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LOG IN Forgot Login? Register General Discussion • Trading Post • Non-Film Score Discussion  Profile • Preferences • Community Rules • Help/Contact • Search Board Search Terms:  Search Within:  topics posts since 2019 2018 posts 2017 posts 2016 posts 2015 posts 2014 posts 2013 posts 2012 posts 2011 posts 2010 posts 2009 posts 2008 posts 2007 posts 2006 posts 2005 posts 2004 posts 2003 posts 2002 posts 2001 posts 2000 posts users  search tips  You must log in or register to post.   Go to page:  1 2 3      General Discussion: The Joy of John Powell     1 2 3    NEXT   LAST   Last Post   Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 1:54 PM     By:   Matt B   (Member) I've been a fan of Powell's work ever since Face/Off and (especially) Chicken Run. I've always felt he was one of the freshest and most melodic voices in contemporary film score. Yesterday, while listening to his absolutely stunning score to HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, it suddenly hit why he's so special to me: when I listen to his music, I hear joy. From EVOLUTION to ROBOTS, from AGENT CODY BANKS to P.S. I LOVE YOU... and of course, stuff like SHREK. Great melodies, great writing... buoyant, sparkling music. It just makes me happy. He's not the only one who can do this to me, but boy is it a gift. John Williams can do it... Jerry Goldsmith can do it too... Horner can definitely do it. What other composers just make you happy?    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 1:58 PM     By:   LeHah   (Member) I'd like to add Paycheck to that list. The Hog Chase parts one and two are some of the best bits of scoring I've heard in the last decade. VERY Goldsmith like with how it combines action with tango tempos.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:03 PM     By:   Solium   (Member) Im a fairly new fan of John Powell. I think he is awesome in league with James Horner and James Newton Howard. Some of his best scores IMHO are: Shrek Pluto Nash Agent Cody Banks Robots Ice Age Two and Three (Edit) X-Men the Last Stand Happy Feet Bolt    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:09 PM     By:   Koray Savas   (Member) It's actually Ice Age, and Powell scored the second and third films. David Newman scored the first. I agree with the original post. It's the percussion I tell ya! It's the key.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:11 PM     By:   Matt B   (Member) Wow, I haven't listened to PAYCHECK in years. Thanks for the reminder... I'll give it a spin this afternoon!    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:25 PM     By:   Solium   (Member) It's actually Ice Age, and Powell scored the second and third films. David Newman scored the first. Yep, edited my list. Thxs    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:33 PM     By:   Joe Sikoryak   (Member) I think John Powell has something a lot of the drearier oh-so-serious guys don't: he can swing. Plus he's been attached to enough successful projects to be in demand for his own voice. So his scores don't sound like the usual amalgam of temp tracks that so many other scores (unfortunately) do.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:40 PM     By:   Matt B   (Member) I know he co-composed it with HGW (also very very talented), but "Building the Crate" has to be one of the best cues of the last fifteen years.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 2:42 PM     By:   Hurdy Gurdy   (Member) He's also quite honest and open about the current state of film scores. I asked him at Ubeda about the 'generic' nature of modern day scoring and he admitted most composers today (himself included) are writing within 'the box', i.e. the computer programmed software they use. He said for scores to start sounding unique again, composers would have to start writing 'outside the box'. I don't think he's done anything 'outside the box' yet, but he does have a distinctive sound/style, which is something I generally like in composers. Two scores I really enjoy by him are ROBOTS and GIGLI.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 3:08 PM     By:   First Breath   (Member) When I saw Face/Off (the ONLY film I have seen more than once in the theater) I fell totally in love with the opening theme and especially that ending theme called Ready For The Big Ride Bubba. Incredibly emotional stuff. After that, I didn't like Antz very much, and Forces Of Nature was only so-so. Chill Factor was cool enough, while Rat Race and D-Tox was totally uninteresting. The three Bourne scores have been quite good, but not as good as Face/Off. The Italian Job, Paycheck, Mr & Mrs Smith and United 93 were forgettable IMO. What I have heard of Kung Fu Panda seemed interesting though, with that eastern Black Rain-light feel. I'm completely aware that there are loads of stuff by him I haven't heard, which I may like, but for me Powell is not as exciting as I thought he would be when I heard him in the late 90s.