Should John Williams quit before Eps 8 & 9?

TFA soundtrack certainly is not among my favorites, although I liked it. I'm not concerning myself over these things and I'd give Williams every second take he wants.

 

I have to admit that I wasn't immediately in love with this soundtrack, but the more I am listening to it and really taking it all in, it's quickly becoming one of my favorites!

 

I felt the same after the first watch. After the second however I started to love the music. Rey's theme is very beautiful, it instantly became one of my favourite SW soundtrack, and the Resistance's theme was also very good. John Williams is one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) composer of all time without J. Williams Star Wars is not the same. However, I was always thinking how Star Wars would be with Hans Zimmer. I think after Williams he is the most fitting to score a Star Wars movie.

 

How would he be fitting at all? Zimmer sounds nothing like Williams.

 

Not his music, but him as a composer. Imo Zimmer is currently the best in the industry after Williams.

 

To be fair there weren't any major characters that stood out either .

 

If you haven't already, you should give a listen to some additional and alternative tracks from the score found here:

http://millenniumfalcon.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=2015&t=9836&sid=a7c463c11a79789f96eea0d9e9179aa2

Together with the Official soundtrack, this has quickly become one of my favourite scores of the Saga

 

...Isn't music the point of hiring a certain composer?

 

Well it kinda is. But still, imo Zimmer would bring something very fresh to the SW soundtrack. He doesnt make music like Williams (easely recognisable and rememberable tunes), but he is the master of tone. His music is sometimes less rememberable, but he can really hit the tone of ceratin scenes. Using the existing SW soundtrack ,,Zimmerise" it a bit and you will have a wonder. I think he is the only reason why I liked Man of steel for instance. The movie wasnt really great but I friggin loved the music. Is there any composer who could've made the music that good? I mean just watch this scene:

 

No JW is the music of Star Wars, they cannot complete this trilogy without him making those scenes warming with wonderful music.

 

Should Williams quit? Dear god no.

 

I really hope he is well enough to complete episodes VIII and IX so that he does all three trilogies. Then when Disney inevitably goes on to do X-XII, someone else can do the music for that fourth trilogy.

 

I listened to the soundtrack the night it was released, and my first impression was "nothing stood out" too. That said, I realized I had a bias from hearing the soundtracks of the other 6 films so much, I had formed opinions on what to expect.

The next morning, I was humming Rey's theme, the Resistance theme and the Jedi Steps without help. So I think you need to give it time to soak in (and respect that you've had years of hearing the other tunes).

Now that all said, I have a sense that the direction matters here. George appeared to ask for more from Williams in previous films, and that's how we get immediately memorable themes. I immediately was struck by Duel of the Fates, Across the Stars, and Battle of Heroes from the prequel sound tracks - TFA had to grow on me, it's more subtle, and probably an artifact of JJs direction/guidance. (Empire, of course, was the gold standard for memorable themes).

All in all, Williams should at a minimum be composing the remaining scores for VIII and IX, and get the opportunity to evolve the themes we've heard in the TFA (the Finale hints where these can all go, and I can't wait). The conducting done by Gustavo Dudamel was fantastic (he conducted the opening and Jedi Steps/finale: http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/12/15/dudamel-conducts-star-wars)

 

My friend don't say that.Mr.William is a SW icon.HE IS A MASTER,HE A GENIUS,HE IS THE BEST THING SW CAN HAVE.You make me sad with this one man....

 

No they just need to bring back the london symphony orchestra. TFAs music would have been alot better if it was composed by them.

 

Having listened to the TFA soundtrack a number of times now, my opinion really hasn't changed. It's... nice. Polite. Mostly harmless. But it's nothing that's blowing my doors off.

That said, I don't think that Williams should stop composing Star Wars scores. I would say, though, that he ought to consider finding another composer who "speaks the same musical language" that he does, so to speak, as a collaborator for Episode VIII. Because it sounds to me like what Williams might not have in him anymore is the ability to create distinctive new character themes. Rey's theme is nice and all, but to my ear it isn't all that cohesive, and it sounds a lot like the rest of the TFA soundtrack - a rather bland mish-mosh of stuff that Williams has written before, without those easily-hummable "hit singles" that were always such a cornerstone of his soundtracks when he was in his prime.

What I think would help tremendously is for Williams to work with a younger, like-minded composer who still has some "songs" in him. Because if Williams has some strong themes to work with, I'm sure he'd be able to run with them.

Either way, I hope he continues to compose Star Wars scores for as long as his health will allow. Even a half-assed John Williams score is infinitely more appropriate for a Star Wars movie than anything else. (And count me as a big ol' "Hell NO!" on Zimmer... theme-less mood music is exactly what Star Wars DOESN'T need.)