Author
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Topic: Davis Does Dinos
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John Dunham
Oscar® Winner
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So... no comments on Davis' effort?I personally am on my second listen and I'm enjoying it immensely. Davis uses Williams' themes just enough, and he keeps the style that says "Jurassic Park" consistent throughout the score. What's more, he incorporates material of his own and manages to achieve a nice balance between frenetic action cues and quieter, awing pieces. There's only one really prominent new theme, but it's used quite well in several cues, such as "Tree People," "Nash Calling," and "The Hat Returns/End Credits." He even takes some of Williams' material and expands far more than Williams did with the first score. Remember that little bouncy bit in the middle of "Journey To The Island," when the jeeps are driving up to the visitor center? Davis takes it and reworks it before making it the basis for "Bone Man Ben" (which is incidentally one of my favorite cues). He's also changed the themes around a bit. About halfway through a theme, he'll make it higher instead of lower, invert a few notes, or just spin it off in a different direction entirely. "Brachiasaurus On The Bank" and "The Dinosaur Fly-By" have good examples of this. A final note, I really enjoy some of the action cues. "Cooper's Last Stand," "Raptor Repartee," "Tiny Pecking Pteranodons," and "Billy Oblivion" offer some great material almost on par with original Williams cues like "High Wire Stunts," "Eye To Eye," and "Incident At Isla Nublar." NP: Jurassic Park III, Davis (Track: "Bone Man Ben") *****
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posted 07-10-2001 02:47 PM PT (US) ip
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dgoldwas
Oscar® Winner
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quote:
Originally posted by John Dunham:
He's also changed the themes around a bit. About halfway through a theme, he'll make it higher instead of lower, invert a few notes, or just spin it off in a different direction entirely. "Brachiasaurus On The Bank" and "The Dinosaur Fly-By" have good examples of this.
Actually, if you read my interview with Don you'll see that he merely shortened (or lengthened) the themes so as to hit certain beats in the film. Dan
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posted 07-10-2001 04:45 PM PT (US) ip
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James
Oscar® Winner
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I love it! But I never doubted Mr. Davis for a second. Everything about the score is great. I wasn't too fond of his new theme at first, but after he developed it more I really warmed up to it. The action cues I really love... they may be too frantic and "noisy" for some people, but I love listening them for it. The score's a wonder from beginning to end, just like every other score by Davis.James
NP - Jurassic Park III ("Billy Oblivion")
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posted 07-10-2001 07:49 PM PT (US) ip
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BobaMike
Oscar® Winner
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I really like this score...I hope this music works well in the film.
The only reservation I have about it is that I think I only really like the music where Davis uses Williams' theme (and that short theme Davis wrote that it in the end credits)...Davis doesn't seem to have the melodic gift (?) that Williams has, where each piece can stand alone. Davis's action music doesn't leave any lasting impression on me, unlike Williams' does usually.But I still recommend this score highly  BobaMike
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posted 07-11-2001 07:01 AM PT (US) ip
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John Dunham
Oscar® Winner
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quote:
Originally posted by dgoldwas:
Actually, if you read my interview with Don you'll see that he merely shortened (or lengthened) the themes so as to hit certain beats in the film. Dan
Huh. I could have SWORN there were different notes in there... I still could. Well, perhaps you can tell me what I'm hearing. Go here and download the Brachiosaurus On The Bank clip; it has a good example of what I'm talking about.
