More Music Round Up!: Top 5 Composers According to Arbitrary Criteria

Last week, I went over my top five most pretentious composers. Remember that I never concluded that any of them we bad, only that they acted in ways that rubbed me raw. Don’t worry, I got them all on Skype, we had a heart-to-heart, and it’s all cool now… Is what I would say if I had any real clout in the world. At any rate, I’m sure the opinion of this cut rate blogger isn’t going to make a ton of waves within the circles that those fine gentlemen run.

Once again, we’re doing a “Best of…” list that has absolutely no grading criteria. However, unlike some previous exercises, there are some pretty concrete reasons behind my choices, and believe me, I will not be shy in pointing them out to you. Anyway, I told you last week that I could think of several composers off of the top of my head who I liked better than the previous five so here we go.

Klaus Badelt:

Alright, so maybe I’m starting on some low-hanging fruit with this one as Klaus is the composer whose spurn led me to put Hans Zimmer on the last list, and to be absolutely fair, Zimmer did mentor Badelt. However, I feel like since Zimmer took of composing for the Pirates franchise, Badelt hasn’t really been able to catch his fair shake as a composer. He did do Black Pearl, and did an amazing job with it. Besides Pirates, he also did scores for The Time Machine, Ultraviolet, and Poseidon, which more or less covers the movies that I think most would actually recognize. But even though he’s been busy, he hasn’t really gotten the opportunity to do much by way of high profile projects, and that’s really a shame because he can do some great stuff.

Klaus excels at instilling a certain panache into his scoring. He’s pretty adept at making the score a sort of character within the narrative. I think The Time Machine demonstrates this really well. He’s playing in three different time periods in that film, and each time period has music that punctuates not only the emotion involved in the action on screen, but the character of the time period, and the setting within which the action is taking place. There’s not a great example of this in just one song, but I think this one does about the best job. Klaus is a man that really understands the emotion behind film music, and I think that he deserves a spot on any movie score aficionados favorites list!

Marco Beltrami:

Okay, so Marco has kind of a grimace-ey grin thing going on, but we’re not going to hold that against him. Beltrami has been working in film since the mid-90s, and he’s definitely been busy. He’s even done quite a few high profile things. He did four of the Scream films, The Wolverine, Logan, Ben Hur the remake, 3:10 to Yuma, and one of my favorites, Terminator 3. I’m not sure, with all of these credits and more under his belt, why we’re not talking about this guy a lot more. I do know why he made this list though. If you look at his composing credits, a lot of the movies that he scores are not well received. Just take a look at my evisceration of Logan. However, even paired with the worst films, Beltrami’s music manages to be exceptionally good. Dude knows how to make some killer lemonade!

I’m not sure that I can articulate exactly what it is about Beltrami’s work that draws me to it. There’s almost invariably a hint of melancholy that underpins his work. It’s not a bad thing though. It connects on an emotional level, and for me at least, it reinforces the idea that I should cherish the good and the bad for the richness that they bring to my life. Alright, so maybe I’m stretching a bit there, but like I said, it’s hard to articulate. But here’s a great example! I’d definitely encourage you to explore this guy’s body of work and see that recurring melancholy. It can be simultaneously uplifting and foreboding, and just think that’s great!

Steve Jablonsky:

I’m going to be totally up front here, I got a wee bit of an ear crush on this fine chap! I think of all the composers we’re going to talk about this week, Steve Jablonsky is probably the one that I enjoy most thoroughly. That is to say, the guy is freakin everywhere! And I haven’t listened to a single thing that he’s done that hasn’t just absolutely captivated me. He’s one of a few artists whose music rarely gets skipped during the playback. That’s saying a lot, you guys because I’m not actually willing to call him my favorite! He’s just thoroughly great at what he does. And what has he done? Well, for starters, he’s scored all of the Transformers movies, most of the Gears of War games, nearly all of the episodes of Desperate Housewives, the second reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, and Ender’s Game. Whew! That’s a list!

