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Topic: THE BEST `NEWMAN´ ???
spango
OscarŽ Winner
I´d like to know whom of the NEWMAN family you admire most.
For me, Alfred is the genius and his sons and his nephew are "just" talents.
Your comments/views?spango
posted 02-02-2000 04:00 PM PT (US) JJH
OscarŽ Winner
I think Thomas is just a smidgen behind Alfred, in my book.They composed in completely different eras and styles, so I don't how one could really and truly compare them.
David writes some good, really thamtic stuff, but it still strikes as somewhat shallow.
And I just don't care for Randy Newman's music. Okay, the Pleasantville theme was good, but other than that I don't know.
I haven't heard Awakenings or Avalon that people rave so much about. I can't stand the rejected Air Force One score.posted 02-02-2000 04:28 PM PT (US) robin4
OscarŽ Winner
I like Randy, but I haven't heard enough of the others to comment on them.
posted 02-02-2000 05:13 PM PT (US) Dr.Evil
OscarŽ Winner
Thomas is a gifted for sure. He writes amazing good and original music, for good or not so movies. The others are just the others, some good cue here, there but not big deal.
Always waiting for something new!
posted 02-02-2000 06:52 PM PT (US) AaronR1074
OscarŽ Winner
I can still listen to Little Women over and over again, and I bought it the same year the movie came out, so It'll have to be Thomas
posted 02-02-2000 07:38 PM PT (US) Matt
OscarŽ Winner
Shawshank Baby...go Thomas Newman.
posted 02-02-2000 08:50 PM PT (US) Lancelot
OscarŽ Winner
Hey...no need to play favorites/who's better than whom...Why would you?
posted 02-02-2000 09:28 PM PT (US) PeterD
OscarŽ Winner
Maybe my age is showing, but to me, it's not even a close call. "Wuthering Heights" ... "Down to the Sea in Ships" ... "The Bravados" ... "Captain from Castile" ... "How the West Was Won" ... "Airport" ... ALFRED, for sure.
posted 02-02-2000 10:18 PM PT (US) Dave
OscarŽ Winner
Tommy is my favorite Newman........or was that Alfred???Anyways the scores to Meet Joe Black and Shawshank are just amazing. Thomas is right up there in my book....right next to his daddy.
I don't have Little Women.....is it as good as everyone says???
dave
NP : Clear and Present Danger
posted 02-02-2000 11:37 PM PT (US) Michel
OscarŽ Winner
Thomas is currently my favorite composer. I've never heard any of Alfred's scores so I'm not qualified to have an opinion on who's the best. I have Randy's Toy Story 2, and it's ok, but I don't listen to it often. Thomas' Meet Joe Black and The Horse Whisperer are two of my favorite scores, and I continue to enjoy all the other scores I have by Thomas also. I've heard some of David's Galaxy Quest which sounds good, but that's all of his that I've paid much attention to. I still vote for Thomas.Michel
posted 02-02-2000 11:54 PM PT (US) Cole
OscarŽ Winner
This is such a difficult question. In fact I think it is somewhat ridiculous (no offense).
Its just that - how can you play favorites and say who is the best among anybody much less within a family?
There is no doubt that Alfred is the one among them who is most well known and has done the most work. What would the begining of Star Wars be if we didnt have that wonder full 20th Century Fox Fanfare preceding it. But for most of us around here Alfred is unknown just because he was before our time. we are only familiar with Thomas Randy and David; who are all great. They are great but completely different. Thomas does such wonderfully inventive and original dramatic music - Shawshank has to be one of the best dramatic compositions of our time. Randy does this beautiful retro sarcastic music that is completely unique compared to any other composers out there. he is so fun to keep up with. And then there is David who does some good sounding brassy music but whom overall I think is pretty shallow compositionally.
You cant really rate them. you can only compare and contrast their music and enjoy how different they are from one another.
NP Chinatown
posted 02-03-2000 05:18 AM PT (US) Jeron
OscarŽ Winner
I haven't had the pleasure of listening to Alfred, yet... but thus far, David Newman is my favorite. I guess that easy to understand, as I'm a big Goldsmith fan and both share a love for huge themes, etc. Randy Newman would come in 2nd, and Thomas in 3rd... of course, Thomas is still just as brilliant as the rest.Jeron
posted 02-03-2000 05:47 AM PT (US) Ron Pulliam
OscarŽ Winner
I'll have to go along with those who find it futile to compare members of a family.Alfred Newman, certainly, is one of the giants of film music history. I don't know how anyone truly interested in film music could NOT know his name or be curious about his work. There are MANY opportunities to see movies scored by him, especially on AMC. Additionally, some of his greatest scores are readily available on stunningly produced CDs: The Greatest Story Ever Told -- Ryko, 3-CD; How the West Was Won, Rhino, 2-CD; The Song of Bernadette - Varese Sarabande, 2-CD; Prince of Foxes - FSM; All About Eve and Leave Her to Heaven - FSM; How Green Was My Valley - Fox Classics; The Robe (OST) - Fox Classics; The Robe (OS) - Varese Sarabande; The Egyptian (complete score with co-composer Bernard Herrmann) - Marco Polo; and on and on. "Anastasia" is out there, as is "Airport." Then there are countless bootlegs of his stuff, including "Wuthering Heights" and "The Razor's Edge."
His nephew Randy is arguably the most versatile of the younger Newmans. From pop music to serious dramatic scores to wonderful musical scores, Randy's output has been the most prolific. His score to "The Natural" is one of the top 5 scores of the 1980s, in my estimation.
Thomas and David, Alfred's sons, should not be pitted against one another on any count as they are quite different. David had some early scoring gems, such as "Hoffa" and "War of the Roses." Mysteriously, he tends to be overlooked for prestige films in recent years, although I really like the scores he writes (Matilda, The Phantom). Thomas always writes interesting music, although I confess "Shawshank Redemption" works very well in the film but is of little interest to me on CD. "Meet Joe Black," on the other hand, is extremely powerful in and apart from the film. I think he is always on-the-money within the framework of whatever film he's scoring...and he's often brilliant. I still don't hear one "voice" that tells me he's "Thomas."
But that's just my opinion.
Hey, they're "The Newmans of Hollywood" (title of an upcoming book by Jon Burlingame, due to be published in December). A dynasty. The more music they write, the richer we'll all be.
[This message has been edited by Ron Pulliam (edited 03 February 2000).]
posted 02-03-2000 08:18 AM PT (US) James
OscarŽ Winner
What about Emil and Lionel, the forgotten Newmans?I don't really have an answer to this question, it's too difficult for me to decide, and I'm also not confident in my knowledge of the music of Alfred and Randy.
James
NP - 101 Dalmatians (Kamen, ****)posted 02-03-2000 12:50 PM PT (US) Matt
OscarŽ Winner
So, basically Cole, what you are saying is that you cannot say any composer is better than another? You can only compare and contrast different composer's music, but never rank them?
Im not judging in this post(just for the record), im just trying to make sure i understand you.
posted 02-03-2000 02:20 PM PT (US) spango
OscarŽ Winner
Oh dear God,some of you seam to have a problem to answer to a simple question without mentioning your problems to compare between family-members. You could just erase the word family and you can tell everybody your opinions towards different composers. Actually those come from the same family and that´s not really important but quite interesting and perhaps a little ridiculous as a reason to compare them. Please don´t take everything too serious!
all the best
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