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posted 07-12-2001 10:15 AM PT (US) ip
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dgoldwas
Oscar® Winner
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Dude, I don't need to download the clip - I have the CD. I know what you're talking about; I am just telling you what Don said, and I agree with him.If you shorten something, and don't want it to "clip", you might have to bridge it quickly - and I'm sure that's what he did. Dan
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posted 07-12-2001 10:19 AM PT (US) ip
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Tim_P
Oscar® Winner
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quote:
Originally posted by dgoldwas:
Dude, I don't need to download the clip - I have the CD. I know what you're talking about; I am just telling you what Don said, and I agree with him.If you shorten something, and don't want it to "clip", you might have to bridge it quickly - and I'm sure that's what he did. Dan
Dude, I agree with John. Sure, Davis altered themes to fit the film, but he also did it because he's a composer with CREATIVITY and INTEGRITY. He adopted John Williams' music and molded it to fit his own vision and to make things interesting. You can't tell me he only shortened and expanded themes to fit the film only. A good composer wouldn't always reuse another composers music note-for-note. I wouldn't take Davis' words as the only truth. What John is getting at is exactly right. Tim NP: JP3
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posted 07-12-2001 11:28 AM PT (US) ip
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dgoldwas
Oscar® Winner
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quote:
Originally posted by Tim_P:
You can't tell me he only shortened and expanded themes to fit the film only.
Hey - I'm just telling you what Don said..... quote:
I wouldn't take Davis' words as the only truth.
Of course! What does Don know?? It's not like he wrote the score or anything... Oh, wait.  Dan
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posted 07-12-2001 11:55 AM PT (US) ip
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PeterK
FishChip
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John, I hear what you are saying. In the clip you provide as an example, the melody line progresses in familiar fashion until the notes make a move up the scale instead of down where we would have expected.The point of John's original post is for me exactly what makes JP3 an interesting listen. The variations and changes upon a theme (and yeah, even shortening or lengthening a theme's note or two is change, despite how others may argue) are what make overly familiar (thus boring) music spring to life with a sense of freshness. But, whatever. We've got the word from the horse's mouth, so we're all wrong.
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posted 07-12-2001 02:43 PM PT (US) ip
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Lancelot
Oscar® Winner
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I had to re-listen to track 10 a couple of times, because he's arranged the theme so differently, I thought there was a skip in my CD....
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posted 07-12-2001 03:07 PM PT (US) ip
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mtodd
Oscar® Winner
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New keys! New notes! WHAT HATH DAVIS WROUGHT!!??!I defy anyone to tell me Davis didn't change notes, of course he did! Does this mean he's prevaricating in the interview? Of course not! How in ****'s name do you shorten or lengthen a musical cue? Well, Duh, you add or cut notes (or adjust tempo)...the progressions we remember have changed, but let's not spin this thread into another web of cyber insanity. Goldwasser, you are being TOO literal. Or, maybe you are just being deliberately mischievous?
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posted 07-12-2001 03:16 PM PT (US) ip
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dgoldwas
Oscar® Winner
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quote:
Originally posted by mtodd:
Goldwasser, you are being TOO literal. Or, maybe you are just being deliberately mischievous?
Damn! Ya got me! Look, I'm not trying to make a fuss - I'm just saying that Don himself said he didn't try to dick with the themes - but in order to fit the film, some slight changes needed to be made. That's a FAR cry from what John was claiming with "invert a few notes, or just spin it off in a different direction entirely". He's just shortening or lengthening. Not a "different direction entirely". That was my (and Don's) point. Dan
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posted 07-12-2001 03:26 PM PT (US) ip
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John Dunham
Oscar® Winner
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quote:
Originally posted by dgoldwas:
Not a "different direction entirely".
Not to nitpick or anything, but I kinda think when notes in a theme go UP where they usually go DOWN, that's a different direction entirely. In fact, I defy you to find a direction MORE different.
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posted 07-12-2001 04:09 PM PT (US) ip
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Marian Schedenig
Oscar® Winner
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Perhaps it's just that Davis' way of shortening a cue works differently than Williams', thus resulting in variations.Everyone happy now? NP: Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves (Michael Kamen)
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posted 07-12-2001 04:11 PM PT (US) ip
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dgoldwas
Oscar® Winner
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Yeah - what Marian said! Dan
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posted 07-12-2001 06:02 PM PT (US) ip
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