So as I’m writing this, I’m realizing that I have a ‘type’ when it comes to film composers. However, I’d like to think that it’s an exceptionally informed and finely honed type so it’s cool, you can trust me here. Jablonsky is a composer that I love for many of the same reasons as I love Klaus Badelt. He gets the emotion of film music! Jablonsky’s scores can elevate you to the highest of highs, and depress you to the lowest of lows. He has an arsenal of tools that he’s learned to use with frightening effectiveness over the years, and he’s definitely not afraid to use those tools. Personally, I’m a huge fan of this track from the most recent Transformers movie. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the track that really got me listening to ol’ Steve. He’s got a wonderful range of ability, and I give him two extremely enthusiastic thumbs up!

Bear McCreary:

OMG YOU GUYS!!!!! Doesn’t he just exude rockstar! I’m seriously thinking that he can never get anywhere near my wife. If Vampire: The Masquerade was a real thing, he’d be what all the other vampires were striving to be! Gushing aside, I love Bear McCreary. At first I was a little turned off by the fact that he’s named after a quadruped, but listening to his music for a few minutes quickly changed that opinion. I don’t think McCreary needs too much more attention than he already gets, but surprisingly, he’s not a composer that gets recognition for his film work. He’s done a few. Europa Report, and Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie are the two that I readily recognize, but he also did 10 Cloverfield Lane. No, where McCreary has really built his reputation is in the television industry. His TV credits include Battlestar Galactica, just all of it, except the pilot, but including the movie length episodes, and Caprica, and Blood and Chrome, I mean alllllll of it. He’s also done Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, most of Eureka, and The Walking Dead. On top of all that, he’s also dabbled a bit in video games. But not much. I recognize God of War, which must be getting a reboot as it say on Wikipedia that it will be out next year.

Unlike Beltrami, I know why I like McCreary. And it has very little to do with his rock star hair, although that doesn’t hurt. No, the reason I enjoy McCreary’s work is that it’s so visceral. McCreary has mastered the art of underscoring his compositions with extremely effective use of percussive instruments. It gives his scores a very distinct and primal sound. You’d think that it would get old, but he mixes it up so well that if you listen to a lot of his music, it feels like he’s doing something different each time. A few great examples are this track, which is pretty intense, but also this one where it’s a very subdued track that still uses that same technique. However, for as great as those tracks are, one of my favorites is this song, which is just very relaxed, and which also shows a softer side to McCreary’s composing style. Also, you might know him best for this song. It’s rare that I say that I like a cover of a song better than the original, but… Yep…

Jerry Goldsmith:

Awwwwww!!! You guys!!! He looks like a friendly grandpa!!! But seriously, Goldsmith is to Star Trek what John What’s-His-Name is to Star Wars. And as many of my readers know, I LOVE Star Trek! It’s my absolute favorite! And part of what drew me to Star Trek in the first place was the music. Now, Star Trek has been graced by many very talented composers throughout the years. James Horner, Cliff Eidelman, and Ron Jones immediately come to mind. However, Goldsmith stands heads and shoulders above all of these fine men for one reason: Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That movie may have sucked Rocky Mountain Oysters in most people’s opinions, but almost unanimously people agree that the score was amazing! And why not? Take a listen to this glorious bit of musical awesomeness. Or how about this piece that intrepidly introduced us to an all new adventure over a decade after The Original Series had ended. This song became the anthem for an entire fictional culture for over twenty years. And this one got reused as the title theme to Next Generation because it was just. That. Awesome! And guys, this is just one movie! Seriously you guys, I don’t even know where to start! Take a look at his Wikipedia page! He worked in the biz for fifty years! Some of my personal highlights are the aforementioned Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Alien, Gremlins, Poltergeist, The Secret of NIMH, The Mummy, and so many more! I already know that I’m going to sound snobbish saying this, but Goldsmith is not only a more capable composer than Williams, he’s also more prolific, and he’s garnered more praise over the course of his career. For reals, his Wikipedia page speaks for itself, dude’s a baller.

So despite all my praise, I can still distill my reason for loving Goldsmith’s music down to one very simple reason. Goldsmith knew how to take his style, and meld it to the movie that he was scoring. I see this as a practice that put ego to the side, and did what needed to be done in order to make a great film. And sure, he did some duds in his day, but in literally every case, I’ve listened to a Goldsmith score and thought, “That’s a work of art.” Goldsmith knew how to make a score his own without that trumping the film that the score was being used in. He also worked on the cutting edge of film music. One of the things that he was known for back before it was a thing was using electronic sounding elements in his music. This shows through especially in Star Trek: The Motion Picture where he used an instrument called a blaster beam to represent the V’Ger entity, but you see it throughout his Star Trek work especially. Goldsmith is a man who possessed tremendous versatility. He knew how to keep things fresh, and never settled for being just great. He strove for excellence, and it shows in all of his work. For this one reason, he’ll probably always be my favorite composer.

