G2014: Composer

[kiryugoji04]

[MekaGojira3k]

[The Real McCoy]

[Psycho Soldier]

[mrbluehair]

[Destroysall]

[Gman2887]

I'm not exactly for a guitar partnership like Pacific Rim. I think it works with that movie, but Godzilla is said to be different and I second that it should be different. If they go with Djawadi I want him solo on Godzilla.

My main concern with him scoring it, however, is he's really bad about reusing his own themes. He comes up with really catchy stuff, like his Pacific Rim main theme for example, and then we hardly hear it throughout the rest of the movie. His Clash of the Titans score is the worst offender so far. Great lead melody and we don't hear it again until the ending battle. Harry Gregson-Williams seems to come from this same school of thought as well.

I don't want Ifukube levels of redundancy, but themes and melodies can feel like a character too when heard again in a movie.

[MekaGojira3k]

[Daikaijuu Rojira]

[John Schuermann]

[John Schuermann]

Just thinking - Elfman adapted Herrmann's PSYCHO score for the Gus Van Sant's remake, and Elmer Bernstein adapted Herrmann's CAPE FEAR score for Martin Scorcese's remake, so why can't someone just adapt Ifukube's material for GODZILLA? That could be fun. It would be personally satisfying for me to see Ifukube's music to get real international attention due to its prominent use in a huge blockbuster movie.

[Gman2887]

I feel the same way about Elfman as I do Horner. The younger versions of those two would be great, but I'm getting tired of Elfman pretending he's Zimmer these days.

Am also a little tired of the Goldsmith and Williams gushing. It's not that I dislike them and Goldsmith is one of my top favorite composers, but their work is from a different time in cinema. Action scores have changed, many think for the worst, but in a lot of cases I like where they're at until the next big thing comes.

That said I would still love to see what some other composers would do:

Brian Tyler is my first choice. He's slowly taking over my #1 spot for favorite composer from Zimmer. He's simply been on point with everything he does.

Steve Jablonsky wouldn't be my immediate second choice, but I'd be interested to hear what he does. The man is nothing more than a Hans Zimmer clone, but one from the pre-Gladiator era of his career. Remember when Zimmer used to write melodies instead of compose sounds? Jablonsky represents that.

James Newton Howard, I fear is losing his mind, but he can still turn out some great stuff as long as he doesn't have the Green Lantern mindset.

Alexandre Desplat can come up with some good stuff. He's pretty good at writing his main themes with a style that really fits the movie. Generic isn't a word that comes to mind when I think of his scores. He's kind of a gamble for big action scores though, so I'm not sure...

Henry Jackman is climbing the ranks. He's sorta hit or miss at this point, but if he can stay on point I'd be really excited to hear what he comes up with.

Poor Jon Hopkins might be forgotten during this whole process, but I thought he had some really nice material in Monsters. The movie never gave him a chance to really branch out, but based on his closing credits alone it sounds like he was ready to score an all-out giant monster movie.

And if people like Harry Gregson Williams and Ramin Djawadi can remember to utilize themes (surprised he did so well with Pacific Rim) I'd be down for that as well.

I'm sure there are others I wouldn't mind throwing down, but I'm interested in hearing a new sound for Godzilla that accurately represents him today. I honestly don't want Ifukube or his themes. A short nod might be nice, but I can't get excited for the possibility of it making a cameo. I'd rather hear all new melodies for a fresh take on the character.

[John Schuermann]

[Gman2887]

I understand why Williams is so highly regarded and I'm aware of the criticisms for Zimmer, but, with respect to both of them, I've never bought in to either. My issue with Williams is that often his themes are on top of the movies he's scoring. It makes for some of the best solo listening experiences, but there are some of his movies where it distracts from the on screen presentation. (As much as I love the original Superman, and Williams' score, I feel like his cues almost ask the audience to listen to the music over watching the movie.)

Zimmer, as of late, works with mostly smaller orchestras and relies heavily on electronics or other contemporary instruments. It's a massive criticism for some, but a sound that I particularly enjoy. As of late, his melodies haven't been very enthralling, but he does know how to write interesting music for characters in specific situations. For some this isn't the most fun listening experience, but I enjoy picking out the nuances he's set up for characters like Bruce Wayne or Dom Cobb. Admittedly, I do miss his work from the early 2000s and 1990s. That's why I enjoy Jablonsky. He may not have his own voice, but he at least delivers strong, memorable melodies. If I may, the best thing about the Transformers movies were his scores.

And in defense of Tyler, while he'll never reach Goldsmith, myself and many others are glad to have him in Goldsmith's absence. There may be one or two scores total that I haven't enjoyed of his, but man does he give 110% effort for everything he does. He also gets points for being one of those composers that conducts his own music for recording. Seeing him perform, especially live, is really something.

And I agree Ifukube had one hell of a voice, but almost the opposite of Jablonsky, couldn't come up with much for it. I know it's heresy to point out, but most of his work is simply retooling themes within and outside the Godzilla series over and over. (Varan's theme later became Rodan's. Carrying King Kong later became MechaGodzilla's theme. Pieces from Battle in Outer Space later became King Ghidorah's theme. SY-3 landing later became part of Godzilla's theme.) They're all great and a lot of fun, regardless, but I'd prefer they be left alone.

[John Schuermann]

[John Schuermann]

[Gman2887]

The difference is that Godzilla has proven to survive without specific music cues, namely from Ifukube. Other than Never Say Never Again (I think. It's considered "non-canon" and I don't remember the traditional Bond theme in it.) James Bond has never deviated from his own theme. Could it work? Probably, but no one seems brave enough to do try.

Masuro Sato, Michuro Oshima and Reijiro Koroku have shown Godzilla can be Godzilla without Ifukube. Ifukube was only one musical definition of Godzilla. Many think he was the musical definition and I sympathize, but I don't believe he's irreplaceable for the character.

[Gman2887]

[John Schuermann]

[Gman2887]

[Hybrid Gojira]

[Cookie]

[jellydonut25]

[John Schuermann]

[O.Supreme]