I don't enjoy films with apes and/or monkeys in them by and large. Or tea commercials, either.
None the less, I'm reasonably familiar with the scores written for several of them, and the one I like best for a Kong film - or indeed any film revolving around said animals - is John Barry's.
TG
What about tea commercials with monkeys in them?
It was tea commercials with monkeys in them to which I was referring - specifically chimpanzees, which I would very happily see become extinct. Tea commercials in general are fine, although there's one with Johnny Vegas and some knitted atrocity (a monkey? Who knows) that is also really annoying.
I agree with his Tallness...
As for the Kong's, yeah, I know Steiner's blah blah, importance, blah blah, film history, blah blah but for me it is JOHN BARRY's score that towers above all, at least it's the one I enjoy more than the others.
I don't enjoy films with apes and/or monkeys in them by and large. Or tea commercials, either.
None the less, I'm reasonably familiar with the scores written for several of them, and the one I like best for a Kong film - or indeed any film revolving around said animals - is John Barry's.
TG
What about tea commercials with monkeys in them?
It was tea commercials with monkeys in them to which I was referring - specifically chimpanzees, which I would very happily see become extinct. Tea commercials in general are fine, although there's one with Johnny Vegas and some knitted atrocity (a monkey? Who knows) that is also really annoying.
I agree with his Tallness...
As for the Kong's, yeah, I know Steiner's blah blah, importance, blah blah, film history, blah blah but for me it is JOHN BARRY's score that towers above all, at least it's the one I enjoy more than the others.
I'm only really familiar with JNH's effort (which I greatly enjoy). I've seen the '33 King Kong and the '76 King Kong but barely remember their scores. I remember thinking that the John Barry score was overly indulgent for the film but I've never been a fan of that composer.
Overly indulgent for the otherwise subtle, low key De Laurentis film?
As for the Kong's, yeah, I know Steiner's blah blah, importance, blah blah, film history, blah blah but for me it is JOHN BARRY's score that towers above all, at least it's the one I enjoy more than the others. ---------- Right on!
As for me, I sought of gave my answer with my initial thread. I thought they all were fine scores, just my opinion. I also liked some of the music from KING KONG VS GODZILLA AND KING KONG ESCAPES.
They opened this summer's Colorado Music Festival in Boulder with, among other pieces, the overture from King Kong. That was a blast. The program incorrectly listed the piece as Jungle Dance, my fave from Steiner's score, but what a joy to hear the full orchestra go to town on this raucous piece, especially when the tuba comes in to blurt out that Kong motif!
Steiner for lush primitiveness, Barry for evocative mood, Scott for thrilling adventure. The attributes and composers are interchangeable.
Frankly, I can´t choose. For me they represent some of these composers´ best works.
I guess ultimately this is the most apt way to put it. I'd add that JNH's is perhaps one of the, if not the, most DIVERSE and varied Kong scores. I must confess I bias though, I find Scott's to be utterly brilliant.
Watch the last ten mins of KKL at the link below, including credits, and tell me this isn't really MUSIC. Those Ravelian, swirling woodwinds are amazing, and the timpani counterpoint at the onset of the end title is genius. I can't believe such inspired music could be penned for such a lousy movie!
Scott is truly on a level of his own, and while I know I won't make many friends saying this, for my money his output leaves John Barry's positively gasping for air. As I'm too young to have seen any of Barry's score w/ the accompanying films during my 'formative' years (I'm sure that's a different story for many users on this board), I judge based purely on the MUSIC and not carrying any sort of nostalgic attachment to the films/scores.
So with that said, Barry just sounds so plain, so uninspired, so conservative and unenthusiastic next to Scott's masterful handling of melody, counterpoint and orchestration.
So with that said, Barry just sounds so plain, so uninspired, so conservative and unenthusiastic next to Scott's masterful handling of melody, counterpoint and orchestration.
There, I said it. Let the hate mail begin!
Yeah, can't disagree with you more! I love John Scott, and his KONG score. Barry, however, though perhaps arguably he doesn't write with the full orchestral prowess, is in a creative niche of his own, carved out by his own particular unique genius. To my mind, he's very similar to Morricone in this regard. The exotic and intoxicating effects Barry achieves in his KONG score are just brilliant. What atmosphere, what beauty, what unapologetic weirdness, or alien-ness! It has nothing to do with nostalgia that I go back to this score far more than John Scott's own undeniable masterpiece.
Yeah, can't disagree with you more! I love John Scott, and his KONG score. Barry, however, though perhaps arguably he doesn't write with the full orchestral prowess, is in a creative niche of his own, carved out by his own particular unique genius. To my mind, he's very similar to Morricone in this regard. The exotic and intoxicating effects Barry achieves in his KONG score are just brilliant. What atmosphere, what beauty, what unapologetic weirdness, or alien-ness! It has nothing to do with nostalgia that I go back to this score far more than John Scott's own undeniable masterpiece.
Thank you for the level-headed response. I definitely *respect* the hell out of Barry, and when I first started collecting around the age of 13 or 14, SOMEWHERE IN TIME and OUT OF AFRICA were two CD's my local library happened to have and for years, they ranked among my favorites.
Tastes change, however, and I soon found his music too conservative, too placid. Not ravishing enough, not laden with enough VITALITY, etc. It's Scott's 'orchestral prowess', as you put it quite well, that appeals to me so much - the fact that he writes STUNNING themes is the icing on the cake!
Don't get me wrong - all this said - Barry's KONG is still *really* damn good!