Every last one of these composers deserves at least a few minutes of your time! Go to the links, listen to the songs and decide for yourself what you prefer! I realized after getting through these articles that they are conspicuously devoid of women. That’s a personal blind spot that I intend to remedy. For now, enjoy all of this, and stay tuned for next week!

Music Round Up!: Pantheon of Pretentious Composers

Movie Music!

I missed last week because I was out of town for some stuff, but I promised a binary surprise, and I'm here to deliver! I also promised from day one that I would eventually review all sorts of things, including music. Brothers and sisters, that day has come! Today we’re going to take a look at a subject that I’m pretty well versed on, film scores. In particular, we’re going to look at some of the most insufferable composers to ever walk the Earth. The biggest qualifier here is that they have done something in their career that rubs me the wrong way. To clarify, that isn’t to say that I don’t like these composers. It’s only to say that they have often done things that make me miffed. Also, I’m reasonable certain that some of my opinions are going to be pretty unpopular and the may leave you feeling:

Okay, now that I have the obligatory warnings out of the way, let’s get cracking!

Brian Tyler:

Congratulations Brian Tyler, you’re the first contestant on, “I think you’re a pretentious composer!” I think out of everyone on this list, I like Brian Tyler the best. Let me make this absolutely clear, he’s probably the most versatile composer on here, and he’s a really good composer. He’s done a ton of films that you’ll recognize just from name alone. His credits include such blockbuster hits as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the reboot, several films from The Fast and the Furious franchise, Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune, the Power Rangers reboot, as well as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. His range of capabilities is phenomenal. So what did he do to earn a spot on this shameful list? Well, perhaps the following credits will shed some light: Iron Man 3, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Still not following?

To put it succinctly, Tyler sold out creatively. There’s a fascinating article explaining much better than I could how Marvel under Disney looks for scores that don’t do too much, and that definitely don’t detract from the action and dialog. This has had the effect of leaving the MCU film scores sounding pretty bland. If you don’t believe me, just try to hum a few bars of any MCU movie song. Go ahead, I can wait. Done? Did you get one? If you did, good for you! Welcome to the minority! Most people can’t readily recall music from a MCU movie, and Disney wants it to be that way! So not only did Tyler sell out to his tremendous talent to go make MCU music, he did it twice! For this reason, I’m giving this otherwise fantastic composer two smelly toes down.

Hans Zimmer:

I don’t think this guy even needs an introduction. And again, I think ol’ Hans is a great composer. I just think that he’s kind of a douche in real life. You probably know him from a lot if you watch many movies at all because he’s been composing since 1984, but you might readily recognize him from such hits as every Pirates of the Caribbean film since the second one, the Dark Knight Trilogy, and Inception. I will say that Hans Zimmer is an extremely innovative composer. He has a way of pushing audio recording into new frontiers, and he manages to keep his style fresh. So what did he do to make this list? Two words: credit steal.

“To what might I be referring,” you ask. Round about the year 2006, a little number called Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest came out, and it came out on DVD, which I bought because the first one wasn’t too bad. I love to watch extras and it just so happens that he did an interview for that film. During that interview, he takes full credit for composing the score to Curse of the Black Pearl! I know I should let this go, but Klaus Badelt did that score, and he did a heck of a job. Zimmer composed the main theme, but the rest of the composition was all Klaus Badelt who had the genius idea of syncing up the beat of the music with the clashing of swords. Watch it! Each sword clash coincides with the upbeat of the music. It’s awesome! All I’m saying is, Zimmer needs to stop taking credit for other people’s hard work, even if he mentored that person!

Danny Elfman:

It was really hard to put Elfman on this list because I love his music so much. Just so much… You know him because he composed music for a couple of Batman films, Beetlejuice, several Spider Man films, and a ton of others. His music tends to be lively and memorable. His score for the Batman films still give me shivers. He’s all around good at his craft. So where’s the poop?

