movie, too??
>>63966521
Can you give an example of one of the new themes and describe in musical terms, why it is nebulous?
It's mostly mixing.
All the instruments just sound very natural. In prequels you had tons of artificial distortion and supporting synths mixed in, which resulted in a very epic feel. Here, it's very intimate and not in a good way.
>>63966945
Goldsmith was really hit or miss due to the fact that he scored so many damn movies (and phoned a lot of them in), but when he was good he was really fucking good.
>Poltergeist
>The Omen
>Psycho II
>Basic Instinct
>The Mummy
>13th Warrior
>Alien
>Legend
>Secret of NIMH
>Total Recall
>Rambo
>Star Trek
I mean, fuck.
>>63966960
>Not including The Asteroid Field for action music or Luke And Leia for general amazingness
But yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8ac1Qg-r-8
Jesus even the main theme was wimpy.
The only track I particularly enjoyed or remembered was Kylo's short little theme.
>>63967089
Different guy and I can't break it down in specific musical terms, but listen to Rey's theme. It's not a bad idea, musically - but it just wanders all over the place and never goes anywhere or does anything interesting. It's just "ok".
>>63967163
I was just thinking about the ones everyone think about when somebody says "Star Wars".
Obviously TFA had nothing like this.
>>63967089
"make a musical analysis for a 4chan post, anon"
>>63967285
You can't tell me March of the resistance isn't the classic star wars sound.
>>63967333
I can and it isn't.
>>63967211
Is the short theme even on the soundtrack? I swear I heard something good near the film's end but I don't hear it on the OST.
>>63966960
agreed, I was hoping for "that" piece that defined each episode.. but no, all of it was just lame and uninspiring background noise. That was, for me, the biggest let down off this movie.
>>63967330
>I'm gonna complain about something being nebulous, but make my complaints equally as nebulous
>>63967370
Nah, it seems to only be within larger pieces.
A shame because Kylo's theme actually could've been pretty good if it was expanded on a bit more.
>>63967089
Rey's theme for example is good enough, but it only ever play's twice- once when she's sliding down the dune, and once in "Jedi Steps". Both times it's a very similar arrangement. It doesn't grow and change with Rey (kek, maybe because she's a mary sue) it should have played when Rey was fighting in the forest, instead the force theme plays.
L A Z Y
>>63965988
Kek
>>63967333
Yeah, some of the brass elements have the same type of mixing as what you can hear in the OT's soundtracks (punching in the mid frequencies). But it's made to emulate that sound we know since 1977, it's so damn obvious. Mixing and recording scores like that have evolved since, the "classic" sound you hear feels really virtual...
... to me, at least
They need to pass the torch to Jeremy Soule. His talent is wasted in video games.
>>63967513
Williams is now actively holding back younger composers who could probably do a better job. But as long as he's alive it seems like heresy to hire anyone but him for a SW movie (or a Spielberg movie, for that matter).
>>63967504
You're right about the mid frequencies.
I was reading TIME and JJ literally told the mixing guys to "put more mids in there for when people watch this on an iphone"
I'm not kidding.
I don't have the source because i read it in a doctors waiting room.
>>63967513
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOIl8eZdJD4
>>63967453
I agree with that. But that's not what the word nebulous means.
The theme does initially define the character quite well, but you're right it doesn't evolve.
>>63967583
I was thinking about that specific brass sound :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHQrcyerVQQ
What you are talking about should be considered part of the "loudness war", look into that.
>>63967504
Sure. But other guy was saying there's no real "star wars" motifs. I disagree.
>>63967631
I just like the word nebulous 2bh. Rolls off the keyboard.
>>63965603
Definitely agree. Star Wars has always put its music front and center whenever it could, so I think this is a pretty big problem for a movie claiming to be Star Wars.
>>63967751
It could be fixed for home release, but I know it won't. Not enough people care.
>>63967513
Him or Joel McNeely, whose Shadows of the Empire score is criminally underrated and very, very 'Star Wars'!
>>63967798
Perhaps one of the approximately one million different speaker configurations will do it? If you had a center channel you could always just see what comes out of it and then crank center or sides appropriately to fix it yourself.
At any rate, probably true.
>>63967677
You mean in the original tracks for TFA ?
There were some themes from the OT but the rest was forgettable, or tasteless, at the very least.
>>63964374
The music was decent and a bit weak, but nothing memorable.
Part of the reason why it wasn't memorable was that you couldn't hear shit over the sound effects and everything else. To sort of relate to the sound effects being a nuisance, I could barely hear TR-80R TROOPER's dialogue over the explosions.
>>63967751
>front and center
Exactly.
I truuuuuuly hope that they eventually remaster the audio. Even if the soundtrack isn't Williams' best SW work by a good degree, it still needed to be much louder and gripping, a blast in the face of epic space opera musical goodness.
Also the fact that the only vocals scored for this were in 'Snoke' is telling of the lack of proper preparation. Choir music was well implemented in the PT.
The overuse of the Force theme is also a bummer.
>How do you want your music JJ?
>JUST
>>63966676
>>63968040
These guys hit the nail on the head. The reason the music wasn't very discernible was because of JJ's "muh practical effects" which pushed the music far into the backdrop of the scene. Really bad film-making tbqh
>>63968112
*good money making
It's Disney. You think Williams thinks of this shit as real, faithful, and worthy of his work?
>>63968008
>tasteless
What do you mean?
>>63968112
>>63968040
>>63968043
Exactly. Here's an example of how good music pushed to the center of the scene can really elevate the atmosphere:
https://a.pomf.cat/xxmpne.webm
This is what JJ should've been aiming for
>>63968145
Why the fuck do people keep saying is? The entirey of Star Wars haul can be attributed to the enormous pull and culture status of the original 6, now plus Disney's marketing bux
None of any of that box office income is "because of JJ" you fuckwit
>>63968169
One color music.