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 3:27 PM     By:   DeputyRiley   (Member) I remember when I first heard Powell for Face/Off and was SO disappointed. BUT! Then I heard his score for I Am Sam and I just knew he was a composer that I would follow even through stuff like Face/Off. I haven't heard his animated scores so I've yet to discover that side of him, but I've always closely followed his action/thriller/drama scores...love the Bournes, Green Zone, United 93, Italian Job, Paycheck. Speaking of joy, I most clearly heard this during Evolution -- repeatedly. It is such a playful and energetic little score, full of wonder and personality. I even liked D-Tox. I'll tell you something that drove me crazy (not in a good way) about Chill Factor- -- those horrid fake synth orchestra hits. Shivers. I think Gigli and PS I Love You and Two Weeks Notice were just kind of so-so, but pleasant enough. I was pretty let down by X-Men 3, except for a few tracks, but in my minority opinion I haven't been impressed by any of the X-Men scores. Stop Loss was interesting but a little weak. Now it's on to check out the animated scores!    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 3:32 PM     By:   Ant   (Member) Listen to Agent Cody Banks if you get the chance. It explodes with his style and playful writing.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 3:39 PM     By:   DeputyRiley   (Member) Oh and the reason I dislike Face/Off so much is it sounds like one of the worst examples of what is sometimes referred to "the MV sound"...with the exception of the main theme. Even then it had the childlike tinkling that Zimmer would use in True Romance, Broken Arrow, and so many others. I like it even less now because I've heard what Powell can do and that was just a terrible start. To me, his start was I Am Sam, or Evolution.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 3:47 PM     By:   Superman   (Member) X-men 3 was one HELLUVA score! The action just fluorished and never let up. And that love theme, whoa.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 3:52 PM     By:   Urs Lesse   (Member) DeputyRiley summarized how I feel about John Powell. Like with Bill Conti, I only enjoy a certain limited time period within his work (1997-2004 with Powell, 1976-1983 with Conti).    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 4:00 PM     By:   Mark Ford   (Member) ...it suddenly hit why he's so special to me: when I listen to his music, I hear joy. What other composers just make you happy? As far as current composers go I feel the same way about Michael Giacchino. I've always heard a sheer sense of joy and energy in his work which is one of the things that has drawn me to his music and subsequently to collect all of his scores. I'm not too familiar with Powell's music as I've only seen 3 or 4 of the movies he's scored so I'll have to listen more carefully the next time out.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 4:05 PM     By:   David-R.   (Member) Powell is amazing. I think I have 15 of his CDs (not including the Bolt Promo complete score). I hope he gets back to working with Zimmer or Gregson-Williams. Besides my 2 favorite Powell scores being Bolt and How To Train Your Dragon, My next 2 faves are Chicken Run and Kung Fu Panda. My entire family loves to listen to Kung Fu Panda, which is pretty rare concerning my scores CDs.    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 4:07 PM     By:   Bob Bryden   (Member) Couldn't agree with you more Matt B. I even like 'Green Zone' - yes it's mostly just thundering percussion (as someone said 'United 93' with a backbeat LOL) - but it's a very entertaining listen and it serves the film perfectly. I have a feeling he was under director's orders to NOT write a movie theme (because he surely can!)    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 4:19 PM     By:   First Breath   (Member) Here is that amazing Face/Off end track, one of the absolute highlights of 90s film music, especially from 1:20: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRsVPQmA7l8    Posted:   Mar 29, 2010 - 5:12 PM     By:   peterproud   (Member) Whenever I mention I AM SAM in a thread I never get much comment, nice to see DeputyRiley giving it a nod in an earlier post. For me this is one of the best dramatic scores of the last decade - beautiful mix of intimate percussion and small ensemble instrumentation. The first cue on the CD "Starbucks & Hospital" shines with originality and, as MattB calls it, *joy* - it really is the best way to put it. Another composer that puts a smile on my face is Henry Mancini.     General Discussion: The Joy of John Powell    < 1 2 3  > >>  Go to page:  1 2 3   First Post    General Discussion • Trading Post • Non-Film Score Discussion  Profile • Preferences • Community Rules • Help/Contact • Search Board You must log in or register to post.   Go to page:  1 2 3

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