Well, this is a two pronged thing, but here goes. First, he’s a little too good at his job. What I mean is, he has a very distinctive style that he refuses to deviate from! Sure, the scores that he writes sound varied, and are appropriate for the film in which they’re being used, but at the heart of it, they’re all of Elfman’s same old tricks. He doesn’t push himself artistically. The second offense may be a little more controversial in some circles, but he was one of the driving creative forces behind Oingo Boingo, which means that he’s responsible for this atrocity! Nuff said folks.

Michael Giacchino:

This is the first name on the list that I don’t mind saying I don’t like very much. I do like some of Giacchino’s work, but in the grand scheme of things, he doesn’t excite me all that much. You’ll know him because he composed for Lost, and Jurassic World, and all of the JJ Abrams Star Trek movies. He’s gotten around the block, and there are even scores by him that I can honestly say I truly enjoy, but there are a couple of things that just drive me crazy about this man.

One, every single score that I’ve picked up by him has track titles in the form of puns! And not good puns. Not even puns that are so bad that they’re funny. Just awful puns that make you die a little inside every time you read them.

Exhibit A

Also, he’s always working with JJ Abrams. If it’s an Abrams project, you can pretty safely bet that Giacchino won’t be far behind. Dude’s in a bad bromance with a terrible director, and it makes me a little bit sad.

All right, let’s finish this crap sandwich and be done with it! I feel like I need to chase this down with a list of composers that I thoroughly enjoy! Maybe later… Okay, the most pretentious composer, in my humble opinion is… *Drum roll*

John Williams:

Please feel free to crucify me in the comments. I am sticking firmly to my guns on this one though. Once again, I think I should point out that I do like a lot of Williams’ work. There are just some very deep seated, and complex reasons why I like him and hate him at the same time. He’s the man who helped to build many people’s childhood. He composed Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park, and Jaws, and the first two Harry Potter films. His credits are vast to say the least. His contributions to society are undeniable. He even composed one of my favorite scores ever! So where did he do this blogger wrong?

It all started with the 7th grade. I took a music appreciation course that year, and during that class, I learned to really dissect the music that I listen to. It was at that point that I started to realize something about the way Williams writes music for movies. He comes up with a few brilliant theme songs for a film, and then when it comes to all of the in between, he just tosses in generic sounding filler, and phones it all in. It gets to the point that unless you actually take the time to look at the track titles as they’re playing, you may not be able to tell where one film score ends, and another begins. Go ahead and close your eyes and then click this link. Then try and guess, with your eyes closed which film it came from. Go ahead, I’ll wait. I’ll bet you thought it was Harry Potter. Oh the disappointment! You lose! See? There are a ton of phenomenal John Williams theme songs, but when it comes to crafting entire scores that pack the same punch as his theme songs he has a pretty big blind spot in his skills set. Ergo, he doesn’t really write great scores. And certainly, a man of his lacking skills doesn’t deserve the kind of rabid fandom that we have provided him over the years. And it drives me crazy that people keep on dry humping the guy’s legs when I could easily name five composers who are way better than John Williams. Also, this:

That is the audio track options for the 2000 Expanded Edition of Superman. It’s an option to watch the movie with only the score. Talk about your pretentious douchebags. And then there’s this:

That’s what came up when I tried to figure out a song for our previous exercise. Don’t get on that high horse just yet. I already knew that completely forgettable songs existed in Williams’ vast library of scores, I just forgot their names because they’re forgettable and bland. Ergo, I needed help remembering them. But even Google is trying to oversell this man. I hate to bust the rose-colored glasses, but take a listen to few composers with significantly more talent that Williams, and his facade tends to break down pretty quick.

Now, I’m not saying that any of these composers are inherently bad. In fact, I would readily recommend them to anyone looking to get into the movie score obsession. I’m only saying that if you were going to a grocery store of film composers to shop around and find the freshest, and tastiest composers in the bunch, you probably would find other composers that are fresher and tastier than some of these guys. Or else they have the gnats of real life pretentiousness buzzing around them killing any desire that you might have had to buy and consume their tainted fruit. I’d definitely still recommend most of these composers to anyone who even remotely enjoys film music, but I suppose I’ll have to do a line up of superior alternatives next week for your reading enjoyment. So stay tuned! And feel free to flog me in the comments!