>>63968176
>https://a.pomf.cat/xxmpne.webm
that's actually pretty good familia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGcpLm989-U
doesn't everyone know by now that John Williams rips off shit for everything he's ever done?
>>63968176
TR-888888888888R
THIS OWNS
>>63968207
Naw man. There was definitely variation in tone.
Is tasteless the word you're looking for?
>>63965435
Jedi steps was memorable
>>63968321
good meme
>>63968176
That's actually not too bad, despite DotF being a tad overrated. Good music always elevates a scene.
>>63968337
No idea what you're on about mate.
Return of the Jedi didn't have any memorable scores.
>>63968333
'no'
>>63968365
>I give a description of what i mean when i say tasteless
>you say im looking for the word tasteless
good meme
>>63968370
>battle over endor
>vader unmasking
>>63968370
Here's a pity (You) for that zero-effort b8
>>63968370
>implying
https://youtu.be/PiDRgDmXGi4
>>63968459
Here's the GOOD special edition song
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd7Wh4vrVyk
>>63968414
No, I'm asking if you're sure tasteless is the correct word. Because I don't think it is.
>>63968169
What makes a piece memorable is the general theme that gets out of it. I'm not talking about some random 4-magic-chords-melody you can keep singing in the shower, but a natural musical feel (a taste) coming for the very arrangement of the track.
Other Star Wars soundtracks are very developped tracks derived from simple themes.
Listen to Beethoven's Appassionata or Debussy's Sarabande, if you want examples of pieces being developpement of simple melodies.
He is very old man, assholes
I want to see you in 83yo. You won't shit without help.
>>63968582
But when be was 73 he was still making god tier stuff.
>Revenge of the sith soundtrack
>>Harry Potter 3 soundtrack
>>63968176
yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssssss
thank you for that anon
>>63968459
Dont forget this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L63In39n86c
mainly the middle is when it starts to get good
>>63968563
There's something else that makes a piece memorable and that's having it played many times over three decades.
We need George to apply his post-release editing mastery to fix TFA.
>>63968639
i know every fucking star wars track down to the last note thanks to star wars vidya
>>63968582
We've already established earlier in the thread that old composers other than Williams are/were still writing quality music at an advanced age, dummy. Age isn't an excuse.
>>63968708
>played Star Wars Galactic Battleground for untold hours as a kid
>know the Battle of Hoth and Endor pieces by heart
I have a problem
>>63968416
I'm seriously not trying to meme.
Memorable Songs
>TPM - Duel of the Fates
>AOTC - Across the Stars
>ROTS - Battle of the Heroes (AKA Duel of the Fates part 2)
>ANH - all songs
>ESB - all songs
>ROTJ - The Victory Celebration??
>>63964374
It was missing that powerful "Opera" feel. If you look at the memorable pieces from both OT and PT, they were powerful pieces, fitting of an operahouse, or had actual opera singers in them to complement the music. TFA had bland music drowned out by special effects.
>>63968622
>>63968352
>>63968300
>>63968223
You're welcome :D
The prequels were all in all better movies with better scores than The Capeshit Awakens.
>>63965465
REMOVE YOUNGLINGS
>>63968784
ROTJ had vader vs. luke
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L63In39n86c
>>63968784
How could the Emperor's theme not stick out to you, if nothing else?
https://youtu.be/8H26Hdv3i0U?t=1m6s
Or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPCPw1dww3E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAfAMGayeY
>>63968639
True, but there was some kind of spontaneous spark that shaped what Star Wars is, musically speaking, and repetition has nothing to do with that
>tfw there will never be another track as hummable as these
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFOo86PDDuE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYgc-kKhEnU
>>63965354
https://youtu.be/F0HZfKspVB4
>>63968784
Battle of the Heroes was garbage
>>63969589
You're garbage.
>>63969431
Best part of AOTC by far. Those quivering strings, Williams does it better than anyone else.
LITERALLY the most underrated Star Wars score of all time:
https://youtu.be/Ng6YmeFpaas?t=1m49s
>>63970185
That's one of my favorite cues from TPM, probably because it's so similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-FU-bHWtNQ
>>63968784
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzwF8YaIjUw
Also lapti nek.
>diminshed John Williams influence in the new series
Yet another reason why I'm going to have trouble considering this actual "Star Wars"
>>63970355
Jabba's theme is great, as is most of the music you hear during the scenes in his palace and on his sail barge.
>>63969025
All right. You got me f.am. I can't believe I couldn't remember these.
>>63970820
ROTJ's got a really good score. It's not QUITE as good as ANH or ESB, but it's solid.
>>63965956
Scheduling/logistics reasons. If some little thing needs to be tweaked on the score, it's a hell of a lot easier for the scoring team to get together in LA than have to fly over to London.
>>63970941
IMO Jedi had more "atmospheric" music--as in, there was more of the score where you have to look at the track name to figure out what part of the movie, exactly, you were in. But that might also be because Jedi had a lot of boring stretches between bursts of action.
>>63968333
Yes, but it was a rehash of the tried-and-true Force Theme.
>>63964374
Too much of it was drowned out in the film, except when the sound editors basically said "look over here!" and brought up the Rebel Fanfare whenever we saw the Falcon.
I'm not sure what's worse: writing a decent score that gets drowned out by too much sound effects, or writing a possibly good score that we'll never hear because it got completely chopped up and essentially removed from existence (coughhackEpisode IIcough).
And scoring ever Han/Leia scene with Princess Leia's Theme followed by Han Solo and the Princess got old the first time we heard it.
