How will the Indiana Jones IV score compare?

I disagree on this point here, at least in Raiders' case. I listened to it the other day in its entirety and wasn't bored once. The entire score is perfect IMHO. And that's not nostalgia talking, considering I hadn't listened to it for at least a year.

Last Crusade had a great score, but Williams was definitely on autopilot for a few cues here and there.

As for Crystal Skull, I really hope we get something along the lines of TPM as well, a score that harkens back while at the same time offers something new.

 

I get bored with the Raiders score in a few places. I listen to Last Crusade far more.

 

Absolutely! TPM is one of the greatest sequel scores ever, and if KotCS takes a cue from it, I'll be happy.

I also find Raiders to be the strongest score. Never a dull moment. Admittedly, some of the unreleased cues aren't extraordinary (though "Government Agents" is incredible!), but they serve as perfect functional music for their scenes. That's the thing about a musical work: you can't expect a constant high. There must be ups and downs. Without the downs, you can't appreciate the ups.

Temple of Doom is a fun, if somewhat thoughtless score (one of the best "constant high" scores) and Last Crusade has plenty of great moments, but I agree that it is on autopilot.

 

KotCS to feature a Continuum Fingerboard:

http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/03/05/News/indiana.Jones.Movie.To.Use.Professors.Musical.Invention-3251800.shtml

 

Sounds like in songs though, not in the score.

 

I think the article mixes up some terminology. Randy Kerber works for Williams as an orchestrator and keyboardist (although he is also a composer). It seems like the article is simply noting the presence of the Continuum Keyboard in Williams's score and the fact that Kerber will be performing on it. I suppose it is possible that Kerber has in fact composed music for the score, but if so it is very likely only source music. Williams rarely writes his own diagetic music anymore. (When was the last time? Superman?)

 

I thought he'd written some for the prequels (i.e., Tatooine and Dexter's Diner source music).

From the article, the fingerboard sounds like it could be used to produce some otherworldly effects. Maybe it's a sound associated with the Crystal Skull.

 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (No Spoilers!).

 

Those were ghost written by his son Joseph, just as "Lapti Nek" was (and maybe more of the Jabba source music, too).

 

Anyone know the official release date for the score? If its before the movie I don't think I'll be able to wait to see the movie before I listen to the score.

 

Hopefully better than Temple of Doom, but I doubt it will be better than Last Crusade and Raiders. Of those two, I definitely like Last Crusade better because of the most interesting themes. I find Raiders, while it works well in the movie, is a bit of a bore to listen to. Obviously, Raiders Theme, will be good to listen to. I also like Basket Game and Desert Chase, but other than that I don't find the music that great.

I'm hoping for something completely new, an rousing soundtrack similar to what he accomplished in Episode III (quite better than II and I, IMO). Let's hope John Williams does this right.

 

I'm all too afraid he's going to do it wrong, though.

 

I hope he composes a score that harks back to the good old days of Indy, something that has the same golden age feel as the originals. He could get away with changing the composing style for the prequel Star Wars films, but I think that Indy IV will be just magical if he can recapture that same feeling with the music.

So I think that he will produce something we can at least compare to the original scores.