|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jul 13, 2013 - 3:25 PM
|
|
|
By: |
Morricone
(Member)
|
I am not making a direct comparison to this Zimmer argument since I am not that big a Zimmer fan (but I have enjoyed some of his music so that probably qualifies me as being a part of the bane of human civilization") but I see ample evidence of that old film music fart mentality still flourishing. All of this would matter if there was a PROGRESS of some kind in the music headlined by Hans Zimmer, but there isn't. I laugh when I hear that people who adore this think they're listening to "modern" music. It's a joke. RCP is (mostly, not exclusively) producing music that is regressive in the extreme, which falls back on simplistic patterns, conventional & forgettable progressions, thinly dressed up with a few electronic effects to make it sound contemporary. Max Steiner was more progressive than Hans Zimmer. Progress is relative. On the concert stage progressive has meant modern writing including atonal works. Being a fan of Morricone I have followed this progress up to a point. But my personal standard is based on the Goldsmith model of composer. The type who gets bored doing the same thing over and over. So early Zimmer was very creative jumping around from heavy African influence (A WORLD APART) to folksy (DRIVING MISS DAISY) to traditional heroicism (BACKDRAFT). But as soon as I heard the same "power anthem" from THE ROCK in PIRATES and other places I knew formula had set in. Which doesn't mean he can't be a little inspired now and then from a project like RANGO or SHERLOCK HOLMES. It is simply he and his troops muddy the water so badly I cannot muster any arguments to defend them against the haters. But I hate the idea that his concept of film music production is something new and is the bane of Hollywood. The studios always have gone for and loved anonymous composer work. Early film music credits were music by the head of the music department. If a composer was so good he was started to be given the whole score to write and given screen credit the studios frowned. They had to pay him more. If they were smart they made the best head of their film music department (Alfred Newman, Max Steiner) so they were under contract and were not demanding too much money. But the majority of the music was cranked out like today and reused, but also libraried. There are those who say they were better trained but ask Rozsa and you have a differing opinion. Either way they were given no time to get this music done so most is extremely underwritten. Then, like today, the majority of it was nothing to write home about. But we always gravitate to the talented few who rise to the top. These days I have an affection for Desplat and Giacchino, and all those Spanish composers popping up headed by Banos. And believe it or not the favorite of the Zimmer crowd John Powell. The best are always brought in from elsewhere. Korngold got trapped here from Austria, Newman from theater, Waxman from France, Herrmann from radio, Rozsa from London, etc. Today I find some unusual scores over at Moviescore media that are surprisingly from independent cinema, foreign countries and other media. You just have to know where to look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Progress is relative. On the concert stage progressive has meant modern writing including atonal works. Being a fan of Morricone I have followed this progress up to a point. But my personal standard is based on the Goldsmith model of composer. The type who gets bored doing the same thing over and over. So early Zimmer was very creative jumping around from heavy African influence (A WORLD APART) to folksy (DRIVING MISS DAISY) to traditional heroicism (BACKDRAFT). But as soon as I heard the same "power anthem" from THE ROCK in PIRATES and other places I knew formula had set in. Which doesn't mean he can't be a little inspired now and then from a project like RANGO or SHERLOCK HOLMES. It is simply he and his troops muddy the water so badly I cannot muster any arguments to defend them against the haters. It is kind of embarassing that someone whose nick name is "Morricone" call "Rango" and "Sherlock Holmes" inspired...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ah well, life is full of surprises. I am surprised someone named Yor can be embarrassed. No, really. Someone who claims to like Morricone cannot be serious to call such lame scores "inspired" since Zimmer stole most of its "inspirantion" from "Secret of the Sahara" (as in "Gladiator") and "Two Mules for Sister Sarah". At least on the sequel of "Sherlock Holmes" he included the original Morricone track on the album. Really embarrassing...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Who would YOR choose between Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman? Oingoboingo mediocre composer, but his scores do not ruin the movies like most of Hams' wall-of-noises. And Oingoboingo nice and humble people. So, yes, YOR would choose Oingoboingo in a million years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Me caveman. Me mourn every day that CAVE PAINTINGS are now replaced by Picasso, animal-bone percussion replaced by Beethoven, eating raw meat replaced by French cuisine. Sometimes people laugh at me but then I tell them "progress relative!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|