JOHN POWELL

I understand your point Demetris but Powell has built up an impressive-enough body of work that his music is bound to attract more attention than a lot of other composers' - he has deserved it through the quality of stuff he has done in the past. Hancock and Horton and whatever might not be A-grade, top-quality film music, but they're by one of the few younger composers who has developed his own voice (which has turned out to be one of the most influential in modern film music) and enough of a set of high-quality scores that he is worth following. He might not hit the ball out of the park every time, but he generally delivers decent stuff which - unlike the music heard in an awful lot of Hollywood films these days - is not mediocre.

You know very well the reason why we talk about John Powell more than Tuomas Kantelinen and Adrian Johnston, and that's because those composers simply don't work on as high-profile projects. It's not like there are loads of people around saying Powell's music is great but Kantelinen's is rubbish - people just haven't heard the latter, because they can't afford to buy everything and not everyone is content to just illegally download stuff. Personally I think Kantelinen is very good indeed, and so is McKenzie and based on the very little I've heard, Johnston is good as well - but they're not working on $100m blockbusters every month or two, so it's simple logic that they won't get talked about so much.

I don't really understand why we can't just be content to celebrate that there's a guy out there who's under the age of 50, writing his own brand of film score which doesn't just sound like everything else, and generally doing it well. Not everyone can do five-star stuff every time and just because it's not five-star doesn't make it mediocre.

I share your frustration that some of the less well-known, but really very talented, composers out there don't get the attention their music deserves - but don't really see why that has to translate into knocking someone with the talent of Powell when there are far more deserving targets around.

Wow! Nicely put! I didn't know you could write so well!

Have a pint on me!

Fair enough; we're debating with arguments, on a civilized tone so far and my intention is far from forcing anyone to like / dislike specific stuff or hear stuff they don't want to.

But your attitude further proves my points in the post above, sadly. Some of that stuff you don't want to hear is either equally good or in most cases far better than the mainstream Hollywood output we get today.

On another level - and don't take me wrong, it'd make the conversation much more meaningful (at least to me, don't know about what others thing) if you were something more than two letters; i don't know who you are, your age, your background, nothing; it's like talking to a computer (which has some strong opinions and it's good for debating must i say )

Although Giacchino was just an example and not really the point of essence here, still Speed Racer is frantic, crazed and genuine in its own terms, it doesn't hold back and it's all over the place. I don't see how drone (Jumper) or underscore (Hancock) bears any of those qualities (with the exception of the final part of Hancock).

Can Giacchino score two 3D animation movie and a couple action movie and a romantic comedy while still being consistent?

BTW, have you seen both Jumper and Hancock? The scores are what they are because of the movie, not because John couldn't deliver the goods. What he did was very good in spite of the respective movies.

Please find the link below to the Powell performances at Ubeda '07. I wait in great anticipation of Mr. "J00 haz recorded itz but haz messed upz - j00 needs m0re skillz!!1!" to show up.

Link

I think it all depends on the number of songs they're going to have in the film. but still this is going to be interesting. On one side we have a composer who cares about his works being released, on the other side we have a label that doesn't care about scores being released...

Amen to that.

Screw the movie; i have expectations about the score.

"Bolt" score is still recording, I think.

An extended clip from Disney’s Bolt (with score!)

Is it demo track? The orchestra sounds somewhat unnatural... but quality is not good so I'm not sure.


btw when I saw this article I misread "extended scene" as "extended score" and almost jumped for joy...

or they spend too much money for Hannah Montana girl's song

Yeah, that's true! You know, that's what defines "Disney music" for the guys out here these days, those old DIsney classic songs are history

Ahhh, so there's that thread.

I have nothing to say at the moment, other than John Powell rocks my socks off. Paycheck forever, baby.